make of
Hi,
I looked up this phrasal verb in some dictionaries but I'm still confused about its meaning. Here are some examples from Macmillan, could you please explain them to me?
[make something of someone/something] to use chances and opportunities in order to be successful -> What does something and someone in the structure [make something of someone/something] refer to?
E.g.
1. This job is whatever you make of it. -> Is 'job' here the chance/opportunity to help 'you' succeed? And the sentence means "the job is a chance for me to be successful", isn't it? What does "it" refer to?
2. I want to make something of my new life here. -> Where is the "chances/opportunities"?
Sorry if it's too long, I really appreciate any comments I might get. Thank you!