what do you guys do for $ care to share.
11-29-2007, 08:34 PM
#21
Contributors
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Riverdale, New York
Posts: 1,417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2008 535xi / Platinum Grey / Black leather / Step Auto / Sport / Premium / Cold weather / 18" wheels / Logic 7 / Comfort / ipod / Navigation / Fold Down Rear Seats / Rear Airbags / Sirius SAT / Spoiler / Extended Clear bra / Bluetooth. (Previously owned a 2002 sport 525I Loaded).
On order: 535xi Platnium Grey with Black interior, Step Auto, Sports package, Premium package, Cold weather package, 18" wheels, Logic 7, Comfort access, ipod adapt, Navigation, Sat radio, Rear spoiler, Extended Clear coat bra.
Originally Posted by schwim' post='493243' date='Nov 12 2007, 12:01 PM
It really doesn't matter what any of us do. We all know the obvious high-paying jobs - doctor, lawyer, CxO, drug dealer... Some (many?) of us have chosen those areas for our careers. Most others are probably more obscure. As an example, I have a friend that paints houses, yet he has a garage full of $60k+ cars, a multi-million dollar home, and anything most of us could ever want. The difference is he started doing it by himself and now has a crew of 150+ employees doing it for him.
Some things I think are critical to success in one's career, financial or otherwise, include:
1. Passion - There is no substitute for loving what you do, whatever it is. If you don't love it, motivating yourself to do it and be VERY good at it will be almost impossible.
2. Ownership - I don't mean owning things. I mean owning your present and future. Take control of it, have a plan, even if it is just as far out as next week. Learn from your mistakes *and* successes. Make them your own.
3. Ambition - I am passionate about drinking beer, but you don't see me doing it every day.
I am passionate about my career as well. The key difference is that while I really like drinking beer, its not going to help me go places in life. Take that passion in your career, and focus your energies on it. Feed it. Let it thrive. Always be looking for something better from it, whether it be a promotion, a better way of solving a problem, a better way of working with your team, etc.
4. Introspection - you alone are the key to your own success. Know your weak points as well as you know your strong points. Work on them to make them stronger. Make your strong points stronger. Analyze yourself, understand yourself, and find the ways to make yourself perform at the highest levels.
5. Self promotion - Nobody is going to hire you, give you a raise, or a promotion if you are not selling yourself to them. I'm not saying you should brag - nobody likes a braggart. I'm saying you should advertise your successes creatively.
6. Be good to those around you - they can knock you down much more quickly than they can lift you up, and once that has happened it is much harder to get that momentum going again.
7. Take risks wisely - Most entreprenurial books/lessons hype the need to take risks, to stay outside of your comfort zone. Most of them also lack the statement "but be smart about it". I've seen too many wonderful attempts thwarted by stupid risks. Think and calculate before you act. Know the drawbacks intimately.
8. Network - establish yourself as someone to know in your field. This doesn't mean being the know-it-all, unabashed leech. It means making and keeping contacts, putting people together, and helping where you can. This will help people remember you in a time of need. You want this.
9. Pay your dues - don't buy that expensive home, car, watch, whatever, until you can really afford it. Be patient... you'll have your day.
Lastly, SUCCESS DOES NOT EQUAL MONEY, at least not always. Success is really just a long string of smaller successes. Collect them, savor them, and enjoy them.
Some things I think are critical to success in one's career, financial or otherwise, include:
1. Passion - There is no substitute for loving what you do, whatever it is. If you don't love it, motivating yourself to do it and be VERY good at it will be almost impossible.
2. Ownership - I don't mean owning things. I mean owning your present and future. Take control of it, have a plan, even if it is just as far out as next week. Learn from your mistakes *and* successes. Make them your own.
