Witte had initially planned to pursue a career in academia, intending to become a professor in Theoretical Mathematics. His relatives took a dim view of this career path as it was considered unsuitable for a noble or aristocrat at the time. He was instead persuaded by Count Vladimir Alekseyevich Bobrinsk, then Minister of Ways and Communication, to pursue a career in the railroads. At the direction of the Count, Witte undertook six months of training in a variety of positions on the Odessa Railways in order to gain a practical understanding of Ukrainian railways operations. At the end of this period, he was appointed as chief of the traffic office.