Tag: Advice

Navigating Toxic Workplaces: Advice, Tips & Guidance for Dealing with Managerial Challenges

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I recently had the pleasure of returning back to my community college and got to speak as an alumni speaker. I discussed my experiences in college so far, challenges I faced in the industry and where I am currently in my career. I wanted to take some time to discuss the challenges I faced and shed some light on some of these topics as I know many others may face these challenges too and may need some advice on what to do. 

One of my main goals when I started this blog was to dedicate specific content to act as guides and provide advice to those just starting out. I’m hoping within the next few months to really expand that area of the blog with more content and ideas I have in the works. In the meantime, I hope you find this useful or at least somewhat insightful. 

To clarify, the following incidents, challenges and hardships all happened at my last hotel job not at my current place of employment. Additionally, I would like to state for the record, my co-workers, front desk manager (at the time) and operations manager (at the time) were all amazing people. When I’m speaking about these topics, I’m talking about the managers above them and corporate.

Toxic Work Environment:

It wasn’t always this way… When I first joined the company I did their intern program and was very impressed with their family culture and values. But just like that it all came crashing down in a fiery ball. It was as if one day it was at the drop of a hat. Perhaps this was all going on before I came on and it just snowballed? Who knows… 

I constantly dealt with a certain specific manager who just never respected me, other employees and treated the hotel like a dictatorship. It always felt like this manager had it out for me. They always treated me differently than everyone else but not in a good way. It felt like I always had a target painted on my back. 

Let me give you an example. One day I’m working at the desk with one of my other co-workers and it was slow. Seeing it was slow, I decided to go use the restroom before I got busy again and while I had the chance. So I go to the back office so I can head to the bathroom and this manager stops me and gets into an attitude with me. This is how this interaction went (summarized of course):

Mngr: “Where are you going? You should be at the desk!”

“(Co-Worker) is at the desk. I’m using the restroom while it is slow. I needed to go but couldn’t since it was so busy”.

Mngr: “Oh well…next time you gotta ask or say something. Can’t you just disappear on me”.

“Oh… I have to ask permission to go to the bathroom now? I didn’t know I had to. What is this elementary school? I’m a grown adult. If I need to use the bathroom, I’m going to go nor will I ever just leave the desk unattended. As I said (Co-Worker) is at the desk. I’m sure it will be okay for a few minutes while it’s slow”.

Mngr: “Well… you can’t just leave them alone..”

“… As I’ve said multiple times, it’s slow. Plus they know since I told them I’d be right back… So  I’m going to the bathroom now”.

It was at this point I was so confused and couldn’t understand why I was being lectured and disrespected for simply being a human and going to the restroom. Can you imagine getting in trouble for going to the restroom? This is just one of several examples of the toxic work environment this manager and corporate (more on them shortly) caused not only for me but the other employees.  

At first I tried to give this manager the benefit of the doubt when they first came to the hotel. After many incidents (there are several… you’d be here for a week reading this if I included them all) I tried sitting down with them and speaking with them one on one about the incidents and how I found them unacceptable but this never did anything. 

When things got really bad, I complained to HR and their attitude was “Well it’s your word against ours. Good luck proving it. You have no ground to stand on. All this is verbal plus the messages you showed us don’t really do anything for your case. At this time we will not be making any changes at the hotel. If you are that unhappy, you can just put your two weeks in”. 

WOAH!!!! Did the Human Resources department just tell me I can quit and threaten me by saying “good luck proving it”? THEY SURE FLIPPING DID!!! Oh but wait… It gets worse! Every Time someone complained, HR and corporate ignored us and didn’t do anything about it. Seems every time this manager got wind we complained, they made it hell for us. Which brings me to my next topic…

Fear Tactics & Fear Driven Management

For those not familiar with the topic, Fear based leadership is when leaders lead by fear, threats or combination of both. Threats may include retaliation, disciplinary action, termination, etc. More often than not, fear-based leadership stems from the boss’s lack of confidence in their own abilities. Rather than let the light shine on them and reveal their flaws, they use fear so that they can survive—at the expense of the people they’re supposed to be inspiring to do their best work.

I never really knew how to describe how this hotel manager and corporate style of leadership was at times until I learned of this ineffective style in my principles of management course. Looking back and reflecting on everything, there are definitely examples of this happening. For example a normal leader would tell their team “Hey, please make sure we do (insert a task) like this from now on please because (insert reason). When we do it the other way it causes (problem or issue). Thank you”. 

