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Every month, she gets a check for $4,873.
I was making $4.25 an hour in that library, Caroline remarked.
And look at me now.
Its a wild world.
She graduated in 1985 and landed her first real job at one of the oil giants.
My starting salarywas $27,000 as a process engineer, she said.
Peanuts by todays standards, but I was good at what I did really good.
My boss used to joke that I made everyone else look bad.
I ate those compliments up!
Getting on the fast track early was a huge blessing.
Each year that cap went up, but I was always over it.
Did I understand what that meant for retirement?
Not really, but I knew enough to know it was a good thing.
Caroline got her MBA in 1997, and thats when her career really took off.
The hours were insane 70-hour weeks were normal.
Pure luck, she said.
Right place, right time, right industry.
Waiting wasnt that tough for me, she admitted.
I loved my job, had good health insurance and the math made sense.
But I know thats not everyones situation.
Looking back, she sees how each step led to her current comfort level.
Listen, success isnt just about making bank for a few years, she said.
Its about the long game.
Every job matters even shelving books taught me something about showing up and doing the work.
You needsome lucky breaks.
The key is being ready when luck shows up.
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