What are good Jobs/Careers that help prepare for ETA?

June 28, 2025

by a searcher from The University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business in Mesa, AZ, USA

Are there jobs, employers, careers, or any other well paying opportunities that can give one some good experience or an introduction into ETA? I am not talking about a Search Fund. I am considering getting a W2 job while I wait for a better time in my life to pursue a small business acquisition. It's still not my first option but my life's circumstances have made it difficult to get my search off the ground. My background has been in engineering and operations with some tech experience.

Reply by a searcher
from Stanford University in Sausalito, CA 94965, USA

Sales. Sales. Sales. You are selling to the employees who are like wtf who are you, you are selling to existing customers, you are selling to new customers, etc. Be ready to sell

Reply by a professional
from University of Southern California in Newport Beach, California, United States

My two cents - don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to do it all as an operator. Figure out what your strengths are (eng, sales, ops, product, finance, etc) and build your network to supplement your weaker areas. The only exception is leadership. You can't delegate being a leader, so having people management *and* leadership experience prior to to becoming an operator will set you up to better stabilize the team. Good luck!

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