partner Career Path | See the Career Paths People Really Take

board member

chief executive officer

business owner

associate

board director

partner

board of directors

investor

managing director

An Associate ensures that client needs are being met.  Their role is interacting with customers, using their skills to help with sales, and making sure clients and customers are satisfied.  Their responsibilities are to respond to problems as they arise, keep up-to-date records on products sold, participate in regular meetings to discuss company projects and objectives, help develop and improve company procedures, and conduct regular market research to determine the effectiveness of the company’s sales strategy.

The Board Director is part of a panel of people who are elected to represent shareholders.  Their role is creating dividend policies, hiring and firing senior executives, and directing the overall governance of the organization.  Their responsibilities are establishing compensation for executives, supporting executives and their teams, maintaining company resources, setting general company goals, making sure that the company is equipped with the tools it needs to be managed well, and assessing the overall direction and strategy of the business.

A Board Member forms part of a governing body for an organization.  Their role is to act for the long-term interests of the organization, and meet regularly with other board members to oversee and direct business operations, set policies, approve business decisions, evaluate executive performances, and fulfill fiduciary duties.  Their responsibilities are knowing the organization's mission, programs, policies and needs, preparing for meetings by reviewing the agenda and supporting documentation, regularly attending board meetings and participating actively, keeping up with issues and trends that affect the organization, approving audit reports, budgets and business decisions, contributing to the development of policies and strategic plans, understanding the organization's financial affairs, and ensuring fiduciary responsibilities are met.

The Business Owner operates their own companies. Their role is creating a business plan, arranging finances, hiring staff, reviewing sales, and developing marketing strategies.  Their responsibilities are overseeing daily activities, identifying business opportunities, establishing prices of goods and services, maintaining a clean and orderly store, resolving customer complaints, and compiling and maintaining records and bookkeeping.

Do you like working with your hands and pushing yourself? Check out what it's like to be a Painter and Independent Contractor. See what it takes to be your own boss, and if this role suits your lifestyle and skill set.

<h2 dir="ltr">What I do:</h2>
<p dir="ltr">I'm an independent contractor and I work in construction. I do both residential and commercial painting and that leads into both interior and exterior repaints and new construction. I don't have any employees, it's just me sometimes I sub out work.&nbsp;</p>
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<h2 dir="ltr">Career Skills:</h2>
<p dir="ltr">You have to be healthy, you know, there's a lot of times when you're up on a ladder, you push yourself to your limits a lot, you can work out that there's a lot of roof work sometimes. That having a willingness to learn new things is huge if you're not learning something new every day, you're doing it wrong.&nbsp;</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Job Challenges:&nbsp;</h2>
<p dir="ltr">You really do push yourself to the limits a lot but I really like that challenge personally. That's one aspect that I really enjoy about my job is that I'm working with my hands and I'm physically pushing myself every day.&nbsp;</p>
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<h2 dir="ltr">Work Life Balance:</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Sometimes my work to life balance is pretty sporadic. Most of the time there's not much life balance if you would. When you are working alone and you're on a kind of a larger project it comes time to get that done and you're going to work the weekends, you're going to work late, when you're outside, you're in the sun all day, you're going to come home tired and you're not going to want to do anything, at least for me that's that's the case.&nbsp;</p>
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<h2 dir="ltr">Tips for Starting Your Own Business:</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Be determined, have goals and plans and work towards them every single day. Find good construction companies to get in with and they're gonna help you throughout your entire career.</p>

The Chief Executive Officer makes the decisions for a company in how to manage operations and resources.  Their role is to maintain a deep knowledge of the markets and industry of the company, analyze problematic situations and occurrences, and provide solutions to ensure company survival and growth.  Their responsibilities are to build trust relations with key partners and stakeholders, act as a point of contact for important shareholders, review financial and non-financial reports to devise solutions or improvements, enforce adherence to legal guidelines and in-house policies, make high quality investing decisions to advance the business and increase profits, and lead and motivate subordinates to improve employee engagement.

The Investor generates investment returns by deploying capital in either equity or debt investments.  Their role is to commit capital with the expectation of receiving financial returns.  Their responsibilities are to utilize various financial instruments to accomplish their financial goals and objectives, and build portfolios with an active orientation that beat the benchmark index.

A Managing Director oversees a company's business operations, and helps drive strategic company growth.  Thier role is developing and executing business strategies to achieve short and long-term goals, reporting to the board, and developing and implementing business plans to improve cost efficiency.  Their responsibilities are providing market insights and strategic advice, assessing, managing and resolving problematic developments and situations, overseeing the company's business operations, financial performance, investments and ventures, and building and enhancing the company's public profile at events and engagements.

The Owner/Partner runs the day-to-day operations of a company.  Their role is to supervise a specific business model or franchising company in many different industries like restaurant chains, health care, logistics, maintenance, repair and operations.  Their responsibilities are to establish staff schedules, ensure business objectives are being achieved, motivate staff, and assist in the hiring and training process.

Partner Career Path