The Unknown Industry

Nine months ago, I entered into a world many don’t even know exists. Just the idea of working in the commercial furniture industry would never have crossed my mind as an opportunistic or entrepreneurial career path I would pursue. But here I am. Frustrated in the pharmaceutical world because of the lack of entrepreneurialism and solution-oriented selling, I was determined to find a job I could be happy in. I started my search on LinkedIn and was surprised to find the commercial furniture world offered more than I ever expected.

While in pharma, I felt more like a street promoter with a sandwich sign around my neck then an account executive trying to figure out a creative way to close more business. In furniture, the opportunities and the ability to take advantage of them are endless. I am in a slightly unique situation in that I am a manufacturer of a proprietary product. This allows me the ability to sell to anyone, anywhere, basically in any way possible.

This also allows me the ability to bring my own ideas and entrepreneurial spirit into the workplace. A path of endless opportunities and doors that I can open, using whatever creativity, hard work, or relationships I have to drive business. In addition, I get to do things I have found I enjoy. For example, I get to communicate with a wide variety of people from designers and architects to facility managers and presidents of real estate, as well as manufactures of raw materials. Often the ways of thinking and objectives of each of these types of people are different- which creates an exciting and dynamic work environment.

It occurred to me the other day that most 2015 college graduates would rather not think of commercial office furniture as their first job landing. I would have to advise differently. Commercial furniture is an industry which allows you to interact with a wide variety of people, not sit behind a desk all day, and be a solution creator.  There are a lot of moving parts to create the perfect office space and by no means do I understand them all. One thing I do understand is that there is an overwhelmingly large need for more innovation and solution-based production.