In the classic movie, The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) plays a recent college graduate who is struggling to find his calling for his career. This week, you will likely have family or friends who will become graduates themselves and I suspect many of them will face the same challenge as Benjamin.

During the spring, my mind drifts back in time to my own graduation (high school and college) and the anxiety I had about “what to do with my life”. To be honest, nowhere did the thought of becoming a bank CEO enter my mind during these times, although I did love math and computers. Through a variety of serendipitous occurrences, I ended up in banking, and viola … became a bank CEO.

There will be opportunities for you in the coming weeks to encourage young people. To share your story of life, achievements, and challenging lessons. As you share, I hope you incorporate one aspect of what truly makes a fulfilling career – doing what makes you happy or as Joseph Campbell said: “follow your bliss!” I have yet to meet a person who is following their passion that is not or has not been successful. Perhaps there is a symbiotic relationship between the two. Which is sustaining the other?

Here are my best wishes to the younger folks as they end one phase of life and move into the next phase of their life. By the way, did I tell you we are hiring future CEOs today?

View our current available career opportunities »

Stay Safe.
– Leton

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“Letters From Leton” is a blog series comprised of the weekly updates that Leton Harding – President, Chairman, and CEO of Powell Valley National Bank, shares with the Bank’s team members. These newsletters are full of uplifting anecdotes and intriguing insights that are applicable beyond the Bank, so we want to share them with you.