Hey! It’s alright. Change your job, switch industries, do something different… Heck, travel the world for a bit. Who is ANYBODY to tell you what to do with your life or job? After all, it is YOUR life, right?
Why limit yourself to any predisposed assumption that you’re supposed to take a path that has already been created for you, or one you ‘should’ take? Why can’t you do something different?
Who says you can’t work a job, for a few years, or within an industry and then change? Why do you have to ‘know’, what you want to do after high school or college? There is no ‘perfect’ position for anybody.
The Pivot:
Do you remember, growing up, people would always say, ‘Find your passion and you’ll never work a day in your life’?
I was passionate about playing Football, but didn’t work out. AND that’s okay!
I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t find that passion until I hit my mid to late 20’s.
So, what did I decide to do? Well, I found a company that would ‘try me out’ and I entrenched myself in that industry. Fortunately, it was the software industry and I grew from there. And.. looking back, it was some form of sales.
Never, in 100 years, would I guess that I’d be in sales. If you would have asked me at the age of 5, what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wouldn’t have said sales. Not because I didn’t like it, but because I didn’t know anything about it. Nothing, absolutely nothing. High school, College or my MBA, there is no class designed around sales; in your traditional school system. That’s insane, right?
We’re continuously being sold something… Homes, cars, computers, cell phones, Netflix, airlines, hotels, the amount of ‘things’ we’re being sold, is endless. There is an aspect of sales in ALMOST everything we do. How did I miss that?!
Well, looking back, I’m so glad that company took a chance on me. Here I am today, selling enterprise software and I love it.
I was:
A bag boy at Safeway
A certified fork lift driver and heavy machinery yard worker
A bounce house delivery guy (assembly included)
A college campus councilor and facilities assembler
A store manager at Abercrombie & Fitch
Taught English while playing Football in Germany
Played American Football in Germany & Finland
Account manager in Affiliate Marketing
Built websites and did SEO
Business Development for HCM/LMS company
Outside Sales for payroll/HCM company
CSM for healthcare customers
Enterprise Sales for HCM/LMS company (Now)
What inspired me to write this:
You don’t know what you don’t know… And that’s okay! I think you need to experience different things firsthand before you can decide what you want to do. And then… you can change. There’s no shame in that. Jobs and careers are ever evolving. There is no ‘right’ answer to ‘what I want to do’. What people do at the age of 20 will be wildly different than at the age of 40. Your personal responsibilities change and that could change the trajectory of your career.
Of course, there are some folks that know exactly what they want to do from an early age. Good for them. If you’re not one of those people, that’s alright.
My recommendation:
Find mentors in different roles and industries
Social Engagement on LinkedIn
Talk with friends and family
Read material on industries you find interesting
Begin writing content on said industry
There are so many people willing to help. The hardest part is just asking. Being vulnerable and asking people for help. Why not start today?
Drop me a message and let’s brainstorm some ideas!
(Before anybody jumps to some conclusion, I love my role and company.)