HSK 4 · Upper-Intermediate stories

找工作的日子 · The Job-Hunting Days

Zhǎo Gōngzuò de Rìzi — The mix of hope and exhaustion of looking for a first job.

Read the story

Every word shows its pinyin above the characters. The English translation follows each line.

上个月shàng ge yuècóng大学dàxué毕业,bìyè开始kāishǐzhǎo工作。gōngzuò

Last month I graduated from university and started looking for a job.

tóule三十sānshíduōfèn简历,jiǎnlìquèzhǐ收到shōudào三次sān cì面试miànshì机会。jīhuì

I sent out more than thirty resumes but only got three interviews.

每次měi cì面试miànshìdōuràng紧张,jǐnzhāngdànràngxuédào很多。hěn duō

Every interview made me nervous, but I learned a lot too.

有时候yǒu shíhouhuì怀疑huáiyí自己zìjǐ是不是shì bu shì选错xuǎncuòle专业。zhuānyè

Sometimes I wondered if I had chosen the wrong field of study.

朋友们péngyoumen告诉gàosubié着急,zháojí万事wànshì开头kāitóu难。nán

Friends told me not to worry — every beginning is hard.

昨天zuótiān终于zhōngyú拿到nádàole一份yí fèn还算hái suàn满意mǎnyìde工作。gōngzuò

Yesterday I finally got an offer that I'm fairly satisfied with.

现在xiànzài回头huítóu看,kàn那段nà duàn等待děngdàide日子rìzi没有méiyǒubái过。guò

Looking back now, those days of waiting weren't wasted.

hái记得jìde第一次dì yī cì面试miànshìshíde样子。yàngzi

I still remember what I was like at my first interview.

提前tíqián一个小时yí ge xiǎoshíjiùdàole公司gōngsī楼下。lóu xià

I arrived downstairs from the company a whole hour early.

因为yīnwèitài紧张,jǐnzhāngzài外面wàimiàn走来走去。zǒu lái zǒu qù

Because I was so nervous, I paced back and forth outside.

面试官miànshì guānwèn为什么wèi shénmexiǎngzuò这份zhè fèn工作。gōngzuò

The interviewer asked me why I wanted this job.

准备zhǔnbèile很久hěn jiǔde答案,dá'ànquèshuōde乱七八糟。luàn qī bā zāo

I had prepared an answer for a long time, yet I said it all in a muddle.

后来hòuláicái明白,míngbai面试miànshì不只是bù zhǐshì回答huídá问题。wèntí

Only later did I understand that an interview is not just answering questions.

他们tāmengèngxiǎng知道zhīdàoshì一个yí ge什么样shénme yàngde人。rén

What they want more is to know what kind of person you are.

现在xiànzàizuòzài自己zìjǐde工位上,gōngwèi shànghái常常chángcháng想起xiǎng qǐ那些nàxiē日子。rìzi

Now, sitting at my own desk, I still often think of those days.

Vocabulary in this story (105 words)

WordPinyinMeaning
上个月shàng ge yuèlast month
I
cóngfrom
大学dàxuéuniversity
毕业bìyègraduated
开始kāishǐstarted
zhǎoto look for
工作gōngzuòwork
tóusent
le(past)
三十sānshíthirty
duōmore than
fèn(measure)
简历jiǎnlìresumes
quèbut
zhǐonly
收到shōudàoreceived
三次sān cìthree times
面试miànshìinterview
机会jīhuìopportunities
每次měi cìevery time
dōuall
ràngmade
紧张jǐnzhāngnervous
dànbut
also
xuélearn
dào(achievement)
很多hěn duōa lot
有时候yǒu shíhousometimes
huìwould
怀疑huáiyídoubt
自己zìjǐmyself
是不是shì bu shìwhether
选错xuǎncuòchose wrong
专业zhuānyèmajor
朋友们péngyoumenfriends
告诉gàosutold
biédon't
着急zháojíworry
万事wànshìall things
开头kāitóubeginning
nánhard
昨天zuótiānyesterday
终于zhōngyúfinally
拿到nádàogot
一份yí fèna
还算hái suànreasonably
满意mǎnyìsatisfied
de(of)
现在xiànzàinow
回头huítóulooking back
kànsee
那段nà duànthat period of
等待děngdàiwaiting
日子rìzidays
没有méiyǒudid not
báiin vain
guòpass
háistill
记得jìderemember
第一次dì yī cìthe first
shíat
样子yàngziwhat I was like
提前tíqiánearly
一个小时yí ge xiǎoshíone hour
jiùalready
公司gōngsīthe company
楼下lóu xiàdownstairs from
因为yīnwèibecause
tàiso
zàiat
外面wàimiànoutside
走来走去zǒu lái zǒu qùpaced back and forth
面试官miànshì guānthe interviewer
wènasked
为什么wèi shénmewhy
xiǎngI wanted
zuòto do
这份zhè fènthis
准备zhǔnbèihad prepared
很久hěn jiǔfor a long time
答案dá'ànan answer
shuōsaid it
de(manner)
乱七八糟luàn qī bā zāoin a complete muddle
后来hòuláilater
cáionly then
明白míngbaiunderstood
不只是bù zhǐshìis not just
回答huídáanswering
问题wèntíquestions
他们tāmenthey
gèngmore
知道zhīdàoto know
you
shìare
一个yí gea
什么样shénme yàngwhat kind
rénperson
zuòsit
工位上gōngwèi shàngdesk
常常chángchángoften
想起xiǎng qǐthink of
那些nàxiēthose

More HSK 4 stories