MR. Career Guide

That’s not my real name of course. It was a nickname given to me from a friend I was helping transition out of the military into the “real world.” He was unsure how his skills in the service were going to translate to corporate America. I worked with him for a few months leading up to his discharge date and he said, “I can’t thank you enough man, you are like a walking Career Guide.” Mr. Career Guide was born. 

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My career journey reflects closely to the textbook millennial. I went to an average state school, landed a great job, got bored after a few years, switched jobs, got bored again, went to graduate school, started a new job, got bored again, and started a new job. In as little as a decade, I’ve held 4 “career” jobs that my parents’ generation would have considered 30-year careers. Those specific jobs are unique to me, but the experience of switching jobs is not. I’m finally doing a job I enjoy, but what if I would have had the tools before all the painful career switching experiences to prevent me from moving around so much? What if I really knew what a career would entail?  What if I knew what recruiters really valued above all else?

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I’ve spoken to a lot of students and veterans looking to make the transition into the “real world” and there is one common theme among them: Expectations of the career differ from reality. Perhaps, they believe their resume will get them an interview right out of the gate? Or maybe they believe the cubicle life is perfect? Or they think their student loans will get erased with a big-time salary? Whatever the reason, I know that these assumptions represent the larger population entering the workforce. Students, veterans, and career switchers may be unprepared on how to navigate the career journey. That’s why I created Mr. Career Guide, to help you along the way to finding the right job for you and excel once you start.

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Mr. Career Guide: The job jumper and career coach

 

Here are a few bullet points ordered chronologically about my career journey. Perhaps, it shows that I’m a real guy who is qualified to write about career guidance:

• Attended West Virginia University and majored in International Studies

• Spent a few years working for a three-letter government agency in the heart of Washington D.C. as an analyst. Think Zero Dark Thirty, but behind the computer screen

• Quit that job to pursue a life long dream, consider it a quarter life crisis

• Quarter life crisis ended and now I was back to square one of finding a new job

• Landed a job as a government contractor doing similar work I had left behind. Got bored after a few months, it was pretty mindless to say the least

• Put myself out there once again and was recruited by a top government consulting firm to join as a management consultant

• Needed to gain more skills, so attended graduate school

• Quit the consulting job and attended graduate school to attain an MBA

• Became a Presidential Management Fellow but declined Federal Government opportunities

• Managed to acquire 25k in student loan debt

• Published a career guide on Amazon on “How to Become an Intelligence Analyst”

• I now work for a top tier consulting firm in the High-Tech industry in Silicon Valley

• Finally, content with where I am but maybe I'll switch industries again

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As you can see, the bullets above represent nearly ten years of navigating my own career journey. It has given me a unique perspective on various industries and skill-sets needed to land the perfect job. 

 

Mr. Career Guide: The Real Person

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So here is a bit more about me. 

• Any free time I have is spent in the ocean surfing in Santa Cruz, California

• I grew up outside of Washington D.C. but now reside in California with my wife

• I drive an old Subaru Outback that warrants skeptical looks when I show up at tech firms in Silicon Valley

• I listen to podcasts everyday

• I’m attempting to write a Fiction novel

• I know more than most on the geo-political environment in the Middle East

• I’ve had student loans that took forever to payoff

 

I say all of this to show you that I am a real person. I may not be a certified “career coach” but I’ve had my fair share of experiences in the job market. I hope to pass on that knowledge down to you and make the career journey as seamless as possible. 

 

So welcome!  Thanks for coming to the site, let’s get started.

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….Enter Mr. Career Guide…..

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