How I Hired Myself at a Call Centre — and Became a Corporate Trainer

People know me today as someone who teaches bushcraft, archery, survival, and the old ways of living close to the land. But before the forests reclaimed me, before the pine wind became my guide, I lived a completely different life — one filled with ringing phones, cubicles, and the never-ending hum of fluorescent lights.

And in that world, I pulled off one of the funniest, boldest, and most ridiculous things I’ve ever done:

I hired myself at a call centre… and one year later, I was promoted to Corporate Trainer.

Yes. Seriously.
Here’s the whole story.

Looking for Work in the Concrete Jungle

Years ago, when I was struggling financially and looking to grab any job I could, a friend casually mentioned that a local call centre was hiring and running a brand-new training class starting Monday at 8 a.m.

Perfect.
I cleaned up my résumé. I sent it in.
I watched the phone like a hawk.

Nothing.

Monday crept closer and still no call. But then that same friend asked me:

“So you’re starting Monday, right? Training begins at eight sharp.”

Something clicked inside me — that old survival instinct that tells you when to move, when to risk, when to leap.

I didn’t have the job.
But I had the time, the place… and the desire.

So I made a decision no normal person would make:

I showed up anyway.

Walking Straight into the Unknown

Monday morning I dressed in my best “office worker” outfit — which was probably all wrong — and marched into the training room like I belonged there.

Rows of chairs.
Clipboards.
Corporate posters promising “excellence.”
A pot of burnt coffee that smelled like surrender.

One of the trainers looked at the list of hires, then back at me, frowning.

“You’re not on my list.”

This was the moment the universe usually kicks you out the door. But I didn’t flinch. I kept my voice steady and said:

“Really? Someone called me… I can’t remember who. I was just excited to start.”

Not a great lie. Not even a good lie. More like a panicked improvisation from a man who really needed a paycheck. But she paused, nodded, and said:

“Okay… just wait with the group until lunch. We’ll figure it out.”

So I sat, surrounded by actual new hires, waiting for the hammer to fall.

The Most Unexpected Lunch Break of My Life

Lunch came.
I stayed in the room.
Still expecting security to haul me out like a raccoon from a restaurant dumpster.

Instead, another trainer walked up with a smile:

“Sorry about the paperwork mix-up! Here—these are yours.”

Employee forms.
Training manuals.
Login details.
A headset assignment.

Not only was I not kicked out…
they apologized to me.

It was official:
I had just hired myself.

From Imposter to Employee

By the end of the week, I was taking real calls.
By the end of the month, I was outperforming half the floor.
And by the end of the year — yes, the same year I wasn’t even hired properly — I was promoted to:

Corporate Trainer.

You read that right.

The guy who walked in uninvited was now training the next generation of call centre agents in communication, customer service, sales strategy, and stress management.

Every time I stood at the front of a classroom full of new hires, handing out training packets, I had to resist the urge to laugh out loud.

Some of those trainees would ask:

“So how did you get hired here?”

And I’d just smile and say,
“Long story.”

Why This Worked (Even Though It Shouldn’t Have)

With years of distance — and a lot more wisdom from living in the real wilderness — I can see why this absurd plan succeeded.

1. Confidence Is a Signal

When you walk into a situation calmly and confidently, people assume you belong there. Systems rely on cues, and boldness is one of the strongest.

2. Bureaucracy Is a Maze

Large corporations run on autopilot. No one wants to dig through recruitment logs to solve a mystery when the easier option is just to hand you the paperwork and keep the machine running.

3. People Avoid Confrontation

Arguing with a confident person who claims they were “called by someone” isn’t worth the hassle.

4. Survival Instinct Applies Everywhere

Bushcraft teaches you to trust your gut, act decisively, and adapt quickly. In that moment, I acted like a man crossing a frozen river — light steps, steady breath, eyes open.

The Call Centre: A Different Kind of Survival School

Call centre work isn’t glamorous. It’s its own harsh wilderness:

• Endless ringing phones
• Customers calling you everything except your actual name
• High-pressure metrics
• Headsets that never fit right
• A special brand of fluorescent lighting that drains the soul

But I learned a tremendous amount:

• How to stay calm under stress
• How to communicate clearly
• How to solve problems quickly
• How to read tone and emotion through nothing but a voice
• How to teach, lead, and support others

Those skills eventually became the foundation of how I teach today at Barefoot Bushcraft and Wilkołaak.

Becoming a Corporate Trainer

Management soon noticed how well I communicated with clients — and how calmly I handled difficult situations — and moved me into the training department.

I created lesson plans, role-playing sessions, communication drills, and onboarding processes. I trained hundreds of new hires, helping them survive their first weeks on the floor.

The imposter had become the teacher — and I discovered that teaching was already in me, waiting for the right moment to surface.

That year in the classroom planted the seeds for the wilderness teaching I do today. The headset became the bow. The cubicle became the forest. The training manual became the trail.

Should You Try This?

I’m not recommending anyone just walk into a random workplace and pretend they were hired. I had insider knowledge of the procedures of the office.

I didn’t manipulate or pressure anyone. I simply stepped boldly into a moment of opportunity.

Sometimes the door is already open — you just need the courage to walk through it.

Final Thoughts: Boldness Builds Pathways

Looking back, that whole chapter feels unreal — like a story someone told me rather than something I lived.

But it taught me a lesson I’ve carried ever since:

If life doesn’t hand you an opportunity… make one.

A single act of boldness led to years of steady income, a promotion to Corporate Trainer, and skills that eventually helped shape my wilderness career.

And every time I tell this story, I remember:

Sometimes, the wildest survival stories happen far from the woods.