59 Jobs Paying Over 100k A Year

13.

“Cancer scientist, $140K. My aunty passed away from a brain tumor when I was a child, and she was like a mom to me. Seeing this situation tear my family apart woke something in me. Now, I’m trying to be a part of the solution. To clarify about my career and how I (31M) got here: I went to a four-year university and got my degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology. I got my Master’s degree soon after, and started at the bottom at a biotech company. I started out making $12 an hour after college. I was definitely a little distraught at the time (about nine years ago), but I held in there and remembered why I was doing what I was doing.”

“I was actually able to climb the ladder by being a genuinely pleasant person to everyone I met, and by taking the work, studying, and projects very seriously. I asked a lot of questions and tried to be a positive influence on everyone. I have to say, being nice and respectful will get you farther than you think. Be the person that everyone smiles at when they see. I switched companies multiple times, taking huge pay increases each time, as my skills and knowledge increased. Then, I landed at my dream location. Sometimes it’s about putting your ego to the side and starting at the freaking bottom. You can do it. 

Losing my aunty shattered my entire world. She was my everything at the time. I was only 6 years old. My family was super tight-knit and loved one another so much, so this had lasting effects on everyone. I developed a severe anxiety disorder, and sitting around and not doing anything about it just kind of ate away at me at a young age. That ‘positive’ anger has gotten me through college and beyond. 

A bit of advice that I give to people now who go through trauma is to just let yourself get angry. I started getting mad, and I figured out how to channel that energy into something she’d be proud of. It’s why I wake up in the morning now. I implore everyone who has a passion and who has motivation to find some way to implement it into your lives. It doesn’t always have to be your career either. ALSO, don’t forget to have time for your hobbies and friends. I definitely have developed an obsession for video games because it helps me escape from reality. A fast paced life needs balance.”

—u/Westykins