School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job
Each comment from a entrepreneur includes their career and school ratings.
Career: "Being an entrepreneur is an amazing experience. There is no ceiling on your income. You also get a chance to see how strong you are really are."
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Career: "The thing that I was most surprised about with my career is the extremely varied types of people who are my customers. Lots of people have an interest in electronics and video in particular is getting bigger, in college it was more of a pure dorky thing. The other thing I am most surprised about is how quickly technology is progressing. It feels like I'm learning new things every single day, and the tech that I knew like the back of my hand 10 years ago is outdated."
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School: "I was surprised at how many students were from very well off families and how there was a social status hierarchy. I was also surprised at how many professors were foreign."
Career: "After a career in the Navy, I purchased a sports bar and restaurant and was surprised at how many restaurant workers have little ambition beyond waiting and drinking away their earnings. I had no clue."
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School: "I was surprised that some professors have a very helpful attitude and genuinely care whether students get and retain material, while others don't seem to care at all, and even act as though it is a nuisance to be there teaching."
Career: "I was surprised at how much paperwork there is, and that you constantly should put yourself in customers' shoes to understand how and why they think and act the way they do."
+/-Best & Worst Things About This Career
As reported by people currently doing the job
"The best part of my work is that I am the supreme authority. I decide when, how and what to work on. The worst part is that there is no time to relax. I need to think about my startup all the time and that gives me no time for myself or family. Also, there is a high amount of risk involved in starting your own company."
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"The best part of my job, by far, is the actual creating of the jewelry. I feel that I am able to be more creative as our inventory of materials has grown. The larger, better-lit studio space has helped tremendously also. If you have to wait, like we did, to acquire a better work space, be patient... It's well worth it in the long run. Record keeping is probably the least "fun" part of the job, but absolutely essential. Not only is it necessary in order to pay quarterly sales tax returns and to file your annual corporate tax (we're a limited liability corporation or LLC), but it's also the only way that you are going to know what your profit margins are and whether you're actually making money!"
+/-School : BA, Education, UNO graduate work at Framingham State College and Rhode Island College
Career: Authorized Member/Co-Owner Of Small Business, currently based in Rhode Island
"The best part of the job was seeing a cohesive and committed team accomplishing their objectives, resulting in positive financial performance. The worst part of the job was when the best part of the job didn't happen."
+/-School : BS, Economics, University of Rhode Island MBA, Southern Methodist University
Career: Former President/CEO And Business Owner, currently based in Texas
"The best part of my job is that I have total control over my destiny. Everything I do, every single day affects the business and the employees. I know that my every action is important and I get great satisfaction from this. The worst part of my job is that it is very stressful. Only rarely can I truly escape thinking about work. There are far more things that must get done than I have time for, and I can't "pass the buck." Hard things like letting employees go are part of my job."
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"I would have to say that the best part of my job is dealing with my customers. I have been in the laundry business for 26 years and in all that time I have gotten to know most of my customers and they are treated just like I want to be treated when I go into a store or any other business. I want to be respected, so I am very respectful to my customers and insist that my staff be also. The worst part of my job has got to be having to fire someone over something they did. Whether it is stealing from me or being rude to a customer or even just not showing up for work when they were scheduled."
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"The best part of the job is calculating staff bonuses and trying to obtain the maximum in pension plans for the employees and myself. Often, we won't know about how much business we've booked until the end of the year. This is unique to certain business services firms. The worst part of the job is fretting over having enough money to run the business without having to borrow."
+/-School : BS, Economics, Fordham University MBA, Marketing, Loyola University Honors Graduate, US Army NCO Academy
Career: CEO Of Research Business, currently based in Maryland
"The best part of my job is that I am my own boss. I can make my own schedule and I have the flexibility to be there for my children. I love that I can spend my time with the kids and do their homework with them and just talk on our ride home. The worst part of my job is taking the phone calls of customers that are not happy with your employees work that day. Since we do provide a service it is tough when your employee does not deliver. I do understand that we are all human and we all have bad days."
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"The best part of contracting is independence. You choose when, where, and how much you want to work. Once you accept a job, though, you need to be diligent in bringing it to swift completion. There are a couple of drawbacks. Sometimes there are more projects than you can handle. Other times - especially when the economy is down - you can find yourself idled for periods of time. Additionally, it is difficult for a small employer to find affordable health care. And, depending on how your company is set up, you may not be eligible for unemployment compensation."
