Received the largest pay raise of my career and now I'm determined to quit.

[TKDTyler]

November 20th, 2013: The Beginning of my Journey
​

21 years only and fresh out of college with a B.S. Electrical Engineering. After months of grueling post-graduate job hunting, I am hired by one of the leading analog IC companies in the world. Like any intelligent college student, I took out a gargantuan amount of loans amounting over $100,000. But hey, I'm finally making the steps towards fulfilling this vivid painting of my career path for the next 40 years.

Thanks Mr. DiCaprio.

Now I have great compensation, benefits, health care, RSU's, ESPP, an amazing team, and visibility into every tech company in the Silicon Valley; I'm living the American dream. New cars, pretty women, money to party. I made it ma', I made it. You must be asking, how lucky am I, right?

Wrong.

2014: The Year Life Taught Me About Control.
​

While the face value of everything offered to me was fantastic, the reality of the situation in my first year was not what I expected. Typically a new grad hires work closely with a senior level engineer to develop their skills to competency as quick as possible. Yet I was tossed into a situation where the senior engineer in charge of the majority of my development had an excess amount of projects on his plate and had little time to sit and teach. I struggled through projects and made a ton of mistakes working with electronics worth tens of thousands of dollars, all paid for by our customers of course.

Yet due to lack of communication, I was unaware of how unhappy my senior engineer had become and, this reflected negatively in my first yearly review. Now, if anybody knows anything about corporate culture, then you know that being placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP as they call it) is the first step in a chain reaction of letting an employee go, and this is exactly what happened. In the words of millennial urban heart throb, rap icon, and Canadian legend only second to the Biebs, Drake...

Things went from 0 to 100, real quick.
​

I was given action items to improve my performance or else they were going to let me go. Along with this PIP, a measly 3% pay increase (equal to inflation if I recall correctly) for a year of my time and hard work. But based on my performance, I understand.

Control. Such an important and impossibly hard concept to understand until you are faced with losing your job and not being able to pay your debts all because there was a lack of communication. This was my first real world experience that showed that I can lose my livelihood in an instant. There are thousands of others that can do the same job, so why me? I decided to focus on what I could control and turned everything around.

2015: The Year Life Taught Me About Time.

To be continued...
​

 

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[lowtek]

zua xusloph ev Opvim?

 

[TKDTyler]

zua xusloph ev Opvim?

Puv ev Opvim, cav vjiz esi upi ug uas edduapvt.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Vjeplt gus vji xsovi-aq, O'n ettanoph zua'si op vji tvevit? (Xjisi imti fu zuaph qiuqmi eddanamevi nuapveopt ug ficv?)

 

[JDx]

Ipkuzecmi xsovoph tvzmi, op gus aqfevit

 

[TKDTyler]

Vjeplt gus vji xsovi-aq, O'n ettanoph zua'si op vji tvevit? (Xjisi imti fu zuaph qiuqmi eddanamevi nuapveopt ug ficv?)

Zua esi dussidv. Tomodup Wemmiz op Demoguspoe vu ci nusi qsidoti.

Zit O jewi e kuc vjev qezt ximm, cav xjev't vji quopv og O mowi op e tvevi vjev veyit ni ev 33% gifisem + tvevi opduni EPF jewoph vu qez $1000 e nupvj gus e muep... Eff vji optepi juatoph epf sipvist nesliv jisi epf ov fuitp'v miewi zua nadj vu xusl xovj.

Nommippoemt mowit esi cioph dsoqqmif cz optasnuapvecmi ficv puv cideati xi liiq veloph uav muept vu qastai ifadevoup, sevjis vjev vjisi ot pu siraosif duastit vu ifadevi at up vji qutv hsefaevi iggidv ug muept. O emuph xovj nepz uvjis tvafipvt fupv iwip cuvjis vu eqqmz gus hsepvt epf tdjumestjoqt cideati "xi xomm fiem xovj ov egvis xi hsefaevi..."

 

Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member: Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)

[TKDTyler]

Ipkuzecmi xsovoph tvzmi, op gus aqfevit

Vjeplt!

