Not a chance! Here are four young people who took different paths to snag cool jobs that pay well. You can, too.
William Creegan, 21
Area Sales Manager, Men’s Dept.
Dillard’s Dept. Store, Oviedo Marketplace
University of Central Florida,
B.A. Human Resource Management
About his job
“While in college I started as a sales associate at Dillard’s. The fast-paced industry and great advancement opportunities for young professionals lured me into a career. Now I am an area sales manager and am responsible for 25 employees and millions of dollars worth of merchandise. The company really promotes talented people, regardless of age. I don’t consider my job as work, but as a passion for eight hours a day.”
Kenny Alvarez, 20
Dimensional Inspector
Jet Thrust LLC, Miami
George T. Baker Aviation School
About his job
“After I received my airframe license, I worked as an engine mechanic for three months. The dimensional inspector quit during this three-month period. Since I was the only qualified mechanic with all of the schooling and licensing completed, I was trained for the position. After a month of training, I became the dimensional inspector. Shortly thereafter, I was promoted to head the dimensional department with three other inspectors under my command. I give thanks every day to Miami-Dade County Public Schools, George T. Baker Aviation School and the outstanding faculty and staff for their guidance.”
Jennifer Statlick, 24
Assistant Project Manager
Haskell Company, Jacksonville
University of North Florida,
B.S. Building Construction Management
About her job
“The coolest thing about my job is that I’m able to see a physical product after all my efforts. I deal with subcontractors and handle permitting. I try to go out and lend a hand in the actual construction aspect when I can. While in college, I was the first woman to be elected president of the UNF Construction Management Association, the first woman to receive a scholarship from the Florida Home Builders Association and president of the construction honor society. I worked with an organization called Builders Care and had the opportunity to work on an Extreme Makeover Home Edition project.”
Stephen Cole Watson, 20
Second-Year Electrician Apprentice
Miller Electric of Jacksonville, Orlando
Central Florida Electrical JATC
About his job
“The best thing about the apprentice program is that I can go to school and learn on the job at the same time, so that I can one day be an electrician. I get to try new products and inventions. I won’t have to look for a job by myself because the apprenticeship finds me one with benefits and retirement options.”
Tips for Finding Career Ideas
* Talk to your counselor.
* Go to www.bls.gov/oco and search the Occupational Outlook Handbook website.
* Talk to your parents for ideas.
* Find opportunities to shadow someone who works in the career field you’re interested in.
–Ashley Cisneros
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Ashley Cisneros is a co-founder of Chatter Buzz Media, an Orlando Internet marketing firm that helps companies and organizations engage with their target markets through inbound marketing via the Internet. Chatter Buzz Media, which won the Social Madness competition for the Orlando small business market, is a full-service digital marketing firm specializing in website design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing and content creation. Prior to founding Chatter Buzz, Ashley worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, technical writer, marketing manager, public relations practitioner and freelance journalist. To see Ashley’s content writing, visit www.ashleycisneros.com. You can also reach Ashley on her Google profile.
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