Women who are successful, what’s the most important thing you’ve learnt in career life?
Women who are successful, what’s the most important thing you’ve learnt in career life?
r/AskWomen
Women who are successful, what’s the most important thing you’ve learnt in career life?
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believe in yourself.
I know that sounds like the typical “deep thoughts/inspirational” bullshit that you hear but it’s true. The only person standing in your way of accomplishing anything in life is your own fear/self doubt.
I grew up with out much; my parents are 1st gen immigrants so they had very little money from the jobs they had and could barely make ends meet. I had to work starting 14, saved for my education, helped them pay bills etc so I put myself through school. Busted my ass, graduated from uni with honours.
I started in tech in the 90s when I was only one of two women in the entire tech consulting department (at my first job out of school). Misogyny was out in the open and practiced by so many men, including my bosses, so you can imagine how hard I had to fight to be seen as a consultant let alone having them listen to what I had to say. But I used their dismissive attitude to push me and I outperformed many of my male counterparts.
there were times I wanted to quit. Lots of tears, sweat, time taken away from my friends, family etc but I dried my tears, picked myself up and kept going. And all that time I still had to pay off my student loans and help my parents so they wouldn’t keep killing themselves paying the bills.
I put in years of hard work and began reaping the rewards of that sometime in my early/mid 30s. Started making really good money, recognition for my skillset etc. I’m 49 now and totally cruising towards retirement. While I still work hard, it’s a different kind of working hard; the kind where I’m doing it because I enjoy it and I get paid very well.
had I quit when I wanted to all those times before, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
I learned not to listen to the advice of people who are doing worse than me. I am a very successful freelancer. Before freelancing, I was working in-house for a company that paid me slightly above minimum wage. Most of my colleagues and relatives advised me not to quit my full-time job to become a freelancer, because the market was saturated, I wouldn’t be able to make a living and things would just be too uncertain.
I am currently living alone, I pay for all of my expenses and travel frequently throughout the year. I am also in the best shape of my life and in a much better place mentally. The company I used to work for went bankrupt last year and most of my colleagues are now unemployed.