>> My name is Benjamin Lockhart.
For a living what I do is I'm the Regional Business Manager
for Enterprise Holdings for the Los Angeles metro area.
Enterprise Holdings, just looking at the rental car side of the business,
is $20 billion of revenue a year.
In terms of the Los Angeles, maybe Southern California market,
it's a billion dollars of revenue.
So 5 percent of the company rests here in Southern California.
I love that every day is different, and it's a constant intellectual challenge.
What might have been the problem yesterday that we had to solve isn't necessarily going
to be repeated day after day after day.
It's the willingness and collaboration of our employees that really drives that.
And it's fun when you have people that want to work together for a common goal to succeed.
I think no matter what company you're going to work for, I think it's a great idea
to get started in whatever the core business is.
Because one of my biggest strengths has been because I worked in a branch day-by-day
and understand the challenges and what's needed for success there, it gives me an opportunity
to speak and relate and provide practical solutions.
So I think no matter what you're thinking of doing in terms of your career progression,
if it's in accounting, finance, et cetera, it's getting involved in whatever the core competency
of the business is, understanding that.
And then you can become a true business partner,
if maybe the sales side isn't your true skill set.
Because you understand it, you can relate, empathize.
And then ultimately provide realistic solutions.
So I didn't necessarily fit in in the sales culture at first
because it wasn't my natural strength.
But what was great about the company was, if,
you're entry way is usually through the sales position.
But there's so many different offshoots within the company, and they only hire within
and promote within for additional spots.
Except for maybe a very high level executive position or entry level.
So what was really nice was my managers, mid and higher level, identified my strengths and kind
of pushed me in a direction that suited those strengths.
And that's how I was able to get into the finance, accounting side of our business.
I don't want to sound cliche here, but, if you're not passionate about something,
it will come out one way or another.
It might not come out in the interview.
But you're probably not going to love what you're doing.
We got make mistakes.
It doesn't always, the first job I had I didn't necessarily love.
It was waiting tables.
But you learn that you weren't passionate about.
That so you're probably coming up with a formula for what you do and don't like.
So I think definitely finding something that drives you as a person intellectually or,
you know, just a desire to continue to learn and grow is important.
But really at the end of the day, when you're in that interview, you just got to be yourself.
If you're, I talk about this in interview prep all the time with my employees.
I'll give them an example of what I would say, and then I always give it
with the caveat, make it your own.
So there's not really cookie-cutter answers that are coming across as genuine.
If it's true to who you are, true to who you want to be and true to what you want
to do, I think that will come across.
And it will be really appreciated.