Olivia decided to give retail clothing another chance. Today she would visit a boutique located in a beautiful Victorian-era house just off Main Street. When she arrived, she was greeted promptly by a stylish woman in her mid-thirties.
“Hi, I'm Olivia. Is there someone here I could talk to about a summer job?”
“That would be me. I'm Marissa, the store manager.”
“Are you hiring?”
“Maybe,” Marissa said with a wry smile.
“That's an interesting response,” Olivia said.
“Well, the truth is, yes—yes, we are, for the right person. We don't just hire to be hiring.”
“What's the process?”
“It begins with an application; then there are two or three interviews.”
“Will I interview with you?”
“Maybe,” Marissa laughed. “I don't mean to seem cryptic. However, you will only interview with me if the first two interviews go well.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Do you have any questions for me at this point?” Marissa asked.
“Just a few. Do you have time now?”
“Yes, let me ask someone to cover for me.”
In about ten minutes, Olivia had all the information she needed to take the next step.
“Thanks for your time today! I'll complete the online application and I hope to see you again in interview number 3,” Olivia said.
Tyler was headed to the construction company on his list. He knew the work would be hard, but he loved building things. He met with Daryl Chatsworth, the owner's son.
“Hi, I'm Tyler. Thanks for meeting me without an appointment. I'm looking for a summer job.”
“No appointment—no problem, Timmy. We're always looking for people to help out around here. Business is booming!”
“My name is Tyler, sir. Can you tell me about the job?”
“Sorry, sure. You would be a helper.”
“What does a helper do?”
“They help,” Daryl said with no sign of a smile.
“Is that it?”
“That about sums it up, Toby.”
Tyler decided not to correct Daryl this time. “Who would I report to? Who would be my boss?”
“That would be hard to say.”
“Why?”
“Your job would be to help the entire crew—electricians, plumbers, carpenters, stone masons, etc. They would all be your boss, or I guess bosses would be more accurate.”
“Sounds like a big job.”
“It is. Any other questions?”
“Just one. Why do you enjoy the building business?”
“It's really simple, Trevor. I don't like people—young, old, rich, poor, don't even care that much for my own family. That's why I like building. I get along good with concrete, wood, and tools—I love tools. Thanks for asking, Thomas. Do you want the job?”
“I'll follow up if I decide to complete an application.”
Tyler left the meeting with one overriding impression: “I think ‘Doug’ makes the guy at the bakery look like a really good boss!”
Alex had been so impressed on his first visit, he went back to the coffee shop. Once again, he had a good conversation with Laura.
“You've been generous with your time—thank you. I have one more question.”
“Sure.”
“How would working here help me prepare for my future?”
“What do you mean? I thought you were just looking for a summer job.”
“I am, but I want to make a good decision. What do you think I would learn during my time here?”
“How would working here help me prepare for my future?”
“Wow! Those are deep questions. Honestly, I could make up some answers, but you've stumped me. I focus on running a good business, but I'm not really focused on your future.”
“That's okay. No judgment here. I just want to know what I would be getting myself into.”
Clint's second visit was to a pet grooming salon. He had always loved animals and thought he might someday make a career as a veterinarian. He called ahead to schedule a visit with Samantha Davis, the owner of the business.
“Good afternoon,” Samantha said. “Thanks for coming by. You said you were looking for a summer job?”
“Yes, I'm looking at my options.”
“Look no further. This is your summer job.”
“What makes you say that?” Clint was surprised by her confidence.
“There is no better place for you this summer. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“Why would you say that?”
“I'm going to hand you the keys.”
“You are?”
“Yes, sir. You can start the first Monday after school is out.”
“What does ‘Hand me the keys’ mean?”
“It means you will be in charge. Think of all you'll learn.”
“In charge of everything?” Clint gulped.
“Yes, indeed: hiring, firing, scheduling, inventory, grooming the animals, customer complaints—not that there would be any. Think of it as a crash MBA.”
All Clint could focus on was the word crash. “Well, I appreciate your confidence in me. But, I don't know anything about pet grooming.”
“They're just dogs and cats. What can go wrong? You'll figure it out. What do you say?”
“I think I'll call you back if I decide to move in this direction.” Clint was trying to make his exit as quickly as possible.
The group reconvened at Clint's house.
“Well, any insights?” Olivia asked.
“I'm not sure what you mean by ‘insight,’ but I had a new thought,” Alex said.
“What's that?”
“I think I want more.”
“More what?” Tyler asked.
“I don't know, exactly. When I had my second meeting with Laura at the coffee shop, I asked her about my future.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, I'm not sure why. It just seemed relevant.”
“What were you thinking?” Clint asked.
“Well, what if our summer jobs could help us years down the road?”
“Is that possible?” Many concepts eluded Tyler. “Say a little more.”
“It's not fully formed in my mind,” Alex said, “but regardless of what I do this summer, I want it to add value long-term. I want it to make sense.”
“What does ‘make sense’ mean?” Tyler asked.
“Okay, here's an example: Olivia has said many times over the years, she sees herself working in the fashion industry. So, it makes perfect sense to me for her to work in a clothing store.”
“I get it. That's actually why I visited a pet grooming business—I've considered becoming a vet,” Clint said.
“Okay,” Tyler was beginning to catch on. “But what if I don't know what I want to do regarding my career? I'm guessing a lot of people have no idea—particularly young people.”
“I think what we're talking about is still relevant,” Clint said.
“How?” Tyler asked.
“Well, the bigger idea seems to be about a place where we can learn and grow. Maybe you can learn life skills.”
“What do you consider life skills?” Olivia asked.
Clint responded, “I don't know . . . maybe some people stuff, how to communicate better, or problem-solving skills. Any of these would probably be helpful regardless of how your career goes.”
“So, do we have another ‘demand’?” Alex grinned at Olivia.
“Maybe. How would we say this?
“A place to grow?” Alex said.
“An opportunity to learn?” Oliva suggested.
“I don't really want to learn and grow,” Tyler said. “But I do want to be successful in the future.”
“How about a Brighter Future?” Alex asked.
“I like it!” Olivia said.
“Let's see if we can find a place to work with a Better Boss and somewhere to help us prepare for a Brighter Future,” Clint said.
“That would be amazing!” Alex said.
“Anything else, while we're making our list?” Olivia asked.
“Maybe. . . .” Clint hesitated.
“What?” Olivia asked.
“I want more than a job,” Clint said. “I think I want to be part of something bigger.”
“A bigger company?”
“No, the size of the organization doesn't matter,” Clint said.
“‘Something bigger’ is not going to make the list unless you can tell us more,” Olivia said.
“I know. I'll keep thinking about it,” Clint said.