My career story

Lately, I have interviewed people to find out how and why they got into their careers. It is interesting to hear their stories and find the commonalities between people who go into finance or marketing. I would like to share my story.

When I went to the University of Wisconsin - Madison for college, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. A counselor recommended that I take chemistry 101; if I enjoyed it and did well, this was a sign that the medical field was right for me. I did very well in chemistry, but hated the class and found it extremely boring. I also have a strong aversion to blood and bodily fluids, so I quickly ruled out medical school and nursing. I fell in love with psychology, but did not know what I would do with a psychology degree. As a practical person, I decided to major in business because I would find a job upon graduation. I considered majoring in accounting because I am good at math and knew it was in high demand, but once again I found the subject matter to be boring. I decided to focus on marketing because it allowed me to apply my interest in psychology and to satisfy my endless curiosity of figuring out why people make decisions and buy certain products.

I graduated in 2002 when the job market was depressed and the only business grads that were in demand were those finance and accounting folks. I took an entry level job in accounts payable at General Mills to get my foot in the door at a large, well-respected company. I figured I would put in my time in AP and more to a more glamorous marketing role within a year. My plan worked out perfectly and I moved into a budget management role in the Yoplait division. My manager saw my desire to learn and gave me the opportunity to manage the Yoplait Yumsters brand. I fell in love with Yumsters and spent my days watching toddlers and their moms shop in order to figure out how to revitalize this struggling brand. My instinct told me to add Dora to the package and focus on those savvy toddlers who are great at convincing their Moms to buy the Dora yogurt. Dora worked her magic and turned Yumsters into a star.

I am a quick learner who craved more responsibility, so I moved to a similar role in Big G cereal. I managed the Monsters cereal franchise, but with limited spending, could not incorporate my retro package redesign ideas to revitalize the iconic Boo Berry, Frankenberry, and Count Chocula brands. I knew I could not progress to a higher position in my current job, so I decided to get my MBA. However, I didn't consider whether or not I even wanted to get my MBA. The Carlson School of Management tempted me with a scholarship offer that I could not refuse, so I left a company and job that I loved and headed back to school.

Here is where my career story takes a turn away from my heart. As a very practical person, I told myself that I must major in finance because no matter what happened in the economy, finance people would always be in demand. I was still fascinated by my marketing classes and easily completed the assignments and exams. The subject matter was intuitive to me and aligned with my psychology interests. I struggled to stay awake in my finance courses and spent hours trying to grasp WAAC, IRR, ROIC, and Betas. I envied my finance peers who built complicated models and tracked the stock market with intensity. During my interviews, my face would light up as I enthusiastically shared my Yumsters story. I struggled to explain how I was the perfect candidate to build those complicated financial models that would calculate how much money a capital investment would yield.

Best Buy took a chance on me and was attracted to my passion and ability to establish structure in an environment that had none. My internship focused on analyzing customer purchase behavior, so I thought maybe finance might work. However, my gut felt uneasy as I felt deflated after spending hours staring at data in Excel. Something didn't feel right, but I decided to accept a full-time job offer at Best Buy because I needed a job and enjoyed the people that I met there.

On my first day of work in my new role as a senior financial analyst on the Financial Planning & Analysis team, I enthusiastically tried to offer to help and learn. My instinct told me that this didn't feel right, but I chose to ignore it and persistently tried to make the job fit. I had a hard time adapting to the work environment and spent many hours trying to make sense of all the numbers. My motivation and enthusiasm disappeared and I knew that I my heart was not fulfilled.

I recently did an informational interview with the VP of marketing that I use to work for at General Mills. She told me that at one point in her career, she was not happy and needed to take a break. She said that the people she worked with were great, but the culture was wearing her down. I realize now that the culture at Best Buy was not a good fit for me. The lack of discipline and structure and constant change wore me down. I was not performing to my best ability and was dissatisfied, as I felt that I continuously tried to figure out what people needed, providing help, and receiving no feedback. I was not learning and my burning desire to help others was left unsatisfied. The only thing that kept me going and trying to make the situation better week after week was the amazing people who I worked with. Always willing to help and a passion to be the best made my fellow co-workers great.

Now I feel lost and scared, as I know the job search will be challenging and I still do not have a clear picture of what direction to go in. I hope that my plan to stay open to new experiences will lead me to something that feels like a good fit. It is time to listen to my gut and recognize when it feels uneasy. My head has a tendency to talk me into making the "practical" decision, but I will stay strong and hold out for what my heart desires. Life is a journey and I believe I will discover my true self one step at a time.