This episode presents an interview with "77", a woman who transitioned from a tech career at a major company to becoming a self-employed insurance broker leading a team of over a hundred people. The discussion explores her unconventional career path, her reasons for leaving traditional employment, and her journey of self-discovery that led her to embrace a sales role despite her introverted nature. She emphasizes the importance of personal values, breaking free from societal expectations, and the strategic advantages of self-employment, including the freedom and the potential for high earnings through personal branding and team building. The interview also touches upon her early life, academic choices, and the financial literacy instilled by her mother which provided her the confidence to pursue an independent career.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号 @breakbarriers 《35号分享：从名校大厂程序员，转行转行转行到有百人团队的自由职业者，性格内向的她天赋点竟然是销售》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/35%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E4%BB%8E%E5%90%8D%E6%A0%A1%E5%A4%A7%E5%8E%82%E7%A8%8B%E5%BA%8F%E5%91%98%EF%BC%8C%E8%BD%AC%E8%A1%8C%E8%BD%AC%E8%A1%8C%E8%BD%AC%E8%A1%8C%E5%88%B0%E6%9C%89%E7%99%BE%E4%BA%BA%E5%9B%A2%E9%98%9F%E7%9A%84%E8%87%AA%E7%94%B1%E8%81%8C%E4%B8%9A%E8%80%85%EF%BC%8C%E6%80%A7%E6%A0%BC%E5%86%85%E5%90%91%E7%9A%84%E5%A5%B9%E5%A4%A9%E8%B5%8B%E7%82%B9%E7%AB%9F%E7%84%B6%E6%98%AF%E9%94%80%E5%94%AE

This episode presents a personal narrative from an individual identified as "Koala Bear," an 80s-born hardware engineer from rural Shandong now owning property in Beijing. The interview recounts his journey from a severely imbalanced high school student to achieving a master's degree and securing a job in the capital city, highlighting the pivotal role of postgraduate studies in altering his destiny. He reflects on the influence of his modest upbringing on his early academic choices and the subsequent efforts to correct his path through self-reliance and continuous learning. He also touches on the pressures of urban life and his optimistic outlook for the future, concluding with the interviewer's goal to compile diverse life stories for high school students.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号 @breakbarriers 《34号分享：从山东农村到北京有房的硬件工程师，谈及原生家庭和改变命运，他说未来会更好》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/34%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E4%BB%8E%E5%B1%B1%E4%B8%9C%E5%86%9C%E6%9D%91%E5%88%B0%E5%8C%97%E4%BA%AC%E6%9C%89%E6%88%BF%E7%9A%84%E7%A1%AC%E4%BB%B6%E5%B7%A5%E7%A8%8B%E5%B8%88%EF%BC%8C%E8%B0%88%E5%8F%8A%E5%8E%9F%E7%94%9F%E5%AE%B6%E5%BA%AD%E5%92%8C%E6%94%B9%E5%8F%98%E5%91%BD%E8%BF%90%EF%BC%8C%E4%BB%96%E8%AF%B4%E6%9C%AA%E6%9D%A5%E4%BC%9A%E6%9B%B4%E5%A5%BD

This episode presents Garfield, a 2010 science graduate in Wuxi, found high school fulfillment in late-night talks with close friends. Her university finance path moved from initial insecurity to self-confidence via self-discipline. Inspired by Netflix's data analysis, she chose business data analysis, becoming an early analyst. While working for a crypto startup in 2017, she shifted to Product Management. Garfield's passion for crypto deepened in a "spiral ascent" through market cycles, solidifying her commitment to a "crypto-native" company. She advocates embracing diverse experiences, believing "there is no wrong choice" and that "more experiences will enrich your life" by creating "dots" that can be connected later".Originally posted on WeChat 公众号 @breakbarriers 《33号分享：申请金融中途，看Bloomberg报道而勇吃螃蟹、转向商业数据分析，自信自律的她在虚拟货币行业做PM》And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog：https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/33%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E7%94%B3%E8%AF%B7%E9%87%91%E8%9E%8D%E4%B8%AD%E9%80%94%EF%BC%8C%E7%9C%8Bbloomberg%E6%8A%A5%E9%81%93%E8%80%8C%E5%8B%87%E5%90%83%E8%9E%83%E8%9F%B9%E3%80%81%E8%BD%AC%E5%90%91%E5%95%86%E4%B8%9A%E6%95%B0%E6%8D%AE%E5%88%86%E6%9E%90%EF%BC%8C%E8%87%AA%E4%BF%A1%E8%87%AA%E5%BE%8B%E7%9A%84%E5%A5%B9%E5%9C%A8%E8%99%9A%E6%8B%9F%E8%B4%A7%E5%B8%81%E8%A1%8C%E4%B8%9A%E5%81%9Apm

