Life-changing job interview

In July of 1974, just about 40 years ago, I drove some 250 miles in my Renault 12, from my Alpine home town to Nevers, smack in the center of France, for a job interview at Look ski bindings.

The job was super cool, since it was that of “racing services director” and consisted of overseeing the world wide ski racing sponsorship and equipment program of that family-owned ski-industry company.

At that time the world's best ski racers like Gustav Thöni and Annemarie Moser-Pröll were on the product. The job was paying well, about $10,000 a year, including a company car and four-week vacation, which compared well for the $4,500 I was making in 5 months, “selling ski turns” without one day off.

The qualifications I brought to the job were my familiarity with the ski industry, my passion for the sport of skiing and my foreign language skills, as I boasted fluency in English, German, Italian and French. My business skills were rather thin except for the fact that I had some working experience with our ski school financial operations.

To look credible and make my mark, I wore my only green corduroy suit with an assorted tie and got a fresh haircut. Mrs. Beyl, the company owner's wife, conducted the interview and after going through my resume, asked me the break-or-make question, my birth-date. I gave it to her, she smiled and gave me the job on the spot.

This job would literally transform my whole life. Unbeknownst to me, I had made a strong impression on her and most importantly, I was born under the perfect astrological sign!