Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison has a simple piece of career advice: Chase the job nobody wants.
“When you don’t have an impressive pedigree, when you don’t have a resume that will stand out, the way that you get people to notice you is, you take jobs that nobody else wants, and you work really hard to be successful,” he said in an interview for an episode of CNBC’s “Leaders Playbook,” set to air on Wednesday.
Taking that job and “turning it around” could result in a better opportunity for you, he said.
Ellison, who has helmed the home improvement retailer since July 2018, learned that career lesson through experience, he said. The Tennessee native took on unglamorous roles early in his career, including forklift driver, truck driver, unloader and janitor as a college student. He juggled two jobs at a time while “trying to pay rent, buy books and cover my tuition,” he said.
As each job led to a new opportunity, he vowed to keep his high levels of effort and dedication consistent, he said. That attitude — even when you’re in an undesirable job — can separate you from the people around you, said Ellison, who later held titles like director at Target, executive vice president of Home Depot stores and chairman and CEO of JCPenney.
