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The definition of success may vary for every individual depending on the goals that one sets for life. However, The Collins Dictionary provides this explanation of the term – “Someone or something that is a success achieves a high position, makes a lot of money, or is admired a great deal” (2018). Individuals that have good careers and earn a decent income can be considered successful. Having this is something that many people strive to achieve. While hard work is an important component of success, it does not guarantee it. Solely relying on hard work will not lead one to succeed in America, additional elements such as education, talent, social connections, and psychological capital have to be considered as well.
Achieving success is desirable for many people living in the US. In the book, The American Dream and the Popular Novel author Elizabeth Long (2017) argues, “The story of America has been the story of success“. She provides examples of many novels, published from 1945 to 1975 that portray images of successful individuals as peoples’ main characters. It is believed by many that to reach that one has to work hard. In the US, many other aspects contribute to achieving the desired, and that is why not every citizen can be considered a successful individual. The first and essential component for achieving success in America is the education level.
Higher education leads to better career results and higher pay levels in the United States. Those who have a higher education are more likely to avoid unemployment and can outlearn the average population. The statistics presented by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018) show a direct correlation between the education level and salary. The weekly earnings of individuals with no high school diploma in 2017 were estimated at $520. In comparison, the earnings of those who have a doctorate were $1,743 a week. Additionally, people who do not have a high school diploma have the highest rate of unemployment. Approximately 6.5% of them are unemployed, in comparison to the 3.4% unemployment rate for those who have a college degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). While those individuals may be working hard to earn their income, the statistics show that they do not earn more than those who have been to a college or a university. In addition, a study conducted by Georgetown University found that the lifetime earnings of a person with a Bachelor’s Degree total at $2.3 million, when a person without any diploma earns less than $1 in the lifetime (Anthony, Rose, and Cheah, 2013). Therefore, one of the success factors in the US is the educational level – those who have graduated from college earn more and are less likely to be unemployed.
Talent is essential for building a successful career in many fields for the US citizens. However, without contributing hard work to enhance the given abilities, it will not lead to a good job and high earnings. Griffith and King (2015) use the example of a famous US baseball player Andrew McCutchen to illustrate that talent, and hard work contributes to achieving career goals. McCutchen shared his experience, stating that while he believed he had the ability and was willing to work hard at the beginning of his career, he quickly came to realize that that was not enough (Griffith and King, 2015). Baseball is a highly competitive sport in the US, successful players earn millions of dollars. While the McCutchen did have the talent for playing, without developing it, he would not achieve the set goals. The two important parts – hard work and talent were essential in giving him a possibility to play baseball professionally. However, without other elements, his career would not be as advanced. Therefore, talented individuals have to work on developing what they are good at to achieve a certain level of success in the chosen field (Griffith and King, 2015). As shown by the example of McCutchen, talent and hard work are the basis for starting a successful career.
Social connections are considered extremely important in America, as they contribute to the individual’s success by providing additional opportunities. Griffith and King (2015) argue that connections have a major influence on success. Having useful connections can give more opportunities for career development, where not having the needed connections can do the opposite (Griffin and King, 2015). By improving and utilizing the social connections, a person can improve the chances of advancing in their career. “Being embedded in a valued network of social connections can significantly influence how raw ability is transformed into something of professional value” (Griffin and King, 2015 p. 13). Social connection can provide opportunities to people and help them achieve success while lack of connections can negatively influence it.
The financial status of an individual’s family is a factor in determining future monetary success in the US. Andrew McCutchen shared his experience with this by pointing out that for him to become a successful player, his parents had to invest money in tournament fees and gear. Due to the fact that they were financially struggling, it was not an easy task to do (Griffith and King, 2015). Additionally, the editors of Talent Development in the Global Economy: Perspectives from special interest groups, Nafukho, Dirani, and Irby, (2017) point out the correlation between the financial situation of the parents and the future success of the child. The Great Gatsby Graph they examine illustrates the likelihood of children inheriting their parents’ financial condition. In the US the income inequality and the social mobility rates are high, meaning that a child from a low-income family is very likely to be unable to achieve financial success (Nafukho et al., 2017). Therefore, in the US the financial status of one’s family contributes greatly to the future success of an individual.
Psychological capital is an important element in achieving success in any country, as it provides motivation and ability to deal with difficulties. Griffith & King (2015) stated that physiological resources, such as the ability to deal with failure, optimism, hope, and confidence are essential for future success. If an individual is easily discouraged, he or she will most likely have motivation issues and will not achieve great career success. Overcoming difficulties and moving towards desired goals is essential for it, especially in the competitive environment of corporate America. The physiological capital improves an individual’s chances goals.
On the other hand, hard work is a defining factor in pursuing talent and in earning a degree, the two significant factors in becoming successful. Without investing time, an effort to study and get grades graduating from a college or a university is impossible. As for talent, according to the book Talent Development in the Global Economy: Perspectives from special interest groups, one of the definitions of the term includes the contribution a person makes (Nafukho et al., 2017). Therefore, both talent and education require hard work and those are factors in achieving success.
Overall, hard work is an important but not the only factor in achieving success in the US. Statistical data shows the direct connection between education levels, weekly salary, and unemployment levels in the country (Carnevale et al., 2017). The other essential components that help in achieving success in the country are talent, social connections, the psychological capital and the financial status. Hard work on its own does not guarantee success in America; it has to be combined with these components.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018). Unemployment rates and earnings by educational attainment. Web.
Carnevale, A. P., Rose S. J., & Cheah B. (2013). The College Payoff: Education, Occupations, Lifetime Earnings. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
Griffith, J., & King, C. (2015). More than talent alone. Bridgewater Review, 34(2), 13-15.
Long, E. (2017). American dream and the popular novel. London: Routledge.
Nafukho, F., Dirani, K., & Irby, B. (Eds.). (2017). Talent development and the global economy: Perspectives from special interest groups. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing Inc.
Success (n.d.) Collins English Dictionary. Web.
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