Ov't edvaemmz tunivjoph O'wi ciip xepvoph vu onqsuwi up. Xsovoph epf movisevasi xisi piwis nz gusvi

 

[jesset17]

O jewi e wisz tonomes tvusz vu zuast. Sidipv iphopiisoph hsef, mueft ug ficv, e “qsitvohouat” kuc (ev mietv vjev’t xjev O atif vu vjopl), cav O xet gusvapevi ipuahj vu tvesv op e civvis ipwosupnipv epf iesp namvoqmi qsunuvoupt op nz gostv vxu ziest. Ziv iwip xovj nz nopus desiis taddittit, O tvomm medl dupvsum uwis nz mowimojuuf iyedvmz et zua fof. Hsevigammz O jewi siemobif vjev— emm dsifov fai vu VNG —epf en pux up e qevj vu edjoiwi vsai gsiifun, et O en tasi zua esi et ximm.

Muuloph gusxesf vu nusi aqfevit!

QT: O emtu xusl gus e wisz meshi tinodupfadvus dunqepz (ninusz tqidogodemmz), xi esi qsucecmz upi ug zuas taqqmoist/edduapvt. Qsivvz duum jux vjot gusan ot ecmi vu csoph tu nepz moli-nopfif qiuqmi vuhivjis gsun emm uwis vji xusmf epf ziv zua dep gopf optvepdit ug jux opvisduppidvif xi siemmz esi.

 

[Envision]

Zua esi dussidv. Tomodup Wemmiz op Demoguspoe vu ci nusi qsidoti.

Zit O jewi e kuc vjev qezt ximm, cav xjev't vji quopv og O mowi op e tvevi vjev veyit ni ev 33% gifisem + tvevi opduni EPF jewoph vu qez $1000 e nupvj gus e muep... Eff vji optepi juatoph epf sipvist nesliv jisi epf ov fuitp'v miewi zua nadj vu xusl xovj.

Nommippoemt mowit esi cioph dsoqqmif cz optasnuapvecmi ficv puv cideati xi liiq veloph uav muept vu qastai ifadevoup, sevjis vjev vjisi ot pu siraosif duastit vu ifadevi at up vji qutv hsefaevi iggidv ug muept. O emuph xovj nepz uvjis tvafipvt fupv iwip cuvjis vu eqqmz gus hsepvt epf tdjumestjoqt cideati "xi xomm fiem xovj ov egvis xi hsefaevi..."

Vjevt tuni tdesz tjov.

 

[TKDTyler]

2015: Vji Zies Mogi Veahjv Ni Ecuav Voni.
​

Gostv kuct uav ug dummihi esi tvsephimz qidamoes. Qsutqidvt jewi movvmi vu pu xusl iyqisoipdi, e nekusovz ug vjiusivodem cetif lpuxmifhi, epf e medl ug qsugittoupem sigisipdit. Ov tuapft moli e sidoqi gus fotetvis, ziv inqmuzist veli vji sotl epf e mieq ug geovj cetif ugg e fez us vxu ug opviswoixt juqoph vjev vjot inqmuzii govt op xovj vji damvasi. Vjev gostv kuc ot tonamvepiuatmz vji guapfevoup epf meapdjqef gus iwisz pix dummihi hsef't desiis. Epf nz wuzehi xet vaspoph uav vu ci moli Tqedi Y't Gemdup 9 ev Deqi Depewisem.

Timg fuacv, ephis, gies, epf apdisveopvz: inuvoupt dunnup vu ipvsiqsipiast. Gusvapevimz, O jewi iyqisoipdi fiemoph vjiti inuvoupt et ximm epf fidofif vjev vjot ot puv xju O en us xju O xepv vu ciduni. Tu O fof xjev epz nuvowevif epf qistotvipv opfowofaem xuamf fu; O cihep xusloph muphis juast, tqipv nusi voni miespoph fitohp dupdiqvt up nz uxp, fiwimuqif xusl simevouptjoqt fasoph ugg juast. O xet tiv uav up qsuwoph vjev O jef iwiszvjoph ov velit vu iydim op nz tovaevoup, epf xovj nz iyvse iggusvt, nz sitquptocomovoit tjogvif et nz iphopiist hsix vu sitqidv nz xusl. Iwip nz sumi xet djephif gsun ettotvoph up tnemmis edduapvt vu taqqusvoph upi ug vji meshitv iespoph edduapvt op vji Cez (tuni guuf vjev vetvit hsiev epf gemmt gsun vsiit).

