When I first entered the work force, it was during the Great Recession of 2008. What felt like bad luck at the time turned out to be one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. I would have taken any job back then, and I did. I was grateful for what I had. I worked hard to keep it. My grandfather told me something I never forgot. He said, "I don't care if you're digging ditches. You make sure you dig it straighter than anyone else." He didn't mean that I always had to be the best. In fact, he told me that there will always be someone better. "But you can always outwork them."Jobs were scarce back in 2008. As soon as I got one, I made sure I always "dug my ditch" as straight as I could. My survival depended on it. As a result, I found out if you work hard enough for long enough, it just becomes part of who you are.Besides God's love and mercy, I credit most of my successes to this single life lesson from my grandfather.Since then, I have done a variety of different things to earn a paycheck, from cleaning out a horse stall to negotiating with CEO's. I took pride in my work as a horse groom and I stayed humble at my "peaks". Each job is a blessing, a way to feed my family, and an opportunity to learn and grow.Everywhere I go, I strive to be deserving of the responsibility I've been given. I believe I have much to offer, and I believe I still have much to achieve. In any interview, I am always asked about "what I bring" to the workplace. I'd be remiss not to include it here:I strive to bring a positive attitude above all else. I look out for those around me and I offer what I know. I try to lead by example and accept constructive criticism when it's needed. I don't sweat the small stuff, but I'm not afraid to sweat. As a leader, I want to make my employees job enjoyable. As the low man on the totem poll, I look to make my manager's job easier. I have bad days, but I fight to make every day a good one. I have done this everywhere I have gone, but I was most successful in the roles where I had no previous experience whatsoever. This tells me I love to learn and grow. But its much more than that. I was surrounded by great people in an environment that truly valued character and work ethic, and these are two areas where I refuse to compromise.
Listed skills include Microsoft Excel, Financial Modeling, Management, Business Analysis, and 17 others.