Unfortunately, I got the opposite style which really got insanely difficult to deal with. “Do this like this or else I’ll write you up”. Most times when I heard this statement my thought to myself would be ‘Well you never specifically said or told us to do it like that before, This is the first time you are saying something about it. How are we supposed to know you wanted it like that? We are not mind readers”. Of course I’m thinking that but I would say something similar but choose my words carefully so I remained professional and did not make the situation worse. Again like I said, I could honestly write 50 blog posts about this stuff but I think you get the picture here.

Micromanagement

I never understood why managers think this strategy ever works. Do they know that this makes things worse by making employees less confident, more stressed and makes them more nervous. For crying out loud, just TRUST YOUR EMPLOYEES and let them do the jobs they were trained to do. Clearly they know what they are doing and are qualified otherwise they wouldn’t be working there. 

Now I get it as the manager of the hotel you’re on the line for everything and responsible for the entirety of the operation but come on… There is never an excuse for this kind of tactic. Again as I said TRUST YOUR EMPLOYEES!

One thing this manager always did was leave way earlier than they were supposed to when the hotel was sold out or if there were multiple events going on in the hotel. Typically, the manager was supposed to stay until a certain time when we were sold out and if there were events it was their job to check on the events and if needed jump in and help. Then instead of staying, they would constantly blow up my phone every five minutes and when I wouldn’t answer my phone they’d get mad and get disrespectful. It was worse when this happened in person since it’s not like a phone where you can just silence it and ignore it. 

Again, trust your damn employees. We don’t need you hawking over us every five seconds. Please just let your employees do their job, be there to support them and give them the tools to do their jobs successfully!

Advice, Tips & Guidance:

So what can you do if you find yourself in any of these situations?. The advice I offer is solely based on my situations and what I found works. Each situation is going to be different and may not be able to be handled the same. Always use your best judgment and do what you think is best. With that, here is my advice:

Speak Up!

Stand up for yourself! Don’t let any manager or supervisor treat you with disrespect, or treat you poorly! Now I’m not saying to just scream, yell or attack them for the littlest thing. What I’m saying here is if you find they keep acting disrespectful or treating you very poorly, it’s best to nib it in the bud but remain calm and professional. For example, pull them aside and speak with them privately after the incident or after the shift. If you don’t do this, you are setting a tone that this behavior is okay and it will only get worse.

Stay Positive:

There’s always positivity to be found in a negative or non ideal situation. One of the things that kept me around this job before moving on, besides other factors, was the people I worked with. We were like a tight knit family and became very close with each other. We made each other laugh and smile even on the toughest days when it seemed the odds were stacked against us. 

My best advice is for any sort of environment that is toxic, hostile or sounds similar to what I discussed, get out of that environment as soon as you can. It’s not worth your mental and physical health dealing with that day in and day out. If for some reason you can’t get out of there right away, try to find the positive things and remember what brought you there in the first place.

Know Your Value!

If you are constantly hustling, being a team player and aren’t getting any recognition or shown any appreciation, don’t get discouraged! Keep working hard and remember, when you go to apply for your next job, your future employer will see your value. How so, you may ask? If you put all you do on your resume and cover letter, people will notice you and recognize your value. Overall, if you’re not getting appreciated, definitely find yourself another place of employment/environment where you will be! Trust me, during the first few days of my new job when everyone was encouraging me and supporting me, it really was a welcomed change and reminded me it was all worth it in the end since I wouldn’t have ended up where I was without starting somewhere.

Work, Life, School Balance:

Remember you are not meant to be working 24/7 with no breaks or time for anything else. You have to remember to balance enough time for your college life (if applicable), your social life, and life in general. If you don’t, this is how you get mental and physical burnout. 

Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativity or doubt related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.

If you find yourself feeling burnt out, it is best to stop and take care of yourself. This is your body’s way of telling you it’s time to recharge your batteries. Here are somethings I found helpful for dealing with burnout:

  1. Get plenty of sleep each night.
  2. Go outside and take long walks in nature. 
  3. Relax to your favorite music, podcast, tv show or movie.
  4. Kick back with a good book.
  5. Immerse yourself in your hobbies.
  6. Meditate everyday or when stressed. (Deep breaths in, deep breaths out)  

Now I am not saying by any means to not work while in college. I think working while you are in college is extremely beneficial. I found taking what I was learning in the field and bringing it into the classroom really helped me grow and learn. Same goes for taking classroom knowledge and bringing it into the field. My other piece of personal advice is to never stop learning! Always be curious, ask questions and keep pushing to become better.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, while my last year or so at this company was not a pleasant experience, I feel like I did learn a lot, grow as a leader and become better prepared for the future and how to handle similar experiences if they arise. I am extremely grateful to my co-workers, supervisors and line level managers for all they have done. While we may have had our ups and downs together, I loved the time we had together and am grateful to still be close with them all. 