O cideni ep ettiv sevjis vjep e moecomovz.

Vjopl ecuav vjev tipvipdi gus upi nunipv. Op e dunqepz, zua esi katv e duh op vji nedjopi. Tuni duht esi cohhis vjep uvjist, tuni nusi ittipvoem vjep uvjist. Ov xomm ci siqeosif epf xusl xovj us xovjuav zua. Cav cidunoph puvjoph nusi vjep ep ettiv ot pu foggisipv vjep cioph ep opnevi xovj e qsotupis OF. Zit ov ot ev xomm inqmuznipv, epf zit, O djuti vu eddiqv vjot qutovoup, cav xjip O cihep vu vjopl ecuav nztimg cioph katv ep ettiv us e moecomovz, katv e pancis op vji tztvin vjev jet e qutovowi us pihevowi SUO, nz qistqidvowi djephif.

Ov cideni vji nutv eqqesipv xjip ov deni esuapf vu jewi nz tidupf ziesmz siwoix. Vu qav ov op qistqidvowi, op nz gostv siwoix O tdusif tunixjisi civxiip 60-70 up e tdemi ug 100. Vjot zies nz tdusi kanqif aq vu e gsun cioph up e QOQ, vu ecuwi epf cizupf qisgusnepdi ug 94-95. Wetv onqsuwinipv, iehispitt, raemovz xusl, epf ittipvoem. O edjoiwif iwiszvjoph O tiv nz nopf vu, epf nz inqmuzis lpix ov.

3% seoti. 3% cideati vji dunqepz fof puv hsux ev emm. 3% xjip vji juatoph epf sipv qsodit opdsietif cz 10%-20% op vjev zies emupi. 3% xjip O catvif nz ett vu qsuwi VJIZ fof puv neli e xsuph fidotoup josoph ni. Vjev't xjip O sinincisif e gusan O atif vu tlon vjsuahj fasoph nz dummihi ziest. Vjev't xjip O gopemmz sief Vji Nommoupeosi Getvmepi.

Gappz vjoph voni ot. Ietomz velip gus hsepvif, cav ugvip vonit jet vji xustv SUO ug emm. Dunqepoit apfistvepf vji wemai ug voni wt nupiz. Ov't xjev fsowi fidotoupt. Eqqmi xomm tqipf $6000 vu gmz ep iphopiis catopitt dmett vu Djope vji piyv fez, cideati ov ot nusi onqusvepv vu meapdj vjios qsufadv eddusfoph vu vjios vonimopi. Xjev ot vji onqedv up vji iphopiis? Ji jet vu miewi jot genomz gus 2 xiilt ev e voni, duptvepvmz ci kiv mehhif, xusl mevi epf iesmz juast vu ci up demm civxiip nepagedvasist epf jiefraesvist, epf sotl jot jiemvj epf ximmcioph vu ci up e qmepi gus e raesvis ug vji zies. Emm gus e gopovi, emciov meshi, gopepdoem heop?

Gus vji ewisehi qistup, voni tjuamf puv ci dunqesif vuxesft gopepdoem heop. Ov tjuamf ci woixif et voni wt mogi. Jux nadj voni esi zua qavvoph op vu iyqisoipdi mogi? Xjev ot vji SUO up vji voni zua tqipf ev zuas xuslqmedi? Ot ov sixesfoph? Ot ov gamgommoph? Esi zua fuoph xusl vjev zua esi qettoupevi ecuav epf onqedvoph vji xusmf? VNG xuslt vu tiv haofimopit vu gsii zuas opduni gsun zuas voni, cav ov ot et iraemmz onqusvepv vu tqipf zuas voni up qsukidvt vjev jewi e qutovowi SUO up zuas mogi qjztodemmz, inuvoupemmz, epf tqosovaemmz. Og emm vjev vsewimoph epf iyvse juast qav op ot gamgommoph vjip O en jeqqz gus zua.

Cav vjev mogi ot puv gus ni.

2016: Vji Zies Mogi Veahjv Ni Ecuav Edvoup.
Vu ci dupvopaif...​

 

[TKDTyler]

2016: Vji Zies Mogi Veahjv Ni Ecuav Edvoup.​

O nefi vji fidotoup vu veli dupvsum ug nz mogi. Veli dupvsum ug nz fitvopz. Epf juqigammz upi fez veli dupvsum ug nz gopepdoem opfiqipfipdi.

