By Mary Ann Faremouth, CPC
Do you ever reflect on memories and wonder how they may have influenced the person you have become? With Father’s Day upon us, I find myself thinking about my dad and realize so much of who I am today is because of the important life lessons I learned while working for him.
After many years in an assembly plant for Chrysler Corporation, my dad followed in the footsteps of other family members and opened a restaurant in Melvindale, a small suburb of Detroit, when I was 5 years old. I warmly remember all the preparation involved, and his sign, surrounded by lights, was a picture of me holding a hamburger. How timely, right around Father’s Day, it is to get a picture of this sign, which I haven’t been able to locate for years, sent to me on social media!
When I follow the first step of my Faremouth Method™, “Do A Self-Inventory,” I look inward and feel grateful for the early experience of working for my dad — not always easy, being a waitress in his restaurant. As a recruiter and career coach, I relate those memories to today’s work-world life lessons too. My dad isn’t with me in physical form any longer, but I know his spirit and love always surround me. Paying tribute to him on this special day is my way of saying, “Thanks, Dad, for all you taught me.”
My dad was an interesting character, for sure. He moved to the States from the island nation of Malta when he was 12 years old. He didn’t have much formal education, but he was one of the smartest men I’ve ever met. He had high regard for formal education, often telling me how proud he was of his cousin, Joe, who attended Oxford University.
This restaurant was very close to many automotive assembly plants, and my dad’s menu and service really catered to them. He opened at 4 a.m. for breakfast, to serve the workers who started their shifts at 5 or 5:30 a.m. I started working for my dad when I was in high school, and because of the good work ethic he instilled, I was able to pay cash for my first car, an almost new Ford Mustang.
Let’s look at some of the lessons I learned from working for my dad that might resonate with you and give you inspiration and hope in the New Work World.
1. Work Hard.
I can best sum up what my dad taught me in a quote by Thomas Edison: “The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: hard work, stick-to-itiveness, and common sense.” Pre- or Post-Covid, working hard and going above and beyond in your job will always serve you well. When an employer asks a job seeker, “What are you most proud of in your career?” and they demonstrate how they went the extra mile to meet a deadline, come in early, stay late, do more than the job really requires, etc., I always seem to hear positive feedback when the employer calls to discuss how the interview went with the candidate I submitted. And many times an offer is forthcoming.
2. You Can Achieve Anything If You Have a Plan and Help Others Along the Way.
My dad was big on planning. While I worked for him, a big parade was going to be held in Melvindale. I remember him making a list of all the extra food and supplies he would need for the event. And I remember him also feeding the people involved in setting up the parade at no charge. He told me treating all the dignitaries of the city, including the police force, was a bit of an expense, but it would always come back to him in a big way. What are you doing in your career to plan for your future? How can you do something while in job-seeking mode that can help someone else? Can you volunteer at a job fair to help get them set up? Can you join a nonprofit organization like Toastmasters or Rotary and improve your presentation skills and maybe mentor a member who would benefit from your expertise, or get involved in acts of service to others?
3. Make Smart Investments.
My dad saw great value in investments. But it wasn’t always the stock market. He taught me about investments of time, efforts and relationships. What are you investing in that will yield results? If you have had four interviews in an industry that is not responding to you, where else might your efforts garner positive results? Do you need to seek out the counsel of a career consultant to help you transfer your skills into another area? Whom do you know who knows people who can open doors for you in a new venture? Invest in your future by getting out of your comfort zone to secure the results you need.
4. Think Your Decision Through.
I so clearly remember coming home for Christmas one year and needing to go back to school to make sure I could attend an important class for my graduation. The weather was horrible, and we had many inches of snow that would make driving quite hazardous. I will never forget my dad saying, “It won’t matter, Mary Ann, if you are the smartest gal in the graveyard.” What are you doing right now that will bring you the correct results? Whether personal or professional, how can decisions that you think through very carefully in the New Work World produce the right results for you?
5. Never Stop Learning.
I remember my dear father, after he retired, sitting at the kitchen table early in the morning and combing through the newspaper. Whether it was at his home in Allen Park, Michigan, or his place in Florida, he always told me: “You need to know things; read, always continue learning. Never rest on your laurels. Always want to be the best you can be. Don’t be afraid of failure, and keep working hard and learning all you can about what you do.”
This Father’s Day think of lessons you learned from your dad, a father figure or other mentors that made an impact on your life and use them to contribute to the New Work World and beyond!
Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. This was followed by “Revolutionary Reinvention”, a workbook for job seekers giving advice on how to rediscover your skills and passions and reinvent your career. Her most recent book is “Revolutionary Results” , a collection of life lessons about relationships, integrity and contributing to the world.
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