Name: Tom Talbott
Job Title/Employer: Financial Representative, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network; also owner of Arizona Skyhawks, a performance skydiving team.
Year of Graduation: 1992
Degree/Major: B.S./Justice Studies
What is your favorite part of your current job?
At Northwestern, I love helping people find solutions to their ideas for their future. I know if I have done my job right, these folks will have nothing to worry about if something goes bad for them.
On the skydiving side of life, I love sharing my sport with others. The best part of doing performance jumps is changing people’s perception of skydiving. It is not as dangerous as people think it is. When they see me and my team land 10 feet in front of them at an event, it changes their minds and they want to jump as well.
What career path did you follow from your ASU degree to your present job?
I got out in 1992 and went into active duty with the U.S. Army. I served six years and learned a great deal about working with a great deal of independence from others.
After I got out of the military, I went to work for Coca-Cola. By the end of a year, I was running the production plant and doing the job of three managers. I then bought a Drop Zone skydiving franchise that had been in business for 30 years (the owner was retiring).
After growing the business four-fold and starting the performance parachute team, 9/11 hit and hurt the entire industry. We closed the franchise here and opened one in the Bahamas and it did well. I went to work for Chrysler as a corporate trainer while my friend ran the island franchise.
After three years in the Bahamas, hurricanes wiped out my Drop Zone franchise. I ended up in the insurance business and have loved it ever since.
Describe one skill learned at ASU that you use daily in your job.
Multitasking. During one semester at ASU, I was taking 21 credits, in the National Guard and ROTC, worked full time, taught skydiving on the weekends, and had three girlfriends. I had to be able to juggle schedules and responsibilities.
Were any ASU-affiliated persons helpful to you in advancing your career?
I have two fellow Sun Devils on my team and the ASU grads here at Northwestern all stick together. Advice is shared constantly among us.
What advice would you give to current students or job-seekers about finding work in your field?
Professional organizing is a growing industry. At this point in time, you almost have to start your own business because there are not a lot of firms that hire employees. However, that is changing. Clutter Rehab is one of those firms.
Also, many people start an organizing business and never make a go of it, closing after one or two years. Their primary mistake is they don't run it like a business. You need to market and sell your services constantly.
Other critical skills needed in this field include influencing and negotiation skills, attention to details, the ability to teach, and a lot of patience. |
