The Best of Times;The Worst of Times

It’s difficult to imagine a fishing village and market town transforming to today’s megacity simply in a few decades’ time. Shanghai’s transformation maps the changing experience for many Shanghainese who witnessed firsthand skyscrapers towering over what once were flat farmhouses, childhood farm fields drilled into unrelenting highways and financial districts, the city that underwent an unprecedented evolution—and so did Daniel's life.

These couple of decades were a life-changer. Currently an HR professional, Daniel's occupation was never what he had expected, but has now provided him a unique perspective on work, life, and even politics. His journey reflects the broader transformations to life in a modern city under a mercurial geopolitical environment where we can no longer ascertain the future or look like the present, and personal fulfillment seems harder than ever to attain.

“When I was younger, a university degree guaranteed a stable job,” he said, with a small sigh. “Now even graduates from 985 universities struggle to secure employment!”

The job market grows more competitive each year, with fewer positions available despite increasing numbers of applicants. With America’s imposition of tariffs and shaky political environment, borrowing rates decline, firms are more cautious in their investment, and households defer their spending. Economic uncertainty looms on.

“Finding a steady job you can tolerate is already an achievement,” he remarked. Unlike previous generations, who could rely on linear career paths, he accepted that the modern workforce demands flexibility. The pandemic, particularly during Trump’s presidency, had accelerated global disruptions, but she saw China’s recent response as part of a “once-in-a-century transformation”. The country’s growing confidence in confronting external pressures resonated with him—there’s less blind admiration for the West, the Chinese are more confident and know when, and how, to be tough.

The Realities of HR: Passion and Disillusionment

HR was never her childhood dream. As a student, Daniel fantasized about designing ancient-inspired architecture at Tongji University or becoming a programmer. But life had other plans. After underperforming in high school and seeing his tech aspirations derailed by mismanaged projects, he stumbled into HR—a field he once assumed was only for humanities students.

Fortunately, he enjoyed the job for the most part. He loved meeting diverse candidates, engaging in conversations that reveal their ambitions and struggles. However, she disliked the gatekeeping role—judging people’s worth based on corporate metrics. “Every employee has value,” he insisted, “Businesses should learn how to utilize everyone's strengths.” The reality was never so. “Instead, firms choose profits…they only care about economic values each employee can bring. As an HR, he inevitably had to turn people down, and decisions especially became more difficult as the number of applicants rose. “Employment, and the economy itself, is harsher than you think.”

He did not keep working as an engineer in the tech company during the rapid rise in technology popularity in China. The idealism of startups, and teams’ bonds over shared dreams faded as companies expanded, replaced by rigid hierarchies and more competition.

“As businesses become larger, there are always new problems, controversies about market shares and stocks that are hard to eliminate. Some bosses would just take your money and vanish. Who knows?”

Whether he was speaking from experience or reasoning, it seemed obvious enough the difficulties in job navigation. When asked about career suggestions for us, he advised us to study abroad at the “best universities” if possible. “Whatever you do, have a specialty in one area. Hopefully, you could monetize your expertise, but if not, you could still learn something.” That, too, may be the expectation for his little daughter, whom all along had been nagging him for hugs.

Accepting Life’s Detours

Rather than resisting unpredictability, he has learned to embrace it. “Life changes faster than plans,” he said. His philosophy was to set short-term goals while remaining open to unexpected opportunities. He recounted how seemingly unrelated experiences—dabbling in coding, even his HR role—had all contributed to his growth. “You never know which skill or connection might matter later. You have to own the mindset that maybe one day, everything you believe in will change; every aspect of today’s life may be outmoded.”

This adaptability extended to his personal life. Though not a “rich second-generation heir,” he was enjoying a comfortable middle-class existence. His wide-ranging hobbies—journaling, photography, crafting clay figurines, raising pets—reflected a personality eager to explore and create.

With his daughter in his lap, he smiled. Whether through HR, a newfound passion, or an unforeseen opportunity, he trusted each experience would add another layer, another spark, to his ever-evolving journey. Perhaps one day, one spark would be a life changer, the one that sets a fire, the one that changes everything. In a world of unpredictability, he argued, one’s strength was not a fixed plan, but the ability to keep moving forward, catching the tide of the times.

This was the best of times; this was the worst of times.