Ted Thoren > Registered Representative

"Our services are needed like never before."

Coming out of the University of Oregon School of Business, my resume was pretty weak. Through high school and college, and all of the summers in between, I played in tennis tournaments, hoping to move up the ranks. Because of that, I had virtually no work experience, and certainly no sales or customer service experience. On top of that, I was shy and quiet and not the most engaging interviewee. I was fortunate to find First Investors Corporation through the University of Oregon Career Center.

As I went through the interview process, I was thoroughly impressed by the career opportunities offered by the Company, as well as the high level of service that representatives delivered to their clients. The managers, with their vision of future growth and expansion, also impressed me. They took a chance when they offered me a job at in 1993. It's something that I will always be grateful for.

I learned the business with the help of my mentor and manager. She taught me to always put the needs of the client first, which would generate goodwill in the form of referrals. I was also lucky to be surrounded by bright, ambitious and positive role models in the office. They were always willing to help me and share their ideas. I listened to their suggestions and tried to implement the ones that I felt would help me in my business.

As my business grew, I followed the lead of others in the office and hired an assistant. My sales assistant allowed me to provide a high level of service to my clients and enabled me to run my business much more effectively. It also permitted me to manage my time more efficiently and spend time with my passion: mentoring. Teaching the business to someone else, seeing them succeed, and watching them grow as representatives gave me a real sense of pride and accomplishment. I continued mentoring, and as the office grew, I transitioned into management, first as an Assistant Manager, and more recently as Co-Division Manager.

I look forward to the future working with my team and cultivating the relationships we have as an office. The ideas shared by top representatives and managers have been instrumental in many people's professional lives, including my own. I also look forward to spending time with my wife and two children, knowing that the career choice I made is in an industry where our services are needed like never before.

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