Five years ago, Zola was persuaded to quit her job by the world's top pharmaceutical company in a "boil a frog in warm water" approach - instead of laying off employees, she was "suggested" to switch jobs to a leading domestic state-owned enterprise. HR said: "You are too serious and don't adapt to the current market culture." Five years later, when faced with an RPM interview invitation from an old classmate, she suddenly understood: It was not that she could not keep up with the times, but that the times were punishing all those who refused to bow.
With a background in clinical medicine, she once slapped the table with the director in public because of data errors; her performance was always in the top three, but she was regarded as "unsociable" because she refused to accompany her for drinks, was absent from team building, and was unwilling to socialize with the leaders; she looked down on her colleagues who surrounded her boss, and ended up becoming an island. Today, the pharmaceutical industry is undergoing drastic changes: centralized purchasing has lowered prices, foreign companies have shrunk, and compliance has tightened. Zola has 20 years of experience in medicine, marketing and sales, and is familiar with the entire process after the drug is launched, but she has never learned to smile and say: "You are right." The interview is about to come, and the memories are flooding: from the smell of formalin in the dissecting room of the medical school, to the familiar words in the hospital corridor; from the academic conferences in the golden age of foreign companies, to the resignation email of "thank you for your contribution"... She has relied on her professionalism for half her life, but she always stumbles on the sophistication of people. This time, she had to answer: In a world where everyone is "flexible", is there still value in staying professional? When the industry no longer needs "talking salesmen" but craves "thinkers who understand medicine" - will her untimely arrogance turn into the final moat? This is a story about whether professionalism can be reborn in midlife. She's not likeable, but she tells the truth. In this era, perhaps we need such people.
Purpose: Encourage ordinary us to work hard and accept our true selves.