Work Experience

You graduated from Purdue University with a degree in industrial engineering, and then it was time to go look for a job. And I understand it was a very challenging experience. Can you share with us what happened when you tried to get a job out of college and how did you persevere?

Well, I had once again, great support from the university and there would be these long lines to sign up for interviews. And even though I'd had one good summer experience in my field, one good summer experience as a janitor, where I really learned the importance of work and how important every job is. I had that going on and I thought, boy, I should be able to get a good job. I got decent grades and lo and behold, I had 50 interviews and I got 50, we called them ding letters at Purdue.

Why do you think that was Jim?

I think, as I spoke with the folks on campus, it was a positive experience. And then my resume got put in with the other hundreds that were taken back to the plant or the operation. And my sense was, don't take a shot on the young blind engineer. So it was a tough senior year, but it all worked out well just by kind of sticking with it. A level of stick-to-it-iveness I would say.

Was there ever a time when you were just so discouraged or you thought, oh God, maybe I should just give up and think about doing something else after 50 no’s?

There are times where I was discouraged enough where I thought maybe I just won't tell them I'm blind. Maybe I can get through the whole interview process and never let on. I knew the area pretty well, where the interviews took place. Maybe I could pull this off, but I never actually got to that. But it did cross my mind. Having good friends and people that you can call on, I don't know that I thought about some of the adults in my life at that time as mentors, but they were. As a young person, I had mentors that allowed me the opportunity to share with them my challenges and I got their perspective. So that was always helpful.