Opportunistic is an adjective with a bad rap. If you claim it, people might think you're ready and waiting to take advantage of others. They’ll expect the worst from you. Connotative synonyms for opportunistic include unscrupulous, unprincipled, devious and cunning – but also resourceful and adaptable which are more in line with the word’s first definition “taking advantage of opportunities”. There's an old Winston Churchill line that goes, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
