Welcome to Edition #98 of Gorick's newsletter, where Harvard career advisor and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Gorick Ng shares what they don't teach you in school about how to succeed in your career.
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→ Read time: 4 min
STORY
How to get out of a dead-end job like the CEO of Lowe’s
If you’re in the U.S. and you’ve ever renovated (or tried to fix up) a part of your home, then you’ve probably come across a Lowe’s Home Improvement store.
But did you know that the CEO of Lowe’s started his career as a part-time security guard at Target, earning $4.35 USD an hour ($12.04 today)?
We all start somewhere—at least, unless you were born with a silver spoon.
But still, a security guard isn’t exactly a common first rung on the ladder to the top.
Consider this analysis conducted by LinkedIn on 12,000+ CEOs of companies with 50+ employees across 20 countries. The most common first job of future CEOs is consulting and the common first job function of future CEOs is business development.
Does this mean that you’re doomed if you didn’t start in one of these areas?
No—not if you stand out and show your potential as Ellison did.
Ellison…
- Introduced himself to the rising stars—and so became the protege of King Rogers, who became VP of Asset Protection at Target (and brought Ellison along with him).
- Said “yes” to work that wasn’t in his job description and that “nobody else wanted”—and so demonstrated to management that he was capable of so much more.
- Picked (easier) lateral moves over straight promotions—and so “learn[ed] more” about how different functions fit together within a complex enterprise (while securing advocates along the way).
- Made it a habit to share “what he had observed as an hourly worker” in meetings—and so built a personal brand as someone who had a deep understanding of how the business worked, even from the front lines.
- Wore “professional clothes with a pop of color”—and so was both compatible and memorable among a sea of otherwise forgettable professionals.
Fast forward and Ellison not only rose to the top—but to the top of multiple Fortune 500 companies. How?
- He started at Target and climbed the ranks until he was Director of Asset Protection for not just one, but all Target stores.
- Then, Home Depot poached him and he became VP of Loss Prevention.
- At Home Depot, Ellison got in front of then-CEO Bob Nardelli. Nardelli was so impressed by Ellison that Ellison got his MBA paid for by the company before being welcomed back as VP of Logistics.
- Ellison spent 1 year as SVP of Logistics, 2 years as President of the Northern Division, and then EVP of all U.S. Home Depot Stores.
- After getting passed over for the CEO job at Home Depot, a “struggling” JCPenney called. Ellison took the job as CEO at JCPenney and steered the company for 4 years.
- Ellison was poached again, this time by Lowe’s Home Improvement, where he became CEO in 2018.
Today, Ellison continues to lead Lowe’s as chairman, president, and CEO. He’s been named by Barron’s as a Top CEO and by Fortune as one of The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.
What does this mean for you? The next time you find yourself feeling like you’re in a dead-end role, remember Ellison—who used the opportunity to be seen, heard, remembered, and ultimately promoted.
UNSPOKEN RULE
Show people what you’re capable of.
What Ellison’s story shows is that it’s not about the role you have—but about what you make of an experience.
The hardest part is simply getting your foot in the door, whether that means securing the coffee chat, landing the interview, or getting the job offer—even if it isn’t necessarily for the job you really want.
Once you’re “in,” though, it’s time to show off what you know and what you can offer.
Here are 2 underrated situations:
1. Interviewing for a job where you don’t have prior experience?
Try saying this to show that you bring something different from any other candidate:
- “While [prior/current role] and [future role] have their differences in [customer / client / audience], they are both, at their core, about doing ______ well. So, I’d like to think my experience with [prior/current area] translates to [future area] because they are both about [objective / process] which is my [skill / strength].”
2. Trying to get onto a project that’s outside of your band or skill level?
Try saying this to show the extent of your competence and commitment:
- “I noticed that there was a recent [memo / email / announcement] about ______. While I haven’t worked directly on/with ______, it’s an area that [I’m interested in / reminds me of previous work]. What would it take to be a part of this? Are there any meetings where I could join even as a fly on the wall?”
I can’t guarantee that your next conversation will transform your life, but I can guarantee that one will—eventually—especially if you make being seen and heard a daily habit. It’s all about being coachable… and poachable!
See you on Thursday for my “Ask Gorick Anything” series!
—Gorick
What’s an “unspoken rule”? They’re the things that separate those who get ahead from those who stumble—and don’t know why. You can learn more about these rules in the workplace in my Wall Street Journal bestselling book called—you guessed it—The Unspoken Rules.
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Sources:
- earning $4.35 USD an hour
- Consider this analysis conducted by LinkedIn
- “nobody else wanted”
- “learn[ed] more”
- “what he had observed as an hourly worker”
- “professional clothes with a pop of color”
- “I didn’t have great pedigree”
- “struggling”
- Barron’s as a Top CEO
- Fortune as one of The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders
