Your Past Employment Prepared you for Real Estate

What was your first “Real Job”?  Did you hate it or love it?  Every job you’ve ever worked can help you transition into real estate.

I loved my first job at TJMaxx back in the late 80’s.  Who doesn’t want to work where they shop?  At TJMaxx learned how to customize clothing racks, clean the sales floor and check out TJmaxx customers at the cash register.  Let’s not discuss minimum wages in the 80’s.  😊.  My second job was at Sears Roebuck & Company.  I pretty much preformed the same job functions at Sears as TJMaxx.  However, at Sears, I eventually promoted to Supervisor in the children’s department then later to custom decorating.  Custom decorating was the department that managed draperies and shades for the real estate industry.

When I realized my income wasn’t going to change much, I began my job search again to one day be employed by Kissane Business System, the place where my technology career took off.  From there I went to NEC Technologies where I eventually managed all the demonstration equipment for the United States and Canada.    While at NEC, I decided to complete my BS in Business Management.  The great thing about working for corporate is that they will often assist with tuition reimbursement.

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After NEC I worked for a non-profit where I managed the television department.   I learned how to work with television stations, edit video and build short commercials.  lAfter leaving one non-profit, I ended up working for another, a local church working as an administrative assistant.   Only part-time so I could be available for my kids.

While at the local Church I decided to go back the College of DuPage to earn my Real Estate Sales person license in 2001.  After passing the exam I began my part-time real estate career with a large Chicagoland brokerage.  So why all this history?  Every job I’ve held gave me different skills that would easily translate into real estate.  So, let’s break this down:

1. As a retail sales person I learned how to take direction from authority. You’d think we’d learn this from our parents, right.   I also learned how to organize clothes, pick up after other people and handle someone else’s money.
2. As a sales person and supervisor, I learned how to manage different personalities, work with customer service issues from frustrated clients and close a large retail store. Who knew I’d get the keys to Sears before the age of 21.  I gained their trust.
3. As a customer service report for the Sears Custom Drapery department, I learned how to read measurements for draperies, pleated shades, shades, blinds and more. This is the job that made me re-think learning how to type.
4. Kissane Business Systems is the company that hired me based on my twin sisters’ skills. Yes, I had to go to Triton College and take a typing class because I was hired to be the admin to the VP of Sales. Yeah, I learned how to type fast.  😊.   This where I learned the most about business.  They were a small business that sold computers, typewriters, and printers to companies like McDonald’s and Boston Chicken.  I learned how to create invoices, worked with accounts receivables, accounts payables, type letters, work with annual rental contracts while assisting an executive.  Oh, I made the coffee too.  I also was one of the first users on SAP accounting software in the early 90’s.
5. When I made the leap to NEC technologies I started as a temp agent. After working in their A/V repairs department I was quickly promoted to assistant the department manager.  Then I took a new position in their sales department where I would manage the company’s demo equipment used by sales people.  I worked closely with the transportation department and off-site warehouse management teams.
6. Then the big switch to a non-profit where I learned how to use professional television cameras, commercial editing equipment, and have connections local television stations.
7. My last job, before starting my real estate career, was at a church. This is where I learned about 5013c’s, LLC’s and corporations.   I also created flyers, bulletins, balanced the bank account using QuickBooks monthly, entered payroll and deposited the church offerings at the bank.  I also cleaned the bathrooms in the office, cleaned the church bathrooms and cleaned the kitchen.  In addition to this,I was tasked with finding a “Free Mobile” classroom for kid’s church.
8. Out of all these past careers, I also volunteered at Mothers and More where we raised over $50k twice a year.
9. I worked as a legal assistant for McDonald’s Real Estate East Coast division where I learned about the commercial real estate industry and how to work with attorneys.

Many people get into real estate without a real estate background and have no a clue about the industry.  However, if you take about an hour, the time it took me to write this blog post, you’ll be able to look at your prior job history and incorporate into real estate.  And here is how:

1. If you’ve worked in retail, you already understand how to work with buyers and sellers. You’ve figured how to deal with every personality type, provide excellent customer service, sell products and add new inventory.
2. Working in Custom Decorating helps me understand what to look for in window treatments for any home. Yes, I know what’s out dated and what’s in style today.  What you can keep in the home and what “must” go.
3. My administrative skills translate into transaction management, letter writing, organization and follow through. I created manuals to train others on the same systems I was using.  Today, I had to create manuals for new agents and for our admin staff.
4. I learned how to use creative software by designing bulletins and flyers for the church, designing covers for audio sales at the non-profit, creating Newsletters for the church, invitations for parties and weddings.
5. After working in technology, I can pick up new software tools quickly. I understand how they function and if the tool will work for my business.
6. In 2006 I started training adults for free on how to use computers. I love watching adults learn something new and integrate it into their daily lives.
7. Were you a stay at home parent? Did you take care of everyone else’s needs?  If so, you’re perfect for real estate.  This is exactly what we do everyday, create a process that’s seamless for every client.  We are the keep it together group.
8. When I volunteered, I learned how to work with people I didn’t know, I learned how to raise lots of money for a worthy cause, and get the skills needed to speak like I do today.
9. Have you worked in the financial industry, If so, learn how to read real estate data and explain it to your new buyers and sellers. This is huge for real estate agents.  Once you understand the data, the rest of what we do is easy.

Every job I’ve had prepared me to open a real estate company.  We all have different job histories.  Now take time to figure out how this translates into real estate for you.

Next steps:

Write a list of your job history and figure out how it translates to real estate today.  You’ve got this.  If you’re not tech savvy, start by taking classes at the library, the community college and watch my Carrie’s YouTube Channelvideos.  Join me in one of my Facebook Groups.  www.SmartGirlMediaLive.com or www.TheRealStreamingEstate.com