AJ asked in this post, Taking Pride in Your Work, by asking this question: “I live in Canada and therefore haven’t gone through major disparity. I do see validity in what you’re saying; my question however is: What if money is the ONLY thing you get from your job? or What if you had a job where you were well over qualified for but allowed you to snowboard and the pay was terrible? In the situation I have I would obviously love not to work at all, however I have to. I am referring to both questions here. I work at a gas station. Although I don’t define my self by my job I still am there and it is a constant reminder of the part of my life I hate. Is there any advice you could give to a person that already finds it hard to take pride in many things to find some in my employment? Thnx AJ”

I like this question! “What if money is the ONLY thing you get from your job?” I once worked in a Hotel Laundry for a Ski Resort area myself, so I can relate to this type of job. Let’s pretend money is the only thing you get from your job. Everyone should be asking themselves, “…is money enough?” Is money all I want to define my job by?

In many cases money is all there is, like my job in the laundry room. No one outside of my boss, and one coworker ever saw me at work.  No one else cared what my name was, where I was from, or what I did in life besides hotel laundry. All the Hotel cared about was clean sheets and towels. In my particular situation I also needed to work to support my winter skiing and summer fishing. Money was all there was in this job, and not a lot of money either.

After not too much time went by, money was not enough, so I took on to two different jobs that satisfied my needs better. At the time, I did not realize the advantage some jobs have over other jobs. Your job AJ is one of those jobs that have a huge advantage over the laundry job I had.

AJ’s job at a Gas Station opens up a world of possibilities the average working person does not have. You have access to Customers, lots of Customers. Premium Customers from out of town who are potential employers.

The number of Gas Station Customers who see you each day is probably one of the largest customer bases outside the mountain you snowboard on. Your Customers generally drive newer, more expensive vehicles, and they can afford to leave home for a weekend of skiing. Some of your Customers own their own business, and others are well placed in business. Do you see where this is leading?

When I am out an about in public, shopping or whatever, I pay attention to the people who help me. Whenever someone stands out from the crowd, I make it a point to let them know I appreciate the extra effort they take for me, a customer they may never see again. Whether it is their dress, attitude, knowledge, or professionalism, I let them know I think they are special and stand above from their peers.

These people are usually not highly paid professionals who make six figures listening to my chest wheeze because I have a cold. These Folks are workers at convenience stores, grocery store, and the gas station. These folks could be the same as their co-workers, they could be dress to minimum company standards, maintain a minimum of interaction with their customers, and do the absolute minimum they need to get by. They could choose be average among their peer work group, but are not.

Instead they choose to do their best. Whether their reasons for doing their best are intrinsic, or extrinsic, I can not tell by watching them. Rarely do they say why they are top performers when I tell them I notice the great work they are doing. Unless they reflect their answer back on me, so only they know the real reasons. They might know something I did not know when I was their age, and something that may not have occurred to you either.

I generally tell those outstanding people I come across, that if I were a business person, I would try to hire them away from their present job for more money than they make now. And I mean it! One person who goes above and beyond in a small organization or even a medium sized organization can make a huge difference to how successful the company may be.

Not many of those outstanding people are still working for low pay a few months later. Most have been hired away and work places better suited to their talents with a much larger paycheck – or at least the ones I have run into.

Back to the first part of AJ’s two part question. If AJ chooses to do the minimum, which if any of his customers are going to see anyone other than an extension of a cash register when they fuel up their vehicles? If money is enough, there is no need to do more.

However, AJ has unnoticed skills and more ability than the Gas Station job requires. If I were AJ, I would be looking for ways to make myself stand out from my peer group in front of my customer base. I would look for ways to advertise my other higher level skills.

Eventually one of your Customers, or possibly even the Gas Station owner is going to recognize AJ may be a good fit for their company, or a friends  company. AJ may be mentioned to a business friend in conversation. Someone saying there is a pretty sharp individual working at the Station who is looking for more is not out of the realm of possibility.

AJ should look consider looking beyond another job in town. If all the jobs are low paying, think bigger. Be open to the possibility of being one of those people who drive into the area for a weekend skiing? What if AJ makes the effort, is noticed, offered a position, and hired away by a weekend skier, and now has a serious job in the city? If AJ really wants more, it can be done, and a Gas Station’s Customer Base is a great place to start!