skip to main content
Brent Harkins
Brent Harkins
00:50

Brent Harkins

Taco Bell

Irvine, CA USA

"I worked really hard, and I truly believe that anyone else who’s willing to work hard will be able to do whatever they want."

Career Roadmap

Brent's work combines: Business, Food, and Learning / Being Challenged

See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.

Take Roadmap Quiz

Day In The Life

Operations Analyst

My team helps execute products efficiently and successfully across 7,000 restaurants nationwide.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Business/Corporate Communications, General

    Grossmont College

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Business Administration and Management, General

    California State University-San Marcos

Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Operations Research Analysts:

Bachelor's Degree: Business/Corporate Communications, General

Bachelor's Degree: Business Administration and Management, General

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life took a while to figure out

  • 1.

    Throughout high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do; I just wanted “a job.”

  • 2.

    I took a job at Taco Bell when I was 16 and loved it.

  • 3.

    As I started to climb the ladder at Taco Bell, I realized I really wanted to get my college degree.

  • 4.

    I initially went to community college to save money, then transferred to CSU San Marcos.

  • 5.

    I went through a period where I got burned out on my work at Taco Bell, and I stepped away.

  • 6.

    However, once I stepped away, I realized how much I’d loved my work at Taco Bell.

  • 7.

    I came back to Taco Bell with more passion than ever and haven’t looked back since.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Myself:

    I don’t love this job anymore.

  • How I responded:

    At one point, I got burned out on Taco Bell—not the brand, necessarily, but the restaurant and specific situation that I was in at the time. However, once I stepped away from the company and tried something else for a year, I realized that I was missing something. I knew I’d made a rash decision, and decided to return to the company. Luckily, they accepted me back, and after taking that time off, I know for sure that I’m on the right path and I’m more passionate about my work than ever.