My Strong Work Ethic Helped Open the Door to a Successful Career

By Jezabel Southard

Posted on May 2, 2018

Bradley Lancaster not only has an incredible work ethic, he also has great experience working in warehouse/production environments and is highly skilled in operating a variety of machinery.

For years, he worked loading and unloading cargo, packaging goods for shipping and operating forklifts.

When he found himself looking for a new job, he was interested in finding a position that would challenge him and allow him to grow his skill set.

Confident in his abilities, and knowing that he just needed an opportunity to get his foot in the door of a good company, he began searching for jobs online.

An online job posting led him to TERRA’s Tacoma office.

Brad interviewed with the Tacoma team and was quickly placed on a job.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right fit for him.

What did he do? He reached out and spoke with Scott Mantz, Tacoma Recruiter.

He told Scott that while he was looking for warehouse work, he was ideally looking for a driver or machine operator/forklift position.

“I told him that I would finish out the week, but that I was looking for something more specialized,” Brad said.

Scott added, “Brad received great reviews from managers in the position we first placed him in, but it just wasn’t the right culture fit for him. When a position for a clamp forklift operator opened up with another one of my clients, I knew he would be a good fit for it, since he had previous clamp forklift experience.”

This new position was exactly what Brad was looking for.

Brad shared, “I love that I can use my knowledge. I have a lot of warehouse experience and I am good at organization. They put me to work on a project and I was able to help improve productivity.”

He quickly began finding more ways to help, eager to take on more responsibility.

“I wanted them to see that I could do a lot more. It was like, ‘Put me in, Coach.’”

Thanks to his strong work ethic and determination to succeed and prove himself, the client couldn’t help but hire Brad on as a full-time, regular employee!

And we’re happy to share that since being hired on, Brad has also been promoted. He went from Clamp Forklift Operator to a Night Shift Lead/Supervisor.  As a matter of fact, he supervises a lot of temporary employees placed by TERRA!

“I went from working for you to working with you,” he said with pride.

The client is very happy to have Brad on their team, saying, “Brad is a great problem-solver. He loves to find creative solutions to any major or minor problem. His goal is to help continue to make his team successful.”

We asked Brad to share a little about his experience working with TERRA.

“I’ve worked with staffing firms in the past. The challenge was that I didn’t know how to let them know what I was looking for. I would get sent out on jobs that weren’t a fit. But when I told Scott that I was overqualified for the job I was placed in, he listened. He found me a job that was a much better fit.

“I would absolutely recommend TERRA. I actually referred my brother – who was hired on and is now working for me! Working with TERRA was a good experience. And I really appreciate you finding me a job that matched my skills.”

We may have found Brad the job, but it was his strong work ethic and positive attitude that really helped him succeed.

Scott commented, “Brad is the kind of guy who shows up to work ready to go – and with a good attitude. He doesn’t complain and finds a way to get the job done. He takes great pride in running his shift and is always looking for ways to improve every day.”

Being that he has had such success in his career, we asked Brad if he had any tips to share with job seekers,

Here is what he said:

“I am the type of person who arrives 15 minutes early and stays late to make sure things are wrapped up. I always ask, ‘Is there anything you need?’

If you’re a temp, take initiative. Communicate. Be there. Be prepared. And be ready to work.

If you work hard and prove yourself, no one is going to complain about that.

And if a job is not a fit, tell your recruiter.Just be responsible enough to at least finish out the week.”

That’s great advice, Brad! We wish you continued success. Thank you for letting us play a part in your story!

How TERRA Can Help You

Struggling to find employment on your own? Looking for an opportunity to showcase your skills?

Let us help.

TERRA Staffing is a leading temp agency that works with companies large and small, across a variety of industries. We can open the door to new career opportunities.

Getting started with us is simple. Just check out our current job openings.

We have offices in the Seattle-Puget Sound, Portland-Metro, and Phoenix-Metro areas and our expert recruiters are waiting to speak with you!

Categories: Success Stories

Tags: how to get a job, Success Story, tacoma, work ethic

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