i didn't know sh*t about technology

low key...

i didn't know sh*t about technology. when i was in high school, i burned cds and sold them for $5 to friends, teachers, and even my basketball coach (hey coach thomas!). oh, and my mom made me reset the printer at home -- that was it.

in 2006, i became a high school teacher shortly after graduation. i can remember researching how much money i was going to make each year in my profession. if i taught for ten years, i would make shy of $46k/yr -- and for that amount, my passion for teaching did not outweigh my desire for something more. i also worked part-time at bloomingdale's and did club promotions at night to make some extra cash. by mid-year, administration announced our school was closing indefinitely so i began to inquire about jobs outside of florida.

ironically, a friend of mine told me about an opening in atlanta for a business development (i.e., lead generation) position they needed to fill quickly. it required me to qualify potential customers, then pass the lead to a field sales rep to close the deal. the biggest challenge was, it was a tech job and i didn't know sh*t about technology!

but, one thing i did know...

the base salary was $49k plus commission and at 22, that was a major deal (for me, at least). i didn't know about tech, but it damn sure wasn't going to stop me from acting like i knew. i was reading and studying for my interview asking myself, "what is version control?" because i seriously had no idea. when i went in for my interview, i was nervous and hesitant as the hiring manager drilled me on basic concepts for the role. i felt the interview was so-so and left me unclear on where i stood.

two interviews later, they offered me the position and i was stoked. my future manager called me and expressed his excitement, but made sure to tell me: "lesong, you're rough around the edges. you've got raw talent and you're coachable. you remind me of myself when i was your age." i really didn't care what he said, i was just ready for a fresh start.

shortly after, i accepted the position and moved to atlanta with less than $800 in the bank. i didn't know at the time that this move would be the start of my tech career or that i would eventually learn a lot of sh*t about technology. either way, i was ready for it all.

let's go!

-btg