虽然这是一篇很老的文章了，但是现在看来依然对需要找工作的人很有用，比如我自己。 毕业的时候，脑袋空空，什么也都没有规划好，就急冲冲的进了职场，蹉跎着时光。如果时间真的能倒流的话，我相信我会愿意去好好看看这些文字，找寻自己应该努力的方向。

　　by Erin Burt, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger.com

　　Good news for college students who are graduating this spring: Employers plan to hire nearly 20% more new grads this year than they did last year, according to a survey by the National Association of College Employers. That makes this one of the most promising entry-level hiring markets since 2001.

　　对即将于今年春天毕业的大学生们来说，这有一个好消息：根据美国全国大学生雇主协会的一次调查，美国雇主计划今年比往年多招收２０％的应届毕业生。这样会出现一个自２００１年以来最有希望的雇佣市场。

　　Even so, whether you’re looking to land your first job out of school or move up from an entry-level position, you’ll need to be smart about your hunt and your ultimate choice. No matter how ripe the field of opportunity, it’s easy to focus so much on impressing the right people to land a job that you may forget to ask yourself an important question: "Do I actually want to work here?"

　　即便如此，不论你是刚毕业、希望找到第一份工作还是希望从初级入门位置获得晋升，你都需要聪明地寻找和做出最后选择。不论机会多么成熟，人们还是容易过多关注在给别人留下深刻印象而忽视一个重要问题：“我是不是真的想在这家公司工作？”

　　Many first-time job hunters overlook this key point until it’s too late. You may be thrilled that someone actually wants to hire you and jump at the first offer. Or, if you have more than one offer in hand, you may instinctively choose the job with the highest salary -- after all, you’ve got bills to pay. But there are other financial factors to consider, as well as the job’s compatibility with your skills, lifestyle and ambitions.

　　许多首次求职者会忽略这个关键问题，等他们意识到的时候已为时太晚。有人想雇用你也许会让你很兴奋而立即接受这份工作；或者，如果你获得不只一个工作机会，也许会本能地选择薪水最高的那一个——毕竟，你有账单要付。但是，还有其它一些经济因素要考虑，以及工作和你的技能、生活方式和抱负的“相容”程度。

　　To help you make the smartest choice, check out these eight things you should evaluate when mulling a job offer.

　　要做出最明智的选择，请看看下面这些你在接受工作之前要考虑事情。

　　1. Benefits. 福利待遇

　　This is something often overlooked by young adults just starting their careers, but benefits can be worth up to 30% of your total compensation, according to Quintessential Careers, a job search and advice Web site. Start by finding out how much medical and dental coverage you’ll get, which flexible spending plans the employer offers and whether the company offers a pension or 401(k) savings plan -- and if it will match your 401(k) contributions. You also should consider other financial perks that come with the job, such as tuition reimbursement, signing bonuses, relocation expense reimbursement and home-buying assistance. Don’t underestimate the value of non-financial perks either, such as flexible work hours or telecommuting opportunities.

　　这一点往往被那些刚开始职业生涯的年轻人忽略，但是，根据求职及职业建议网站Quintessential Careers，福利所占的比重也许会达到你全部收益的30%之多。你需要了解能获得多少医疗福利和牙齿保健补助；雇主提供哪些灵活的花销计划；公司是否替你出退休金或者是否实行401(k) 计划（节俭储蓄计划）、以及这个计划是否和你的贡献相符。同样，你应该考虑工作包含的其它经济鼓励，例如学费报销，签约费；安置费用报销；购房补助。也不要低估了非经济补助；例如灵活的工作时间或远程办公的可能。

　　by Erin Burt, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger.com

　　除了薪水、福利待遇，工作地点和交通状况也是选择工作时要考虑的因素，而且是很重要的因素。
　　在波斯顿、纽约、洛杉矶或三藩市开展职业生涯也许令人心动，但是，你会发现对二十来岁的人来说，那些不那么热门的、房租不太贵的城市也一样是不错的选择。
　　交通初听上去也许不是一个大问题，但是，如果你通勤距离很长；那么波动的汽油价格会对你的预算开支有影响——更不用说被夹在车流中真的很容易让人更快变老。
　　没人愿意呆在一个没有发展前途的工作职位上。如果你需要把40小时花在工作上面，那么就意味着你得将四分之一的精力都放在工作上。你最好确保自己喜欢工作场地，确保自己能融入工作中。这超越了对着装和办公室或工作隔间的要求。考虑一下公司的规模和企业文化(是快节奏还是轻松闲散？等级分明还是民主制？）公司的价值观念和你的相符吗？公司能让你有同时照顾好家庭吗？你能和同事相处吗？

　　It can be hard to get a feel for the work environment in a formal interview. Ask a potential employer to introduce you to your future co-workers either on the initial or secondary interview. Ask them what they like and don’t like about their jobs. If you haven’t had that opportunity before the company makes you an offer for hire, ask for the contact info of a couple of people you would be working with and give them a call or send them an e-mail before accepting the job.

　　在正式的面试中要获得对工作环境的感受很难。在初次面试或再次面试中请雇佣者给你介绍一下未来的同事。问一问他们喜欢工作中的哪些方面，不喜欢哪些。如果在公司决定聘用你之前没有这样的机会，可以索要你未来的同事的通讯录，在接受工作之前，给他们打电话或发电子邮件咨询。

　　你打算在一个地方呆下去，还是想有不同的尝试？你想做辛苦但是技术含量高的工作还是轻松但没什么提升的工作？你想过自己五年、十年后的状况吗？这些都是找工作时需要考虑的。

　　当你年轻才刚开始工作时，你大概不会去找一份给你养老的工作。　　7. Level of responsibility. 责任程度。

　　You’ll want a job that’ll allow you to utilize your hard-earned education and sharpen your skills, not one that reduces you to a coffee runner. But bear in mind that you probably won’t land your dream job right out of school. You may have to "pay your dues" in some respect and work your way up the career ladder. Which brings us to our last point

　　你希望一份能够让你应用自己数年寒窗苦获得的教育且提高技能的工作；而不是一份跑腿送咖啡的工作。但是记住，你很可能不会刚走出校门就找到理想的工作；你也许要在某些方面”教学费“；然后努力地在职业中提升。这就引出了最后一条。

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