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"The best part of my job talking to people from all over the country. I don't meet anyone. It's all over the phone. I don't have the extra pressure of having to wear a suit every day. The worst part can be sometimes working very, very hard and having no one move."
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"The best part about my career is that I control everything. If I decide to not push sales one day or not give a small discount that could make a life-long customer I will be hurting myself. On the other hand, if I work very hard then I will see the benefits of that hard work. The part that I don't like about my job is that it is all up to me. I have a lot of work to do and I have to meet quotas and pay fees to the franchiser."
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"The best part of my job is making my own schedule and hours. And yet, the job can often dictate my hours and I am hardly as free as I seem. It's true, if my children have an event at school, I can usually schedule free time for myself to go see them, even in the middle of the day. Frequently, however, I will have to be at work when my family is expecting me home, and this can be the worst part of the job."
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"The best part of my job is when I have completed all of my work and cleared my desk. The worst part of my job is handling customer complaints that aren't valid. The customer may lack understanding regarding my pricing and policies and refuse to understand even after I explain it, or, some customers try to get out of being billed. Arguing with the customer is against the rules, but some make it very difficult not to."
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"My favorite part of this job is simply that it is such a creative outlet for me. I am given the freedom to imagine and design things. I love waking up in the middle of the night and having an idea pop into my head and being able to make it come to life. I also love custom orders. There is no better feeling then having the ability to make someone's day by designing an item perfectly suited to them. My least favorite parts of the job are having to be patient and the shipping aspect of the job. Patience can be difficult because online business is not something that is all that predictable. There are days that I will go with out a sale. And shipping items just is not all that fun, especially with the more fragile items because of the extra care I have to take."
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"The best aspect of my career is the fact that I've been able to do something that I enjoy. Secondly, I have been my own boss so I succeed or fail on my own accord. I have not had to work for anyone and I like this. I am not really a loner, but I enjoy making the decisions and doing the work necessary to make this career a success. I would recommend this type of small business for a person who wants to work alone and not have to deal with a boss or employees."
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"The best part of my job is completing a new marketing piece or launching something like a major update to our website that I think will interest people in our products and services. Today, I did an interview with a customer who has 85 employees and who installed one of our phone systems a couple of months ago. He was VERY happy with the products and with our company. I will turn the interview into a case study and publish it for our web site and to use it with other customers as well. We might even do a press release to tell people how we are helping this particular company meet its business objectives with our communication system. The worst thing about my job is managing cash flow -- money coming in vs. money going out. With the difficult economy, customers are slow to pay and it is hard to keep up with the bills. Sometimes it is a total bummer!"
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"The best part of my career is the chance to work for myself in an outdoor environment. I love the fact that I have the freedom to choose the jobs that I do and schedule them myself. It is also cool to be able to bring a smile to a customer's face. The worst part of my career is the fact that it is hard to know exactly what my schedule will be from week to week. There is always some idea about what will be on next week's agenda, but things are constantly popping up unexpectedly."
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"I would say the worst part of my job is managing employees. I prefer to work with people than to manage them. To have employees and be a good employer is to manage fairly and effectively, which I have learned through experience. The best part of my job is being able to work with bands that we are fans of. The best day at my job is when we have what seems to be an impossible deadline to meet, everyone comes together and works very hard and we meet our deadline. We have a sense of satisfaction and a tangible success with the shipping of our product at the end of the day."
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"The best part of my career is the creation of a book. To do this, I have a vision, I work closely with the author, with artists (for cover and interior artwork), with the typesetter, and together we take those words on a page and make them into a book. It is quite satisfying to see that book with its beautiful cover for the first time. The worst part of my career is the plagiarists that I have run into. This has only occurred in the past 15 years; before that, people seemed to respect the work of others and not copy it (or at least I did not run into them). These people steal the creative work of others and claim it as their own. They are the thieves of the written word and are a scourge on all of us."
+/-Tips for Succeeding in This Career
Helpful info from insiders
"1. Know that if you are starting your own company, money would never be an obstacle. Other problems associated with the startup will give you sleepless nights, financial constraints shouldn't. 2. You will have to give it all. You will always need to be alert. 3. You will have to be a quick decision maker. At the same time you will have to become a risk taker."
