Hli Yang成長于其苗族父母位于密蘇里州郊區(qū)的家禽飼養(yǎng)場。在這里度過的童年讓她對農(nóng)業(yè)產(chǎn)生了濃厚的興趣。24歲那年,，為了追尋這一夢想，Yang從密蘇里大學(xué)拿到了兩個學(xué)位——農(nóng)業(yè)和廣播記者學(xué)士學(xué)位,，以及新聞藝術(shù)碩士學(xué)位,。在農(nóng)業(yè)傳播領(lǐng)域從事了多項工作之后，她來到了阿肯色州的斯普林代爾,，并加入了泰森食品公司,，擔(dān)任公司采購部門的專職傳播策略師。

以下是Yang的故事……

進入泰森的大門：

在大學(xué)本科畢業(yè)后我獲得了一份實習(xí)工作,，因為我聯(lián)系了密蘇里大學(xué)的顧問,，當(dāng)時她剛好在數(shù)周前從泰森那里收到了一封郵件，內(nèi)容說的是想找一位傳播業(yè)務(wù)實習(xí)生,。我閱讀了工作介紹,，然后我覺得可以借此機會學(xué)習(xí)并為集團貢獻自己的力量。因此我提交了申請并得到了這份工作,。那個夏天過后,，我回到密蘇里大學(xué)攻讀碩士學(xué)位，我依然通過遠程的方式擔(dān)任公司的實習(xí)生,。又過了一個夏天,，我回到阿肯色州擔(dān)任實習(xí)生，然后在攻讀碩士學(xué)位期間繼續(xù)實習(xí),，然后在11月拿到了全職工作,。

在泰森實習(xí)兩次之后獲得了全職工作：

去年秋天，我真的希望獲得一份全職工作,。我向我的上司表達了這一意愿,，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)我所在的部門就有這個機會,。然后，他們真的為我設(shè)置了這個職務(wù),，因為對于一家商品集團來說,，傳播職務(wù)并不常見，因為商品依賴的是資金,。我不得不[正式]申請這份工作,，以便讓其他候選人提交申請，但其他人都不符合條件,。因此我連面試都免了,，在申請之后便得到了這份工作。

作為專職傳播策略師的職責(zé)：

我負(fù)責(zé)為公司本土糧食服務(wù)業(yè)務(wù)部門的傳播團隊提供協(xié)助,。他們會從農(nóng)民手中購買玉米,。我工作的主要目的是提升人們對公司業(yè)務(wù)的認(rèn)知度。在過去,，農(nóng)民會將其作物銷售給中間商,，然后我們再從中間商那里購買。但如今我們直接從農(nóng)民手中購買,，這樣的話農(nóng)民能夠多掙點,，我們也可以多省點成本。

我一直在嘗試提升傳播效果,，并試圖為我們所做的業(yè)務(wù)增添價值,。為了實現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo)，我一直以教育為重點,，讓農(nóng)民了解市場信息以及更為復(fù)雜的事情,。我的論文研究方向之一便是農(nóng)民及其傳播用途。很多農(nóng)民告訴我,，他們對某些合約知之甚少,。如果我們向其傳授更多的內(nèi)容，便能夠加強相互之間的信任,，而不是僅僅對他們說：“使用這項服務(wù)”,。增強農(nóng)民對市場運作情況的了解也會為其務(wù)農(nóng)生活增添價值,。

生活中的一天：

每一天的工作都是截然不同的,，這真的是件好事情。我是集團里唯一從事傳播業(yè)務(wù)的員工,，而且專門從事這項業(yè)務(wù),。由于我是這個辦公室的唯一員工，因此活特別多,，而且有著各種不同的工作,。周一可能是我工作最忙的一天,。我會做兩個視頻報告，因此我會在一大早,，也就是6點半來到辦公室,，通常要工作到下午5點或6點才會離開辦公室，然而由于這些工作日的時長較長,，因此我會在一周的其他幾天內(nèi)削減工作時長,。在剩余的工作日中，我會更新一下Facebook頁面,，寫寫文章,，并做一些公共關(guān)系活動。我也經(jīng)常向企業(yè)傳播業(yè)務(wù)團隊尋求幫助,，他們就在大廳對面的右邊,，因此我會就項目與他們開展很多合作，或征求他們的意見,。

