This article is from WeChat official account:Youthology Youthology (ID: openyouthology001) , Interview: Xiao Zeng, Henghui, Mu Xue, Furong, Writing: Sharon, Qingdou, Lydia, Editor: Meng Chang, Typesetting: Xiaoqi, Design: Sam, head picture from: Screenshot of the stills of “I, get off work at a point”

We have some “utopian” imaginations about working far away from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and life beyond the front line: buying a car and a house at home, digging small garlic, picking acacia flowers, riding a small electric donkey to get off work, and no worries about getting off work Overtime. “The commute time is short, and the spare time can be more.”

Douban Team’s “Report on the Life in the Marginal County” shared by Douyou about working in the county © Douyou Lotus Leaf

Is 996 just the “privilege” of the first-line and Internet giants? Leaving the front line, is it “escape” or “choice”, is it a luxury? Outside of the “pastoral” imagination, what is real non-frontline work like? Without the worries of the garage, what kind of life state will it present? Will there be any difference with regard to work anxiety?

With these questions, we chatted with friends in Chongqing, Chengdu, Nanning, and Lanzhou about their job choices and exploration of the meaning of work.


Hongtao is an electronics company in ChengduThe product specialists of, have achieved the goal of “finding a good job with a monthly salary of more than 6,000 before the age of 25”, but still want to explore jobs that are not step-by-step and get their heads at a glance.

Xiao Huang works in a research institute in Chongqing. Like all people in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and 996, he faces a serious “overtime culture”, but the situation is somewhat different.

Nan Nan is a senior banker with a monthly salary of more than 10,000 yuan. Even in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, he belongs to the middle and high income group. But in fact, she described herself as a “waitress” job, just “low-level people”.

Xiaoliang is a prospective dad who is preparing to apply for a Ph.D. The daily academic research work of “8117” is more day and night than “996”, and the pressure and difficulty should not be underestimated. However, the social status has been improved, and the heart and spirit have been fulfilled, so that Xiaoliang can cope with pressure and doubts.

Alan and Hongqiao are freelancers currently living in Chengdu, Alan is a freelance illustrator, and Hongqiao is a poet. They all admit that they are not the “mainstream of society”, but they can be regarded as living an “ideal life”.

one

“I also don’t like to follow the steps and get the job done at a glance.”

Red potato Chengdu

In our imagination, compared with the high-speed and tight first-tier cities, the working conditions in non-first-tier cities are always comfortable and leisurely. The sweet potato, who works as a product specialist in an electronics company in Chengdu, seems to fit this imagination.

Every day from 1 to 5:30 after get off work hours, Hong Tiao will rush downstairs with colleagues on time. After leaving the company, she automatically cut off all ties with her work, “If a colleague comes to me for inquiries, I will reply to them tomorrow.” Playing mobile phones, playing games, watching videos, cooking, playing cats… There is a lot of time for her to spend freely. These simple things constitute the idle routine of the sweet potato after get off work.

©”Bread and Soup and Cats in Good Weather”

Before, Hongtiao returned to her hometown of Chengdu after finishing her internship in Shenzhen. Although she only lived in Shenzhen for a short time, this prosperous city developed a strong sense of isolation in her heart: she opened the windows of the rental house, The high-rise buildings in front of me are more like a wall, but the place where I live is as messy as a “vegetable market”, and even the sun rarely shines in. The sense of depression grew in her heart, and in the end she packed up her simple luggage and returned to her hometown. She also returned to a life that “seems to be able to see her head at a glance”.

For the sweet potato, returning home means having parents help to provide the car and down payment, and I only need a plain life. She had set a small goal for herself before, hoping to find a good job with a monthly salary of more than 6,000 before the age of 25. However, this goal was easily achieved. Even before going to the interview for “good job”, she did not deliberately prepare more, but was thinking about what to eat at noon today. Who wants the interview process to be very smooth, allowing her to enter her ideal life state in advance.

