Making a Difference vs. Saving the World
I have been working in the staffing industry going on 13 years. It definitely wasn’t my dream or lifelong goal to work in the staffing industry. I had no intention in doing it as long as I have, but somewhere along the way I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s where I belong.
The staffing industry has so many ups and downs, sometimes you are busy and sometimes you are not. Sometimes you change someone’s life and sometimes you don’t and you walk away feeling totally defeated. I have definitely grown a ton in the last 13 years. I went from thinking I want to help everyone and make a difference but then came to the realization that I can only help the people that are willing to help themselves, the ones that want to change their lives and make it better. There are a ton of stories and experiences I remember. Some good and some not so good. But there has always been one story that made a huge impact and reminds me why I’m still here.
Once Upon a Time in Staffing…
About ten years ago there was a young kid that walked through the door of my previous employer. He was of smaller stature but acted like he was ten feet tall and very confident. I started his interview like I do all the others. Not too far into the interview that I found out he was in a halfway house. This was nothing new. We were known for being the staffing agency of second chances. Still, I had to wonder if this kid was serious about getting a job or if he was just there because he had to be.
Going through all the interview questions and getting to know him for that short time I realized what a great kid he was. He was very eager to work and to get out of the situation he was currently in. For the next week I kept him in mind for any jobs that came in that he qualified for. Needless to say he made an impression and I believed in him.
I finally found him a job, a very decent job for that matter, one that he could be proud of and with hard work and dedication could very well lead to growth in the company. He was so happy and grateful. After feeling accomplished in what I had done to help him, it faded away just like anything else. I had thought about him and how he was doing from time to time, but hadn’t heard from him for quite a while.
Time Passes
Then one day I received a card at work specifically addressed to me. When I opened it, there was a big “Thank You” on the front of the card. I was very curious, so I opened it. Inside, in very tiny writing the entire card was filled up. It was from this employee, thanking me for what I had done for him. He wanted to let me know how big of an impact I had made on him, treating him like a person, and not judging him for the mistakes he had made. He told me that because I believed in him he was now out of the halfway house and had been hired on at the company I had sent him to.
It’s the Little Things
I learned so much that day. Knowing never to judge a book by its cover and also that I didn’t have to save the world, I just needed to make a difference. It was then that I knew I was here for a reason. Stories like this are why I am still in the staffing industry today.
Andrea Posell
Ogden Staffing Branch Manager
Your Employment Solutions
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