New Directions
Along the way, my career has taken new directions. As an undergraduate student, I had planned to become a college professor. However, the military obligation I faced required that I serve in the military. Even though I had never been at sea and had no college preparation for Officer Candidate School, I chose to become a Navy officer.
When I left the Navy, I married and started a family. The idea of returning to college and obtaining advanced degrees became impractical. Returning to my plan of becoming a college professor did not fit the new goals I had for my life. I changed direction.
Fortunately, I landed a job in sales with a terrific training company. At first, I had trouble seeing myself as a sales person. But I learned new skills in sales and business that would help me the rest of my career. I used the skills that I developed at this company to land a job at another company, where I increased my income by 35 percent.
Even though this company promoted me and my income continued to grow, I began to realize that I could make far more money starting my own company.
You Got This
Starting a business was risky. I had no formal business training. In college, I majored in liberal arts, not business. To evaluate the risk, I sat across the desk of another recruiter and watched what he did. Even with no experience in recruiting, I could see that I could do the things this person was doing. And he was successful. I said to myself, “You got this.”
As a recruiter, I contracted with over one hundred companies and spoke with hundreds of job applicants as well as hiring managers. These applicants and hiring managers were people first and business contacts second. They had goals involving their income, career growth, as well as needs for their families. I hoped for their success. Most of these people had goals for a long-term, successful career. They continued to increase their value to themselves, their families, their customers, and their companies. They became better people. They enriched their own lives as well as the lives of the people who depend on them.