Today’s work is easy and comfortable for the red potato, the task is not complicated, and it only needs to be delivered on time. But she will also be uncomfortable with the status quo, “I want to do a more technical job. The current job feels that anyone can do it after training. I don’t like a step-by-step job that can get a head start at a glance, but it doesn’t. The reason for the move is that I am too lazy!” Just like “boiling frogs in warm water”, sweet potato also has a vague worry about a stable future, but it seems that it is far from the point where it needs to be “struggled.” ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

two

“We have a fixed requirement for overtime hours, and each person has to accumulate up to 50 hours per month.”‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Xiao Huang Chongqing

However, working in non-first-tier cities is not so easy for everyone. Xiao Huang, who works in a research institute in Chongqing, also works in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Regarding the judgment of the “bottom”, he believes that in simple terms: the labor input is large and the social status is not high. “If I introduce myself to work in a bank among a random group of people, other people’s reactions will be dull, and I won’t feel particularly awesome when I hear it.”

Common sales actions, such as holding activities during New Years and New Years, and promoting new sales activities, are actually common in Nan Nan’s scope of responsibility. Therefore, in addition to selling wealth management products, banks will also wholesale some small commodities for activities, as a welfare distribution to attract customers to become members or let old members feel the benefits of VIP. Since this work does not constitute a clear system within the bank, the manager of each branch needs to find the supplier, negotiate the price, apply for the fee to buy the product, design the activity process, and then sell it to the customer at a preferential price combination .

Nan Nan likes this kind of work status as a “waiter”, “When I do these things, I don’t get any profit. I just do the design and execution of an event. The designer of the event is me, selling I also sell rice and oil, which seems to be no different from waiters and cashiers.”

©《The Lonely Foodie》

The feeling of “like a waiter” is also reflected in the most common commuting time. On weekdays, the bank’s dress code for employees is formal for commuting to and from get off work. Even after get off work, Nan Nan needs to be prepared to deal with the formal meeting that will occur at any time. In order to avoid the trouble of changing clothes, and to move quickly and get into the state, he often wears work clothes to go shopping in the supermarket or eat in the restaurant after get off work, but he is always regarded as a clerk or waiter, saying: “Waiter, come here. “Although it’s just an unintentional act of others, the frequency of occurrence is so high that it is difficult for Nan Nan not to mind.

“Which one is not a waiter who is engaged in the tertiary industry.” Nan Nan laughed at herself, while describing the ideal work model he heard in his mind: “My motherMy friend’s daughter works as a cadre in a powerful institution. Her daily job is to go to work and drink coffee, and she doesn’t need to wait for anyone. There is also a special car to and from get off work. “

four

“Even after a Ph.D., my job may be more than 996 days and nights, and my career choices may be fewer.”

Xiaoliang Lanzhou

Xiao Liang, who is studying for a master of arts in Lanzhou, has not yet entered the work system. The next step is to apply for a doctorate. This step helped Xiao Liang to ignore the concerns about identity and status. In Lanzhou, reading a Ph.D. means an increase in social status. Regardless of whether he will be a little bit financially embarrassed because he is still “studying”, the status of “Doctor” means more respect. “Here, no matter which school you are a Ph.D. student, as long as you can get a Ph.D., people will respect you very much. I will have more confidence in myself when my social status has risen.”

Under the foundation of knowledge accumulation and academic qualifications, Xiao Liang believes that his career choice platform will start at a higher level, and he will be promoted faster in some occupations. A Ph.D. study can at least guarantee income from droughts and floods, and a stable income. Compared with doing business, when its practicality was repeatedly questioned by people around him, it became his confidence to respond.

©《Long Reader》

But the path to a Ph.D. does not make him face less work anxiety. First of all, he has to pass the academic threshold. Compared with the normal work of the first-line large factory “996”, Xiaoliang’s daily “8117” academic research work is even more day and night, and the pressure and difficulty should not be underestimated. If a trade union in a big factory has clear KPIs and goals to guide the direction and completion time of the work, then doing knowledge is like digging an unknown mine., I don’t know if this mine is right or not, and I still need to take the risk of knowing what’s wrong soon.

Under the situation of not being result-oriented or efficiency-oriented to do something, knowledge anxiety is like a snowball, you can only do it with your heart. But sometimes, Xiao Liang still wonders what he is doing. In front of his bookshelf, there are three to four hundred books on display, half of which have not been finished. Since liberal arts is a divergent subject, Xiaoliang often focuses on which part of the book should be read first, the knowledge of which subject the text should use, and whether the word or text is useful for academic research.

Even after a Ph.D., Xiao Liang said frankly that his career choices in Lanzhou may become fewer. “A master’s degree in literature generally has three directions, civil servants, teachers, or editors. Either seek development in colleges or universities, or go to government agencies. However, after studying for a Ph.D., my expectations of myself may have improved, so I don’t think about doing jobs like elementary and middle school teachers and clerks.”

