Why I Chose My Career Path

Choosing a career path is a significant decision that affects one's life, aspirations, and personal growth. My journey began in college, where I recognized my core competencies and interests, leading me to choose a career in electrical engineering and later in the field of mergers and acquisitions.

Why Electrical Engineering?

Firstly, my career pivoted towards electrical engineering because of my electrical engineering qualification. The foundation of this qualification has been a constant driving force behind my professional journey.

Exploring Marketing and Self-Discovery

My fascination with the marketing domain added another layer of excitement to my career. Marketing provided not only exposure but also a myriad of challenges and thrills, which played a crucial role in my career decision-making process. Through these challenges, I discovered my true passion for the technical side of IT and began my journey in mergers and acquisitions.

Building My Business: Filling a Niche

Following college, I embarked on a promising yet financially challenging venture. I identified an underserved niche and capitalized on it, which led me to create a business. I successfully bought and sold hundreds of businesses as a consultant, and later, I founded and retired as the CEO of a large company. Through this experience, I honed my skills and grew my expertise in mergers and acquisitions, further shaping my career path.

Chasing Personal Passions and Professional Fulfillment

Chasing my passion has been a central theme throughout my career. I started by picking jobs based on what I thought I would like, but quickly learned that continuous self-reflection and the pursuit of what genuinely excited me were more important.

My Early Career and NASA Internship

My academic interests steered me towards an aspiring astronaut, guiding my early college decision based on the opportunity to intern with NASA. During my time at college, I developed a deep interest in computer assignments, which ultimately led me into a civilian career at NASA as a scientific programmer.

Commercial IT Journey

Transitioning to a commercial role opened up diverse opportunities including system programming, VLSI design, and IT maintenance. It was only after trying several roles that I realized I truly loved the maintenance side of IT. This realization led me to pursue a full-time position in IT maintenance, where I have thrived and found lasting job satisfaction.

Continuous Exploration and Learning

Curiosity and a love for learning have been key drivers in my career. I explored various IT roles, including systems administration, network administration, storage administration, and database administration. Each role has provided me with new challenges and opportunities to grow.

As I approach retirement, I reflect on the personal growth and career changes that have defined my journey. I am now training to expand my skill set further, including teaching and perhaps sales, to ensure a smooth transition towards a fulfilling post-retirement life.

The journey of choosing a career is a lifelong process of self-discovery, exploration, and adaptation. By continuously refining my interests and aligning them with available opportunities, I have been able to create a career path that is both satisfying and intellectually stimulating.