Today, a person is defined mostly not by his blood, his belief, or even his personality, but by his occupation. Career has become one of the handful of life-long concerns that parents have for their children. Most education systems in the world, including Taiwan's, regard job training not as a subject for general learning but only for vocational schools, which focus mostly on technical skills. Psychological and conceptual preparations are often lacking. It also influences the way parents educate their children. In Taiwan, parents often rush their children into 'hot' (profitable) college majors while disregarding their children's own inclinations. As a result, today's newcomers enter the job market with distorted goals. In Taiwan, a popular saying describes the best job as one with "high pay, little work, and close proximity to home." This description spells trouble for the newcomers and society because it mentions nothing about satisfaction and potential. The implication that money is the sole purpose of work distracts people from finding a career that is suitable and fulfilling. More importantly, this ideal represents an illogical expectation of work. A vibrant labor force is a matter of social stability. An inspired, well-versed and realistic labor force is the biggest asset of an economy.

vocational (adj.) 職業的 My friend went to a vocational school for two years before becoming a welder.

psychological (adj.) 心理的；心理學的 My fear of spiders is a psychological problem, not a physical one.

proximity (n.) 鄰近；接近 Luckily, there were no people within the proximity of the bomb's explosion.

implication (n.) 暗示；絃外之音 Your implication that I am seeing another person behind your back is unfounded.

illogical (adj.) 不合邏輯的 It would be illogical for you to expect your boss to pay you without you having to do any work.

vibrant (adj.) 充滿生氣的；活躍的 Her caring and vibrant personality made her a joy to be around.

asset (n.) 資產；優點 Her dedication and strong work ethic are just two of her many assets.

...to be defined 定義為… Sportsmanship is defined not only by how you lose, but also by how you win.

to spell trouble 表示將會有麻煩 Those dark clouds spell trouble for our picnic.

a matter of... 有關…的問題 I didn't quit my job because of the pay, but as a matter of principle.