No matter how successful a person may become, their career had to start somewhere and for many, that starting place was less-than-ideal. Even world famous successes like Sarah Blakely, founder of Spanx or Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, had tough starts that could have derailed their long term goals. If you are frustrated with your personal career journey, take a look at the career paths of these successful people who began with a rocky start, to find motivation for your path.
Sara Blakely started her career like so many with failures and unexpected job opportunities. After college, Blakley worked as a Disneyworld cast member after she gave up on her goal of going to law school due to two failed LSATs. She eventually accepted a job at Danka Office Imaging Co. where she worked in their sales department for seven years before leaving to pursue her shapewear line.
Reed Hastings spent the year after he graduated from high school going door-to-door selling vacuum cleaners. After this experience, he completed his bachelor’s degree only to join the Peace Corps immediately afterwards. These gap years could have easily derailed his long term career goals but instead, he eventually returned and began his career in computer science.
In this current climate, career obstacles such as layoffs and periods of unemployment are prevalent. If you are facing either of these challenges or are stuck in a position that is out of line with your goals, be encouraged by this visual from Resume-Now that highlights some of the most surprising career paths of famous people.