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"Before setting up your own business, be sure to check out the need for your product in your area. In the jewelry business, it is also important for us to keep up with current trends. Also, start small... It takes patience, but the growing part can be fun! Concerning our particular business (jewelry), it is helpful to have a background or schooling that is relevant. In my daughter's case, she is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and, as such, has great color and design sense and can also do all our advertising. I, on the other hand, have learned mostly from her and work mainly on our vintage Lucite designs and leave the more intricate work for her. Lastly, having your own business requires a lot of self-discipline. It's easy to take up a lot of time with doctors' appointments, shopping, etc. I found that, if I had to cut into my work day for things like that, the best thing was to keep a record and make up for it another day. Also, keep detailed records of all your expenses, everything you make and sell... In other words organize, organize, organize! If you do, you'll have more time to do the things you <I>really</I> enjoy!"
+/-School : BA, Education, UNO graduate work at Framingham State College and Rhode Island College
Career: Authorized Member/Co-Owner Of Small Business, currently based in Rhode Island
"Hire the best people. This takes time and commitment. When you've recruited the wrong person, he has to go. Get rid of him as quickly and diplomatically as possible. You'll be doing yourself and him a favor. Set measurable objectives for the organization and each individual. Track and share results. Reward outstanding performance. Correct substandard performance through training and counseling. If not corrected, individual(s) must be reassigned or replaced. Never give up. Persistence is key."
+/-School : BS, Economics, University of Rhode Island MBA, Southern Methodist University
Career: Former President/CEO And Business Owner, currently based in Texas
"In order to be successful in this job, you have to have a few key skills. First, you must be very technical, with a deep understanding of computers. For this, I highly recommend taking computer classes, and try to apply that knowledge by creating some programs that solve some interesting problem you or your family might have. Second, you must be self motivated. You can't depend on just passing a class to get here, you need to try to go above and beyond: create a more sophisticated program with more features than is really required. Third, you must be a risk-taker. Be willing to make mistakes. Don't wait for somebody to give you approval or say you did a great job. Drive yourself to get out there and do something. Last, you need to build an understanding of business. For me, this was best done by doing it. I wrote a small, interesting program... and started selling it. For example, write a fun application for the iPhone and then think about how you might get people to be aware of it (marketing) and even talk to people to see if they will buy it (sales)."
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"1. Survey the surrounding area and make sure there's a lot of multi-family housing. Also, be sure that you don't have a lot of competition. Competition is good in theory, but not so great in practice. 2. Make sure you get a good machine layout. There should be at least 1 dryer for every washer. 3. Do some good marketing in the beginning to bring your customers into your place. Also have some kind of incentive program to keep bringing your customers back to you -- 10 washes and you get a free wash or something along that line."
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"If you want to sacrifice a 9-to-5, 5-day-a-week work life for the risks inherent in owning and operating a small business, try to start work with a firm in the industry you think you would find interesting and challenging - such as the energy industry is today. Then, spend the time to go to night school and earn an MBA. This will help you better understand the business world. If you think you might be interested in military service before you start a career, then you will find that you will gain confidence, strength, and learn how to overcome obstacles and stay focused on your objectives in any branch of the military. Just two years of active military service certainly paved the way for me to face hurdles in business head on and to be persistent in my work and follow-through."
+/-School : BS, Economics, Fordham University MBA, Marketing, Loyola University Honors Graduate, US Army NCO Academy
Career: CEO Of Research Business, currently based in Maryland
"My biggest advice is to do what you love to do. I went to school to be in the criminal justice field. When I graduated from college, I realized that was not what I wanted to do. I had worked for a company through college that gave me an opportunity to work for them in property management after I graduated. I took the job and realized that I loved it and that I was busy all day long and I liked to deliver a good product for people each day. I am glad I went to college but this was what I wanted to do."
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"Start small. Learn the business and how the finances work before you try to add many employees. Educate yourself about products and construction techniques. "Winging it" will only lead to disastrous results. Help is available from your paint and building materials suppliers. Don't be too proud to subcontract out those tasks you are not competent to do. And make sure you and your subs have the required licenses and insurance. Get help from experts with the bookkeeping and regulatory compliance."