This episode presents P's story, a software engineer in New Jersey, who developed an early and genuine interest in programming and making games. Influenced by his "old-school" software engineer father's advice for a "soft-hard combination," P initially chose Electronics Information Engineering (Communication) at university. He re-engaged with programming by joining a RoboCup robot soccer laboratory from his sophomore year. Inspired by a senior's dream of Google and studying abroad, P then pursued a master's in Computer Science in the US, fulfilling his ambition. Now P finds his routine adult life fulfilling, works about 40 hours weekly, and is content with his career. His key advice to his high school self would be to "practice English listening thoroughly," as its neglect for Gaokao later complicated TOEFL preparation.

"Beyond the Gaokao" is Chelsea's interview series aiming to collect 50 life stories from diverse backgrounds around their high school and university choices, and introduce their careers, creating a varied dataset of independent life stories to broaden the imagination of high school students studying for their Gaokao.

Originally posted on WeChat 公众号 @breakbarriers 《32号分享：早早发现对编程的兴趣，却被程序员家长的偏见带上弯路，最终回归的“码二代”》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/32%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E6%97%A9%E6%97%A9%E5%8F%91%E7%8E%B0%E5%AF%B9%E7%BC%96%E7%A8%8B%E7%9A%84%E5%85%B4%E8%B6%A3%EF%BC%8C%E5%8D%B4%E8%A2%AB%E7%A8%8B%E5%BA%8F%E5%91%98%E5%AE%B6%E9%95%BF%E7%9A%84%E5%81%8F%E8%A7%81%E5%B8%A6%E4%B8%8A%E5%BC%AF%E8%B7%AF%EF%BC%8C%E6%9C%80%E7%BB%88%E5%9B%9E%E5%BD%92%E7%9A%84-%E7%A0%81%E4%BA%8C%E4%BB%A3

This episode presents an interview with a game developer, identified by the alias "Wings," who recounts his journey from a middle school dream of game development to a successful career spanning 13 years in the industry. The discussion covers his academic choices, particularly his pursuit of a software engineering degree at a top-tier science and technology university, and his experiences in college and professional life. Wings emphasizes his belief in the importance of having meaningful goals and highlights his current ambition to develop even more impactful games.

As part of the "Beyond the Gaokao" series, the interviewer, referred to as "宫师姐Chelsea ," shares her goal of collecting diverse life stories from 50 individuals to provide high school students with broader perspectives on future career and life choices.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号 @breakbarriers 《31号分享：从初中玩仙剑奇侠传立志做游戏开发而努力学习，他已经实现了一串梦想，在朝着新目标努力》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

This episode presents an interview with a professional referred to as "Old Peng", conducted by 宫师姐Chelsea, about his educational and career path. Old Peng discusses his experience in Chinese high school and his university enrollment through a subject adjustment, shifting from mechanical engineering to business administration. He shares details about his university life, pursuing a master's degree in marketing in the US, and his current role in Business Intelligence at a hedge fund company. A central theme is Old Peng's reflection on the importance of self-confidence and how it has impacted his journey.

The "Beyond the Gaokao" series' interviewer, 宫师姐Chelsea, explains her goal of collecting diverse life stories to aid high school students in their future planning.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号 @breakbarriers 《30号分享：大学调剂、专业调剂，从市场营销到对冲基金BI，他想告诉小时候的自己，自信点》

This episode features an interview with "Old Zhong," a former science student who became a successful law firm partner in a second or third-tier city in China, earning over a million RMB after tax annually. Old Zhong recounts his challenging academic journey, including a highly competitive high school experience and a difficult university major in electronics and information where he felt he lacked talent. He shares how recognizing his limitations in science led him to switch to a humanities field for graduate school, choosing law. The interview explores his current life as a busy but well-compensated lawyer, his reflections on past choices, and his advice on understanding one's strengths and weaknesses.

The interviewer, "宫师姐Chelsea," aims to collect diverse life stories from individuals like Old Zhong to offer high school students broader perspectives on future paths without imposing subjective opinions.

