I was reading Recruiting.com and came across this post Our people are our..... and I went down memory lane to 1995.

I had graduated from college and was a bartender at the Planet Hollywood in the Mall of America. I was a trainer too and had thought about moving to Atlanta in time for the opening there. The Olympics were going to be there and I thought the experience would be awesome.

It probably would have been but I was getting tired of the “bar life”. It helped that I had a disagreement with the general manager and I lost. As in I no longer had a job.

Now I was the kind of just graduated kid I try to make sure every student I meet does not become:
-I had my degree in International Relations but decided against going to work for a local politician so it was not going to be used.
-I had no idea what I wanted to do.
-Had not done any networking.
-Had never done a real job search.

My pledge brother from the fraternity Jason, same dude I went to see the Michigan games with, was working for Enterprise Rent A Car as a branch manager and said, “hey we are hiring”.

I said great, sign me up.

I was one of the half who did not make it a year. Not because of the company or the opportunity, I think my ego got in the way.

I learned a lot about developing relationships and growing territory. I loved that part of the job. Working in the elements was OK too as I was usually at a dealership a few miles from the office. They let us use their bays to clean and ready cars. So I was inside more than others.

Saying that, the worse days were when it snowed a lot and I had to go out in the parking lots and find our cars. All cars covered in snow look the same.

Looking for them in a suit, tie, and dress shoes was not fun. But the job was and the co-workers and clients were too. Many of the customers were not all that happy as most of the Enterprise business, at least then, was in the vehicle replacement. As in their car had been in an accident or otherwise needed to be fixed.

So some were happy we there to help them out. Others, not so much and it did depend on who their insurance carrier was or what their warranty read regarding how big (or cool) a car they would get.

As for the compensation, in 1995 they did not pay as well as they do today. But the article is right. If you stuck out and advanced you could do very well. They promote from within and that made it easier to figure out where in the pecking order you were. It was also based on performance so there was very little politics played.

Would I do it again? Maybe.

I do know this; the people who stick it out there are good, smart motivated people. Every now and again my buddy Jason bumps into someone we used to work with. A few are still with the company. Regardless, there does seem to be a future success pattern of the people who worked there for a period of time.

Would I recommend working there? It’s a case by case basis but if I had had to say one-way or the other, absolutely.