A dozen years ago, I was a college dropout working at a fast food joint making $8 an hour. Today I make 10 times that at a job I love. You can do it too.

I've been seeing a lot of posts lately about people who feel stuck and just want that magic formula to improve their lives.<br><br>The funny thing is, not even a decade ago I was one of you. I had no job, no college degree, no car, and I was living in my parents house at 25. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life except "not work at McDonalds forever". I had no idea what I was good at, or what I enjoyed doing. I had no savings, no real credit, and a future that looked bleak at best.<br><br>So here's my story of how I went from being a college dropout to a software engineer in Silicon Valley. Just like any good fairy tale, you'll see that it wasn't magic that got me where I am. I didn't work hard for a few months and then coast on talent, I worked _really_ hard for a few years and then coasted on luck and privilege. But I'm here to tell you that if I can do it, you can do it too. All it takes is a well thought out plan, and the willingness to put in the work.<br><br>The first thing I did was identify what I was good at, and what I enjoyed doing. If you are good at something, but you don't enjoy it, you'll never stick with it. If you enjoy it, but you aren't good at it, you'll get frustrated and give up. So I tried a lot of things before I found what I was good at and enjoyed. I tried working in retail, I tried freelancing as a handyman, I even tried working fast food. You may have to try a few different things before you find something that sticks.<br><br>Next, I took online courses and read books to learn more about what I wanted to do. I taught myself how to code on weekends, and spent my free time working on side projects and building a portfolio. I went from having no skills in this area to having a basic understanding of it in a few months. I was able to do this because I was persistent and dedicated in my studying.<br><br>Then I got a better job, and worked my way up the corporate ladder. I went from being a cook at McDonalds to working as a line cook at a restaurant in San Francisco. It was a big step up in both pay and quality of life. I was able to do this because I had the skills required for the job, and because I was a hard worker.<br><br>After a few years I was ready to go back to school. I went back to college part-time, and over the next few years I earned a degree in computer science. After graduating I was able to get a job at a tech company. It was a big step up in both pay and quality of life, I was able to stop living paycheck to paycheck. I was able to do this because I had the skills required for the job, and because I was a hard worker. <br><br>It's not like I got lucky, and it's not like it was easy. I had to work hard to get where I am. But I also feel incredibly privileged. I was born white, in a western country, to parents who were rich enough to help me get by while I went to school. I was able to borrow money from them when I needed it. I was able to live at home rent free for a year after college. I was able to have a decade of my life where I only had to focus on my own success, without worrying about having a family to take care of.<br><br>So now I'm a software engineer in Silicon Valley. I have a great job, and I make a good living. I feel like I'm living in a dream, except it's not a dream. I really am living the dream.