But in addition to this actual factor, the more important significance that PhD reading brings to Xiaoliang is the change in inner fullness and spiritual abundance. Xiao Liang loves his major and regards academic experience as a practice. “Chen Xiaoming said ‘Literature is the great cause of the weak’. I believe that as long as the effort is used, a qualitative change will occur within the self. Of course, this change may not be particularly obvious, but in reality The above is a fulfilling work and life state.”

Five

“My desire and need for a flash of light is greater than a step-by-step life.”

Alan & Hongqiao Chengdu

Alan and Hongqiao are freelancers currently living in Chengdu. Alan is a freelance illustrator and Hongqiao is a poet.

In the eyes of outsiders, illustrators and poets are not so-called “decent” professions, and unstable income is even more a risk. But in the eyes of Alan and Hongqiao, I have enthusiasm for the work I am doing, and I can live a comfortable life.

Alan’s life rhythm can be described as “three days of fishing and two days of exposure to the net”. Her source of income is mainly to receive drawings. Anyway, the manuscripts are there. If you are lazy, you can draw less, and if you need money, you can draw more every day. A few,Naturally earn more. Sometimes Alan also went to the night market to set up a booth to paint for tourists. The income of a week of painting in Chengdu on the National Day can cover her expenses for a month. After concentrating for a period of time and earning enough money, you can paint casually, without taking any manuscripts at all, and concentrate on thinking about your creation. Alan felt that this could be regarded as an “ideal life”.

Alan’s illustration ©Alan

Hongqiao graduated from the Chinese Department of a prestigious school. He has published books, and has always been writing poetry. He has won many literary awards and is well-known in the circle. His current income is mainly manuscript fees and bonuses. Although it is very unstable, it is relatively impressive when it is good. According to him, last year he took a small 100,000 yuan in bonuses alone.

They all admit that they are not the “mainstream of society”, and they are less afraid of “accidents” caused by “instability”, and even reluctant to do so. For most people in the mainstream, they may have been in the work of the rules and envied the free and creative work of Alan and Hongqiao for a while.

For such a “non-mainstream” life, Hongqiao is not without self-doubt. Seeing undergraduate students entering the well-known Internet companies in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, starting salary of more than 400,000 yuan, Hongqiao also said that he can’t compare with them, “The logic of goods and economy has been so deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and society seems to not allow you. Keep some different ways of living, these voices are so loud that every once in a while I suspect that it may be me who is wrong.” But even if you enter a big factory, what about a relatively high annual salary? Hongqiao feels that the nature of life will not change as a result, and that a little more money will not become a rich man. But poetry, once you have experienced its beauty, you can never forget it.

In the eyes of Hongqiao, people who follow the steps may have had a moment of wanting to escape. “It’s just that the desire and demand for a step-by-step approach is greater than this kind of flashy life.”

Poems written by Hongqiao © Hongqiao

last

In the last line of the interview outline, lies the question: What do you think is a decent and ideal job?

In their descriptions, some partners think that a “better” job is vaguely yearning for rights and privileges, such as civil servants, institutions, and private cars who don’t need to worry about profits; but we also see When it comes to those jobs that are compliant with the inner choice of work, do not expect stability and get the bottom line at a glance.

The state of non-frontline work is not exactly as comfortable and step-by-step as we imagined, and it also needs to face the imbalance of internal and external evaluation standards: Internally, it will become a part of the system. A certain link feels meaningless; externally, it will look for a sense of respect and awe while worrying about the society’s evaluation of a profession.

We perceive that every individual has its own difficulties, and there are many things that we don’t want to do, don’t like, and are not good at, but have to do. Such helplessness, no matter where it is, is once again confirmed.

The collision between theory and reality is always full of dislocations. We need to observe reality repeatedly and have in-depth dialogues to fill the gaps. Within the front line, and outside the front line, we may have reached the same goal by different routes. In the end, it may be the sentence Li Dan wrote in “Waiting”: “I have already clocked in, what else do I need?”

This article is from WeChat official account:Youthology Youthology (ID: openyouthology001) , Interview: Xiao Zeng, Henghui, Mu Xue, Furong, Written by Sharon, Qingdou, Lydia