[This post originally appeared on LinkedIn] Author: Risa Khamsi Published: May 2nd, 2020 I've spent the entirety of my twenties working in the service industry, with one brief stint as a veterinary assistant somewhere in between. I always yearned for a “real job” and fantasized about a Monday through Friday, nine to five lifestyle as I worked through countless holidays, weekends, and notably late nights. There was a reason for my job choices though, I had a personal goal of owning property, and I found that by working one (or two) cocktail serving jobs, I was able to make and save more than I would have in a full-time entry-level “professional” position. The fast cash combined with my hunger for homeownership kept me hooked until 2016, when I achieved my goal and purchased my own home at the age of 26. Sure, it took a substantial amount of sacrifice: eating nothing but cans of beans, declining countless invitations to fun-filled events, and living in a remarkably cheap, roach-infested apartment above a strip club with just enough room for a bed and a mini fridge – but I had accomplished what none of my similarly-aged peers in the Bay Area had, and I was certainly proud of myself. After I had carried out my goal, I didn't have much of a reason to keep working in the service industry, but I developed new excuses as to why I wouldn't or couldn't work a nine to five job. These reasons included, but were not limited to: I would find it boring, I would tire of it quickly, I wouldn't be good at it, I can't sit still for that long, etc. The thing about all of these reasons is that they were, in fact, complete bullsh**t since I had never actually experienced working a nine to five job in my life. It took a PANDEMIC to make me pursue a career in tech sales because, now, both of my service industry jobs had closed “temporarily” with a debatable reopening date amongst plentiful other unknowns. As hard as it was to accept, I arrived at the conclusion that these were not only non-career-type jobs, they were also not pandemic-proof jobs that I could have the luxury of working from home. After days of wallowing in self-pity and hopelessness, I had a lightbulb moment in which I accepted and embraced the following: although I couldn't control what was happening to public health, the state of the economy, and the abundance of layoffs, I could control my own thoughts, actions, and deeds. It was through this conclusion that I was able to actualize something that I had always dreamed of doing but never actually done, pursue a “real job,” and in this case it was by means of a tech sales bootcamp. In the Always Hired Sales Bootcamp I have surprised myself, the material is actually interesting to me, I am more than capable of executing the sales strategies and concepts, and I'm comprehending information better than I could have ever imagined! I have successfully transformed my excuses into accomplishments, and I am using CRM software and mastering how to get past the GK and get to the DM – acronyms that I found intimidating just a few months ago. If I have taken anything away from the beginning of my tech sales journey, it is that done is better than perfect. And maybe don't wait for a pandemic to pursue a career that you find intimidating or out of reach. ;) What will you finally go after that you've always visualized for yourself during this downtime? Feel free to reach out and share your dreams with me! Risa is now a Sales Development Representative at LeadIQ. About AlwaysHired Sales Bootcamp AlwaysHired Sales Bootcamp is an intensive remote live instructor-led sales training program connecting hard-working and motivated job seekers with high growth technology companies across the country. Founded in 2015, it has 250+ alumni working at companies such as CallidusCloud, Google, Mulesoft, Okta, Yelp, Lever, Demandforce, and more. For more information please visit https://www.alwayshired.com/. For media inquiries, please contact gatekeeper@alwayshired.com.