I hope this post was insightful and helpful for anyone facing similar challenges. If you are unsure what to do in your situation, write to us using the Career Advice & Tips button on our Career Resources page! 

Stay tuned for upcoming posts where I document my newest journey in the casino industry!

Autism in the Workplace: Challenges, Job Options, and Employer Support

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Welcome back to our blog. Today is going to be a rather emotional blog about something that affects many people, including myself. So, let me explain a few things. I was diagnosed as a teenager with Asperger Syndrome, including OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder) and ADD/ ADHD (Attention deficit disorder / Attention deficit hyperactive disorder). It made things a bit difficult for me as a kid and of course, later on as I got into the workplace. I am hoping that this blog will shine a light on something that is hidden in plain sight.

What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects information processing. People with autism have difficulties with social and communication skills. They have restricted interests and engage in repetitive behaviors. They also tend to experience sensitivity or discomfort from sensory stimulation such as certain lights or sounds.

Because autism’s symptoms vary greatly, the condition is said to exist on a spectrum, referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Asperger’s syndrome refers to “high functioning” autism, but it’s no longer a formal diagnostic term.

Autism usually manifests by age two. The condition is diagnosed four times more frequently in males than in females, according to the CDC, although women are often overlooked and misdiagnosed. The frequency of diagnosis has surged over the past 20 years; it is not clear whether the incidence is truly increasing, whether experts are more aware of it, or whether the diagnosis has shifted to include lesser degrees of impairment.

There is no cure for autism, nor is one universally sought: Many people argue that autism should not be framed as a medical condition in need of amelioration. For those on the lower-functioning end of the spectrum, targeted practices and therapies can help alleviate symptoms.

Symptoms of Autism

While the severity of symptoms varies greatly, there are invariably impairments to social and communication skills. Some children with autism do not talk at all and remain mute throughout life, while others have mild social challenges. Children with autism also show restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.

Parents may notice that their infant avoids eye contact or doesn’t respond, and it may be difficult for them to form emotional bonds and parental attachment. Children with autism may have unusual responses to sensory stimulation and may be highly sensitive to certain sounds, textures, tastes, or smells. They may have deficits in motor coordination and poor muscle tone.

Autistic children exhibit many kinds of repetitive behaviors early in life, such as hand flapping, body rocking, and making sounds. They may arrange or stack objects over and over again. Some children inflict injury on themselves by repeated actions such as hand biting and head banging. They also have an early preference for unvarying routines of everyday life.

Causes of Autism

No one fully understands what causes autism. The number of children diagnosed with the disorder has increased significantly since the turn of the millennium, but experts are not sure whether that reflects an improvement in diagnostic awareness or a true increase in prevalence.

Research shows that genetics is a factor because people who have a sibling with autism are more likely to have autism themselves. Autism is also more likely in individuals who have an older parent. Very low birth weight is also a risk factor, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and ASD occurs more frequently in people with some genetic conditions, such as Fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis.

Treatments for Autism

There are many effective approaches for managing or treating autism. Early intervention with highly structured behavioral, cognitive, and communication therapies can sometimes dramatically help children with autism learn skills. School-based educational programs designed for children with autism can be effective in improving intellectual functioning.

Programs that make use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) have become widely accepted as the standard of treatment. In most programs, parents are encouraged to be highly involved in their children’s care.

While no medication can correct the impairments common to autism, psychoactive drugs including antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants are sometimes prescribed to help control specific symptoms. Anticonvulsant medication may reduce the number of seizures a person has but not eliminate them.

Autism and Related Conditions

Autism is often accompanied by a range of medical or psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, ADHD, epilepsy, sleep problems, and gastrointestinal problems. The scientific understanding of this overlap is often elusive.

Addressing co-occurring problems won’t eliminate the core features of autism. Yet treating specific symptoms that people are struggling with can tremendously improve daily life for those on the spectrum.

Autism and ADHD

Studies estimate that 30 to 80 percent of children with autism meet the criteria for ADHD, and 20 to 50 percent of children with ADHD meet the criteria for autism. Clinicians can now provide a dual diagnosis for children with both conditions, per the DSM-5.

