Doug Diakite
- Managing Member
- Nationwide Community Revitalization LLC
School Information
School: University of California, Santa Barbara
College Major: Other
Years at College Works: 2004 to 2007
Career Information
Working For: Nationwide Community Revitalization LLC
Title: Managing Member
Industry: Real estate
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
Providing an affordable path to homeownership. Over 300 families served.
What Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
College Works Painting was the first and most important step of my career so far.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
I worked with my dad’s small construction company and applied many of the skills I developed from College Works Painting.
What do you want to tell your clients about what it meant to work with them and how it has helped you get to where you are today?
My favorite job was the last job of my first summer. I was $5k away from my goal and I booked them 2 weeks before the end of the summer.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
The relationships developed are as important as the skills you develop.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
Befriend the top performers and pick their brain at every opportunity. Invest as much time as possible in recruiting and hiring your painters in the first 2-4 weeks of the summer.
Many college students struggle to choose between an internship specific to their target industry or doing CW. What advice would you give them on this subject if they wanted to enter your career field?
Stick it out, don’t give up no matter how stressful or difficult it gets.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
My advice would be to do the internship that offers you the greatest challenge and the most growth.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
Seeing my top intern grow from a shy freshman into a successful, confident entrepreneur.
Last words of wisdom?
Work hard and enjoy the fruits of your labor.