It wasn’t until my Senior year that I had a rather vital conversation with my Aunt when I discovered that being a detective was less of a dream and more of something I locked myself into and it was time to reconsider. The problem was, I had been so set on being a detective that I hadn’t even thought of any other opportunities. That turned into another vital conversation with my brother where he told me to create a list of job postings that I found interesting and send them to him. This list was almost exclusively software development and analyst jobs. The truth was (as he pointed out) that I wasn’t qualified for a job like that but my only other seemingly viable option was to be a teacher and I wasn’t about to do that. So I started applying for anything that I thought could at least get me a foot in the door somewhere… anywhere.
My search proved futile until one day one of my friends told me about a consulting company that she was applying with and said I should apply as well. The draw to this company was that they hire people of all majors and train them on the job. Even better, her ex-boyfriend (an acquaintance of mine) not only worked there but was going to be at the job fair. Because of that connection, I ended up with an interview and getting the job without fully understanding what I was going to be doing (proving Bob’s point in The Power of Who when it comes to using your network). The interesting thing about this company is that they don’t actually place you in a particular role until after a 4 week training class and they have assessed your strengths and weaknesses. As far as I was concerned, it was the foot in the door I needed.
After I completed the 4 week training, the company saw my technical strengths and put me straight into software development. This seems like it should be exactly what I wanted but in truth, it absolutely freaked me out (spent the night I got the news sobbing and stressed). I was becoming more and more aware of just how under qualified I was for the job and had no idea how I was going to earn my keep. But I buckled down and did the work and learned as much as I possibly could and I ended up really enjoying it!
The amazing thing is that I encountered person after person who saw potential in me and invested themselves in helping me grow each step of the way. This has been a continuous trend and ultimately connected me with the person who introduced me to the company I work for now, Improving (again, proving Bob’s Power of Who). This company is all about trust and culture and is helping mold me to become the person so many others were to me. I felt like I won the lottery when I got this job!