People often say that a spark can illuminate the fire.
In careers, this spark is often a person. It can be a person who opened a door, offers a door, promoting, or silently shows that success can look like. The less obvious is how deep that the first contact can correct everything that comes later.
Think 23 times the Grand Slam Tennis Champion Serena Williams. Williams is often talked about the important role played by the first coach’s father Richard Williams. The confidence of his abilities and the readiness to expose to the competitive tenna from the early age and ensured that he gained experience before the majority of his peers. This is not alone: The first coach in sports can recognize the potential before anyone.
Or think Misty Copeland, the first black woman’s main dancer of the American Ballet Theater. When Copeland was 13 years old, the boy and girls club teacher, Cynthia Bradley, received the potential and received official ballet education; For four years, Copeland won a place in ABT studio company. In 2015, he became the first black female director of ABT, which was a stage based on the first mentor. The first lawyers opened the doors to the elite, scholarship and professional networks, which cut a long, inhibition.
The anecdotes such as these are strong, but they also raise the questions. Early links lead to long-term success or are they easier to do people placed just to succeed? After all, a young athlete with supportive and rich parents can get better training and competition, regardless of who the first coach. If you don’t look at a place where a chance plays a role, it’s difficult for these chickens and eggs. This is where my study enters.
Real estate as a natural laboratory
I am a professor of real estate and saw that residential real estate brokers can imitate the random experimental conditions in the industry. In any case, only a small number of people in the housing markets are active, agents cannot choose which they work. This means a new agent’s first colleagues broker, that is, the agent on the other side of the deal – the same time and on the other side of the deal – whoever represents the customers at the same time and place. In many cases, this first contact is actually a matter of chance.
Thus, from my colleagues and from 2023 to 2023 since 2023 to 2023 since 2023, I analyzed more than 2023 unique real estate agents and 417,000 houses sales, North Carolina, for more than 20 years of home sales data. Because many agents are struggling to close the second deal within a year, this significantly increases the chances of building a continuous career.
First hand tightening and sustainable spark
This is not only the transmission of skills, but also the formation of confidence and personality, not only the thing that makes the first encounters so strong. A young musician, who was invited to join an orchestra by a respected conductor, begins to see himself as part of the world. A student encouraged by a scientist to enter the national competition of a scientist begins to imagine a place for research. An athlete who trains with an Olympic medal starts to compete at the highest level. In any case, the first contact changes the meaning of those possible.
Our research also found the most beneficiary from a partner who started with new real estate agents (those with low early sales), which are the most popular partner. In the same dynamic athletes, athletes often appear in coaches and training in education and rapidly in education, and re-opening the doors for students, programs, competitions and networks. These mentors do more than teaching. Trajectories change.
Lesson for beginners to their careers: Look for respect and generous people with their experiences. Imagine how they work, think and solve problems can form your own professional identity.
Equally important to those who are more built: the new one offers a new one, to present, login or just promote, a sequence of a life-forming event can move.
Soon Hyeok Choi is a real estate finance associate professor at the Rochester Technology Institute.
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