Don't Compare Your Journey to Others' | by Danny Muryn

We’re proud to have reached another milestone on our mission: our community has reached 10,000 apprentices and alumni. In this series, we’ll be celebrating this by sharing ten unique stories from some of our most inspiring Community members. 

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 The biggest thing I struggled with at a younger age was worrying too much about where I was at that time, that I wasn’t doing as well in school as my peers were and that I wasn’t on track in life. I hadn’t had the easiest childhood when it came to school and my educational development since I wasn’t school smart. I loved learning but hated school. I found everything so fascinating and liked knowing how it was all done, but I just couldn’t do textbook work as I was forced to know stuff instead of learning about it.
 
 All my teachers doubted me. I was told that I wouldn’t go far, wouldn’t get a good job and be stuck in my job at McDonald’s for the rest of my life. Seeing my peers accelerate in Grammar School got me worried about whether what my teachers said was true. I completed my A-Levels with a DDE and went from my part-time job in McDonald's to a full-time contract whilst my friends were off to university. 
 
Throughout my school years, I was always interested in apprenticeships, but my school told me these were only for builders. I didn’t listen to them as I knew the real value of apprenticeships. It was at this point that I tried my best to get into an apprenticeship, but living in the middle of the countryside made this virtually impossible. I got to the end of many processes but never got the job. I beat myself up every time this happened. 
 
Then, I had a friend recommend me for a position in her department at a food manufacturer. I interviewed and got the job. It was a small admin role but within a few months, my boss saw my potential and promoted me to HR Associate. She liked my mentality and adaptability, which I had never noticed about myself before. As months went by and I took in the experience, I learned more and more about myself in this role, more than I ever did in school. I had people supporting me and pushing me to my limit, and this made me realise my potential and what I really wanted to do. 
 
HR wasn’t my dream role or sector, and apprenticeships were still in my head. I pushed myself, advertised myself on LinkedIn, and started making connections and conversations, which led me to Multiverse. I applied for a job there in the Customer Success team but was told it wasn’t my time yet. They mentioned that I had a very strong foundation and that I could excel as an apprentice. This is when they referred me to the Digital Business Apprenticeship programme and I got into contact with a recruiter from Multiverse who helped me land my current job at NCR.  
 
I love my role as a business consultant and the education I’m receiving. It’s really the best of both worlds. When you go from small jobs in the countryside to working in one of the world's most important companies, you realise the value of an apprenticeship and how it can accelerate your career. This apprenticeship has changed my life by helping me gain industry-leading contacts and giving me incredible projects to work on. But most importantly, it allowed me to balance work, social life and education all at once without going into debt like you do in university.
 
Now when I look back, I see that when I thought things were not going well for me, I was only at the beginning of my journey. At 18, I used to see myself as someone who wasn’t doing well in life, labelling myself as a failure and thinking that I let my family down. This wasn’t the case; it was just the start of my journey. 
 
When it feels like things aren’t going well for you, it might just be the beginning of something amazing. Everything happens for a reason, so we should always keep looking forward to where our path may lead us. 
 
Not everyone is meant to be on the same road, some turn left, and some turn right. I think about this at the gym: Some people might be stronger than me but they are on a different journey than I am. My advice to anyone in that situation is to focus on where you are, where you are going, and how you will get there. Put in that effort and consistency and you will see it pay off. 
 
I always tell people, “Comparison is the thief of joy” - a quote that has opened my eyes to every aspect of life. I look forward to seeing where this journey takes me next and so should you.
 
Danny Muryn is in the Digital Business Accelerator programme at Multiverse.