What made your career take off?

[Anonymous]

Early 40s, was SAHM for many years, returned to work and now divorced. I like my job and doing well… I make about $100k and the With is meaningful. Just curious what else I can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Early 40s, was SAHM for many years, returned to work and now divorced. I like my job and doing well… I make about $100k and the With is meaningful. Just curious what else I can do.

The *work is meaningful

[Anonymous]

What kind of work do you do? (General field)

[Anonymous]

A lot of luck is involved. Yes it helps to be competent, good to work with, hardworking, etc. But luck is a bigger deal than many people let on.

[Anonymous]

Luck is often less about chance and more about connection. Being in the right place at the right time, surrounded by the right people, can open doors that dramatically accelerate your career trajectory.

[Anonymous]

Having leaders who put me on the most visible projects and assignments and teammates who didn't mind sharing their knowledge.

My attitude and willingness to learn new things and adapt and pivot without grumbling....never once uttering "that's not my job".

[Anonymous]

Letting my boss know that I wanted to do the more challenging work and move up was really helpful for me. I remember, he looked at me, kind of puzzled, and then said “Well, that’s good to know.” He hadn’t thought of me in that way at all (unfortunately, I think that is partly due to me being a woman in a male dominated field). After that, he started throwing a lot of opportunities my way. And I ran with it.

[Anonymous]

I'm female and did the typical female path to success: leaned in, worked hard, and someone finally noticed. I may have girl bossed a bit to hard because being a manager is the worst.

While it worked for me, it doesn't work for most women. Mostly because people don't notice hardworkers. Men don't wait for people to notice how good they are. They apply for new jobs and loudly tell everyone about how good they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of luck is involved. Yes it helps to be competent, good to work with, hardworking, etc. But luck is a bigger deal than many people let on.

it is no luck other than having your health. It is just 99 percent of people wont or cant do this.

When I graduated college mid 1980s it was very apparant you want to make money back, this had to happen.
1) Work on Wall Street in New York City
2) Get an MBA
3) Grind and Grind and network

Later around mid 1990s became
1) go to counsulting or Big 4 in a major City
2) get MBA/CPA etc.
3) work on Y2K, getting companies ready for IPO, IT consulting as in run up to internet bubble the late 1990s Consulting, IT consulting was making bank

Later around mid 2000s it became
1) get a job at a FAANG on West Coast
2) learn IT,
3) get RSUs stock options and ride the wave

Then around mid 2010s became
1) join a hot start up in anything
2) work 80 hours a week
3) become a mulimillion with IPO

Now around mid 2020s
1) get a job Fintech or AI
2) work 80 hours a week
3)become a multimllionaire with IPO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of luck is involved. Yes it helps to be competent, good to work with, hardworking, etc. But luck is a bigger deal than many people let on.

it is no luck other than having your health. It is just 99 percent of people wont or cant do this.

When I graduated college mid 1980s it was very apparant you want to make money back, this had to happen.
1) Work on Wall Street in New York City
2) Get an MBA
3) Grind and Grind and network

Later around mid 1990s became
1) go to counsulting or Big 4 in a major City
2) get MBA/CPA etc.
3) work on Y2K, getting companies ready for IPO, IT consulting as in run up to internet bubble the late 1990s Consulting, IT consulting was making bank

Later around mid 2000s it became
1) get a job at a FAANG on West Coast
2) learn IT,
3) get RSUs stock options and ride the wave

Then around mid 2010s became
1) join a hot start up in anything
2) work 80 hours a week
3) become a mulimillion with IPO

Now around mid 2020s
1) get a job Fintech or AI
2) work 80 hours a week
3)become a multimllionaire with IPO

Your perspective is virtually ancient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of luck is involved. Yes it helps to be competent, good to work with, hardworking, etc. But luck is a bigger deal than many people let on.

it is no luck other than having your health. It is just 99 percent of people wont or cant do this.

