First REAL job...

I hated school. The last thing I wanted to do was to add 4 or more years to my schooling after high school graduation. I decided to go right into the workplace after high school. I took a temporary job the first year, but then I was made 2 great offers on the same day to start as a computer tech/IT guy - one offer from a local rural startup, and one from a big time corporation in Philadelphia. I chose the corporate job in Philadelphia.

I kept this job 9 years, finding ways to apply my entrepreneurial vision and skills to the internal IT department at this company. I revamped their entire technical support team and implemented a streamlined help desk and deskside support process. I even helped to spear-head a training program that enabled factory employees who showed potential and problem solving skills to learn how to become IT tech support people. We were able to promote and train 10 people from the factory environment while I was there into becoming IT gurus. It was a fun time, and I gained a wealth of business knowledge, leadership, management, and IT skills while I was there. Turned out toward the end that I was the youngest person to ever receive the Presidential Citation Award for innovating cost saving and company changing processes. This was the launching pad for the rest of my life... However, it was only a start, because once I ran out of room to create and innovate, I ended up in "maintenance" mode as a manager and leader, and reached a "ceiling". The entrepreneur inside wasn't happy...

Are you an entrepreneur stuck inside a corporate situation or a job right now? I want to hear from you! Post a comment/reply.