Stephen Pollan is an iconoclastic life coach and personal finance mentor. He’s also a lawyer. But I think the engraved sign on his New York City office desk offers the best description of what he does: “Professional Fear Eliminator.”
斯蒂芬-波伦是一个离经叛道的人生导师和个人理财顾问。他也是一个律师。但我认为，他镌刻在纽约办公室桌子上的标牌完美的阐释了他的工作性质：“专业的恐惧消除者。”
Pollan, 83, meets with clients for 45 minutes to an hour to help them deal with knotty career issues they’re facing or fearing, from bouncing back after a layoff to dealing with a gnarly boss to squeezing out more money from a severance agreement. Often, his advice is provocative, unconventional and even blunt.
83岁的波伦每次与客户面对面交流45分钟到1小时，来帮助他们处理那些面临或担心的职业难题，从解雇后如何快速恢复活力，到怎样应对一位性情乖戾的老板，还有如何争取更多的解雇金等等。通常情况下，他的建议都颇为挑衅、离经叛道，甚至直言不讳。
1.You believe employees need to understand that they work for their supervisors, not their companies. What do you mean?
1.你认为员工需要清楚他们是为了上司工作，而不是为了公司。你可以解释一下吗？
Companies are never aware of who you are or what you do. I’m more interested in helping you make your supervisor look good than making you look good. You should be more preoccupied with your supervisor’s status rather than your own.
公司永远不会知道你是谁、你在做什么。我更感兴趣的是如何帮助你为你的上司争光，而不是你自己。你更应关注上司的地位，而不是你自己的。
If your supervisor wants somebody to take on responsibility at work, you’ve got to look like you’re protecting his back and front. That’s your most important job. Then you’ll get recognition.
如果你的上司需要一个人来承担工作上的责任，你需要表现出愿意为他赴汤蹈火的架势。这是你最重要的工作。随后你才会得到认可。
2.How should employees use their supervisors to keep their jobs and get ahead?
2.员工应该怎样通过上司保住饭碗，获得晋升？
Have a dialogue with your supervisor at least once a month. One type of dialogue is showing your gratitude for the professional growth you’ve received from their teachings. Go there and say thank you. That’s a good thing to do.
每月至少与你的上司进行一次谈话。谈话内容可以是对于上司的培养表示感激。去上司那里说声谢谢吧。这样做会有很好的效果。
Another positive thing to do: Come up with an idea for the company. Even better than that is coming up with an idea for your supervisor because that will make him or her look good.
另一个建设性做法：为你的公司构想一个创意。如果你能够把这个功劳让给你的上司的话效果会更好，因为这样会为他脸上争光。
3.What do you say to people who think their job is in jeopardy?
3.你会对那些觉得自己可能饭碗不保的人说些什么呢？
Renew your vows at work and make a conscious, larger contribution. And show gratitude to your employer for your professional growth; expressing gratitude is magic.
重新对工作许下誓言，并有意识的作出更大的贡献。感谢你的雇主帮你提升专业技能；表达感谢之情往往有魔幻般的效果。
4. You believe that someone who wants to get hired has to go about it without looking like a job hunter. Why?
4.你认为希望获得聘用的人不能表现出是求职者的样子。为什么？
If you’re looking for a job, you have the lean and hungry look of a job seeker. When people see you, they think they’re in a hospital ward. People looking for jobs are treated as second-class citizens.
如果你在找工作，你通常会表现出求职者那种对工作的渴望。当人们看到你这样时，他们会认为进入了一个病房。人们将找工作的人视为二等公民。
Looking for a job has got to be a goal you keep to yourself and do incidentally. You could do it by getting face time with people, making presentations at trade conferences and networking there, maybe writing an article to show your expertise. You want to get other people titillated about you.
寻找工作可以作为目标，你将它保留在你内心深处，并且附带着来做它。你可以在与别人面对面交谈的时候来找工作，在行业会议上发表演讲并建立人际关系，或者还可以写一篇体现你的专业素养的文章。你需要激发别人对你的兴趣。
5.And you say the most important thing to do when you’re unemployed is to get a job — that it almost doesn’t matter what the job is.
5.当一个人失业时，你认为最重要的是找到一份工作——而无所谓是什么工作。
Unemployed job seekers get a quarter of the jobs that employed job seekers get. I don’t care if you’re a soda jerk, you’ve got to be doing something.
失业的求职者获得的工作机会是在职的求职者的四分之一。我不在乎你是不是冷饮售货员，但是你必须在做点什么。
When you go on a job interview and you’re asked, “What are you doing now?” and your response is “I’m looking for a job,” that’s not good. You want to say, “I’ve got a job and I’m looking for one that’s much better.”
如果你去参加求职面试，你会被问到，“你现在在做什么？”而你的回答是“我在找工作，”这样是不好的。你最好说，“我有一个工作，而我现在在寻找一份更好的工作。”