When I graduated college mid 1980s it was very apparant you want to make money back, this had to happen.
1) Work on Wall Street in New York City
2) Get an MBA
3) Grind and Grind and network

Later around mid 1990s became
1) go to counsulting or Big 4 in a major City
2) get MBA/CPA etc.
3) work on Y2K, getting companies ready for IPO, IT consulting as in run up to internet bubble the late 1990s Consulting, IT consulting was making bank

Later around mid 2000s it became
1) get a job at a FAANG on West Coast
2) learn IT,
3) get RSUs stock options and ride the wave

Then around mid 2010s became
1) join a hot start up in anything
2) work 80 hours a week
3) become a mulimillion with IPO

Now around mid 2020s
1) get a job Fintech or AI
2) work 80 hours a week
3)become a multimllionaire with IPO

Your perspective is virtually ancient.

Plus lots of people go to startups that flounder or do fine but don't take off. Obviously.

OP your question is a good one. Even in an org like mine (F100) it's never clear how some people move up and up and become stars while other perfectly good SMEs stay at the IC level.

[Anonymous]

Honestly - correcting the C-suite when they were making incorrect assumptions that were leading to poorly prioritized decisions on things just because they were further away from the work being done.

We'd be in All Hands or other team meetings and the CEO would join for example and he'd be giving recaps of xyz and the direction he wants to go. I noticed if some of his recap was incorrect or out of context, everyone would just remain silent and let him continue talking. When it happened in a big enough capacity I thought it was going to throw off some of our company wide goals, I spoke up an corrected him. He called me after the meeting, thanked me, and asked my opinions. Over the last 2 years that has evolved into him, our CRO, and our COO randomly calling me to verify their understanding of things or act as a sounding board.

That year, I went from $85k to $130k in the company. I'm still here and I (F) currently make $45k more than my male counterpart I strongly believe for that reason. He is a heads down work person. I've really pushed myself to be a speak up and make sure all teams are aligned person.

I just found out there's a promotion opening for me towards the end of the year too that will bump me another 18%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of luck is involved. Yes it helps to be competent, good to work with, hardworking, etc. But luck is a bigger deal than many people let on.

it is no luck other than having your health. It is just 99 percent of people wont or cant do this.

When I graduated college mid 1980s it was very apparant you want to make money back, this had to happen.
1) Work on Wall Street in New York City
2) Get an MBA
3) Grind and Grind and network

Later around mid 1990s became
1) go to counsulting or Big 4 in a major City
2) get MBA/CPA etc.
3) work on Y2K, getting companies ready for IPO, IT consulting as in run up to internet bubble the late 1990s Consulting, IT consulting was making bank

Later around mid 2000s it became
1) get a job at a FAANG on West Coast
2) learn IT,
3) get RSUs stock options and ride the wave

Then around mid 2010s became
1) join a hot start up in anything
2) work 80 hours a week
3) become a mulimillion with IPO

Now around mid 2020s
1) get a job Fintech or AI
2) work 80 hours a week
3)become a multimllionaire with IPO

Your perspective is virtually ancient.

is it?

in each decade above I tried to do exactly what I listed. Except my FAANGM dreams died a sudden death in 2004 when I got a big job at GOOGLE verbally after completed interview process and agreed on start date and salary and HR before I could get final offer they offered it to someone else in a mix up, it sucked. I though they were faking but they had the job at NYC and. California and recruiting both roles. The NYC guy signed asap but ther california guy had not signed yet and I was his back up and dude did sign. Tried again at one or two others but 2008 crash came and by time it ended I was just too damm old to get one of those jobs.

I worked at two starts ups. One I quit (stupid) is now worth 100 Billion. My co-workers who toughed it out now all have FU money. But I did stay long enought to get a few hundred grand in stock and I get to say I worked there. My daughter is in a start up and she is thriving as she stuck it out when they gave stock instead of raises or cash bonuses or a 401k match. Now as IPO nears she has a good amount of stock and should be a millionaire by 28

[Anonymous]

Are you willing to work like a 31 year old and hustle? That’s what it would take. You lost time when you stayed at home so to make up for the lost ground you’re going to need to work to get noticed work to take on the extra project work to travel more than anyone else work to volunteer for stuff work for long dinner events - which I did when I was in my 30s. By the time I was in my early 40s I noticed I was slowing down and starting to burn out. By my late 40s I was deciding my exit ramps. Maybe you have an energy because it’s still new to you having re entered the workforce in which case go for it.

[Anonymous]

You need to find the right patron, who will encourage and champion you. That is in part luck.