工作中最困難的內(nèi)容：

我認(rèn)為工作中最大的挑戰(zhàn)是自己的年齡,，以及責(zé)任太重和主人翁精神。很多時候我都會懷疑我自己,。工作真的充滿挑戰(zhàn),，但我靠的是自身的直覺以及在學(xué)校內(nèi)外學(xué)到的東西。

在泰森工作最美好的事情：

對于我來說,，我異?？粗氐氖牵宜鶑氖碌墓ぷ魇且愿淖?nèi)藗兊纳顬槟康?。這也是我如此喜愛新聞工作的原因,，因為這份工作對公眾有著很大的影響力。而且我如今的工作的確能夠為當(dāng)?shù)厣鐓^(qū)提供支持,，并為農(nóng)民的生計提供更多的機會,。作為農(nóng)民的女兒，我深知社區(qū)中這類生意的重要性,，因為它的確能夠促進經(jīng)濟循環(huán),。

作為移民農(nóng)民女兒的成長經(jīng)歷對自己當(dāng)前的工作有何幫助：

我的父母是泰森的家禽養(yǎng)殖農(nóng)民，而且他們自2003年以來就開始務(wù)農(nóng),，因此泰森在很久以前便已經(jīng)融入了這個家庭,。由于在農(nóng)場長大，我學(xué)到的是截然不同的職業(yè)道德觀念,。除此之外,，我的父母還是老撾的移民。作為美國的第一代移民,，我的父母總是教導(dǎo)我們必須要努力工作,。這一點很有幫助,，不過很多人都對農(nóng)業(yè)和農(nóng)民存在誤解。他們是那些為世界生產(chǎn)食物的人,。如今,，無論我到訪何處的農(nóng)民，這一理念真的很有幫助,。我會試著搭建溝通的橋梁,，因為我對他們所經(jīng)歷的困苦了如指掌。

應(yīng)對冒充者綜合征：

你必須了解你自己,。在很多時候,，這一點在于了解自身的直覺，并意識到我在學(xué)校學(xué)到了很多有用的知識,，而且我可以在工作之中真正地去實施,。我的一位導(dǎo)師告訴我，冒充者綜合征將伴隨你的整個職業(yè)生涯,。研究顯示,，大多數(shù)成功的職場人士都存在這個問題，而且人們可以將其看作是動力而不是阻力,。

導(dǎo)師的重要性：

我有很多導(dǎo)師,，他們有著截然不同的觀點。我試圖和他們建立聯(lián)系,，而且不僅僅是業(yè)務(wù)上的聯(lián)系,。他們真的對我照顧有加，而且每當(dāng)我遇到職業(yè)問題或存在疑問時,，我都會向他們尋求幫助,。他們真的就是我工作的支持者。我的辦公室中還有很多年輕職員,，而且我也發(fā)現(xiàn)他們可以成為我的同僚導(dǎo)師,。他們與我年齡相仿，但他們和我一樣也在經(jīng)歷同樣的事情,。我們有著很多共同的工作和生活難題,，而且我認(rèn)為他們的建議通常最有幫助，都是一些日常建議,。

如何從農(nóng)場電臺進入企業(yè)傳播部門：

我的第一份實習(xí)工作是一個非常小的農(nóng)場廣播站,。我成長于一個非常偏僻的農(nóng)村地區(qū)，我最初的打算是成為農(nóng)業(yè)廣播員,，然后在大一之后的夏天,，我進入《農(nóng)場期刊媒體》雜志（Farm Journal Media）實習(xí)，也多少提升了我對雜志,、撰文和編輯的興趣,，隨后我發(fā)現(xiàn)，我真的很想從事廣播這個行當(dāng),。我的另一個實習(xí)工作是在RFD-TV,，后者為農(nóng)民和農(nóng)村地區(qū)生活的民眾播報了大量的農(nóng)村新聞。然后,，我在密蘇里州哥倫比亞的當(dāng)?shù)仉娨暸_工作了一段時間,，擔(dān)任記者。然后我發(fā)現(xiàn)了泰森,。

