綻放多彩的職業「下半場」

 

我一直很欽佩華倫‧巴菲特(Warren Buffett）──不是因為他是億萬富翁，也不是因為他是我以前公司的大老闆，而是因為他的智慧和對工作的不懈熱情，即使他已高齡九十四歲，仍在享受工作中的樂趣與成就。我夢想跟隨他的腳步工作到九十歲、甚或更久，卻沒想到二〇二二年底 ，聖誕燈飾亮起時，六十歲的我收到的「聖誕禮物」是公司的感謝信——附帶資遣通知書，這驚訝窘境就像一疊從COBOL時代穿越來的穿孔卡片，在Python主導的黑客松（hackathon)賽場上，連參賽條碼都刷不出來。

 

人生常有其他計劃

 

這時發覺，六十歲在IT業求職，活像揣著算盤應徵AI工程師。——很迷人、很古典，但完全不受歡迎。效仿巴菲特職業生涯長壽的夢想比以往任何時候都更加遙遠了。說實話，除了他偶爾會訪問我們公司位於馬里蘭州的總部外，我與他的距離從來就沒有近過。

 

站在職業生涯的另一個十字路口，暫拋夢想，我自問：現在何去何從？

第一步：趕快領取失業救濟金。 （嘿嘿，我應得的！）

第二步：找另一份 IT 工作。 （六十歲老頭還想與孩子輩比科技？面試官看著我的履歷讚嘆：「您用COBOL寫程式的時候我父親還沒有出生呢！」IT行業青睞那些即使在睡夢中仍能編碼的年輕人。）

第三步：評估財務狀況。 （驚訝呀——我怎麼好像財務自由了、可以退休了？我家裡有會計師、統計學家、數字科學家為我嚴厲把關，當然這取決於我打算活到一百歲、還是一百三十歲。多虧GEICO的利潤分享與401(k)，我的退休算式從「能溫飽幾週」升級成「能環遊幾洲、幾週」。）

 

雖然數字顯示我可以退休，但我的雄心壯志卻不同意。我還太年輕，左右腳金雞獨立可以做三分鐘以上，我無法呆坐著、任世界由我眼前溜去。

 

斜槓人生：職業又幾春

 

不想無所事事，我開始探索 IT 以外的就業市場。送貨司機很受歡迎；星巴克一直在招募咖啡師；房地產業、保險業依舊蓬勃發展；當一個YouTuber網紅、帶貨直播似乎也不錯；購買各式連鎖店始終是一種選項；優步(Uber)開車很誘人，我一直喜歡開車。

 

出乎意料的是，我偶然撞見一項有趣的工作：醫學口譯（普通話/英語）。起初我還疑惑——大華府地區有這需求嗎？這或是一個精心設計的詐騙？但經過一些研究和培訓（培訓費尚可接受），我考過了測試，獲得了認證，通過了健康、財務、背景等調查，順利地獲得了我的第一份兼職工作——醫療口譯員。就這樣，一個全新的視窗打開了。「當上帝關了一扇門，必打開另一扇窗。」雖然我沒見過上帝，這句話竟在我的身上驗證了。

 

並且，我很快就在這個領域發現了兩個意想不到的收穫：

一、幫助英語能力有限 (LEP) 的同胞患者在醫療體系內有效溝通，成就感是立即的，助人為快樂之本。

二、在服務的過程中，我學習到有關健康、醫學、治療等相關的訊息，真可說是免費的自我進修。

 

對於一位前工程師來說，這真是始料未及的大收穫。

 

從科技到教學、寫作及銀幕

 

語言和寫作一直是我的興趣。很快地，有人找到我為他們寫回憶錄，讓我成為自由作家。不久之後，我在黎明中文學校教ABC中文，在北美大學擔任兼職講師，教國際學生資訊科技的相關課程。

 

我又重新教小朋友學圍棋，這是我一生的熱情，更是生活中額外的喜悅，孩子們在棋盤上「吃子」時，眼睛閃爍的笑意，比任何程式成功compile時的綠燈都迷人。我也愛表演，去年在華府第五屆洞庭盃幽默大賽上表演了相聲喜劇《AI機器人》，並榮獲最佳表演獎——這或許證明，工程師的幽默感雖有延遲，但絕不當機！去年我也公演了四場話劇《柳暗花明》，還是擔任男一號呢，並遇上千載難逢的機緣，我遠赴波多黎各的電影片場拍電影《外國人》，雖然只是一個戲份比台詞多的男配角——嘿，戲中我與三位同胞打麻將、兩位加勒比海美女對視、演對手戲！還去演了小品《白蛇外傳》中的男一號（因為只有一位男演員），也指導中文學校的ABC學生演小品《老師我要請假》，又與老搭檔說相聲《至聖訪美》——表演的台子似乎應接不暇。

 

誰知道裁員會帶來比我在 IT 產業更令人興奮的職業生涯？

 

綻放時刻

 

就在我認為我的職業生涯不能再發生轉變時，上個月，我找到了一份醫療保健/社會工作口譯員的全職工作——這可要歸功於領英（LinkedIn ）網路的巨大力量。

 

