Breaking Free from the Iron-Bowl Job

Thirty years ago in 1994, around the New Year, I made a significant career shift. I resigned from my first job as English editor at China Sports Magazine, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Sports and joined the soon-to-be-launched CCTV Sports Division. This decision was a gamble, as the job at CCTV was not an ‘iron-bowl’ (铁饭碗) permanent position like my previous role at China Sports Magazine. An ‘iron bowl’ job offers absolute job security.

Driven by the monotony of the ‘iron bowl’ job, I found myself juggling two roles simultaneously. In addition to my regular job at China Sports Magazine, I worked as a sales at a Hong Kong joint-venture company that provided interior design and renovation services for foreign embassies in Beijing. After nearly a year of this arrangement, I decided to fully commit to the opportunity at CCTV as I demonstrated my competitiveness of being the five winning candidates from 800 people and was also the only female among the five.

The salary at CCTV was a mere fifth of what I earned at the joint venture company. However, the allure of new challenges and the prospect of learning new skills were irresistible. Despite my background in international journalism, I wasn’t assigned to the news desk for the newly launched Sports News. Instead, I was given various roles within the sports channel. This allowed me to work as a Sports Column editor, an outdoor sports field reporter, an assistant director at the OB Van, and also the assistant to my boss, and finally, as a news editor at the News Desk when someone proficient in English was urgently needed. My measurement of time and punctuality during this gruelling five-year period was measured not in minutes or seconds, but in frames.

During my eight years at CCTV 5, I had the privilege of reporting mega-events such as the Olympics and various World Championships. More importantly, these experiences allowed me to meet new people and see the world from different perspectives.

Meanwhile, I came to realize that as an individual, I was fragile and insignificant, merely following orders from my superiors to fulfil their missions. I didn’t want to be a pawn on a chessboard, blindly obeying commands. Yes, I could have been promoted if I chose to stay, but that might not have been the life I wanted. For me, the most important thing was to keep learning, explore the unknown world, and maintain my freedom.

After eight years at CCTV 5, I decided to resign. I delayed my resignation by agreeing to work for the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee for a year, which only strengthened my resolve to leave.

In 2001, I moved to Liverpool University to study for an MBA in Football Industries. I am forever grateful to Dr. Rogan Taylor, who launched the first-ever MBA program in football in 1997 with Dr. Rory Miller. This led to my first contract with FIFA as a FIFA Media Officer. I vividly remember my interview with Keith Cooper, the Director of Communication at FIFA, who kindly said to me, “This is not an internship, but a job I created specifically for you.”

Thanks to Team China’s first and only qualification for the FIFA World Cup in 2002, I worked for FIFA as a Media Officer for four FIFA World Cups and four Women’s World Cups. I also served as a FIFA Spokesperson during the Coca-Cola FIFA 2010 World Cup Trophy Tour, where I had the opportunity to travel with the FIFA World Cup Trophy and legendary footballers such as Christian Karembeau.

I also started my own consulting business, China Sports Business Consulting. I provided services to International Federations (IFs), and bidding cities such as Paris 2012 and Sochi 2014, and began working for the Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) of the Olympics in Athens, Torino, Beijing, and London.

I discovered the beauty of freelancing and challenging myself and also the ultimate freedom it offered from the non-iron-bowl job.

In 2010, I turned a new page in my life when I decided to pursue my doctoral degree in the UK with Prof. Simon Chadwick at Coventry University.

（To be continued…）