當(dāng)我發(fā)現(xiàn)這個實習(xí)機會時,，我已經(jīng)決定要念研究生了，但我整個夏天沒有什么事可做,。我真的想去嘗試一下企業(yè)傳播業(yè)務(wù),，因為我以前從來沒有做過，而且這是我遇到的第一個機會,。我對公司十分了解,，也深知其價值觀，對公司也沒有抵觸情緒,。因此我把握了這個機會,，隨后便一直為泰森工作。

工作福利：

我們是一家食品公司,，因此很明顯,，食品是公司的一個超級福利。我們有個泰森公司商店,，你可以以更低的價格購買泰森產(chǎn)品,，這一點對于我來說真是個福音，因為我手頭并不寬裕,。除了食品之外,，最重要的一個福利就是我們的股權(quán)。還有一個福利就是工作生活平衡,。我的老板在這一方面真的是棒極了,，尤其是在我實習(xí)的時候。她每天都提醒我,，要以學(xué)業(yè)為重,。公司的工作生活平衡真的不錯，如今我已經(jīng)走出了學(xué)校,，我真的很感激這一點,，因為這對我來說彌足珍貴。

因公出差：

我們訪問了公司在全美很多小鎮(zhèn)的農(nóng)村飼料廠區(qū)。訪問公司的農(nóng)戶對我們來說至關(guān)重要,。這也是我工作的樂趣之一,。

在新城市找房子住：

我長大的地方離這里并不遠,，但我對阿肯色州的這塊區(qū)域不是很熟悉,。我并不知道這個地方已經(jīng)發(fā)展得如此之好，如此之現(xiàn)代化,。沃爾瑪?shù)目偛烤驮诒就ㄍ?，JB Hunt Transportation在羅杰斯，當(dāng)然泰森在斯普林代爾,。正是因為這些公司的存在,，這里有大量的年輕員工，我只是不知道他們具體都住在哪,。我選擇了羅杰斯,，但花了4個月的時間才找到一間公寓。我的妹妹也住在本通威爾,，她到我這只需要花15分鐘,。這是我想搬到羅杰斯的另一個原因，因為距離我妹妹更近,，真的很好,。

居住條件：

我的房租800美元多一點，還是蠻合理的,。這是一個獨臥公寓,，空間也很大。我希望當(dāng)我不在家的時候,，我的狗能有足夠的地方跑來跑去,。附近有一個大型購物廣場和大型露天劇場，因此有很多音樂會,，尤其是在夏天的時候,。

今后的打算：

我喜愛傳播業(yè)務(wù)，它的一切,。我會盡力把復(fù)雜的事情用更加通俗易懂的語言表達出來,，并發(fā)揮自己的創(chuàng)造力。在商品行業(yè),，金融與創(chuàng)意之間沒有必然的聯(lián)系,，但你可以將創(chuàng)意融入金融。不妨去看看消費者飲食方式是如何改變的,，以及農(nóng)民的耕作方式是如何改變的,，在泰森，此舉真的能夠為你創(chuàng)造很多機遇，并打開思路,，而且我也想更多地了解與食品品牌定位相關(guān)的業(yè)務(wù),。

對年輕時候自己的建議：

要清楚地了解自身的價值觀，然后不斷地進行打磨,。弄清楚這一點并將其寫下來真的很有幫助,。我也會遇到挑戰(zhàn),，而且不得不做出決定,，但卻不知道從何入手，然而,，我會以自己的價值觀以及生活中我認(rèn)為重要的事情為導(dǎo)向,，此舉幫助我度過了難關(guān)。無論你在什么時候獲得了第一份全職工作,，你會變得很忙,，而且生活也是一日千里。你可能沒有時間再去打磨你的價值觀,，因此先確定自身的價值觀才是正道,。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：馮豐

