Q: I am doing a master's degree in accounting¹ and have completed my first semester. Now I'm thinking of shifting to actuarial studies, as I don't find accounting very exciting. In the current economy, should I pursue something I feel passionate² about or go for a field with more job security?

问：我现在正在攻读会计学硕士，目前已经修完第一学期的课程。现在，我正在考虑转到精算系，因为我觉得会计很无聊。在目前的经济环境下，我到底是应该从事我所感兴趣的领域，还是追求稳定的职业呢？

A: Job security is extremely hard to come by these days, no matter what profession you choose. It isn't enough to pursue a field with perceived stability, say the experts. You'll want to find something you feel passionate about, can make a living doing and that involves using skills you can easily apply to other fields.

答：在当前的经济形势下，无论你从事何种职业，都很难找到稳定的就业机会。专家们表示，光是追求预计能够带来稳定就业的领域是不够的。你希望追求的方向应该是你所热爱的、能够借以维持生计的职业，并且能够运用到一些你可以轻松转换到其它领域的技能。

'Passion is a necessary but not sufficient condition for success in the workplace,' says James Elsen, president and chief executive officer of SustainableCircles Corp., publisher of sustainlane.com, a 'green living' guide that includes job listings. 'Pursuing what you love will give you access to creativity and energy that you would not otherwise be able to tap while slogging to a job you are indifferent about.'

SustainableCircles Corp.的总裁兼首席执行长詹姆斯•爱尔森(James Elsen)表示，要想取得事业上的成功，热爱是必要条件，但并非充分条件。追求你所热爱的职业能够为你带来创造力和活力，而这些都是从事某项你自己都感到无所谓的工作所无法得到的东西。SustainableCircles Corp.是sustainlane.com的出版商，这是一份“绿色生活”指南，同时也发布一些空缺职位。

Bear in mind that since you're only one semester in, it may be too early to rule out accounting. Give yourself some more time and become an expert in the field so you can make an educated decision about whether it's right for you, suggests Paul Herrerias, a managing director at executive-consulting firm Stanton Chase International. Talk to people working in the field and join networking groups on sites like LinkedIn.com, for example. 'You can't get excited about something you know nothing about,' he says.

职业经理人咨询公司Stanton Chase International的董事总经理保罗(Paul Herrerias)表示，需要谨记的是，既然到目前为止你学习会计只有一个学期的时间，这个时候放弃会计可能还所言过早。不妨给你自己一些时间，让自己成为这个领域的专家，这样你也可以更好地了解到底哪个方向更适合自己，由此做出更加明智的决定。比如说，你可以和业内人士多加接触，参加网络社交群体如LinkedIn.com等等。他说，最忌讳的事情就是盲目追求某个你还毫无所知的领域。

Don't discount the virtues³ of a degree in a high-demand field such as accounting, especially in the current economy, adds Amy Nichols, founder⁴ and CEO of Dogtopia, a chain of upscale dog daycare and spa facilities. 'Having a broader degree is more valuable in times like these,' she says.

高端宠物狗护理和美容设施连锁店Dogtopia的创始人兼CEO艾米•尼克尔斯(Amy Nichols)则表示，不要低估会计等需求量很大领域的学位的含金量，尤其是在目前的经济状况下。她说，拥有一个求职面相对宽泛的学位在目前的形式下是很有价值的。

Ms. Nichols got her degree in psychology⁵ and worked in the telecom industry for years before pursuing a career that caters⁶ to her passion for dogs. In the five years she was with Verizon (then Bell Atlantic), she held four different positions. By working for a large company, she says she received invaluable⁷ training and experience that she might never have obtained if she tried to strking out on her own right after college. And without the credibility and knowledge she gained, securing a business loan might have been an impossiblity, she says. '[Accounting] might not be that thrilling or exciting, but you need to have those skills to run a successful business,' she says.

尼克尔斯女士过去主修心理学，在电信行业工作多年，由于她对狗的热爱，最后她选择了目前的事业。在Verizon（后来成为Bell Atlantic）供职的五年当中，她从事过四份不同的岗位。尼克尔斯女士说，在大公司工作的经历，让她获得了宝贵的培训机会和工作经验；如果她当初选择毕业后就立即自立门户，她可能永远也没有机会获得这些体验。而如果没有她通过在大公司工作所逐渐积累起来的信用和知识，她为自己的企业获得商业贷款的机会可能也会微乎其微。尼克尔斯女士说，会计可能不是那么令人激动或兴奋的职业，但是要想成功经营企业，你就必须要掌握相关的技能。

In the mean time, nothing should stop you from pursuing your interests on the side while working a 9-to-5 job to pay the bills, says Ms. Nichols. Stow away some money for a future business or career change.

尼克尔斯女士表示，与此同时，上班族在朝九晚五之余，也不应该停止对自己所热爱的事业的追求。试着积累一些资金，以便自己将来创业或者转行。

Whichever way you go, it seems you'll be choosing well, at least according to a recent study released from CareerCast.com ranking the best and worst occupations in the U.S. Both accounting and actuarial science made it into the top 10; actuary came in second place and accounting came in tenth.

无论你如何选择，你的选择都不会错，至少从CareerCast.com最近发布的美国前景最好和最差的职业排名来看是这样。会计和精算都名列前茅，精算名列第二，会计则排在第十。