Wilfred Will Reime couldnt believe what he was hearing. He was seated at 9 oclock on Monday morning in Professor Edwardss management class. On this day the professor had invited a former student, Donnie Sanchez, to speak to the class. Sanchez was holding forth about his experiences as a student that had prepared him for the real world. Sanchez talked about how four years earlier he was sitting where the students were currently sitting and wondered what the future would hold. As Will listened intently, he heard echoes of some of Professor Edwardss recent lectures. As Will thought to himself many times, How can it be that this professor actually knows what he is talking about? Hes been a professor for the past 25 years and cant know anything about the real world. Donnie Sanchez continued: Where do you want to go tomorrow was the question that Professor Edwards proposed to his class each week. Every term, he preached that we needed career self-reliance or at least a career self-direction. It was the question facing many of us as we planned to sprint into a full-time job market. The U.S. economy has had the highest level of unemployment since the Great Depression. Good jobs were hard to come by and there were lots of applicants for every job opening. Most of the jobs wanted people that had experience. I had played on the college baseball team and summer leagues, so a co-op program or internship was out of the question for me. I felt that my team experiences have given me pretty good interpersonal skills, persistence, and a high energy level but no real world experience. The college placement officer told me that I would have trouble finding meaningful work. After posting my resume on all social media, I found that restaurants were hiring at a brisk pace. But a major corporation like Darden had cut back most of its employees hours because of ObamaCare. Even though I love to eat, the restaurant field was not appealing and I lacked many of the technical skills and computer skills to apply for some of the jobs that were available. I am a native of Puerto Rico, and I had braved the cold Midwest winters to play sports and pursue a basic liberal arts degree. Midway through my sophomore year, I heard some of my teammates extolling the virtues of Professor Edwards. After enrolling in his Principles of Management class, I changed my major to general management. I dont want to embarrass Professor Edwards in front of his students, but I can honestly say that he was my best professor. He played the role of brain surgeon; he asked thought-provoking questions and demanded a lot from us. He extracted my best efforts and output, even after a strenuous day of practice. Professor Edwards required us to read What Color is Your Parachute. I decided to follow the advice offered by the author, Richard Boles, and contacted James Metzler, the supervisor at a local electronics manufacturing firm, Luxor. At the time, Luxor employed 280 people and manufactured and assembled electronic components for the telecommunication industry. Today, their business has expanded to have over 400 employees. I had an opportunity to shadow Jim Metzler as part of my senior class project in Professor Edwardss Management of Technological Change course. Metzlers project team was changing some of Luxors methods and processes. I learned a lot about the process of change and gained a mentor and a friend in the process. At the end of my shadowing experience, I asked Metzler a simple question: Do you know of any jobs in general management that might be available for me? I got the surprise of my life when he told me that we were going down the hall to meet with Philip Lynn, the plant manager, and Jeannie Lerch, HR director. I was hired on the spot; I guess having a recommendation from Professor Edwards didnt hurt. Even though the job was somewhat technical, I began in early June after I graduated and played in my last college baseball game. They put me through a series of tests to show that I was a self-starter and a team player. Mr. Lynn said that he hires for attitude over aptitude. He claims that technical stuff is teachable, but that initiative and ethics arent. The plant is organized on a self-directed work team approach. Teams elect their own leaders to oversee quality training, scheduling, and communication with other teams. The goals are created by Mr. Lynn and his staff after an in-depth consultation with all teams. The plant follows simple ground rules, such as commit yourself to respect other team members, communicate openly and honestly, continually look for ways to improve on what we do well, and do the right job the right way the first time. The sales staff, customers, engineers, and assemblers consistently noodle ideas around, and there are no status symbols or an attitude of us versus them. There are no sacred cows in the company. Many procedures are written down, but any employee can propose changes to any process, subject to approval by those whose work it affects. When we change processes or methods, an employee logs onto the network to make it a part of the recordthe law of the plant. There is plenty of feedback on performance. Team leaders share the good and the bad. Each day begins with a recap of the previous days performance. Every employee knows the destination for every product they touch. Each employee puts his or her signature on the part. In conclusion, let me say that I have had a great experience. Thanks, Professor Edwards, for what you did for me. Jim Metzler has served as my mentor and we meet each day to discuss my progress. I enjoy visiting customers to understand how they use our products. The company has a bonus system based upon individual performance, team performance, and ideas generated. Last year my bonus exceeded 25 percent of my yearly pay. I have been given additional job responsibilities and authority and love working there. I am getting an education for a lifetime and getting paid to learn. It doesnt get any better than this!

Questions for Discussion

As you reflect on Donnie Sanchezs remark, Is he making this up or are there really companies like, do the research to find the Best Companies to Work For, and the reasons they are on the list.

Did you find a company or two that might be like Luxor? Evaluate the techniques that Donnie Sanchez used that led to his being offered the job at Luxor. How might you use the same techniques for finding the best job for you?

Would you like to work for a company like Luxor? Why and why not?

What do you need to do to hone your skills, knowledge, and abilities to help you find a great job?