I'm a big fat failure

Found out yesterday that I failed the PE Exam by approximately 3-4 questions. Was really depressed about it. Boss, coworkers, family all had positive things to say, but I'm my worst critic. It doesn't really changed anything other than the need to retake it. I really thought I had passed and put in the effort needed to pass. Rats. Oh well. Going to take this opportunity to better myself and study even harder.

Got me thinking. Have any of you used a "failure" of your own to better yourself or situation?

Earlier this year I had a chance at our promotion panel at work. I'm at a very large company, so there's several years of bureaucracy just to get a chance at going. My boss mentioned that we could expedite the process by 6 months if I was willing to fly across the country to the home office and do multiple rounds of panel interviews with the VPs.

I prepped and prepped. Got there, did the interviews, thought I did really well. Apparently I fell on my face and they hated one of my answers in particular. Lesson learned: Some companies don't want to hear that you've ever experience conflict with a co-worker, even if you resolved it amicably.

I took it as a lesson that I need to be more selective with my answers, especially in an ultra-PC setting like my workplace

Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln both failed only to succeed. Chin up.

In reply to calteg:

I learned you never say anything bad about a former boss.

It's frustrating, but don't feel too bad about it - lots of people don't pass the first time. I had to take the PE three times....missed passing by one point the first two tries.

Scottah wrote: Have any of you used a "failure" of your own to better yourself or situation?

Daily. Seriously.

Somewhat related, I was talking to the bassist from Allagaeon(Corey Archuleta, super nice guy BTW) for about an hour after the gig last month that we opened up for them. I complimented him on his precision vs. my own lack thereof, and his response was something along the lines of "We're all just imperfect musicians striving for perfection in our art...it kinda makes you realize why so many jazz players were heroin addicts, doesn't it?" I'm not sure why, but that really put it into perspective for me.

When I went back to college (aka College Pt. II) to work on an engineering degree, I didn't do so hot the first semester. I was looking at another grade card that looked like something out of College Pt. I. Which were pathetic. I started to really think about where I wanted to be in five year's time and what kind of opportunity I was pissing away by not focusing. Maybe I went overboard a little but it got me really serious about doing well and putting more pressure on myself. I got better study habits. I stayed busier working on things reading for class or doing extra homework if I could manage it, whatever it took. Got serious about my own quasi-ADHD (or maybe not so quasi) tendencies and looked at ways to deal with assignments better.

And grades improved, and my outlook improved, and it got better. I don't know how much this helps you out but that's a quick version of my story and trying to actually kick ass academically. For the most part it worked.

Here's an observation I have made many times on my trajectory. Mistakes and failures are good. We learn more from one failure than from several successes.

When I was a young man, I pursued success. I defined myself by my strengths and my successes, and measured my progress by them.

Maturity has taught me that it is more important to manage my weaknesses and my failures. They come every day, and I get better each time I learn from them.

The truth is most of what I do others can do well too. The only thing that sets me apart from them is not trying to beat them at succeeding, it's doing a better job than them managing my weaknesses.

Thomas Edison made over 10,000 attempts at creating a light bulb before finding one that worked. He never said he failed. He would say, "I have succeeded at finding 9,999 ways to not make a light bulb".

Food for thought.

2nd year, 2nd term University - 41% average (ran out of money - working FT and going to school).

I have been employed as an engineer for over 24 years now.

E36 M3 happens - It's how you recover from it that determines who you are.

My first book was god awful. I'm currently penning the fifth.

Failure is how learning happens. People who don't fail aren't trying hard enough.

Right.

In car terms, if you've never lost it in a corner, you have no idea how fast you can go..

Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.

Knurled wrote: Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.

Fantastic quote right there.

You made it all the way up to (barely) failing the PE exam. Consider how much of your freshman class has made it that far, remember that about half of them dropped out.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: You made it all the way up to (barely) failing the PE exam. Consider how much of your freshman class has made it that far, remember that about half of them dropped out.

Good point. Also, the pass rates for the exam aren't all that spectacular either: http://ncees.org/exams/pe-exam/ So, once you do pass it consider yourself in fairly elite company.

Get in there and hit it again. Many people could never complete a college degree in engineering, (or anything else) you're already way past the lot of us!

Scottah wrote:

Knurled wrote: Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.

Fantastic quote right there.

Wish i could remember who said it.

Stick with it. A coworker had to take it three times. I think he just froze up. He would take in a ton of references that I think just distracted him. Of course after he passed it, they changed the exam.

In reply to Knurled:

Randy Pausch. A local Pittsburgher.

https://en.m.wikiquote.org/wiki/Randy_Pausch

I signed up for a review course with a near 90% success rate for repeat takers. Going to stick with this until it's done.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

I've discovered that I'm always my own worst critic no matter what happens. I worked for a company for 10 years that allowed me to do a lot of different things and I achieved what I set out for 7 years after starting with the company. However a month ago I gave up, it was the hardest decision I've ever made. I loved what I did but there was frustration in with the politics of the company I worked for and the hours (retail). However after turning down the company I'm now working for a year ago I woke up one morning and realized this is the right choice, I reapplied and I got the job. I'm working for a company that encourages my development, I get a set schedule that allows me to finally enjoy weekends with my wife and bonuses. The moral of my long winded post is - even though you put your best foot forward the first time and "failed" don't ever let that define you or how well you've done up until that point. I felt like I failed myself for giving up on the company I committed my entire career to and went to this new company. But I can honestly say sitting here right now that "failure" can be a win.

I think that's all of us. I worked as a bartender until I got a job in production at the local newspaper. Eventually worked up to writing for the car section –for free– until the publisher decided "we can't afford to have someone bashing on cars, it pisses off the advertisers, and cut me off. Depressed as hell, I eventually decided to pitch some of the big national papers. What's the worst that could happen. Now I've won 5 national journalism awards and since our chain has purchased the local paper, my work runs in their's regularly. I love nodding to that ex-publisher when I see him at the gym...

Kenny_McCormic wrote: You made it all the way up to (barely) failing the PE exam. Consider how much of your freshman class has made it that far, remember that about half of them dropped out.

And half of them are still crying about not getting what they wanted....

Good luck Scott, kick the exam's behind next time.

When you take it and pass next time, you will know that you are the best Physical Education person out there! Or Public Enema. Or Portland Express. (wait...let me Google this...) Oh, Professional Engineer, that's really hard! Go get em next time!