Vicki Steereby Vicki Steere, Executive Director

Exciting Job… to some that is an oxymoron and then to others its reality.   I am on a personal mission to ensure everyone thinks their job is exciting!  And I believe with every piece of my being that it can be so.  Yes, there are some job titles that may sound more exciting than others to the outsider… an astronaut, a movie actor, a skydiving instructor, a sports agent, or concert promoter.  They may be cool and yet these are not for everyone.  What makes a job exciting is not the limelight, it’s the personal passion.  The belief that the job that I have chosen is right for me and that’s just plain cool.

My personal journey to find my passion was not what some may call “cool”.  Instead, it was a series of just saying yes.  Saying yes to opportunities as they came up.  While I’m a huge proponent of “strategically” planning your own career, I admit… mine just wasn’t that at all. 

My first ‘real’ job (beyond babysitting and dog sitting for the neighbors) was at Sears.  I got the job because I drove my girlfriend to her orientation for her Christmas job.  The Personnel Manager asked me if I’d like to apply also… that they were still hiring.  I said sure and low and behold… I ended up working there part-time for the next 4 years through high school and college.  (My girlfriend quit in 2 weeks.)  I loved the job.  Starting in the Children’s Department I learned valuable lessons on responsibility, respect for a different type of authority, the basics of retailing (which really is a great start for marketing), and grew within the company moving to several departments and eventually became the store’s Security Supervisor… yes, I chased shoplifters.  At that time of my life, it was exciting.  And its because I said yes.

A series of other supplemental part-time jobs throughout my college career were very similar.  I worked in the admissions office of my college, as a waitress, and as a bartender… all exciting for their own reasons.  Each held their own lessons.  Admissions I wrote and helped develop a new brochure for the college, as a waitress I learned valuable lessons in customer service and the true value of a smile (and I now overtip), and as a bartender … well… it was just plain a blast… an art all in itself.  Each one of those jobs was because I said yes.  I was always open to a new way to earn a bit of extra spending money and I just let people know.  I never really looked for any of those jobs.  (Networking 101.)

After college my career changed a bit.  I stayed in retail in management and treasure the experience.  I then went into business with my sister running a temporary employment serivce.  Wow!  The lessons learned there were invaluable.  Entrepreneurism… well that’s all for another post.  Suffice it to say… I SAID YES!  I’m the person I am today for YES.