What was valmiki's occupation before he wrote the Ramayana?

Before he wrote the Ramayana, Valmiki was a highway robber. He lived a life of crime, robbing travelers until he had a transformative encounter with the sage Narada, which led him to renounce his violent ways. This change inspired him to compose the Ramayana, marking his transition from a life of sin to one of spiritual and literary significance.