A 职业生涯 doesn't always take a straight path. Greeting challenges and finding success can happen at any stage in your 职业生涯. UNC alumnus 阿什利Torgerson reached out to share his 职业生涯 story; a path that began as a transfer student in sociology and led him to into a 职业生涯 in the financial services industry. 谢谢阿什利 分享你的职业故事. If you want to share your story with fellow Bears, 皇冠app官方版下载，让我们知道.
My journey began at UNC in the summer of 1999. 我是 a transfer student from Mesa 州立大学. 我是 ready for a greater challenge and had heard great things about 皇冠app官方版下载的社会学项目. 我是 sure that 我是 going to become a public defender, police office, or a social worker. 我是 on track to graduate in the spring of 2002 but ran into adversity on the way. Part way through my junior year, I contracted mono which made it hard to attend classes or do much of anything. 我的成绩开始下滑 slip and I questioned if I even belonged in school. I decided to take a year off school so that I could go into my senior year with a clear head and renewed vigor.
The start of my professional 职业生涯 began at Quality Auto Sound in Greeley in late 2000. I had decided to take time off school but to stay in Greeley. 我从 the bottom as a sales associate working on commission. 我很快意识到了这个工作 是有趣的! I enjoyed talking with people and the best part was the toys I got to play 整天都在! Well 1 year turned into 2 years and a promotion to Assistant Manager which turned into 3 years and a promotion to Manager. 所以我和我即将成为妻子的我 were moved to Denver in January 2003. She had graduated from UNC in December 2002 and we were ready to start our life.
In 2006 while paying my student loans online I came to the conclusion that it was 是时候完成我的学位了. I enrolled in online classes and in May of 2007 I earned my Sociology Degree from the 北科罗拉多大学.
In the summer of 2009 my wife told me she was pregnant with our first child. 我是 still a general manager at Quality Auto Sound and we were fairly happy with where 我们在。. March of 2010 my daughter was born and I decided it was time to make a 换一份“真正的”工作. My neighbor worked in the insurance industry and was able to connect me with Northwestern Mutual.
I went through several interviews and got my series 7 and 63 and in the fall of 2010 I started my new 职业生涯 as a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual. I had good mentors, but I had no idea what 我是 doing or how 我是 going to make this work as it was a full commission job. I cashed out my 401K from the auto sound store 然后去工作. In the spring of 2011 it became clear that 我是 not going to make it at Northwestern Mutual but I looked at it like an education in the business and 金融世界. I grew a lot in those 10 months.
现在呢?? I searched all the job forums and came across a job as a financial representative with JP Morgan Chase. 我是 hired in July of 2011 and started to my 职业生涯 over again at the bottom working in a call center for retirement plans. It wasn’t the most glamorous job but it again furthered my skills and added lines to 我的简历. I worked my way up to Team Lead at the call center, working to train new reps and coach our existing reps. In September of 2014 it was announced that we were being sold to a new company called Great West. I decided that it was time to start looking to further my 职业生涯 either there or at another company. 2015年9月 我从嘉信理财开始.
Since September 2015 I have been a Restricted Stock specialist at Schwab. 我的同事 securities and employees at companies to clear shares of stock for sale. 我面试的时候 I had never worked on an actual trade desk before but with my past customer service skills and work in the retirement call center 我是 hired. 我热爱我的事业和生活 和我一起工作的人. I couldn’t have imagined that I would have make the transition to where I am now 15 years ago when 我是 working retail with no college degree.
Exploring Career Opportunities with 职业准备中心
Students, regardless of major, can explore 职业生涯 pathways and current opportunities 通过 UNC Office of 职业准备中心.
职业准备中心 hosts 1-1 appointments, group sessions, and 职业生涯 events like the upcoming Spring Job and Internship Fair.
职业准备中心 also works closely with the 北卡大学校友会 to provide 职业生涯 development 毕业后长期支持.
