A friend recently asked me about my career choices and how much was planned in advance. The truth is, not much.
After graduating with a degree of Computer Engineering in Canada, I entered the workforce as a software developer. At the time, I felt that if I wasn’t in front of a computer, I wasn’t actually working.
6 years later, I was laid off. It was a tough time, as I was unemployed for 8 months and felt unworthy.
Then a friend approached me with an opportunity. His organization needed a Siebel CRM developer. He felt that given my tech background, I would learn the platform quickly.
Without knowing what a CRM is, I jumped in. Within a few months, he was right.
Then people noticed I was really good at talking to customers. So they promoted me to an analyst. A few more years later, and I was an architect.
Soon after, another friend reached out and offered me a Siebel Architect position at his organization. Soon after, they moved from Siebel to Salesforce.
Why am I telling you all this?
My career path was not a series of intentional choices. Most of what happened was beyond my control. What I did control was the quality of my network.
The takeaway
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Building quality personal and professional relationships can change your life.