Choosing to Prosper

CHAPTER 3My Career Journey

Don't be afraid to be bold on your career path. It might take practice as you step into your own, but remember your self‐worth.

Once I graduated from college, going to graduate school was not even a consideration for me. In fact, it was the very last thing on my mind. While friends would talk to me about where they planned to go to grad school for a master's degree or MBA, my main priority was finding a job after graduation and finding one fast. As soon as I got home to New Jersey where my mom was, I started applying to any and every kind of job. I figured that if it took me a while to find a corporate job, I could still make money by working odd jobs. So, while I was applying to technology and business jobs, I was also applying to jobs at the local mall and at local businesses to work as a cashier or salesperson. It didn't take long for me to find a job as a photo lab technician and cashier at my local CVS pharmacy.

I was paid minimum wage, and since I still didn't own a car, I would put on my CVS polo shirt and walk the 20 minutes or so to work just before it was time for my shift. As a photo lab technician, I learned how to process and develop camera film (back when digital cameras were still ridiculously expensive)—and let me tell you, I saw all kinds of things on the film I developed, both appropriate and otherwise. On one occasion, I even had to get my manager to step in to calm down an angry customer who had violated store policy by trying ...