When I started my career in sales, I was scared but excited.
I was doing something oddly risky.
I was an engineer with a good salary, and moving into sales meant going against my education and what my parents wanted me to be. An engineer. You know, typical Persian parents. lol
While I was good at coding, something just didn't feel right. No matter how much effort I put into my projects, I felt like my growth and opportunities weren't aligned with what I wanted. Plus, I'm a people person.
I enjoyed solving technical problems, but I wanted something different. Something that would challenge me in new ways and give me more opportunities to connect with people.
One day, my manager at the time, who was also a great mentor, asked me, "Why don't you become a seller?"
I was surprised. He continued, "I would buy from you. You're great at research, and believe it or not, your accent makes you memorable."
That conversation changed a lot for me.
It made me consider something I hadn't seriously considered before. Maybe the skills I'd developed as an engineer could help me succeed in a completely different career.
Looking Back
Did I make the right choice? Absolutely.
Did I make mistakes? Many.
Am I happy? I would do the same if I could go back in time, including getting my computer science degree.
Because I don't regret becoming an engineer. That education and experience are still part of who I am and how I approach problems today.
And I certainly don't regret moving into sales.
Life was never meant to be fair. Sometimes you pay a high price for your lessons, and you should be okay with that.
Wear those lessons like Olympic medals.
I'll eventually share more about how it all started. But one thing I've learned is that we're not owed opportunities. We're given opportunities, and what we do with them is on us.
Looking back, I'm grateful for the people who saw something in me that I hadn't yet seen in myself.
And if there's one thing I'd tell someone considering a career change, it's this: being good at something doesn't necessarily mean it's what you should spend the rest of your life doing.