Bill Hansen
Strada Education Network
San Diego, CA USA
"In some ways, the disruptions in your life actually help you. Sometimes you have to be forced with a disruptive action to really do some soul searching into who you are and what you want to do."
Career Roadmap
Bill's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Economics, General
George Mason University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a President & CEO:
Bachelor's Degree: Economics, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I grew up moving between Idaho, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., because my dad worked in the government—I loved it because I got to experience both rural and inner-city living.
2.
In college, I started out in accounting, but I didn’t enjoy the more advanced accounting classes, so I switched my major—first to political science and then finally to economics.
3.
I got married and had a child early on, so it took me a while to graduate college—I had to start working right away while taking a lot of night classes in order to finish my degree.
4.
My first job was working for the U.S. Secretary of Education, who was a great early mentor to me.
5.
I worked at the Department of Education from my early 20s to my early 30s, working my way up into positions including the assistant secretary for management and budget, and CFO of the department.
6.
After the 1992 presidential election, the department switched parties and I had to find a new job—I did consulting work for a school district, but really wanted something stable and full-time.
7.
Eventually, I found a job as president of a trade association involved with student loans, which gave me experience in higher education.
8.
From there, I held various positions in education, and now work as the president and CEO of Strada Education Network, which helps to connect students with educational and career paths.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
It's not okay to pivot.
How I responded:
Many people believe that you can't change course once you've decided on something. I disagree with that. I pivoted a lot throughout my career. I even pivoted my degree three times. Don't be afraid to try things and fail. Your ability to learn from those failures is what's important. I've often learned more through my failures than my successes.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I started out as an accounting major but quickly realized it wasn't for me. I switched my major a couple of times and ended up graduating with a degree in economics.
I got married and started a family young, so I had to grow up quickly. I had to start working right away while taking a lot of night classes. I didn't end up graduating from college until I was 28 years old.
I had been working at the Department of Education for about a decade but was out of the job after the 1992 presidential election. It was a difficult time but sometimes you have to face disruption in order to do some real soul searching.