Autism and ADHD can look very similar, as both involve struggles with communication, social cues, attention, and impulsivity. Scientists are currently investigating the biological and genetic roots that the conditions may share.

People with both conditions may be more impaired than people with either condition alone. Individuals with autism or parents of children with autism may want to seek a diagnosis if they believe they have ADHD, as that could influence treatment options, such as the decision to prescribe stimulant drugs.

Autism and Anxiety

Nearly 40 percent of children with autism also have an anxiety disorder—which might include social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or a specific phobia. The overlap of autism and anxiety may be due to the features of autism, such as sensory overload, communication barriers, social challenges, cognitive rigidity, and task frustration. Distinguishing whether symptoms of autism contribute to anxiety or result from anxiety can be challenging.

Parents of children struggling with anxiety can aim to identify what specifically triggers anxiety in their child, and then plan for or modify those triggers. They may explore treatment options such as medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Autism and Depression

People with autism are four times more likely to suffer from depression than neurotypical individuals. This trend may be due to genetics as well as the loneliness, bullying, or rumination that some with autism face.

Depression is difficult to spot because people with autism can struggle to express their feelings. There are similar barriers to treatment, such as the ability to explore emotions in therapy and tolerate the side effects of medications. Still, cognitive-behavioral therapy and antidepressants help some, while social support and employment programs are valuable for all.

There are other conditions that are included but I will not list them all. You can find the full list here at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/autism/autism-and-related-conditions

Keep in mind that no case of Autism is the same and will have different conditions, symptoms, and more. 

Now I am going to move on to the main focus: Autism in the Workplace.

Autism in the Workplace

Individuals with autism can face substantial challenges navigating the workforce. Recent research suggests that 20 percent of adults with autism are unemployed, while other estimates are much higher. This gulf may begin at a young age: Only 58 percent of people with autism aged 18 to 25 worked for pay, while 74 percent of people with intellectual disabilities and 95 percent of people with other learning disabilities worked for pay at the same age.

However, companies are increasingly recognizing the value of cultivating a diverse workforce and embracing those with autism for the unique perspective they contribute. Programs have sprouted up at large companies, such as SAP and Microsoft, which actively hire and support people with autism. The government also provides financial incentives for companies to employ people with disabilities such as autism. These approaches open up the possibility for those on the spectrum to transform their natural interests and abilities into marketable skills.

What are the challenges?

Many adults with autism confront unemployment and underemployment throughout their lives. They may struggle during the interview process, which often relies on eye contact, a bold personality, and creating a bond with the hiring manager. Once in a new role, people with autism may be unable to navigate the social dynamics of a workplace—with regard to assignments, clients, or office politics—and eventually, lose their job.

What are good job options for autistic people?

The passions and fixations that are a hallmark of autism can translate into valuable skills in the workforce. People who are drawn to patterns or puzzles may excel at software testing, quality control, or other roles in the technology sector. Other positions in autism-friendly companies include working on stockroom operations, production lines, data entry, and accounting. Autistic people should explore how their natural interests and talents overlap with the needs of particular positions in the job market.

What are the benefits of hiring employees with autism?

People with autism face a high unemployment rate, but employers and society both gain from hiring workers on the spectrum. Higher functioning individuals can excel in jobs that fit their abilities and interests, from folding laundry to coding software. As autism becomes increasingly prevalent, it’s key for companies to take an abilities-centered approach by identifying what autistic employees are uniquely suited to do and recognizing that they can be reliable and hard-working.

Companies may also be eligible for tax credits and deductions when hiring employees with disabilities. These financial incentives aim to encourage companies to hire differently-abled employees and offset any costs that accompany their condition. Some adults with autism believe that this is the best approach for individuals on the spectrum to obtain and sustain employment.

Should I tell my employer that I have autism?

The decision to disclose an autism diagnosis is a personal choice. It’s up to you to choose when and how you want to have that conversation—with your employer or anyone else in your life.

It’s valuable to discuss the decision with a mentor or loved one ahead of time. Reflect on what you hope to gain, who you want to tell, and how they might react. If your goal is to receive accommodations at work, consider having a discussion with a human resources representative and being specific about what you need. You may also be protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, under which employers must provide reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities.

How can companies support employees with autism?

Clarity is key for building an autism-friendly workplace: Managers can give clear directives and deadlines to employees, and then help clear any obstacles that prevent those directives from being accomplished. Managers can be open, honest, and appreciative of creativity and different ways of thinking. They can also provide a quiet place to work if the office is loud and ensure that lights are not flickering to address the sensory symptoms of autism.

