John had always been a competitive person. Growing up in Arkansas, he was constantly looking for ways to stand out from the crowd. He excelled at math and science and always had a knack for understanding technology. By the time John graduated high school, he was already well on his way to a career in information technology. He attended the University of Arkansas and graduated with a degree in computer engineering.
After college, he moved to California, determined to make a name for himself in the tech industry. It wasn't long before his hard work and dedication paid off. John was hired as a software engineer at Google. He was ecstatic to be working at the most innovative tech company in the world. John worked tirelessly, taking full advantage of the opportunity that had been given to him, but in January 2023 he was released due to massive layoffs in the tech industry.
John was devastated, but rather than giving up he decided to use this setback as an opportunity to reinvent himself. John was determined to find a new job. He spent the next few months applying to dozens of jobs, but he heard nothing back from any of them. He was starting to become discouraged. He had always viewed himself as an invaluable asset to any organization he joined, but the lack of response made him feel insignificant and powerless.
John decided to take the plunge and start his own business. He started small, renting a small office space and setting up shop. He started off by offering general IT services, such as computer repairs and upgrades. As word spread about John’s quality services, more and more customers kept coming in. Soon, John had to hire a few more people to help him keep up with the demand. John’s IT shop started to grow and expand, and soon it became one of the most sought-after IT shops in town.

Words in This Story
To have a knack for something: to have a talent or skill at something
sought-after: wanted by many people but not easy to get, heavily desired
take the plunge: to decide to do something important or risky, especially after thinking about it for a long time
Layoff :letting workers go because a company cannot afford to pay them
insignificant: Not Important
Setback: a difficulty or problem that delays or prevents something, or makes a situation worse
Lack: being without or not having enough of something.
Discussion
How has the company you work for changed since you started there?
How do you expect your industry to change over the next decade?
If you were to change careers, what industries would you like to work in?
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