Adversity and Career Path
GoodBishop
Member Posts: 359 ■■■■□□□□□□
I've wondered about this for a while. I have a feeling that it really depends on how you overcome adversity that defines your later career path.
Take myself for example. I bombed out of college after two years back when I was 20 (1.75 GPA, thank you - I mean I really bombed). I then spent several years recovering from that. But slowly but surely, I was able to get a help desk job, then system administrator job, then IA job, and now a IT manager position in GRC at the ripe old age of 33.
And I've got plans to go even further. Finish MBA in June (with a 3.98 GPA... darn statistics), finish up a second masters maybe in 3 years after I take a break, start work on CCNA/CCNP... it's good stuff. Heck, I was considering a third masters - my thought is to be very diversified and a jack of all trades instead of going for a PhD.
The interesting thing is that I have friends who have been in the same job for 5 years, same 2-3% raise every year, and are struggling now to find out what they want to do. The thing is, they were gifted everything when they were younger. Lived in a swanky neighborhood, never had to work for a allowance/car/etc. Parents made a lot of money. They just kind of coasted through college as a fun time, and then are now drifting through work. While they complain about their jobs day in and day out, they're not doing anything about it.
Granted, there are a few things that kicked me in the butt. Number one is getting married. The missus is highly educated (aka 13 years of education post high school), and I felt that I had to step up my game, see. Number two was having a kid. Besides not sleeping ever again, I think there is a big push to do well, and it's because I want to succeed for my kiddo. And kids aren't cheap.
But I feel that if you are faced with adversity at a younger age, you're more willing to overcome it and succeed vs. if you don't have that challenge early on. I see this a lot in my friends. Some are hit with adversity and don't recover. Some are hit with adversity and bust their butt, and are now successful. And some just kind of coast by, without that hunger and ambition, and will probably just continue to coast by.
I think that is part of it. Ambition. They have to want to do better, and then do something about it.
What do you think? Do you think that adversity allows for greater success later, depending on how you react to it?
Take myself for example. I bombed out of college after two years back when I was 20 (1.75 GPA, thank you - I mean I really bombed). I then spent several years recovering from that. But slowly but surely, I was able to get a help desk job, then system administrator job, then IA job, and now a IT manager position in GRC at the ripe old age of 33.
And I've got plans to go even further. Finish MBA in June (with a 3.98 GPA... darn statistics), finish up a second masters maybe in 3 years after I take a break, start work on CCNA/CCNP... it's good stuff. Heck, I was considering a third masters - my thought is to be very diversified and a jack of all trades instead of going for a PhD.
The interesting thing is that I have friends who have been in the same job for 5 years, same 2-3% raise every year, and are struggling now to find out what they want to do. The thing is, they were gifted everything when they were younger. Lived in a swanky neighborhood, never had to work for a allowance/car/etc. Parents made a lot of money. They just kind of coasted through college as a fun time, and then are now drifting through work. While they complain about their jobs day in and day out, they're not doing anything about it.
Granted, there are a few things that kicked me in the butt. Number one is getting married. The missus is highly educated (aka 13 years of education post high school), and I felt that I had to step up my game, see. Number two was having a kid. Besides not sleeping ever again, I think there is a big push to do well, and it's because I want to succeed for my kiddo. And kids aren't cheap.
But I feel that if you are faced with adversity at a younger age, you're more willing to overcome it and succeed vs. if you don't have that challenge early on. I see this a lot in my friends. Some are hit with adversity and don't recover. Some are hit with adversity and bust their butt, and are now successful. And some just kind of coast by, without that hunger and ambition, and will probably just continue to coast by.
I think that is part of it. Ambition. They have to want to do better, and then do something about it.
What do you think? Do you think that adversity allows for greater success later, depending on how you react to it?
Comments
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datacomboss
Member Posts: 304 ■■■□□□□□□□
Some people mature later in life, but consistency is the key to being successful in the long run. I finished bachelors and masters in six years, but I have a friend who is a former "slacker" who graduated college at 29 and is now a EVP at a fortune 500 company."If I were to say, 'God, why me?' about the bad things, then I should have said, 'God, why me?' about the good things that happened in my life."
Arthur Ashe -
FloOz
Member Posts: 1,614 ■■■■□□□□□□
This may sound crazy but I am thankful that my parents didn't pay for my college education because I know I wouldn't have worked half as hard to make good money so I can pay them off.
I graduated in 2012 and had 6 months till my monthly payments for school started. I worked my butt off, and still am, to make good money so that I could make good payments on these loans. My total loans equaled about 70K. Since graduating I passed all the certs you see to my left (minus A+), and have really progressed my career so much farther than anyone I had graduated with. It's been about 2 years since I have graduated and I have about 35k left in loans. So I feel like I made a great dent in it.
Every time I hangout with my friends I always hear them complaining about money and jobs. Isn't it funny that most people will complain about their situations but never stand up and do something about it. And by the way most of my friends have had college paid off by their parents.
So long story short...I'm happy the burden student loans put on me cause it taught me to work harder then most people my age. -
Akaricloud
Member Posts: 938
Adversity can either beat a person down or cause them to become motivated and rise up to the challenge. Personally I was kicked out of my parent's house and told I'd never make anything of myself which greatly motivated me to prove them wrong. I know quite a few that went through similar but instead of taking it as a challenge, let it both get and keep them down.
I want to say it mostly comes down to personality as to how one takes adversity. When you're told you're wrong, worthless, or can't do something, do you just accept this to be the truth or do you set out to prove otherwise? Someone who does the latter will almost always be successful.
To me personally some of my greatest pleasures in life come from doing those things I've been told I couldn't do. -
zxbane
Member Posts: 740 ■■■■□□□□□□
I completely agree GB and your post is one of the better/more inspiring ones I have seen. I screwed around in college out of HS and didn't do so hot. Decided to join the military and make a change. Spent 4 years in the military and learned good skills that I am using now, along with the GI bill to pay for college. Since getting out 2 years ago I have finished my BS, halfway through my MBA, passed my CISSP, CCNA, MCITP, and doing the CISM next. I've managed to secure an income that is far beyond what either of my parents make or what I could of dreamed of making and I am building a great life for my own family now.
As you said, some people crumble to pressure and adversity while others just thrive on it. I honestly have a hard time finding other like-minded people like myself and that is what draws me to this forum. People here are driven to do better and aren't complacent and like Flooz said, don't just sit around complaining about their life and instead choose to do something about it. -
Dakinggamer87
Member Posts: 4,016 ■■■■■■■■□□
This may sound crazy but I am thankful that my parents didn't pay for my college education because I know I wouldn't have worked half as hard to make good money so I can pay them off.
I graduated in 2012 and had 6 months till my monthly payments for school started. I worked my butt off, and still am, to make good money so that I could make good payments on these loans. My total loans equaled about 70K. Since graduating I passed all the certs you see to my left (minus A+), and have really progressed my career so much farther than anyone I had graduated with. It's been about 2 years since I have graduated and I have about 35k left in loans. So I feel like I made a great dent in it.
Every time I hangout with my friends I always hear them complaining about money and jobs. Isn't it funny that most people will complain about their situations but never stand up and do something about it. And by the way most of my friends have had college paid off by their parents.
So long story short...I'm happy the burden student loans put on me cause it taught me to work harder then most people my age.
Well said
*Associate's of Applied Sciences degree in Information Technology-Network Systems Administration
*Bachelor's of Science: Information Technology - Security, Master's of Science: Information Technology - Management
Matthew 6:33 - "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
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