Nick Wagner Sr. - Ten Secrets to Success After Graduation: A collection of inspirational career stories from industry professionals

You will hear from Nick Wagner Sr.

Bio for Nick:

Nick Wagner Sr. is a husband, father and son. His passion for people is what drives him in his corporate work at Cigna as a human resources professional and with the nonprofit, CITE Inc. he launched with his wife. As a lifelong entrepreneur, Nick is always starting new initiatives and trying to give back to the community and inspire individuals. He hopes this book will do just thatinspire people to reach their Full Potential. The Full Potential Movement is an initiative Nick created under his non-profit to assist people with their careers. This is the first book in what Nick is calling the Full Potential book series.

Connect withNick:

Email: nickwagner@outlook.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nickwagnersr

Website: www.nickwagnersr.com

Website: www.FullPotentialMovement.com

Real Life

When I decided to write this book, I immediately knew what I wanted to focus on in Chapter 1. For years, I've talked to mentees, early career associates and coworkers about how hard real life is on a day-to-day basis. I define real life as your experiences post-school, whether it be high school, community college or a four-year university. You finish school and before you know it:

You find a job or start a business.

You get your own place.

You have bills.

You have responsibilities.

You may be diagnosed with an illness.

You fall in love.

You have a bad breakup.

You get married.

You buy a house.

You have children.

You need to save for retirement.

You start taking care of your parents.

You lose a parent.

Etc.

All of these things are hard. NONE of them are easy. But think about this: When you are in school, you get a teacher, a syllabus, and peers to help you along the journey. Sure, school is challenging, but it is structured, and there are many resources in place to help you succeed. Real life post-school is VERY different.

There is no syllabus for life. There is no teacher. For most young people, real life is about making mistakes and surviving (and learning from) their consequences. If you are successful at overcoming these obstacles, this can be an exciting and powerful experience. But for many of us, it can be difficult and lead us to make poor life decisions. You quickly realize how tough life can be when you don't have step-by-step instructions for the next three months. Once school is over, the structure you have been so accustomed to since you were a kid disappears. This is the first time being on your own. Whom do you turn to for advice? How do you know whom to trust?

Decision-making is an important skill no matter your age. As a preschooler: Do I eat thePlay-Doh? In elementary school: What should I get for dessert at lunch? In middle school: Should I ask this boy or girl to the school dance? In high school: Am I going to college or gettinga job? As you grow, your decisions carry more weight, especially post-school:

Is this apartment the right one?

Which companydo Igo withfor car insurance?

Do I stay at my current job or takea differentopportunity?

How much money should I save each month foran emergency fund?

Should I pick the HRA or HSA health plan?

Am I too young to get married?