A student’s question brought me back to the rejection, missteps, and eventual clarity that shaped my path.

“How Do I Know the Right Job to Take?”

I spoke with a student this week who’s about to leave school and begin their career. They were a triple major, had lived in several countries, and had a remarkable perspective on the world already. It was clear to me: this person was going to be successful no matter what path they chose.

We covered a few topics, but one question they asked stuck with me:

“How do I know the right job to take?”

It brought me back to my own early career—and to a very different version of myself.

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Flashback: My First Job

A long time ago, during a recession, I started my career as a sales rep at an equipment distributor. For many, it might’ve been a solid first step. For me, it felt like a prison.

Day after day, I studied product manuals, pricing sheets, and discount schedules. I barely spoke to anyone outside the company. From the business’s perspective, it made sense—I had a lot to learn. But personally, I felt isolated and drained.

I was also the youngest person in the company by at least 15 years, both in the office and in the warehouse. Even though I was inside that “prison,” I still felt like an outsider.

Then, something changed.

A senior salesperson took an interest in me and invited me to visit customers in NYC. We stopped by engineering offices—places I had never seen before. I watched engineers look at our products as part of a larger system. They figured out what they needed, integrated those pieces into drawings, and shaped the built environment.

That was it. I was inspired. I wanted to become a consulting engineer.

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The Job Hunt—and a Harsh Wake-Up Call

Motivated, I dove into the job hunt. But I didn’t have many leads, so I did what most people did back then: I scoured Monster and CareerBuilder and waited for something—anything—to come through. I reached out to classmates and contacts I had made, but weeks passed with no responses. My confidence began to dip.

Then I finally got a reply. I was thrilled—until I opened it. It wasn’t an acceptance. It was a rejection—and a brutal one.

The message called out typos and poor grammar in my cover letter. The tone was far from kind. They even suggested I wasn’t in the top 10% of my college class.

Looking back, I don’t doubt there were typos. And they were right about the top 10%—that was true in high school, not in college. I’d tried to highlight that, but my writing didn’t deliver the message clearly. That rejection hit hard. It crushed what little confidence I had left.

I’ve since lost the letter, but the memory stayed with me.

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Getting Fired Was the Turning Point

Despite the setback, I stayed stubborn. I refused to give up on finding a job in consulting engineering. But my focus at work faltered. I assumed I knew enough after completing the training program, and I let my performance slide. I started arriving late and caring less.

Eventually, I was fired.

At the time, it felt devastating. In hindsight, I shake my head. That job—while not the right fit—had offered me real value. Here’s what I missed:

1. I was getting my foot in the door.
   I wasn’t a standout student in college. I had potential, sure—but this company took a chance on me. I didn’t appreciate it.
2. They were paying me to learn.
   Most of my time was spent in training seminars, learning how systems worked, and practicing calculations. Success, at that stage, was simply about growing. I didn’t see that.
3. People genuinely wanted to help me.
   As the youngest person there, everyone offered support and advice. I mistook their guidance for micromanagement and resisted. That was a mistake.

Eventually, I found my way into a consulting engineering firm. But the road there was bumpy—and I made it harder than it needed to be.

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Advice for Starting Your Career

After telling this story to the student, I shared a few lessons I’ve learned the hard way. If you’re about to start your career—or looking to grow—it’s worth keeping these in mind:

• Make the best decision you can.
  You’ll never have perfect information. Ask thoughtful questions during interviews about company culture, the actual work, and your managers. Once you make a decision, focus on learning, networking, and contributing. You’ll never fail if you do those things.
• Master your technical skills first.
  Early on, focus on becoming excellent at the work. Learn the tools, the processes, and how to support your team. As you progress, add soft skills like leadership, management, and communication to your toolkit. They’ll set you apart.
• Just do your best.
  Some days will be tough. You’ll feel tired, unmotivated, or unfocused. On those days, do your best—whatever “best” looks like that day. Showing up and staying engaged will put you ahead of most people.

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Starting out is hard. Rejection is hard. Finding your path is hard. But if you stay open, keep learning, and do your best—you’ll get where you’re meant to go.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in their career?