The traditional interview process focuses on conversation and connection. Replacing that with an aptitude test or skills-based task can help companies hire more capable employees with autism.

In Conclusion

Autism is not really that scary now that you have learned more about it. Those who have autism just function differently, but we are still human. The best thing you can do is to support those who have autism, whether it be as a family member or as a fellow co-worker. When I am working, I often find that if I am at a breaking point, taking a small walk outside helps clear the mind. It could also help to bring along fidget items like a spinner or cube to help with our sensory issues. I want to thank everyone for their support in this.

You can find out more autism by going to:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/autism

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men  are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

 Founding Fathers, The Declaration of Independence

Overcoming Failure and Achieving Success: Personal Stories & Tips

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In both high school and college everyone has their own journey, not one path anyone takes is the same. Some people are faced with challenges and fail while others have an easy time at success. The important thing is not about who you are and if you were successful or not. It’s how you respond to it. If you faced failure, did you simply give up or did you pick yourself up and keep going? If you were successful, are you keeping it going and still working hard or are you letting it get to your head? If you are somewhere in between or in a situation and aren’t sure what to do, it’s okay! In today’s post we will be covering how you can be successful, deal and cope with failure and I will also share my personal story of how I both faced failure and turned it around. 

Do Yourself A Favor & Stop Pressuring Yourself!

It seems from the very moment you enter high school as a freshman you are thrown a class book and told to choose what you want to do. There is so much pressure from counselors and teachers that you must choose. Even in college, sometimes there is so much pressure on us to choose a major and we are forced to make a decision quickly.    

Are you in high school or college currently and are in this same situation? Let me give you some advice: It’s perfectly okay to not know what you want to do for a career/major. Don’t let anyone pressure you into anything you don’t want. From personal experience, try different things and experience new things. By doing this, you’ll find what you are interested in and what you dislike. Keep doing this until you have that “ah ha” moment. 

The Lightbulb Moment A.k.a. The Ah Ah Moment:

So what is this so-called “Ah Ah moment” I’m talking about? As you begin your exploration and try new things, sometimes you get this feeling of excitement and you suddenly realize, said activity, career or major is for you! 

Everyone has these moments even if you don’t realize it. For example, I’ll tell you one of my key moments. At the very start of my freshman year in high school, there was such pressure for me to decide what I wanted to do as a career. I was given the class book and saw so many paths and I’ll be honest it was honestly overwhelming. I honestly had zero clue what I wanted to do and wasn’t sure what I was interested in. Originally I was in band ever since elementary school and was pumped to do it in high school. However, the requirements and scheduling conflicted with work and sports. I’ll be honest I was crushed and to be honest kind of lost. Band was a big part of me and I wasn’t sure where I could go from there. So what did I do? Well, like I said above, I opened myself to new things. In the class catalog I saw a class called Engineering & Design. It was this very class that led me down my path towards where I am now, well… sort of. 

I should mention, if you haven’t had your “ah ah” moment yet, don’t worry! Your moment is coming. Don’t try to force it. The more you try to force it, the harder of a time you’ll have in the long run. The best advice I could give you is to keep on going and let your moment come to you. Enjoy where life takes you!

Dealing With Failure & How To Cope:

No matter the situation, dealing with failure can be a severe blow to your morale and motivation. For the purposes of our discussion, let’s focus on failure in a learning environment. You can easily take the principles we discuss and apply them anywhere.

Remember nobody likes to fail or wants to fail. If you are currently facing failure or trying to cope with it, let me reassure you everything is going to be alright! Don’t panic, take a deep breath and just relax. I know it’s easier said than done. Trust me I went through a stretch of failure, I get the feeling and know it’s not easy. (More on this later) If you are in a real bind and don’t know what to do, lean on your friends and family as they can really provide some great insight and reassurance. As I mentioned at the start of the post, it’s not how or why you failed that’s important. It’s how you pick yourself up and bounce back. If you just give up and sulk in your failure, you’ll never get anywhere in life. Failure is a part of life. 