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"1. In order to do this job you have to be very motivated. The more calls you make, the more likely you are to find someone to say "Yes" to you. 2. You might want to get some sales experience before becoming a recruiter. 3. This is a job where you can make a lot of money. Money doesn't bring happiness, but this job is a way to make a very good living and it can be fun."
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"Firstly, I would suggest that you do a lot or research for the franchise you are opening. The fees that you owe the franchiser could greatly vary. Secondly, make sure you are good with numbers and predicting trends. This will make it much easier to move forward with your business. Thirdly, make sure you have done research on the area in which you will be opening your store. Fourthly, work on your customer service skills. You really have to go the extra mile when it's your neck on the line and not the owner that you're working for. Overall, just make sure you know everything about the company and the area you are joining. You don't want to make a cultural or monetary mistake."
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"I chose a career I enjoyed; I enjoyed making things clean. You need to have a passion for whatever you choose to do. Don't get into something for money or status alone; choose your field because you enjoy it. Have a goal. Know where you want your hard work to take you. It doesn't matter what the goal is, just make sure you have a vision or written goals. Make a commitment. It's like getting married. It is a relationship, you and your business. It needs to be loved, cared for and spent lots of time with. In the beginning it needs to be nurtured, directed and unconditionally loved. It will eventually, with your attention, begin to walk and stand on its own, but you still need to be committed. Without your support and guidance, it will falter."
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"1. Be prepared for running your own business. Until you perfect a system that works, you will lose sleep, miss meals and spend a lot of time away from your family. 2. Be prepared to take a pay cut. Some customers don't pay on time, causing you to fall short of your projections. 3. Be prepared to interact with others. Dealing with the public is a prominent aspect of computer repair, and sincerity and self-control are essential."
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"1) Don't give up. Any business based online takes time to build up. It can be frustrating when you feel like nothing is happening. But keep working on bettering your products and your presentation. 2) PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE. When you have an online business, it is all about self promotion. Make a facebook page and connect with other online business owners. It takes time to get your name and brand out there. 3) Don't be shy about your products. If you are using or wearing an item that you made or sell and someone asks about it, tell them. It is NOT bragging. 4) Look at other online businesses selling similar products. It helps you figure out what does and does not work and it might give you some ideas."
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"Tip"
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"If you ever want to start a business, be sure to do at least these things: 1. Know yourself. Are you willing to work harder than you ever have in life and make many personal sacrifices? 2. Have some money in the bank. You need to have something to sustain you as you build your business. Most people recommend at least six months of living expenses. 3. Write a business plan and have others review it. There are plenty of free resources [check on the Internet, with your Chamber of Commerce, SCORE, SBA] that can help you vet a business plan and give you feedback on how realistic it is. 4. Don't pretend you can do it all yourself. You may be very strong in one aspect of the business like sales, but it takes financial expertise and other strengths to make it work."
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"As aggravating as it is, you should study and take the exams that are required to receive the proper license to operate this type of business legally. If you are in the planning stages of this career, please do not overspend on the necessary equipment before trying to see if it is something you really want to do. Always make sure you charge enough to make a profit or your business will not last very long!"
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"When considering starting a small business, consider working in the field of something in which you have a strong interest. In the case of our business, we were fans of bands and knew how to screen-print. A band with whom we had become friends asked us to print shirts for them and we did. 23 years later, we have grown from three owners to two owners and 15 employees and have maintained relationships with some customers that date back 20 years while adding new customers and an e-commerce site."
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"Tip 1: Because of the recent changes in the book publishing world, I would prepare myself differently today. I would still have a strong background in liberal arts, but I would also become very tech-savvy. Everything we do now is on a computer; as more books become e-books, you must be prepared for this new development. Tip 2: I would be prepared financially to struggle for the first few years I work in writing and publishing. Entry level jobs are difficult to find and pay poorly. However, you will not be a good editor or book publisher unless you "pay your dues" -- in other words, learn everything you can about the industry while you work within it at all levels. Tip 3: Not all writing/editing/publishing is glamorous, but it will probably produce income for you. Don't be afraid to do the "bread and butter" writing, usually non-fiction. That way, you are writing and making contacts within the field."
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