Рассказ о карьере - часть 1

На английском языке взято с блога http://moneyandsuch.blogspot.com/

In my early twenties (в свои 20 «с хвостиком») I decided that I wanted to become a lawyer (юристом). I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life but I knew that getting into law school was a tough and prestigious thing (сложным и престижным) to do and being a lawyer seemed (быть юристом казалось) so glamorous on TV... I made this career decision without truly (истинного) understanding what being a lawyer was all about (что значит быть юристом). Quite frankly (признаться честно), I only had a hazy idea (туманное представление) about what it is that lawyers actually (фактически/на самом деле) do when they get to work in the morning.

While at law school I supported myself (зарабатывал на жизнь) by working part time (на неполный рабочий день) as a sales person selling security systems. Although (хотя) I only did this for about two years, this was one of the formative (формирующих) periods in my career. I learned the art of the pitch (искусство продаж). I learned tenacity (стойкость/упорство) and finesse (хитрость/искусность). I learned that not all customers and not all sales people are ethical, and I learned that you can do well (успешно вести дела) in sales without selling your soul (не продавая душу). I think that everyone should try a sales job at least once (хотя бы однажды) in their career. Being a sales person tells you a lot about who you are and sharpens (оттачивает) your skills (навыки) like no other job (как никакая другая работа) I know. I was happy. I was making money, I was studying law, I was feeling very grown up (взрослым), and there is no doubt (несомненно) that I was growing up fast.

When I signed up for (поступил) law school, I had some vague notions (смутные представления) about wanting to practice international law or maybe civil rights law (гражданское право), but those notions were quickly abandoned (оставлены/отвержены) and I took a position (я занял должность) with a top corporate law firm. My job included working on major transactions (по крупным сделкам) – mergers (слияниям), acquisitions (поглощениям), venture capital investments (инвестициями в новые предприятия). I excelled at my job (преуспел в работе), and only a few months into my first year in the firm, the partner I was working for allowed me lead my first deal (позволил мне провести первую сделку) - a venture capital investment for one of our clients (under the partner's close supervision (под пристальным наблюдением партнера), of course). I was extremely proud of my success (был чрезвычайно горд своим успехом). I also hated my job. I hated going to work every morning knowing I will be word-smithing (составлять) a 100 page agreement all day. I hated the long hours. I hated the prospect (перспективу) of doing this for years until I became a partner, and then continuing to do pretty much the same thing (почти аналогичные вещи) for the rest (оставшуюся часть) of my working life. Nope (нет). The legal world was not for me. Had I actually bothered to talk to (если бы я взял на себя труд поговорить с) a few practicing lawyers before jumping into law school, this would have been pretty obvious (вполне очевидно) to me, but as I explained (объяснил), I went to law school for all the wrong reasons.

Anyway, it was time to get out. I decided to go to business school. This time I was a bit more informed (осведомленным). Having had considerable exposure to a wide range of businesses and transactions (в значительной мере познакомившись с широким спектром сделок) as a lawyer, I was painfully aware (я с болью осознавал) that my business education was lacking (недостаточно). I also found myself much more interested in the business aspects of the deals (сделок) I was working on than I was in my legal responsibilities (обязанности юриста) in these same deals. It was time to make a move (начать действовать). And so, the legal chapter (глава) in my career was closed almost two years to the day after my first day at the law firm.

In retrospect (оглядываясь назад), I am not sorry I went to law school. Although I have not practiced law for the past 10 years, I have put my legal background to good use (выгодно использовал опыт юриста) and still do so on a daily basis (ежедневно) when I negotiate business deals (обсуждаю условия сделок). I also find that I get a lot of respect (уважение) from colleagues, business partners and potential employers (работодателей) when they find out about (узнают о) my law background. I gained (получил) very valuable (ценное) education and skills in my brief foray into law (за время своего короткого «набега» в область права), but that was not my original intention (первоначальное намерение) when I decided to get a law degree (степень в юриспруденции).

Anyway, a new and excellent chapter was about to begin (предстояло начаться новой отличной главе), but although I had no inkling (слабых подозрений/намеков) of it at the time, I was setting myself up for the first major failure (крупной неудаче) in my career. It was time to go to business school.