This reminds me of what a very wise and motivational Professor once told me during class one semester. She went on to explain that failure has such a negative meaning and there is such pressure put on us when we fail. Professor told us to remember the word fail means: First Attempt In Learning. Now, I know this sounds absolutely crazy, but she had a valid point. How else are we supposed to learn and grow if we never encounter failure? Not yet convinced? I don’t blame you, I wasn’t either at first but after looking at real examples of people who encountered failure at first then went on to be crazy successful, I was very convinced. Which brings me to my next point…

Look To Your Role Models:

Think about who you look up to whether it’s a family member, cultural icon, etc. I want you to think about this for a second. Do you think whoever it may be, became successful overnight? Do you think they ever not failed? Do you think they ever gave up? Take Walt Disney for example, once faced bankruptcy, mental health issues,  and even labor strikes. 

Walt Disney himself once said “It is good to have a failure while you’re young because it teaches you so much. For one thing it makes you aware that such a thing can happen to anybody, and once you’ve lived through the worst, you’re never quite as vulnerable afterward.”

Walt also explained his formula for overcoming failure. “To some people, I am kind of a Merlin who takes lots of crazy chances, but rarely makes mistakes. I’ve made some bad ones, but fortunately, the successes have come along fast enough to cover up the mistakes. When you go to bat as many times as I do, you’re bound to get a good average. That’s why I keep my projects diversified.”

Being Successful & Seizing Your Opportunities:

Everyone loves hitting big and being successful. But how do you become successful? To be honest there really is no correct answer. There is not one correct path or steps you need to take to be successful. Like I said at the start of the post, everyone’s path and circumstances are different. Everyone’s definition of success is not going to be the same because of this. Remember, success is what you make of it. It can be as small as finally getting straight As or as big as landing that dream job you always wanted. No matter your path or the circumstances, you need to be sure to take advantage of your opportunities as well as the tools you have at your disposal. For example, the company I work for currently, is very big on promoting within and teaching. With this, they offer lots of training and opportunities to learn everything I’m interested in and enthusiastic about. If you currently work for a company or employer who does something similar, be sure to jump on any opportunities and take the resources they offer you.

My Stretch Of Failure & How I Turned It Around

Originally, I began studying engineering and had the dream of working for Disney. I had the hope and dream of one day even starting my own park. So what happened? Well first let me say, I am not very good at math. Ever since elementary school, math was always a weak subject of mine. Despite this, I never failed a single math class in school. I always got As or a low B. Flashforward to college and I failed not just one math class, I failed two math classes! For my degree I needed to take Pre-Calc I & II, Calculus I, II, III & V. Yea it’s not as fun as it sounds, especially when math is your weak subject.

Right when I failed my first class, I was devastated and felt like giving up but then I stopped to remember my dream and what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to give up on my dream without a fight. The following semester, I retook the class I failed and not only did I pass with a B, I know the math a whole lot better. The next semester, I moved on to my next math class which was Pre-Calc I and yes you guessed it, I failed horribly. If I remember correctly, my grade was a 40 something. It was really bad! I didn’t fail out of not trying, there were a lot of factors that went into it, online class due Covid being one of them. (When it comes to math, I am a very visual learner. So math is easier for me in person with an instructor in front of me and where I can actually write things on paper). 

At this point, not only was I stressed and down on morale, I also was doubting myself. I kept asking myself “What’s the point”, “Why am I doing this” and even “This was all a mistake I should have never done this.” Remember how I said before, it’s not how or why you failed that’s important. It’s how you pick yourself up and bounce back that matters. 

I was faced with a very tough choice and it took a lot of thought. Did I no longer want to do engineering? Or Did I want to stick with it? After weeks of thinking and weighing my options, I decided to switch my major to Hospitality for a variety of reasons. First, besides failing math, the math in general was getting to be too much for me and was too stressful. I was only at Pre-Calc 1 and still had to do Pre-Calc 2 as well as Calc 1 – 4. I knew I didn’t want the stress of going through all that. 

Second, I was very good at the science part of engineering as that came easier to me. I was very into 3D printing, CNC machines, robotics, etc. I choose rather than have the stress of doing these as a career and taking the fun away, I wanted to keep these as hobbies or interests instead.   

Third and most importantly, I didn’t want to give up on my dream of eventually opening my own theme park or resort. Hence where the hospitality comes in. I was always interested in hotels and had a fascination for them. When I got my college courses catalog and saw this as an option, I always planned to have this as a double major down the road. 

So did I become successful? Well, Flashforward and here I am closing in on graduating with my Associates degree in Hospitality, working at an amazing hotel company learning lots and doing this blog! So yes, I would say I am successful! Want to know more about my day to day at the hotel? Check out my post What It’s Like Working In A Full Service Hotel.

I hope you all enjoyed today’s post and found it helpful! Until next time!

~Blake