Introduction

We're soon gonna dive into a story of mine, the very first offer I got as a high school dropout, and why I didn't accept it.

Before we begin, let me ask you a few questions:

• Have you ever felt like you aren't allowed to leave the company because you have to remain loyal?

• Have you ever felt like you shouldn't negotiate and ask for more salary or pay raise because you don't want people to think you don't appreciate their offer or are greedy?

• Have you ever felt like you care more about the company than they care about you?

Well well buddy, you're at the right place. Let me share my perspective on it.

Before we dive into the story, let's remind ourselves that OUR lives are short, and we shouldn't live it not feeling like we don't own it in any aspect.

Storytime

Here goes the story. I'll try to keep things concise. I was 19 years old, looking for my first developer job as a high school dropout. As you can imagine, I was desperate for the first job, this was during the beginning of the pandemic back in 2020 when everyone was panicking.

The very first offer I got was from a company that wanted me to do a 3-month internship before they decide whether they should hire me or not.

It was an internship where the pay was shit. I had to commute to the office which took around 45 minutes, and does that back and forth. The company wanted me to begin by doing manual testing before I dive into any coding, basically working as a QA. By the way, they were using Angular, and no, not the new one, the first shitty version.

The biggest red flag was the company said since we're all working together in this office, I'd have to help out on things like going down and getting the mail or taking out the trash.

Man, fuck that.

Even though I got the offer and was desperate, I decided not to take it. I ain't disrespecting myself at that level.

When I got my first job as a software developer over at Tonies, everything was great except for being underpaid. However, I could endure that for a year or two. I should write about my experience there, to be honest. I guess stay tuned for that article!

You own your life

You own your life. You make the decisions that shape your destiny. Think of yourself. Live a life of no regrets. The one who cares the most about you is you.

Never feel pressured to make decisions to please external parties. Make decisions because you want to please yourself, and live a life you're proud of.

Being greedy

Don't worry about what people think. If they think you're greedy, don't bother. Life is too short to even spend time thinking about their opinions for a split second.

Go ahead and negotiate your salary. Be confident, not nervous. Go ahead and ask for that pay raise you want. Step up and create the destiny you want for your life.

Yes, it's fine to be greedy. Money is amazing. Money matters. With money, you can help so many people and do a ton of good. When was the last time you gave anything to charity?

Those who say you shouldn't be greedy and that money doesn't matter. Well, it's easy, stop listening to them.

Leaving a company

Remaining loyal. Being loyal is a nice quality. You should be loyal to your family and friends. However, should you be loyal to the company you work for?

It depends. How are they treating you? How are the leaders treating you?

You can be loyal and do a good job at a company you love while you're there. That's what I do at Bobsled. Though, never feel obliged to stay because you have to remain loyal. It's your life, you decide which road you're taking.

If you want to leave the company or have thoughts about leaving the company, go ahead and do it.

It's your life

Again, my friend, it is your fucking life.

You rule it. Go and make yourself proud. Go and chase the dreams you're craving for. Go and be happy.

Conclusion

Most people don't dare to live the life they truly want to live. The biggest takeaway from this article is to be brave enough to live a life that makes you happy.