New mother gets unintentionally inspired to find her dream job after ex tells her to give up, earns a higher salary than him: ‘And that is how my ex became my ex'

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  • "The reason why my ex is my ex"

    Many years ago, after the birth of my oldest son, I desperately needed a job. I was scouring through the job section of as many newspapers as I could get my hands on. The pickings were slim as my highest qualification was graduating high school. I had to ignore minimum wage jobs because it would cost more than it paid.
  • Then my ex said some magic words - Stop being so picky. You're never going to earn more than minimum wage.- I saw RED. Then I found THE AD. They advertised free training to become a software engineer, professional certification AND get you a job afterwards. The only requirement was a high school diploma with a passing math grade.
  • At first I was very wary because it definitely felt like it was too good to be true and possibly a scam. But I had nothing to lose by just checking it out. So off I went. The first day of the acceptance process was grueling. Multiple timed aptitude tests that took hours. The ones who passed were invited for a second round of tests. This time there were lot less people. Out of the 30 people from the first day, only 2 of us were accepted at the end. And it
  • wasn't a scam. The reason why it was free, was because the employers would pay for the training. I was thrilled. Then followed the most intense four months of my life. I was determined to prove my ex wrong.
  • 8 hours in class every week day. Another 6 for homework and studying. Then studying and doing a weekend project for another 20 hours over the weekend. I only got about 6 hours of sleep each night. Thankfully my son was sleeping through the night by then.
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  • And I made it. Did really well in my final exams too. The job search was short and sweet. And since it was only 3 years before Y2K and even entry-level engineers were earning good salaries.
  • When I got my offer, my salary was more than my ex got! Internally I was elated and thought Take that you insufferable out loud though... Didn't say it
  • As time went by, I kept getting really good raises and promotions. My ex finally had enough of the 'humiliation' and wanted a divorce. I jumped at the chance to escape. And that is how my ex became my ex.
  • ETA. While I was studying my mother took care of my son and my in-laws helped with groceries and utilities. My ex could only afford to pay for rent and gas.
  • Tuxnelda This is the absolute best revenge I have seen in a very long time - Congratulations to you with both the results.
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  • pmousebrown I remember the whining after Y2K that it wasn't that bad and what was all the fuss about. It wasn't all that bad because everyone in IT worked their collective butts off to make sure it wasn't. I'm also old enough to remember why they never had the 19 coded in the programs, 5081 cards with limited space and the cost of storage meant every byte had to be worth it.
  • scurvy4all Good for you I love stories like this. I can never understand why someones partner wouldn't want them to succeed. Why be with someone you want to fail? I'm glad you succeeded keep it up!
  • DamnedYankees A-W-E-S-O-M-E !! I'm a man..., and I agree your ex- hubby was a ! 30. I've never understood why some men want to belittle their wives/girlfriends, instead of rather supporting them and encouraging them. Isn't that what a relationship is supposed to be about...?? Mutually beneficial outcomes...??
  • slackerassftw I got married in the mid- 90's. I worked full time at a de d end job and was going to college full time. My wife was in college to get her nursing degree. Even then I was surprised at many people would ask me how I could respect myself, as a man, if my wife made more money than me.
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  • kitkhat29 90s were VERY different. Companies would contract to another company to find applicants with decent aptitude and do the training. Saved the company time and money on searches and training. Considering the cost of on boarding new staff was about 40% of their salary, it was insurance against turnover. Prevented hiring people that looked good on paper, but not worth it and having to (safely) get rid of them and start again.
  • Multiple companies would use this contractor. After testing, training, final testing, etc., the contractor set up interviews for the applicant with the contractors clients. No one was guaranteed a job, they still had to interview and apply. And the applicants were welcome to find their own places to apply, if they wanted to. On the end, most applicants went with one of the original companies. Contractor made money, hiring companies saved money, people that actually were trying out in the work an
  • National Pension_110 Good for you! Your bravery and hard work likely made you a better parent in the long run, as you then had confidence in your abilities and your ex's attempts to put you down meant nothing.
  • Update:

    TwirlyShirley8 OP My ex has 2 small businesses but still isn't earning all that much because the overheads are pretty high. We got divorced shortly after my youngest was born. Both my boys are doing well. My oldest has a steady job and some lucrative side hustles. My youngest followed in my footsteps and is a software engineer too.

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