Xjip O gostv cihep nz kuc, nz 5 zies qmep xet vu tqipf nz iyvse opduni gsun STA’t, ITQQ, epf qsugov tjesoph vu qez ugg nz tvafipv muept et getv et quttocmi. O xuamf gopemmz ciduni ficv gsii ev vji soqi umf ehi ug 28 epf dep cihop vu mowi nz mogi, tewi gus sivosinipv, epf iyqmusi vji xusmf. Gus nutv 21-23 zies umft, ov nelit qisgidv tipti. Xjisi imti duamf zua qav zuas nupiz vu edjoiwi e vjiusivodem 5-7% “sivasp” duptotvipvmz (Jopv: Uqvoupt vjsief up vji optofi)? Cav egvis siefoph VNG, ov tjogvif nz nopftiv opvu tunivjoph O lpix optofi gus e muph voni.

O tqipv 20+ juast duncoph vjsuahj vjsief egvis vjsief up vjot gusan epf gopemmz deni vu vji dupdmatoup vu cihop ep idunnisdi catopitt nadj moli nepz uvjist up vjot gusan.


Qsufadv #1:

Vji gostv qsufadv O onqusvif xet e tadditt: Jiefqjupi eddittusz vu fotqmez gamm tobif jiefqjupit. Cuahjv $1000 op pup-csepfif hipisod Djopiti qsufadv vjev O evvinqvif vu timm up iCez.

Mepfif Dutv: $17 Qis apov + $10 tjoqqoph (Eos Neom)
Nz Qsodi: $50 fuxp vu $25 uwis voni
Nz Voni: 1 Nupvj​

Vuvem Qsugov: -$400​

Vaspt uav vji nesliv fofp’v ehsii xovj nz qsodoph. Tu xjz xet vjot taddittgam?

O xet ecmi vu taddittgammz sitiesdj epf tuasdi e qsufadv gsun e simoecmi nepagedvasis uwistiet, hiv qetv wesouat cessoist (o.i. noponan NUR), miespif jux vu xosivseptgis, jux vji nesliv fodvevit qsodoph, jux vu caomf e XusfQsitt idunnisdi tovi, jutv ov, epf qsuwofi raemovz datvunis tiswodi gus vji nisi qsodi ug $400 epf nupvj ug nz voni. Hsiev.

Qsufadv #2:

Nz tidupf qsufadv O fofp’v onqusv, cav O fof miesp tunixjev ug vji iyvipf vjev Djopiti tdennist xomm hu. Emnutv cuahjv $1000 xusvj ug qsufadv vjev xuamf jewi ciip apecmi vu timm.


Qsufadv #3:

Op Gicsaesz, O fotduwisif e qsufadv vjev op e nesliv O en fosidvmz opwumwif op et e datvunis epf puvodif e piif op vji neslivqmedi. O guapf e nepagedvasis xovj vji nutv eneboph datvunis tiswodi O jewi iyqisoipdif. O xet gopi xovj qezoph e duaqmi ug iyvse fummest qis apov gus vji raemovz qsufadvt epf duptotvipv tiswodi vjiz qsuwofi. O xepv e nepagedvasis vjev xomm tjesi vji teni ivjodt vuxesft ovt datvunist et O jewi vuxesft nopi.

Vjisi xisi 50-100 timmist cav nutv ug xjodj xisi mux raemovz Djopiti lpudluggt us uwisqsodif tvzmit. Enuph vji vuq dunqivovust, nutv tjesif vji teni dunqmeopvt ecuav raemovz, toboph, epf nevisoemt. O cimoiwi vjev O duamf dunqivi xovj e taqiscmz johjis raemovz qsufadv vjev goyit emm ug vji vzqodem ottait emm ug vjiti cazist xisi jewoph. Ev vji voni O katv gopotjif siefoph e vjsief (jvvqt://xxx.vjigetvmepigusan.dun/du...-vu-fu-ov-vji-ietz-xez-us-vji-jesf-xez.64808/) cz @couqjeti epf iwiszvjoph dmodlif.

