David Haboush
City of Carmel
Carmel, IN USA
"I wanted to find purpose in my life and do something to make the world a better place."
Career Roadmap
David's work combines: Government, Medicine, and Working with Others
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Firefighters:
Bachelor's Degree: Political Science and Government, General
Certification: Executive Fire Officer program
Vocational: Fire Service Executive Development Program
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Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Was popular and active in High School. I got along with everyone and graduated. Started IUPUI and was going through the motions of college. Finally found something I was interested in and got focused.
2.
Worked many part-time jobs while attending college and living at home with my parents. Worked retail, in a factory. The factory was heated in the summertime and air conditioned in the winter time.
3.
Graduated college while still working in the factory. Worked third shift (midnights), got finished at work, went home and came back to work with my resume.
4.
Hired by the same company to work as a sales representative for the company. I looked around... no one was happy. There was no team within the organization. I knew this was not the place for for me!
5.
I wanted to have a higher purpose in my life. I wanted to do something meaningful and have an impact on people and make the world better off for me being a part of it. I applied for firefighting jobs.
6.
I was hired by the Carmel Fire Dept. in January 1992. I was one of the first members who had a college education. A college graduate was something very rare in the fire service. Little did I know....
7.
My college created many opportunities for my career advancement within the organization. Knowledge, skills, and circumstances I experienced in college allowed for my success in the Fire service.
8.
I have been blessed throughout my career. I have moved upward and also back due to appointed positions within the org. I have learned much more when things were not easy. The fire service is GREAT!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
Firefighting is dangerous. You don’t have to do this job. This is a blue collar job. Why are you here? You have a college degree.
How I responded:
I do not have to do this job. I choose to do it. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to perform this job. I have been a factory worker, customer and corporate sales representative. I was not fulfilled in any of these positions. I asked myself if this was where I wanted to be when I was 40? The answer was clearly NO! I wanted to find purpose in my life and do something to make the world a better place. I was hired as a firefighter and have NEVER been so happy professionally helping people.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was lost in college. I was simply going through the motions because friends were college students and seemed to be the next step. Then I finally meet a professor who took an interest in me... this is when I began to excel. Someone believed in me!