ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2008 > April > 07
Monday, April 7, 2008
Do you have a career success story?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s always interesting to hear that a big celebrity got their start as a dog washer, or by delivering pizzas. Since fame and fortune can be such a fusion of talent and ambition mixed with the fate of being in the right place at the right time, it’s not really a huge shock to think that someone could make such a leap.
What impresses me more than that are top executives, entrepreneurs, and other accomplished professionals who started out with very humble beginnings, and are now regarded as experts in their fields and are respected by thousands. In many cases, they have battled the odds or have had to overcome unusual barriers to get where they are.
However, I the stories that I think are most worthy of celebration are the lesser-known, but no less impressive success stories of every day people.
It could be the former addict, who cleaned up her life and went on to finish college and to become the head of well-known philanthropic organization.
Or maybe it’s the former cashier who worked two jobs, raised four kids and managed to start a successful business.
But it could also be someone born into extreme poverty, who by all accounts should have become just another statistic; but instead he became the first college graduate in his family, and is now happily employed in a good-paying, secure and fulfilling career. To others, his job may seem ordinary, but he is living his own personal dream every day.
It’s clear that in order to appreciate where you’re going, you need to look back to where you’ve been. How far have you come?
How many of you have started out from your own humble beginnings, only to rise through the ranks to find your own personal success. What jobs have you worked to get yourself to where you are today? Do you know someone who’s beaten the odds to achieve their dream?