Marina Ristic
Prof Blackman
CPC 041
Essay # 2
4.22.2007.
Future of Success
While pursuing career many people forget what the most important thing in their
life is. It is extremely hard to juggle family and work responsibilities in our fast paced
lives. In order to have successful life, it is essential to balance the work with social life.
The demands of the new economy have resulted in “incredible shrinking family”.
According to Robert Reich we are “accommodating to the new economy by downsizing
and outsourcing the family”. Even though we are aware of importance of family and
family values, all trend lines are in the opposite direction. Unlike people in my country
who work hardly seven hours per day, an average American works ten or twelve hours
per day. In United States we live to work. I believe that the United States has the longest
working hours, even longer than the Japanese and about 350 longer hours annually that
the average European. Economic changes have definitely affected the quality of our lives.
Working long hours prevents us from having enough time for our family, friends, leisure
time and time for relaxation. Because of lack of time to do the things we enjoy, we are
exposed to a lot of stress. Sometimes stress can lead to anxiety and serious depression,
even some mental diseases. I can relate to this feeling of tiredness because last year I felt
that way. I felt fatigue, extreme tiredness and burnout. I attended college full time taking
five classes and I had two jobs. I worked as a tutor in Accounting at the college and as a
waitress in a restaurant. I didn’t have one day off! My relationship suffered because I did
not have time to see my boyfriend. Because of lack of sleep I was hypersensitive and
very depressed which is totally opposite from my usual personality. After that semester I
decided to take some time off from work and only take full time classes. I didn’t want to
get sick.
Even though we are all obsessed with work, career and prestigious jobs, we should
never neglect the quality of life and time devoted for family, social life and relaxation
because that healthy balance is necessary for both, our mental and physical health. What
good is making a lot of money if we loose our health?
PART 2
Skills for Success
The most important skills that we need for success are interpersonal skills, ability to
work in groups, ability to market or “sell” yourself, adaptability to changing situations,
desire and ability to learn fast, willingness to always learn new skills and ability to
suggest solutions to problems or problem solving skills.
Besides a commitment to lifelong learning, combination of strong technical and
thinking skills as well as ability to communicate effectively are necessary skills for
everyone entering competitive job market. In order to become successful in today’s job
market, it is essential to learn how to market and promote yourself, network, make
contacts and connections. In a job searching process, one of the most crucial things is
ability to differentiate yourself from other competitors with same qualifications and to
persuade the employer that you are the most capable candidate. Confidence and belief
that you have what it takes to succeed in your career is also very important aspect of the
job search. In constantly changing job market, employers are hiring candidates who can
imagine innovative solutions to complex issues, who can think critically and analytically,
who are receptive to new and dynamic information and who have been trained to learn,
write and speak clearly and purposefully.
One of the careers that I am interested in is financial planning. Since the financial
planning sector is booming, it offers a variety of career options. Financial planners help
individuals plan their financial futures. They help them with retirement planning, income
tax, college savings, insurance and estate planning strategies. A good financial planner
understands investments, taxes, estate planning issues and most importantly knows how
to listen. Financial services career is extremely rewarding, in terms of both financial
compensation and personal satisfaction. This challenging job requires excellent
interpersonal skills, good analytical skills, computer skills and a broad understanding of
finance. I believe that it is amazing to have an opportunity to make a difference in other
people's lives by providing them with objective financial guidance and support. In effect,
you become an advocate for your clients and prospects, helping to ensure that they and
their families are protected, now and in the future. In order to be successful in this field
you have to possess the desire to become a trusted financial professional, have the ability
to listen and empathize with someone’s hopes and dreams, have the fire and the passion
of an entrepreneur and finally have the ability to develop and nurture a long-term
relationship.
I believe that every person should identify and recognize their own talents,
passions and aspirations and than, following them, pursue the work that will be fulfilling
and meaningful. By getting a job that we like and continually improving our skills we can
advance and prosper in our profession. Therefore, everybody can turn their career into
something spectacular.