Career advice

AAAgent

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since we're taking stabs at answering questions i'll take a stab at answering your question synergy.

"can being a hustler be learned or is it ingrained into our personalities? do some people have it and others do not?"

I'd have to say some people are born with it, some people acquire it, and some people will never have the balls to pick up this attribute.

I would have to say my hustlerness was partially acquired. I've ALWAYS had really really strong urges to pursue what i wanted but i was either held back by fear (approach anxiety) or societal norms (i didn't want to stand out in a bad way). Every once in a while i would just get so frustrated with my fear and missing of opportunity's i would just break out of my shell and just approach the girl i wanted and be straight forward (worked wonders) or just started to be proactive and go after what i wanted instead of waiting for it. Being the nice boy and waiting for things to fall in my lap properly just wasn't my style nor was i happy with it. I couldn't live with it but some people can and will do so for the rest of their lives.

I like to earn and fight for what i believe i deserve so when i get it, i feel it is rightfully mine because i earned it with my blood and sweat. It didn't just fall into my lap because i was the only option for the job, girl, etc.
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i ALWAYS stood up for myself and others but as an adult not many people stand up for themselves anymore.

I have in my mind that ANYTHING is possible if you put your heart and mind into it. I've achieved everything that i have today because of it which although isn't much compared to most people.

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I just emailed the managing director of my company monday and told him I want to be in sales and how a great fit i'd be. I basically said since i work in research i understand the product and who better to sell it than some determined employee that understands the in's and out's.

here was his response:
"Thank you for sending me the note below. I am always excited to see folks be proactive.

The best place to start since you do not have sales experience would be CRM. Please feel free to reach out to xxxx for any future opportunities. I will also keep you in mind for anything I can think of that will advance your career."

Well i contacted xxx and got an interview. He told me there will be an opening at the highest grossing product of my firm soon. He asked for my resume as well which i gave. He told me he would contact as soon as there is an opening.

I also applied for two archaeological digs, one in Asia which i want to do and one underwater along the coast of greece/albania (i want to pursue underwater in east asia.). Well i also got accepted in that. It is sometimes scary to get out of your comfort zone but if you don't, nothing will happen.
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Be proactive, do the things that you want and take the proper steps even if they are a little frightening. They must be done if you want to get further but be sure to do them properly. Some guys have a problem of being too direct. My strategy is to be direct but also add in formalities and politeness.

It also doesn't hurt to like to do more work and just be plain helpful. I open doors, replace foam water cups and water jugs, pick up trash, fix printers and broken handles, etc.

Why wait for someone else to do menial tasks when you can finish it real quick at that exact moment. If it doesn't help you directly it helps something else who is affiliated with you/your company. If your company does better you do better (bonus/raise).

Be positive always, have an energetic spirit, be friendly, polite, and go directly to the decision maker.

This is what worked for me.
 
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Julius_Seizeher

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This characterization of backbreaker as a "hustler" says far more about you than it does about him. In his situation, remove any engrained bias that you may harbor towards the car business. What bb did at the car dealership was take initiative and go the biblical "extra mile". He didn't just show up at work; he completely threw himself into it, willing to do whatever it took to succeed. But he did nothing amoral or unequitable.

It also took courage for bb to do the things he did. I have no doubt, that his fellow salesmen, especially the underproducers, dragged his name through the mud without mercy. "What a fag, sending those stupid flyers. Let's smoke another cig." In a world full of losers, it takes courage to be a winner.

Ambition is not about pulling the wool over someone's eyes, or trying to force someone to give you what you want; ambition is about creating value. "Create" is the operative word.

BB has provided for us all, a valuable real-life lesson on success: be about yourself, use your imagination, and go the extra mile.

As for me, I am selling engineered steel products. It's the sales job I dreamed about when I was selling life insurance, or newspaper advertising, or any of the bs jobs I took. I have a nice base, a generous book of accounts, and the opportunity to create new partnerships. In time they are going to send me "outside" wherein I will represent the company in-person across the nation. I am learning all the ins and outs of this business as fast as I can, and in time I will find ingenuitive means to create revenues for this company.

It's a mid-sized steel manufacturer, and I have come to find that this size of a company is the best kind of place where a guy can take initiative and make things happen for the company. It's a business that is big enough to make a difference, but small enough to be versatile with efficient management. At a corporation, you are a bee in the hive and at most family businesses, you don't have the room to advance.
 

synergy1

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I wasn't referring to BB's situation in a derogatory manner. Actually quite the opposite. I have utmost respect for his tenacity to go out there and take what he wants. While I do the same, its simply not at the level he is at. My post was merely a further inquiry.

lets face it, there are varying levels of success. Much like there are varying degrees of strength, what might be strong to some might not be to others. I am not going to pretend i have been terribly successful, but its unfair to disparage my approach or my ambition when before 30 I finished a masters and had my own business than bought in over 6 figures. Just because someone doesn't articulate well on an internet forum doesn't imply they are worthless.

If you don't like me or my posts , thats cool. Can't be friends with everyone. Regarding input from all you folks, I appreciate it a lot.
 

Julius_Seizeher

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And I didn't mean to attack you either, I just thought bb was being indicted for iniquity.

You have never said anything disagreeable to me.
 

synergy1

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Julius_Seizeher said:
And I didn't mean to attack you either, I just thought bb was being indicted for iniquity.

You have never said anything disagreeable to me.
no worries. I misunderstood. Also have had a head cold for the past week and haven't been thinking as clearly as normal.

The interview went fairly well, but its interesting to see just how different this kind of position is from what most engineers have to do. It'll require networking, and building a client base. In a way, this is like pitching your own business.

They want to take me in again, and I am interested enough to give this an honest try. At first I was hesitant based on what I have read here, but I think anything is worth giving a try for a while. I expect a learning curve, but I think being a likable person who can enlist interest of others will ultimately be successful. I can/have done this in other areas of life, so who knows. you miss 100% of the shots you never take
 

At this point you probably have a woman (or multiple women) chasing you around, calling you all the time, wanting to be with you. So let's talk about how to KEEP a woman interested in you once you have her. This is BIG! There is nothing worse than getting dumped by a woman that you really, really like.

Quote taken from The SoSuave Guide to Women and Dating, which you can read for FREE.

Julius_Seizeher

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Man what kind of engineering are you into? Though things might be slow in new england, the mining boom out west and in Canada is creating a hiring frenzy for engineers of almost every discipline.

That goes for oil exploration too, look up the oil sands projects up in Alberta. They are booming, the problem is the sands are in the middle of nowhere and they cannot get enough positions filled. Wouldn't that be an awesome adventure? I'd love to get away from society for a time, while still being able to knock down six figures and make my investments. Yessir, you give me a mining job in the middle of nowhere, a six figure paycheck, and satellite internet service to keep up on my investments and I'm as happy as a possum eating peach seeds.

Infomine has good information for mining and oil jobs.

I like selling, but if I get called for any of the mining jobs I have applied for, SEE YA. I want to be on the ground, operating equipment or driving one of the gigantic CAT 797 or Liebherr trucks, that would be the baddest job in the world.
 

synergy1

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I am mechanical, so my background would be appropriate for equipment. An environmental/civil engineer would leverage their background in the mining background. I had a friend in Austen TX who tried putting me in as a petrol engineer, the second highest paying engineer discipline behind the dubious financial (quants on wallstreet).

I like your idea a lot of getting a nice 6 figure sum for a years worth of work. While I haven't searched for specific vacancies, I would imagine one needs some sort of experience to get a look. As is the case with my friends in the airforce/ army, they have experience w/ heavy machinery ( anything that flys to be exact), so maybe they like that.
 
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