When Matt Navarro started college, he had his mind set on teaching history and coaching sports.
Roughly 28 years later, he's leading drinkware giant Stanley 1913, part of PMI WW Brands, LLC.
Navarro told Business Insider that he realized teaching wasn't the right fit, though he kept his passion for coaching and still coaches his son's high school football team.
After college, Navarro launched his career in sports management before climbing the ranks to his current position, where he's served as global brand president for the past two years.
Today, Navarro oversees around 1,500 employees at the brand, which is best known for its 40-ounce Quencher tumblers.
As someone who ended up in a completely different role than expected, Navarro has some advice for college students and recent grads:
Don't specialize
Navarro described himself as a "very average student" who didn't know exactly what he wanted to do. However, he still committed to a career path early on despite not fully exploring it.
"There's a lot of pressure on kids today to perform, be best in the class, get great grades," Navarro said.
Navarro said many students aren't ready at 18, 19, or 20, to decide on a career that they'll pursue for the rest of their lives — and that expectation "isn't really fair."
His advice is to stay open-minded and take "a bunch of different general ed classes." That way, you can see what they like, what you're good at, and what you want to avoid.
"That perspective leads you to a better outcome," Navarro said.
Navarro said two of his kids are in the process of choosing a college and "have no idea what they want to do." He said that's OK — and rather than pressure them to make a decision, he's advising them to pick a place where they'll be happy living for the next four years.
Network
Networking is a must, according to Navarro.
While cold reach-outs on LinkedIn are one way to try building a network, Navarro said internships are a more effective strategy to make connections. They also give students what he considers a "job test," that can turn into a full-time opportunity.
"Many more times today, that's turning into a real full-time job," Navarro said.
He added that it's also important to choose a university with a strong alumni network and good job placement track record.
Work on communication
Navarro said today's students spend a lot of time on devices and less time interacting face-to-face with other people. He said strong communication skills remain essential in the workplace — and something students should actively work on.
He said that he worries many job seekers are in the habit of applying to jobs online by submitting a résumé or sending an email, but aren't necessarily prepared for the next stage, which requires talking to a person.
"Be able to hold a real conversation, talk about yourself, and ask the right questions, and be curious," Navarro said.
He said his advice to both college and high school students is to learn how to talk to adults and look people in the eye. It's "simple stuff," he said, but getting good at it sometimes requires forcing yourself to be in situations where you have to speak publicly, even if it's just in front of 10 people.
"Those are the things, the intangibles, that hopefully in this really tricky market, can separate you," Navarro said.