幽默一下，從本質來說，巴菲特仍在為我工作——我是波克夏·哈撒韋（Berkshire Hathaway）的股東。 （謝謝，巴菲特！您還可以繼續工作💪）

 

生活從未如此美好

 

我可沒有管理數十億美元的投資，但我發現了更有價值的東西：探索的自由、斜槓的勇氣以及終身學習的樂趣。現在，我在各種角色中悠遊、切換：一份全職工作、二份兼職活、四項自由工作、多個志工角色⋯⋯生活從來沒有這麼豐富多彩啊！

 

職業生涯的下半場不像跑馬拉松的後半程般煎熬，反倒像園丁發現後院藏著未曾預期的種子——醫療口譯是突然盛放的繡球花，表演藝術是野放的向日葵，而教學則是年年復甦的新鮮竹筍。

 

我的職業「下半場」教會了我：職業道路未必是筆直的，它們可以是曲折的、冒險的、豐富多彩的、充滿驚喜的——就像生活本身一樣。

 

如今我終於懂得，巴菲特教會我的不是如何經營企業，而是如何經營人生——真正的「長期投資」，是對未知保持好奇，對變化心存感激。  

 

至於距離？我們之間不過隔著一個選擇：巴菲特選擇用一甲子澆灌一棵橡樹，我則享受每顆種子突然抽芽的驚喜——九十歲時，誰說我們不會在各自的森林裡，聽見同樣的風聲？

 

 

Slashing My Way into a Colorful "Second-Half" Career

Ive always admired Warren Buffett—not because hes the big boss of my former company, not because hes a billionaire, but because of his wisdom and relentless passion for work, even at 94. I wanted to follow in his footsteps, to work into my 90s and beyond.

But life, as it often does, had other plans.

At the end of 2022, one of his subsidiaries laid me off. Suddenly, I discovered that being 60 in the IT industry is like bringing a vintage typewriter to a coding bootcamp—charming, but not exactly in demand. The dream of mirroring Buffett’s career longevity felt more distant than ever. Let’s be honest—it was never that close to begin with, except for the rare occasions when he visited our headquarters in Maryland.

Standing at yet another career crossroads, I asked myself: What now?

Step 1: Collect Unemployment Benefits. (Hey, I earned it!)

Step 2: Look for another IT job. (Spoiler alert: Not easy when the industry favors fresh-out-of-college talent who can code in their sleep.)

Step 3: Assess finances. (Surprise—I realized I could actually retire! Depending on whether I plan to live to 100 or 130, of course. Major kudos to GEICO for their profit-sharing program, which helped me build up my 401(k) over the years.)

And yet, while the numbers said I could retire, my heart disagreed. I was too young to sit back and watch the world go by.

Reinventing Myself: Career 2.0

With no desire to idle away, I started exploring job markets beyond IT. Delivery drivers were in demand. Starbucks was always hiring baristas. Real estate was booming. To buy a franchise is always an option. Uber driving? Tempting—I love being on the road.

Then, quite unexpectedly, I stumbled upon something intriguing: Medical Interpretation (Mandarin/English).

At first, I was skeptical—was this a real job in the D.C. area or some elaborate scam? But after some research and training, I passed the exams, got certified, cleared the background checks, and secured my first part-time job as a medical interpreter. And just like that, a whole new world opened up.

I quickly discovered two unexpected rewards in this field:

1. Helping Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients navigate medical terms and treatments—something they truly need.
2. Learning everything about health and medicine in the process—turning every workday into an education in the human body and healing.

Not bad for a former engineer.

From Tech to Teaching, Writing, and Even the Silver Screen

Languages and writing have always been passions of mine. Soon, someone approached me to write a memoir for them, turning me into a freelance writer. Not long after, I found myself teaching Chinese at Li-Ming Chinese Academy and IT-related courses as an adjunct instructor at the University of North America.

Then, for a little extra fun, I picked up teaching Go again (a lifelong passion).

And if that wasn’t unexpected enough, I performed a crosstalk comedy routine, "AI Robot," at the 5th Dongting Cup Humor Competition—and won the Best Performer Award!

Oh, and somehow, I even found myself acting—yes, acting!—in a few dramas, including Amazing Things Are Happening, and making an appearance in the 2024 film Foreigner, filmed in Puerto Rico.

Who knew that a layoff could lead to a more exciting career than I ever had in IT?

The Full-Circle Moment

And just when I thought my career reinvention couldn’t take another twist, last month, I landed a full-time job as a Healthcare/Social Work Interpreter—thanks to the power of LinkedIn networking.

The irony? Warren Buffett is still technically working for me—I’m a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder. (Thanks, Warren!)

Life Has Never Been Better

I may not be managing billion-dollar investments, but I’ve discovered something even more valuable: the freedom to explore, the courage to reinvent, and the joy of lifelong learning.

Now, I’m juggling:  1 full-time job, 2 part-time jobs, 4 freelance projects, Several volunteer roles.

What a colorful life!

If my journey has taught me anything, it’s this: Career paths don’t have to be straight lines. They can be winding, adventure, colorful and full of surprises—just like life itself.