3. Ambition - I am passionate about drinking beer, but you don't see me doing it every day.
I am passionate about my career as well. The key difference is that while I really like drinking beer, its not going to help me go places in life. Take that passion in your career, and focus your energies on it. Feed it. Let it thrive. Always be looking for something better from it, whether it be a promotion, a better way of solving a problem, a better way of working with your team, etc. 4. Introspection - you alone are the key to your own success. Know your weak points as well as you know your strong points. Work on them to make them stronger. Make your strong points stronger. Analyze yourself, understand yourself, and find the ways to make yourself perform at the highest levels.
5. Self promotion - Nobody is going to hire you, give you a raise, or a promotion if you are not selling yourself to them. I'm not saying you should brag - nobody likes a braggart. I'm saying you should advertise your successes creatively.
6. Be good to those around you - they can knock you down much more quickly than they can lift you up, and once that has happened it is much harder to get that momentum going again.
7. Take risks wisely - Most entreprenurial books/lessons hype the need to take risks, to stay outside of your comfort zone. Most of them also lack the statement "but be smart about it". I've seen too many wonderful attempts thwarted by stupid risks. Think and calculate before you act. Know the drawbacks intimately.
8. Network - establish yourself as someone to know in your field. This doesn't mean being the know-it-all, unabashed leech. It means making and keeping contacts, putting people together, and helping where you can. This will help people remember you in a time of need. You want this.
9. Pay your dues - don't buy that expensive home, car, watch, whatever, until you can really afford it. Be patient... you'll have your day.
Lastly, SUCCESS DOES NOT EQUAL MONEY, at least not always. Success is really just a long string of smaller successes. Collect them, savor them, and enjoy them.
Just kidding about printing and framing but when I started reading it I want you to know you had my attention.
11-30-2007, 05:59 PM
#22
Members
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Cave Creek, AZ
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2004 545i, Auto, Titanium Silver Metallic, Black Leather, Sport and Premium Packages, HUD
Originally Posted by scooterdog' post='500422' date='Nov 28 2007, 10:05 PM
that being said only Russ1974 indicated where he is and how he got there with a career in IT, with a lot of initiative and hard work.
I went to college with the idea of becoming an airline pilot. However, after finishing the entire academic curriculum I rethought the idea because I needed another $30k of loans to finish the flight training. I received no degree but at least got a pilot's license out of it. Oh yeah, and a killer (for me) student loan payment. Beginning pilots only make about $15-25k/year for several years, so it made good sense.
I wallowed around in partyland for a couple of years. I played in a band in the NYC area, cut a few demos, played a lot of shows, and had a few groupies. In the end, I was sickened by "the business" that is music. I also was sickened by the lead singer in my band. I walked and found a job in Desktop Support.
That is where I found my drive. I was good at it. Better than most. In 6 months I was managing the server farm. Two months later I built a new datacenter infrastructure out from the ground up for the company I was working for (very major financial and insurance company btw). I consulted on the side. I learned new things. If I wasn't working, I was learning.
I moved to Arizona, newly married, with no job and no job leads. My wife had none either. In fact, she found a job teaching about 2 weeks before I landed anything. I started out making $50k here, a big pay cut, but with the lower cost of living, it worked.
Within a year I doubled my salary. When the dot-com bubble burst, I was one of those that was still getting job offers. I was very good at what I did. I was also lucky, and fairly well connected. I moved jobs during that time, when IT people were having a tough time finding positions, and actually landed a significant pay *raise*, while others were getting laid off.
Like I said, I was lucky. Or was I?
I've since increased my salary several times over. I have a few friends that are doctors and many of them make less than I do.
I'm not trying to self aggrandize here. I made my present what it is, on my own. Sure, some of it was luck, and timing. But the key is knowing when an opportunity is staring you in the face.
Oh yeah, and my list of 9. You know, I never really quantified all of that until you asked your question. These things are irreplaceable.
Never give up, and always be that guy that Gets Things Done! Now that I'm in a position where I can affect the careers of others, I am looking endlessly for these people. Amazingly, there are so very few of them. Very sad.
So, there is your opportunity!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post