Before finding your true career calling, it's likely that you held a job that seemed unrelated to what you hoped to do. Though you probably didn't realize it at the time, the job may have helped you develop skills essential to success in any career.

    在找到你真正理想的工作之前，你很有可能會從事一份與你想做的工作完全無關的工作。雖然當時你可能意識不到，但這份工作會讓你獲得一些技巧，而這些技巧是在其他工作中成功的必要因素。

    Here are three common, character- and skill-building jobs that can lead you to be successful in virtually any career field.

    以下是三個既普通又有能培養人技巧的工作，你從中可以學到足以讓你在任何工作上成功的技巧。

    Babysitter 幼兒看護

    Michael McCauslin, a San Francisco teacher, says his babysitting experiences during college helped him learn patience and diplomacy. He recalls taking care of some children who were heavy manipulators: "It took a great deal of patience to deal with them, and diplomacy to let their parents know about the behavior." He continues to practice these skills in his classroom every day.

    Michael McCauslin,是一位在舊金山的教師，他聲稱自己在大學期間的幼兒看護經驗使他學會了忍耐以及交際能力。他回憶起照顧一些多控制欲很強的小孩的經驗說："照顧他們需要很大的耐心，并且要有技巧性的讓他們的父母知道他們的行為。"如今他每天都在教室里繼續練習這些技巧。

    Skills learned: Diplomacy, adaptability, patience, performance under pressure, responsibility, self-confidence, strong work ethic.

    學習到的技巧：交際能力，適應能力，耐心，在壓力環境下工作的能力，責任，自信，強烈的職業道德。

    Retail Salesperson 零售員

    Long before Heather D'Eliso Gordon became a registered dietician, she worked as a retail salesperson for a custom framing shop. In this role, it was D'Eliso Gordon's responsibility to work with each customer and assess "what 'they brought to the table,' both figuratively and literally." She needed to be "open-minded and let go of any pre-conceived ideas to help clients create something really special and customized."

    在Heather D'Eliso Gordon成為注冊營養師之前，她在一家相框裝幀店當零售員。這份工作要求D'Eliso Gordon負責接待每位客戶，不僅要從字面上評估客戶的要求，還要深刻理解這些要求的深刻含義。她需要思想開明， 擯棄任何先入為主之見，以達到客戶要求的特別定制標準。

    She uses this same skill today as a nutrition health coach, coming to the table with an open mind to meet people where they are. "This allows clients to make changes to their eating habits and lifestyles as they are able, which leads to lasting change."

    如今，她將這些技巧運用在健康營養教練的工作上，以開放的心態滿足不同人的要求。"這種開放的心態允許客戶更改他們的飲食、生活習慣，以達到永久的改變。"

    Skills learned: Open-mindedness, problem-solving, communication, good judgment, persistence, positive attitude, self-confidence.

    學習到的技巧：思想開明，解決問題的技巧，交流能力，好的判斷能力，耐力，積極的態度，自信。

    Waiter/Waitress 服務員

    According to John Lipp, executive director, PAWS （Pets Are Wonderful Support）, the greatest skill he learned in the restaurant business was the importance of listening to people. "No matter who your customers are, we all share one common need -- the need to be heard," he says.

    PAWS的經理John Lipp聲稱，他在餐飲行業中學到的技能是傾聽。他說："不管你的客戶是誰，我們都有共同的需求，那就是被傾聽的需求。"

    Listening is still at the core of what he does. "In order to make decisions and move our organization forward, I need to listen to the public, to my staff, to our donors, to our volunteers, and most important, to our clients. People trust me to lead our organization because they trust me to listen first."

    現在，傾聽仍然是他的工作重心。"為了做出讓我們公司進步的決策，我需要傾聽大家的意見，所有職員的意見，贊助商的意見，志愿者的意見，最重要的是傾聽我們客戶的意見。人們之所以信任我能夠領導我們的公司，是因為他們首先相信我的傾聽能力。"

    Skills learned: Listening, endurance, people skills, teamwork, strong work ethic, performance under pressure, problem-solving, time management.

    學到的技巧：傾聽，忍耐，交際技巧，團隊合作，強烈的職業道德，在壓力環境下工作的能力，解決問題的能力，時間管理能力。

    If you're still trying to figure out what your true calling is, a free career interest test can help. In the meantime, you can take heart in knowing that whatever job you do, you will have many opportunities to cultivate valuable skills that can take you to the next level in your career.

    如果你還沒弄明白自己真正的職業興趣是什么，那就做一個職業興趣測試吧。同時，你也可以從心底認識到，不管你從事什么樣的職業，你都有很多機會學習寶貴的工作技能，而正是這些技能將你的職業生涯帶入到一個全新的水平高度。