Page 337 - Keys To Community College Success

Careers and More

BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE

What Would You Risk? Stephen Oh
THINK ABOUT THIS SITUATION AS YOU READ, AND CONSIDER WHAT ACTION YOU WOULD TAKE.
THIS CHAPTER FOCUSES FIRST ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR SUCCESS ON THE JOB. THEN IT SHOWS HOW
TO APPLY THE POWER OF SUCCESSFUL INTELLIGENCE TO YOUR LIFE NOW AND AFTER COLLEGE AND
PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO ASSESS YOUR DEVELOPMENT OVER THE TERM.

For South Korean native Stephen Oh, realizing the “Ameri- willingness to risk, Stephen set out
can Dream” required risk-taking, patience, and hard work. to become the first in his family to
During the 1960s, Oh’s father worked as a mechanic at a graduate college. His high school
U.S. military base in South Korea. Taking advantage of teacher convinced him to become a
his eligibility to obtain a U.S. immigration green card, his history major, which he planned to use
father moved the family—including Stephen and his five as a springboard to a law career. But
sisters—to the United States. one of his friends who had graduated a
At the age of 10, Stephen lived in Virginia under the year earlier urged Stephen to spend a year in the work-
guidance of his second-oldest sister, about an hour away force, making money, and after that reevaluate whether
from his mom, dad, and oldest sister, who embarked on run- he wanted to continue on to law school.
ning a grocery store in Baltimore, Maryland. Just one week Stephen was torn. Making money right away—and pay-
into the store’s operation, Stephen’s mother was shot and ing off his student loan debt—was appealing, but Stephen
killed in a robbery attempt. “For my father, his American had long envisioned a law career as his family’s ticket to
dream was shattered,” Stephen says. “That was motivation long-term stability. He wasn’t sure which risk brought the
for me, realizing the sacrifices that my parents had made.” more valuable reward.
Stephen saw how hard his father worked as a janitor
at banks and churches. With a similar work ethic and To be continued . . .

THE DECISION TO DEVI-
ATE FROM A CAREFULLY
PLANNED CAREER PATH
IS SOMETHING MANY
PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH.
IF YOU KNOW YOUR SELF
WELL AND TAKE ADVAN-
TAGE OF RESOURCES Working through this chapter will help you to:
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
THE CLASSROOM, YOU • Explore how your interests relate to coursework
ARE LIKELY TO DISCOVER and potential careers P. 300
A REWARDING CAREER
BLUEPRINT. YOU’LL LEARN • Research a career area to see what skills and
MORE ABOUT STEPHEN, experience are required P. 301
AND THE REWARD • Understand the role of transferable skills in
RESULTING FROM HIS workplace success P. 305
ACTIONS, WITHIN THE
CHAPTER. • Conduct an effective job search P. 307
• Continue to grow as a risk taker and successfully
intelligent thinker P. 314