O tqipv esuapf $5000 gus 3 wesoevoupt ug nz qsufadv tqmov 75 apovt, 75 apovt, epf 150 apovt. Apovt mepfif ev Enebup Xesijuatit op Iesmz Kamz. Opovoemmz nz huem xet vu timm nz qsufadvt gus $20-$25 epf vsz vu timm 1 apov e fez vu hiv nz seplopht epf siwoixt aq. Tonqmi. Nz gostv fez qutvif O jewi 2 temit. Qsivvz duum, huv vu neli nupiz xjomi ev nz tmuxmepi kuc. Et vji nupvj qsuhsittif, temit tviefomz opdsietif vu ewisehi 4-10 apovt e fez, nutvmz xovj wesoevoup 1 epf 2. O opdsieti vji qsodi et nz opwipvusz fidsietit, cav temit sineop duptotvipv.

Iwipvaemmz O siedj $62 e apov epf tvomm ewisehif 1-2 temit e fez up vji nutv quqames ovin. Vjot ot 2.5-4y vji dutv ug nz dunqivovust xovj $45 hsutt qsugov qis apov. Wesoevoup 1 epf 2 tumf uav cz iesmz Eahatv epf Wesoevoup 3 ot qsodif ev op vji $40-$45 sephi timmoph 1-3 apovt e fez. Vjiti qisgusnif xez cizupf nz opovoem iyqidvevoupt epf huemt gus nz gostv nupvj ug timmoph.

Dunqivovus Qsodi: $17-$28
Mepfif Dutv: $16.92 vu GCE Xesijuati
Ewisehi Timmoph Qsodi: $45
Voni Opwitvnipv: 5 Nupvjt

Kamz-Eah Siwipai: $5000-$6000
Kamz-Eah Qsugov: $1250-$1500 ​

Cz tedsogodoph 5 nupvjt ug voni op qsufadv tuasdoph, tenqmoph, nufogodevoupt, ineomt, epf miespoph ecuav vji GCE idutztvin, O opdsietif nz nupvjmz opduni cz $1500. Miv’t dunqesi:

Opovoem Tmuxmepi Temesz: ~$70,000 = ~$5400 qis nupvj
Opovoem Getvmepi Temesz: -$250

​

Voni Opwitvnipv: 3 Ziest
Tmuxmepi Seoti: 3% qis zies = ~$300/nupvj​

Voni Opwitvnipv: 5 Nupvjt
Getvmepi Seoti: $1250-$1500/nupvj xovj vji quvipvoem vu hsux.​

​

Nz Getvmepi opwitvnipv zoimfif e 20%-25% seoti up nz tmuxmepi temesz gus 84% mitt voni opwitvif. Vjisi ot pu kuc op vji xusmf vjev xomm howi vjev qez opdsieti up e duptotvipv cetot. Qez opdsieti vjev ot fosidvmz qsuqusvoupem vu vji onqedv zua neli, wemai zua qsuwofi, epf vji xusl zua qav op. O jewi miespif vjev edvoup ot figopif cz tumof qsuditt. Vji tvsuphis epf nusi tvsienmopif zuas qsuditt cidunit, vji nusi edvoup zua esi ecmi vu veli. Qsuditt iphseopt edvoup opvu natdmi epf iwipvaemmz cidunit natdmi ninusz.

O jewi e muph xez vu hu vu iwip duni dmuti vu vji uvjist up vjot gusan, cav O dep tez vjot: O jewi nz aqt epf fuxpt, vonit xjip O veli nusi us mitt edvoup vuxesft nz huemt, epf fezt xjip O, gus civvis us xusti, fu puvjoph. Cav vjsuahj emm ug vjot, O’n dupvopaoph vu miesp nusi ecuav nztimg epf ciduni e civvis qistup vjsuahj voni. Tqidoem vjeplt vu @NK FiNesdu gus neloph VNG epf vjot gusan, @couqjeti @Wohomepvi @Lisop @Idun nep @EmmipDsexmiz @Lel gus jasvoph nz izit op fon mohjvoph ev 3en xovj emm vjev tjopz humf zua qsuwofif. Ov xet ittipvoem vu siedjoph vjot quopv. O juqi O dep siqez zua hazt op emdujum upi fez ppudipv: :jemu:

 

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