永不退潮：從小店員到時尚精品CEO

Always In Fashion: From Clerk to CEO Lessons for Success in Business and in Life

馬克．韋伯

“The harder I work, the luckier I get”

這本書從去年12月開始讀到今年，這本書讓我一讀就不可釋手阿，結論是這本書真的值得去讀，作者以回憶的方式寫出42則自己的故事，其實書看多了想多了，從前面幾篇就可以了解這本書值不值的去讀。記得有人說不要去讀成功的故事，要去看失敗的故事，因為可從失敗中的可以學更多。作者帶著毫不掩飾的誠實、謙遜與自我認知，詳述他碰過的錯誤、挫折、洞見，更重要的是他碰到失敗如何站起來，重新建立起更璀璨的生涯。我之前也有一樣狀況，所以讀起來特別有感覺，不過我現在只是比低處高一點點，沒有像他一樣維持在高處。

作者在當上CEO 不過很快被fire了，可是他在找一下個工作時，非常不順利，在當中也發現離開之前的位子，很多朋友都不見了，或是不聯繫，讓他感受到低潮。在書中，他也有機會找到下份工作，但是面對那份工作似乎不適合，而他又必須降低薪水與職位，最後多方考量下，他拒絕了，這個他債書中有詳述著他是如何判斷與別人的意見，這是我值得去深思的，很多人應該都會說有就先做，騎驢找馬囉! 事實上，這樣對公司對自己都是一個傷害的，找一個真正適合自己的工作。

當在找工作時，他建議首要之務就是認清、接受一個事實：這個過程一點都不輕鬆。這一段期間，你會經歷各種負面情緒：憤怒、否定、不自在、不快樂、憂心。但是如果你在前一份工作曾經成功、你也相信自己在其他公司也能有所貢獻，我認為你一定就能找到其他工作。也許會花一點時間，但你終究會找到你的歸屬。你需要信心、相信自己受過的訓練。

接著你應該打給所有認識的人或約他們吃飯，讓他們知道你正在找工作，積極主動、求職若渴。很多人常會犯一個錯，就是不想讓別人知道自己失業了，因為覺得失業是一件丟臉的事。抱持積極，不要放過任何機會，願意與任何人見面、接受任何人的幫助，不要怕尋求他人協助。放下自尊心，努力找工作。要有條理、有計劃，然後就照計劃執行。”別讓自尊壞了事”

不只這點，這本書中還有其他很重要的，我認為主要有三方面1.面試 2.如何挑公司與工作環境 3.如何面對低潮及走出低潮

一面試

1. When you are interviewing for a job, you need to work hard to understand who you’re going to be meeting with and what might be important to that person.

2. When you’re looking for a new position, don’t think only about the companies you want to work for; in addition; think about what companies need your background, experience and know-how.

3. When you’re interviewing someone for a job, know what you can and can’t ask to avoid getting into legal hot water. Learn how to interview well, because hiring the wrong person is bad for both of you. Remember, you’re playing with someone’s life.

二如何挑公司與工作環境

1. Don’t choose or accept a job just because it pays well; money should not be the deciding that should inform your decision: the company, your manager, your coworkers, whether you’ll be trained and have an opportunity to learn and the potential for career advancement.

2. Make sure the people you work with are helping you learn and advance in your job and the company. If they’re not, recognize that this plan is just one rung on your ladder and start planning your next move – at another company.

3. Ask not what your company can do for you; ask what you can do for your company. If you help your company and do the right thing, your company will help you and do right by you too.

4. Don’t be a wise guy and learn to understand both the culture of your company and the cultures you’re working with. Many other cultures are more reserved than Americans are, and you need to respect that – and them –if you’re going to succeed, especially in international business.

三如何面對低潮及走出低潮

1. The way you deal with disappointments, setbacks, mistakes, and failures is more important than the way you deal with success. Don’t let your ego or sense of entitlement –or your emotions – get in your way. This is business, and your colleagues are not your friends or family. Be humble and work even harder to get what you want in your career. Let your disappointments fuel your desire to achieve.

2. Bear in mind George Patton’s words “The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom.” If you lose a job or face harder and smarter to climb back up. Call everyone you know to see if anyone can help you and don’t take the first thing that comes along. Instead, wait for the right position for you.

3. Looking for a new job is a complicated, painful process, and it’s very easy to lose confidence in yourself. Fight that tendency: don’t forget who you are. This is another time in your life when you know more than you think you do; don’t let anyone tell you different.

對我自己最重點是這兩個，因為這是我應該要學的能力，自認為可以跟任何工作，但是對如何善用同事了解同事，還有一大段要學 :

Whether it’s your first job, your second job or any job take at any time in your life, you are responsible for reading the people you’re going to be working for and with”

Learn everything else you can, respect every discipline that that’s out there, but if you’re going to get to where you want to get, you have to be great at what you’re going to do. You have to keep your eyes open for opportunities and push yourself to learn what you need to know.

從這本書很棒，這本書半是回憶錄、半是職場指南，從中可以學習到如何利用自己的長處，創造屬於自己的職業生涯。