How did Robert Altman begin his career directing industrial films?

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Film director Robert Altman stands with arms crossed in a yellow jacket and white cap among crew and equipment on the set of Thieves Like Us. — Robert Altman Robert Altman.

After serving as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1945 to 1947 and experiencing a brief, unsuccessful period as an entrepreneur, Robert Altman moved to Los Angeles. Following this sojourn, he returned to Kansas City and secured a position with the Calvin Company. It was during his tenure at this firm that he directed dozens of industrial films, marking the beginning of his professional directing career.1