Veteran, leader and Marathon team member.
When you walk onto the production floor and spot James at work, it’s hard to tell him apart from your typical, high-performing Marathon team member. He gets to work on time, greets everyone with a smile, and believes in a culture of workplace safety. But even people familiar with James rarely know that his service during operation Desert Storm landed him on the cover of Time Magazine, which is what makes James an amazing person, and why Team Marathon sat down with him to discover his unique perspective on career development.
Dealing with adversity:
Life happens to everyone and everyone deals with it in their own way. Stay positive. Pray. Do what you can and leave the rest to God. My oldest son had an accident when he was 10 years old and lost his left hand and right thumb. Today, he has adjusted and is living a full life. You can learn a lot from people who have overcome incredible challenges.
Navigating the ‘temp-to-hire’ waters:
Get to work on time every time. Attendance is crucial. You’ll have difficult days at work, but don’t give up a good job because of a tough day. Work through it. It will pay off.
Career advancement:
The best thing about being a Marathon Team member is career advancement. Listen to supervisors. At times they can seem rude or insensitive but, as I’ve advanced to different roles, I’ve realized supervisors exist to get everyone on the same page. Don’t take their methods personally. Mentors are important, too. There were a lot of people who helped me along the way. I try to do the same. At the end of the day, career advancement is about you and what you want. Always keep that in mind. It will help erase the ham-handed ways in which others may sometimes coach or supervise you.
Written by:
Christopher Panagiotopoulos
Team Member Innovation
chris@marathonstaffing.com
