Even gives lecture at NTU (台灣大學學生職業生涯發展中心)

Last night, November 22nd, 2012; Even Chung of Patisco.com gave a small lecture at National Taiwan University to a small group of students. 
The event was sponsored by NTU's Career Center and organized by our very own: Colla Tsai.  

 The main focus of the lecture was to give the students a little insight and inspiration when choosing their career paths and making plans for their future. 
Even gave a small introduction of himself and his experiences, Patisco, and the market as we see it today and where it will go. I, myself have already heard many of the stories before, but I was amazed by the length and expanse of topics that Even can cover in one session, with no water breaks in between! 
Truth to be told, I was expecting a very... more or less indifferent crowd, because from past experiences we have talked to college students   

 and many do not believe or shake off the things that we tell them. Things seemed to be going how I had thought until one student asked a question on how Patisco.com was different from all the other e-commerce sites, and that was when the ball started rolling in a different direction. Suddenly, the half-dazed attendants sat up and listened to Even as he explained the particulars and why it mattered to every little operation regarding to trade, business, and people. 

Once that question was answered,  the flood gates were open. Students asked things from what we do to philosophy regarding on "what shall I do as a career choice?" I have say that I was happily surprised by the sudden attention and positive feedback that Even was getting. 

As you can see, the room was not packed, which was a good thing since we preferred a small crowd.  We at patisco.com always stressed: "it's not the quantity, but the quality that counts!" and I give it to the students that the attendants of last night's lecture was indeed a group of exceptional students who have a bright future ahead of them. 

about 30 minutes into the lecture, two or three students passing by watched from the door, and later walked in and sat down to listen. While I was making my way around the survey the room I saw students take out their iPads, notebooks, laptops, and smart phones and started writing down and typing out some things that Even was saying, while some on laptops was going onto Patisco.com while others were on our facebook page. 

After the lecture was over, a group of students surrounded Even and asked everything from ideas, to advice, while others just wanted insight into a new world that seemed to open up. 

How many people can hear from an elder: "You are in an era where you choose to do what you want to do, not something that you should do." I think this line touched many students, as they were getting confused and inspired by the fact that in school they are taught to be conservative and be useful to society, and then we come in and tell them: "follow your heart, because you are the 

ultimate judge of yourself and your life." 
Even also pointed out that he believes in three core factors that come into play when one is choosing to do something:

1) Information :  Have you done research into what you want to do? do you have what you need to achieve what you want to achieve? 

2) Resource: Do you have the means to get what you want? Can you figure out a way to get what you need to get what you want? 

3) Vision: Do you have the dream or passion? is it adequate enough to pull you through and keep you on your toes? 

Seeing the students interacting with Even and Yi-Ching was a great sight, as you see two inside industry professionals debate and share with students. It is true that what students are taught in school is different from what the real world will teach them, and having people like Even and Yi-Ching come out voluntarily to tell them the "harsh" reality, but in a way that also conveys that just because it's not what the students will expect, doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

 We are all taught to be ready and anticipate everything that life throws at us, but in all seriousness, we will never know what is coming our way. The only way to be on top of things is to keep your head up and always eager to learn. Learning is not done only in the classroom and ends at college graduation, learning is an everyday process; the more you learn and experience the more you will know. 

 On a lighter note:
Suzy, Colla, and I were more or less tired from the lecture... 
So took the time to chit chat and sit on the sofas on the stage that were set up for some conference or talk seminar later on. 

Thank You Colla for organizing this event!!!