Determining your passions and how you can bring value to the table is fundamental for a happy life. However, figuring these things out is much easier said than done. Don’t get me wrong it is a hard path to figure out what you are truly passionate about but the last thing you want to do is get stuck sniffing armpits for the rest of your life (I can’t believe that’s actually a job). Personally, it took me over a year of experimenting with just about every position at Dailybreak (the company I intern for) for me to finally realize what direction I should take my life.
I went into my internship knowing a few things about myself: that I’m a hard worker, I’m personable, and I’m a conversationalist. However, I had no idea how those attributes actually translated into a career. All around me, I saw people with solid, defined skill sets. Work effort assumed equal, and whether they were quantitative geniuses, hackers, or skilled designers, everyone had something that created value for their brand. I knew one thing though: I had no intention of going into sales because of the stigmas attached to a sales career.
After trying positions with the marketing team, operations team, content team, and a brief stint in web development (what was I thinking), I had a long conversation with Ryan Durkin (VP of Operations). I explained to him how I was unhappy with what I was doing, and how I was confused about where I was going in life. Shortly thereafter, I was approached by the EVP of business development with a project. After working in the biz-dev department for a while, I realized that my communication skills and work ethic were perfect for a career in sales. I also learned that sales is a LOT more than just cold calling. There is truly a science behind closing a deal and figuring out the most effective way to reach your targets. To boot, closing a deal is one of the best thrills in the world.
What I like about sales is that there is room for fast improvement, work ethic REALLY sticks out and you get to talk to people all day long.
All in all, figure out what makes YOU happy. You don’t want to be stuck in a career you hate. Right now is the time you can afford to experiment with careers so use this time wisely. If you have any questions about how to figure out what your skill set is, let me know and I would be happy to talk through it with you.