Career choices

[TomToro]

So here's the advice my wife's professor gave her in her freshman year at college. Choose Accounting, get your CPA and the world is your oyster. She said, but it's so boring. He said, many businesses need leaders that first think like an accountant.

She took his advice, only interned in one accounting firm, went on to healthcare in the finance field and worked her way up to CEO of 4 different hospitals.

Out of my 6 closest friends, 4 that are the most successful are all CPA's and aren't in public accounting, but went on to have successful careers in marketing, manufacturing, Software and got the $$$. While they started in finance in their institutions, they were quickly promoted to other, non accounting related leadership positions.

Just a thought from an observer of these successful people (not me).

 

[TomToro]

My son has a degree in zoology with a marine biology concentration (I hope I got that right). He started at a reef warehouse distribution center where they housed thousands of fish, corals, inverts, etc. to be sent to various pet stores and public Aquariums around the country. He didn't make much money even though it was his interest. He's now in a completely different field. Software development and has been promoted in his first year (very proud). They hired him not because of his biology degree, but because he was a Michigan State Graduate and had the ability to learn. A lot of companies (certainly not all like medicine, law, accounting, etc. ) aren't as concerned of what degree you have as much as you were able to get a 4 year degree. Quicken comes to mind.

Or you could marry a really smart chick like I did.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

i will say this, in addition to the networking advice..

The biological sciences is a very very very competative field. i have a wildlife science degree and my teachers always told us.. only 10% of you will get a job in this field.

i graduated with honors and could NOT find a job. so i did what any stoner that graduated *** laude would do.... i joined the peace corps as a biologist.

I thought i could get a federal job with this experience. But i couldnt. what it did do, which is arguably more important.. when people looked at my resume they said.. wow, peace corps, that is interesting. It made me stand out.

But it was persistance that got me a job. I had a list of 11 biologists at local firms. i called them once a month and chatted with them, asked them if they wanted a free lunch and if they heard of anyone hiring. Every month. Finally, after 14 months, when i had a baby on the way and i was about to give up and go to computer school i called one of the guys and he said "hey, i have a guy thats leaving and it certainly seems like you want to work so come on in on monday".

More to the point, i have NEVER got a job that i applied for. 15 years, 5 seperate firms, not a single application ever completed.

Be insightful, be MOTIVATED, and above all, be RESPECTFUL. Always thank people for their time, send thank you letters after meeting.

all the little things that they dont teach millenials now and to us old farts (the ones running the departments and doing the hiring) just seems like laziness and arrogance.

I interviewed a guy 3 weeks for a position, seemed bright enough. Never followed up. I asked the CEO "hey, remember chris, i was thinking about hiring him but he never followed up with me after the interview" His words "then he isnt hungry enough". and in to the filling cabinent he went.