不要低估一份優(yōu)秀的實習(xí)的作用

My first corporate internship was as a summer analyst at Wells Fargo right before my senior year in college.

我第一份企業(yè)實習(xí)是大四之前暑期在富國銀行做分析師。

Confused about whether I was going to pursue the path of entrepreneurship or work for a company after graduation, I approached my internship with an open mind. I figured the experience might help me identify my strengths and, of course, test the waters before deciding my future career. Turns out, I was right. And the lessons I took away from my internship are some of the greatest assets I use as an entrepreneur today.

我當(dāng)時很困惑到底畢業(yè)后是自主創(chuàng)業(yè)還是為給公司打工。因此，我抱著開放的心態(tài)接受了這份實習(xí)。我覺得這份經(jīng)歷可能會幫我發(fā)現(xiàn)我的長處，當(dāng)然，在決定未來職業(yè)之前先試試水。結(jié)果表明，我是正確的。在實習(xí)過程中學(xué)到的東西是我今天作為一名企業(yè)家所利用到的最寶貴的資產(chǎn)。

For those who have ambitions to run a startup or, maybe you already are, my advice is: Don't underestimate the power of a good internship. Here are the greatest takeaways I learned from my summer job as a banker:

對于那些有著創(chuàng)業(yè)的雄心壯志的人來說(或者你已經(jīng)這么做了)，我的建議是：不要低估一份優(yōu)秀的實習(xí)的作用。以下是我從暑期作為一個銀行家的工作中學(xué)到的最有價值的經(jīng)驗。

Stick to deadlines. Tim Ferriss is a major advocate for the principal of Parkinson's Law -- which, simply put, posits that a task can become leagues more difficult the longer a deadline. By contrast, a tight deadline will prompt a tight turnaround with less stress over time.

堅守完工期限。蒂姆•菲利斯是帕金森定律的擁護者。簡單來說，假設(shè)任務(wù)能夠成為更為困難的集合，完工期限就會越長。相反的，緊迫的時間期限能促進(jìn)轉(zhuǎn)機，減少壓力。

注：律帕金森定律(Parkinson'sLaw)是官僚主義或官僚主義現(xiàn)象的一種別稱，被稱為二十世紀(jì)西方文化三大發(fā)現(xiàn)之一。也可稱之為“官場病”、“組織麻痹病”或者“大企業(yè)病”，源于英國著名歷史學(xué)家諾斯古德•帕金森1958年出版的《帕金森定律》一書的標(biāo)題。

During my internship, I was given strict deadlines for each project assigned to me. Whenever I took on a new project, I was always instructed to make sure I knew when each project was due by. Most of these deadlines were short, and to excel I always made sure I used my time as efficiently as possible -- knowing that a few hours of web surfing and I would be turning in my assignment late.As an entrepreneur, you never have enough time in the day, making it crucial to treasure each hour of your time. When you're manager gives you your first deadline, you'll begin to realize how valuable time really is.

在我實習(xí)期間，分配給我的每個項目時間期限都很緊迫。不論何時我開始新項目，我總是確保自己弄清了每個項目的截止時間。大部分時間期限都很短，為了做得出色，我確保自己盡可能有效地利用時間——上網(wǎng)幾小時就可能讓我延遲提交任務(wù)。作為企業(yè)家，你每天時間都不夠，這使得珍惜時間變得尤為重要。當(dāng)經(jīng)理告訴你第一個截止日期的時候，你就會明白時間有多么重要。

Don't rely on talent alone. Heading into my internship, I was extremely confident that my talent was going to be my greatest asset. In reality, this couldn't have been further from the truth. Each corporation has a set way of operating, key terms to know, and skills that you must master to really be a standout in your office. Only when I memorized the proper terms, studied the internship curriculum, and continued to learn did I start to stand out.

別僅僅依賴天分。在實習(xí)中，我原本很有信心自己的天分會成為最寶貴的財產(chǎn)。實際上，這并不是事實。每個公司都有自己運營的一套方法，有著需要了解的關(guān)鍵術(shù)語，還有在辦公室中脫穎而出必須要掌握的技巧。當(dāng)我記住了恰當(dāng)?shù)男g(shù)語，研習(xí)了實習(xí)簡歷，繼續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)之后，我才開始表現(xiàn)突出。

As an entrepreneur, I have applied this principle when I learn new skills that are needed to help grow our company. As an entrepreneur, talent is important. But the only way to improve, is to constantly focus on refining your skills.

作為企業(yè)家，我把這一原則運用在學(xué)習(xí)發(fā)展公司必需的技能上。作為企業(yè)家，天分很重要。但是進(jìn)步的唯一方法是一直專注于打磨你的技能。

Lead by example. During my internship, I took pride in always being one of the first people in the office and one of the last people to leave. As an intern, you have to prove to your fellow employees that you're willing to go the extra mile to get the job done.

以身作則。我很自豪地說，實習(xí)期間，我總是第一個到辦公室，最后一個離開的。作為實習(xí)生，你需要向你的同事證明你很花更大的努力來完成工作。

As you begin to grow your own company, employees will look to you as a leader and a role model for your company. The best leaders are the ones who fight down in the trenches with the people that follow them. Learn to prove how far you will go for your team, and you'll build a passionate group of people to support you.

當(dāng)你開始創(chuàng)立自己的公司的時候，員工們把你看做是領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者、公司的榜樣。出色的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者和他們的追隨者們在同一戰(zhàn)壕里并肩作戰(zhàn)。學(xué)會證明你為團隊能做到什么地步，就能建立起由富有激情的支持者組成的團隊。

Seek out opportunity. There were times during my internship where it appeared that there was nothing left for me to do. Wanting to take on new challenges, I went around the office and asked what I could help with. To my amazement, I was able to take on new assignments and exciting tasks that would not have been offered to me unless I made the effort to request them.

尋找機會。實習(xí)中，有時候看起來我沒什么可做的。想要接受新挑戰(zhàn)，我在辦公室里四處游蕩，詢問有什么我可以幫上忙的。讓我出乎意料的事，我有機會承擔(dān)新任務(wù)和令人興奮的工作。要是沒有主動提出要求的話，我就沒有機會去做了。

The best entrepreneurs aren't flourishing because an opportunity fell in their laps. They achieved success by going out of their way to make something happen.

最好的企業(yè)家不是因為天賜良機才發(fā)達(dá)的。他們想盡辦法，讓一切成為可能，從而走向成功。

Know your customer. Always ask what your customer needs and how you can help. At Wells Fargo, we kept in touch with our customers, figured out what kinds of people they were and how we fit in.

了解你的顧客。經(jīng)常問問你的顧客需要什么，你能為他們做些什么。在富國銀行，我們和顧客保持聯(lián)系，了解他們都是什么性格的，我們?nèi)绾尾拍芎退麄兇虺梢黄?/p>

This is a takeaway many entrepreneurs forget. Spending years creating a product that looks amazing but nobody wants isn't helpful. Instead, build something that makes your customers' lives easier, and always look for more ways to serve them.

這是很多企業(yè)家會遺忘的一點。花了很多年創(chuàng)造出看起來非常棒的產(chǎn)品，但是卻沒人想要。這沒有用。相反的，要創(chuàng)造出能讓顧客生活更輕松的東西，始終探尋為他們服務(wù)的更多途徑。