By Sunny Simon
In a recent column, I urged Millennials to go the extra mile to prove themselves worthy in the workplace. This week, a big story hit the airwaves depicting an Alabama college student who exemplifies a stellar work ethic.
Walter Carr did not let car problems deter him from getting to work. He started walking at midnight in an effort to report to his job by 8:00 am. Carr, employed by Bellhops, a company specializing in coordinating flexible moving services, declined an offer to rest when we met with his client. She posted on Facebook that Walter was not only hardworking, “He was humble, kind, cheerful and had big dreams.”
I don’t know if one of Walter’s big dreams was a new car, but when Bellhop’s CEO, Luke Marklin, heard about this new employee’s dedication, he drove from Tennessee to Alabama and presented Walt with his personal 2014 Ford Escape.
Attempting to walk eight hours to get to work is a mega example of going the extra mile. Think you know a quick and easy way to success? I’ve met some young people who think job hopping is the way up the ladder. Okay, I get it. You want it and you want it now. So did I, but the truth is, it doesn’t work that way.
If you are changing positions every year, slow down. Try knocking the lights out at your current job. Impress management and you may be selected as a high potential employee and put on a fast track. Look around and tap into a successful experienced employee you admire. Ask that person, how he or she made it. I’ll bet the answer is hard work.
It ends up Walter Carr did not have to walk all the way to the job site. Sometime during the wee morning hours a patrol car stopped to check on him. Once the officers heard Walter’s story, they took him to breakfast and then drove him to the client’s home.
It just might work that way for you. Somewhere in the midst of all the above and beyond tasks you are accomplishing, you may get tapped on the shoulder by an individual who noticed your extra effort. Typically hard work is recognized and rewarded. You may not be gifted with a car, although sometimes a company car accompanies a well-earned promotion.
As management guru, John Maxwell, put it, “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” Convinced yet? Luck just won’t cut it. Invest your sweat equity today and future tomorrows will be fruitful. Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching. More about Sunny at www.raisethebarhigh.com
