Are you searching for that dream job?
Our next guest is the founder and
CEO of Ziptop, which was featured on
Oprah's favorite Things this year.
Rebecca Rebecca Funnel is a serial
entrepreneur and has some tips for
you how to land that coveted job.
You know so many of us think of ideas,
want to go into business for ourselves?
Don't know how to do it and you
have done it. How did this path
become your life at this point?
You know, it's my fourth company.
I started way back when I was in college.
My first company and I was studying
design and I created this product
for the baby industry that went to
international design competition and
that's that's where it all started
that I turned that into a company and
then I just kind of been addicted.
Building brands and products.
And so it's been a long time
of creating new things,
especially coming out of the pandemic.
People are starting to reassess
what their dream job is.
They want to work in something
that is making them happy,
whether it's there.
Own company or finding the job?
What tips do you have for those that are
trying to land that dream job of theirs?
Where should we start?
That's a great question, you know,
and I have a lot of college students
that I talked to every year and
they they're trying to decide where
they want to be when they grow up.
And I tell them to go make a list
of everything that could possibly
be interested in and go down each
path as far as you can and try to
follow somebody or work for somebody
for a summer or anything you can do
to really dive in and look at those
different paths before committing.
Because then you can really know
what you're getting into,
and if you really want that job,
how much of a deep dive should you do
with the companies that you're looking at.
So I think it should be very deep.
You think they're the company
you want to work for?
I would talk to people that work there.
Do your research on the company,
look at reviews in the interview process.
Always ask lots of questions and
have them ready so that you can
get everything you can out of
that time that you have with them.
Yeah, without fail and interview
so you have any questions for us.
You know that that question is coming.
Funny how many people say now
maybe we're very thorough.
I don't know, but it it speaks a
lot to the employer which I have
been for the last 20 years when
somebody comes in and they know your
business and they say I love this.
Or how do you do that or
what's your future goals?
I think those are very smart
questions and it should be important
to the person applying for the job
with the future of the business is
when you figure it out.
Kind of what area you want to go to for me,
obviously it's journalism.
You've got creative design.
If you have started to figure
out where you want to go.
What can you do to get in that industry,
especially if you're starting out
or making a you know career change.
It really depends on your personality.
I think some people just dive in
and learn like I did the hard way.
You learn everything by doing other people
like to piggyback and learn it with somebody.
Somebody who's doing it well go
work for them, learn it first
hand and then do it yourself.
So it depends on your comfort level and I
guess your entrepreneurial spirit are you.
Are you the one?
That's just going to go out
there and figure it out?
Or do you want to?
Feel a little more secure going into it,
so I think both paths are great.
Just depends on who they who.
You are
right, you want to do.
It's going to be most comfortable
and beneficial for yourself.
Alright, as a business owner,
as somebody that's hiring people.
How important is social media nowadays?
How important is LinkedIn?
I love LinkedIn.
I don't collect cards and try
to remember where people are.
That's why I talked to somebody
two years ago and you know,
and I can find people that I
have met in the past or if I'm
looking for a certain buyer at a
store that has changed and I want
to know who the new buyer is.
I can research that.
I mean, it's incredible research
for any business.
And then yeah, just the connections.
I literally have thousands now and and
I guess I'm in there almost every day.
So it's very important.
Absolutely.
Rebecca says great tips.
What would you say to somebody you know?
Some parting words of?
They're going there?
Maybe one thing doesn't work out
for them and just some inspiring
words to keep them going.
I would say just keep trying.
You know it's something
another piece of advice.
I give out a lot is if you can't get
in right to the job you want to do.
Maybe you know the business or the field.
Do something. Don't don't go work.
Don't go be a server somewhere.
Go focus on and and do whatever you
have to do to get in the door and then
once you get in and prove yourself
and and learn a lot you know you
can easily become that role later.
We have a lot of people.
I leave the door wide open for my employees.
They come in and they may
have interest in marketing,
but they're an operations person.
But if they start taking stuff,
and I've had and I'm using this example,
it's really happened.
She kept taking stuff from me.
Let me try that,
let me let me do that for you.
Let me do that for you,
until eventually I'm like I
need you in marketing now.
So we had to go hire someone
else to be in operations.
So I think any good employer is going
to recognize your efforts and and
want you to do what you want to do,
'cause that will make you happy
and make them you know they'll
have good work done.
So I think it's a win win and never give up.
Just keep trying.
I think that's the number one.
Great advice from a woman who's done it all.
For more information on Rebecca's
company visit zip top.com.