審校：夏林

Hli Yang grew up on her Hmong parents’ poultry farm in rural Missouri, a childhood that gave her a passion for agriculture. At 24, Yang has received two degrees from the University of Missouri—a Bachelor’s in agricultural and broadcast journalism and a Master’s of Art in journalism—in the pursuit of that passion. After several different experiences in the field of agricultural communications, she relocated to Springdale, Arkansas, and has settled in at Tyson Foods as a communications specialist strategist in the commodity purchasing group.

Here’s what Yang has to say about...

Getting her foot in the door at Tyson:

After undergrad, I got an internship because I reached out to my advisor at Mizzou [the University of Missouri] and she had received an email from someone at Tyson a couple of weeks before looking for a communications intern. I read the description, and I thought that I could learn and add to the group as well. So I applied and got it. After that summer, when I went back up to Mizzou for graduate school, I continued remotely as an intern. That next summer, I came back to Arkansas as an intern, and interned again while I did my Master’s. Then I got hired full-time in November.

Getting hired on full-time at Tyson after two internships with the company:

This past fall I was really looking at getting a full-time job. I had expressed interest to my boss and found out there were going to be opportunities in my group. And then they actually created this position for me because it’s not common to have communications in a commodities group, since commodities is really finance-based. I had to [formally] apply to let other candidates apply, but no one else qualified. So I didn’t have to interview, I just applied and then got it.

What she really does as a communications specialist strategist:

I help our communications team for the local grain services business unit within Tyson Foods. They buy corn from farmers. The main goal of my job is to increase awareness about our business. Historically, farmers will sell their corn to a middleman, and then we would buy it from that middleman. But we just buy directly from the farmer, that way they get paid a little more and we save a little money as well.

I’ve been trying to implement better communications and trying to add value to what we do. To do that, I’ve been prioritizing educational content, teaching the farmers about what the markets are doing and more complex things. Part of my research in my thesis was on farmers and their communication uses. A lot of farmers have told me that they don’t understand certain contracts. We build better trust if we educate them more, instead of just saying “use this service.” Giving them a better understanding of how the markets work adds value to their lives as farmers, too.

A day in the life:

It is completely different every single day, which is really nice. I’m the only person doing communications within our group and for this specific business. Because I am the only person in this office, it’s a lot of work, and it’s a lot of different work. Mondays are probably my most consistent day. I put two video reports out, so I come in super early at 6:30 a.m. I normally don’t leave until 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., but because those are my longer days, I cut my hours for the rest of the week. On the rest of my days, I’m balancing running our Facebook pages, writing articles, and doing some public relation campaigns. I lean a lot on our corporate communications team, too. They’re right across the hall, so I collaborate with them a lot on projects or just get advice from them.

The hardest part of her job:

I think the most challenging part of my job is being so young and having so many responsibilities and ownership. There are many times when I doubt myself. It’s really challenging, but it’s just trusting my instincts and leaning on what I’ve learned in and out of school.

Her favorite thing about working at Tyson:

For me, it’s really important to do work that I can see has a purpose in changing people’s lives. That’s why I love journalism so much, because you’re doing impactful work for the public. And the work that I do now really supports local communities and the work of the farmers. Our business actually provides more competition and gives farmers more opportunities to make a living. And I grew up a farmer’s daughter, so I understand how important it is to have a business like that in that community because it really circulates the economy.

How growing up as a daughter to immigrant farmers prepares her for her job today:

My parents are poultry farmers for Tyson, and they’ve been farming since 2003, so Tyson’s been in our family for a long time. Growing up on a farm, you learn a very different work ethic. Not only that, but my parents are also immigrants from Laos. Being a first generation American, my parents have always taught us that you have to work really hard. So that helps, and then a lot of people have misconceptions about agriculture and farmers. They’re the ones who are raising the food for the world. Having that perspective really helps me today whenever I go visit farmers. I try to create a bridge, because I know the trouble that they go through.

Dealing with impostor syndrome:

You have to know yourself well. It’s often just understanding my instincts and knowing that I’ve learned a lot of good things in school, and I can really implement it at work as well. One of my mentors told me that impostor syndrome will follow you through your entire career. Research shows that the most successful professionals have that in common and you can use it to drive you rather than hinder you.

The importance of mentors:

I have a lot of mentors with very different perspectives. I try to make connections with them, and it’s not just business connections. They really do care about me, and I go to them whenever I have a career question or I’m having any doubts. They’re really champions for what I do. There are also a lot of young professionals in my office, and I find them to be peer mentors. They’re close to my age but they’re going through the same things I am. We share a lot of work and life struggles, and I think their advice is often the most helpful, day-to-day advice.

Finding her way from farm radio to corporate communications:

My first internship was at a really small farm radio broadcast station. I grew up in a very rural area, and my initial plan was to be a broadcaster in agriculture and then, the summer after freshman year, I interned with the magazine Farm Journal Media. So I got a little bit more into magazines, writing and editing, and then I decided I actually wanted to do broadcast. My other internship was with RFD-TV, which broadcasts a lot of rural news for farmers and people living in rural areas. And then I worked at a local TV station in Columbia, Missouri, as a reporter. Then I found Tyson.

This internship rose up when I decided to go to grad school and I had an open summer. I really wanted to try something in corporate communications because I’d never done that before and this was the first opportunity that came along. I knew the company well, I knew their values, and am comfortable with them as well. So I took it on and I’ve been here ever since.

Work perks:

We’re a food company, so obviously food is a huge perk here. We have a Tyson Company store and you can buy Tyson products for a lower price which is really nice for me because I am on a budget. One of the most important perks other than food is our stock options. A piece of it, too, is work-life balance. My boss is amazing about that. Especially when I was an intern. She reminded every day that school comes first. There’s still a really good work-life balance now that I’m out of school, and I really appreciate that because it’s a big value for me.

Traveling on the job:

We visit our rural feed mill areas across the country in a lot of small towns. It’s really important for us to go visit our farmers. That’s one of the more fun parts of my job.

Searching for housing in a new place:

I grew up not too far from here, but I didn’t know this area of Arkansas that much. I didn’t know how much it had grown and how modern it’s become. We have Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, JB Hunt Transportation in Rogers, and then of course Tyson in Springdale. With all of these companies, there were a lot of young professionals around, I just didn’t know where exactly everyone was. I chose Rogers, but took me like four months to find an apartment. My sister also lives in Bentonville, and she’s about 15 minutes away from me. That’s another reason I wanted to move to Rogers because it was a bit closer to her, which is really nice.

Her living situation:

My rent is a little over $800, so it’s reasonable. It’s a one-bedroom apartment, and it’s good-sized. I wanted a good place for my dog to run around whenever I’m not at home. There’s a shopping area and this big amphitheater nearby, so there’s a lot of concerts, especially in the summers.

What’s next:

I love communications, all the aspects of it, trying to put complex things into easier words for people and being creative. In commodities, you don’t really associate finance with creativity but you can implement creativity in it. If you look at the way that consumers are changing the way they eat, if you look at the way farmers change the way they farm, it really opens up opportunities and doors here at Tyson and I want to get more into the food branding side of it, too.

Advice to her younger self:

Really know your values and hone in on them. Having that figured out and written down really helps. There have been challenges where I’ve had to make decisions and I don’t know how, but I leaned on my values and what’s important to me in life, and that’s helped me. Whenever you do have a first full time job, you get busy and life moves a million miles an hour. You don’t have the time to hone in on your values then, so it’s nice to have them set already.