Originally posted on WeChat 公众号 @breakbarriers 《29号分享：在挫折中发现自己的能力边界，弃理从文、税后百万的律所合伙人》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/29%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E5%9C%A8%E6%8C%AB%E6%8A%98%E4%B8%AD%E5%8F%91%E7%8E%B0%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1%E7%9A%84%E8%83%BD%E5%8A%9B%E8%BE%B9%E7%95%8C%EF%BC%8C%E5%BC%83%E7%90%86%E4%BB%8E%E6%96%87%E3%80%81%E7%A8%8E%E5%90%8E%E7%99%BE%E4%B8%87%E7%9A%84%E5%BE%8B%E6%89%80%E5%90%88%E4%BC%99%E4%BA%BA

This episode presents an interview with a software engineer in New York, identified as "Dazhuang, (Big)" who discusses their academic and career journey from a high-achieving high school student in China to a programmer in the US. The interview, conducted by "宫师姐Chelsea ," highlights Dazhuang's experiences with university selection based on exam scores rather than interest, subsequent major changes, and a strategic shift towards computer science, even declining a Yale Univ offer for a stronger computer science program like Carnegie Mellon Univ. The conversation also touches upon the importance of undergraduate education and access to information for future success. The interviewer, Chelsea Gong, also outlines the purpose of these interviews: to provide diverse, unedited personal stories to high school students who are in needs.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号 @breakbarriers 《28号分享：优先择校、接受专业调剂再转专业，有名校情结但放弃耶鲁录取、转向计算机强校》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/28%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E4%BC%98%E5%85%88%E6%8B%A9%E6%A0%A1%E3%80%81%E6%8E%A5%E5%8F%97%E4%B8%93%E4%B8%9A%E8%B0%83%E5%89%82%E5%86%8D%E8%BD%AC%E4%B8%93%E4%B8%9A%EF%BC%8C%E6%9C%89%E5%90%8D%E6%A0%A1%E6%83%85%E7%BB%93%E4%BD%86%E6%94%BE%E5%BC%83%E8%80%B6%E9%B2%81%E5%BD%95%E5%8F%96%E3%80%81%E8%BD%AC%E5%90%91%E8%AE%A1%E7%AE%97%E6%9C%BA%E5%BC%BA%E6%A0%A1

This episode presents a software engineer who graduated high school in Sichuan, China, during the 2008 earthquake. The interview chronicles her unplanned educational and career path, starting with an initial interest in computer science that led to an information management degree, a marketing internship, and eventually a master's in computer science in the U.S. Her story highlights adaptability and openness to unexpected opportunities, emphasizing that her seemingly circuitous journey ultimately led her to a fulfilling career. The interviewer's stated goal is to collect diverse personal stories to inspire high school students considering their future choices.

27号分享：经历512的高考生，在摇摆中成为软件工程师

This episode presents a deep dive of an interview with P, a software engineer, focusing on their unconventional academic and career path. It details their journey beginning with information science competitions in elementary school, which led to skipping their final year of high school to attend university early. The interview explores P's decision to discontinue competitive programming in college and their subsequent career as a software engineer at a single company since graduation, highlighting their perspective that the life choices have been more a "natural progression" than active decisions.

This interview is part of Chelsea's "Beyond the Gaokao" project to compile diverse life stories from individuals, aiming to provide high school students with expanded perspectives on future possibilities without imposing subjective opinions.

Originally posted on WeChat 公众号 @breakbarriers《26号分享：从小学开始搞信息学竞赛、跳过高三就读大零的软件工程师，没有起承转合，只有顺水推舟》

And 宫师姐Cheslea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/26%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E4%BB%8E%E5%B0%8F%E5%AD%A6%E5%BC%80%E5%A7%8B%E6%90%9E%E4%BF%A1%E6%81%AF%E5%AD%A6%E7%AB%9E%E8%B5%9B%E3%80%81%E8%B7%B3%E8%BF%87%E9%AB%98%E4%B8%89%E5%B0%B1%E8%AF%BB%E5%A4%A7%E9%9B%B6%E7%9A%84%E8%BD%AF%E4%BB%B6%E5%B7%A5%E7%A8%8B%E5%B8%88%EF%BC%8C%E6%B2%A1%E6%9C%89%E8%B5%B7%E6%89%BF%E8%BD%AC%E5%90%88%EF%BC%8C%E5%8F%AA%E6%9C%89%E9%A1%BA%E6%B0%B4%E6%8E%A8%E8%88%9F