Do you remember what you wanted to be when you were little? I do; it changed every other day, lol. Those days are gone, but that doesn’t mean the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” isn’t asked. As a matter of fact, when my youngest graduated preschool, they announced what she wanted to be when she grew up, and she said she wanted to be an adventurer and never grow up. Needless to say, my heart melted!
There are so many jobs out there, “ordinary jobs,” that are so much more important than some of us realize. The plumber, electrician, zookeeper, truck drivers, the military, police, fire department, the pizza shop, the clerks, stockers, delivery drivers, and so many more! All those places are filled with employees who are not ordinary; they are EXTRAordinary! We should be celebrating today’s workforce because there is no way we could properly function here in the US without someone who specializes in plumbing, enjoys driving across the country day after day, and we are blessed to have so many brave men and women in our police departments as well as the military. There are so many extraordinary human beings out there!
It’s amazing how one person and the job they choose can have such a significant impact on another person. I remember one day I was having a bad day; I was so depressed and just sad, and I was standing in line at the store. When I got up to the cashier, she looked at me and asked me if I was okay. She walked around the corner and asked me if she could give me a hug, to which I said yes. She then started to talk to me, and when I left the store, I was smiling, and my whole outlook on life and the things I was so heartbroken over was different.
You know another time, I was dealing with so much and in a very bad place mentally. And, I still can’t really tell you what this person did, but I left with a smile, and they changed my entire day. Every time I visit this store, everyone is just amazing. Customer service matters; a small interaction can have such a huge impact on another person, and these “ordinary jobs” these EXTRAordinary people do should be appreciated.
Celebrating Today’s Workforce 1 in One Hundred Million
Celebrating Today’s Workforce 1 in One Hundred MillionThese “ordinary jobs” that such EXTRAordinary people hold should be celebrated, don’t you think? Which is why I’m SUPER excited to tell you about an awesome campaign sponsored by Kronos called 1 in One Hundred Million. Kronos currently has tens of thousands of customers all over the world, is the leader in workforce management, and helps their clients manage time and attendance records, schedules, absence records, hiring, labor analytics, and HR and payroll services. To learn more about Kronos, you can visit their website at Kronos.com
The 1 in One Hundred Million campaign features episodes celebrating today’s workforce, like this one about Jenny Thurman, who is currently a Zookeeper. She spent her younger years in the food industry, but she got old, so she decided to pursue her education, where she learned that she could become a Zookeeper. Of course, it’s hard work, but she is passionate about her potion and the animals she cares for. As she says, “They’re living, breaking animals.” She says with a big smile. “They need you to stick around and finish what you started.”
Like Jenny, I never would have thought I would be doing what I am doing today, lol. Oh, did you know Jenny didn’t even know that being a zookeeper was a job she could get paid for? Jenny believes that she was in the right place at the right time because she mentioned that she liked animals to her advisor and was introduced to the zookeeper position. Here she is 13 years later after receiving her master’s in zoo administration through a partnership program with Association of Zoos & Aquariums and working as a zookeeper.
Jenny explains that people are often surprised when they learn about the science that is involved in her job as a zookeeper—recovery efforts, conservation efforts, etc. Jenny says that one needs to be a good problem solver, own good boots, have a sense of humor, and want to learn to be a good zookeeper. She explains animals and the emotional impact they can have one people. When they make a connection and share their experiences with Jenny, it’s exciting and emotional as well.
There are several other videos included in the 1 in One Hundred Million campaign, like Major Willian Saint, who is with the 62nd WMD Civil Support Team for the Louisiana National Guard, Catie Boles, who is an EXTRAordinary Restaurant Server/waitress, and plenty more. They’re all worth watching for sure, and there is more to come.
To watch other more episodes of the 1 in One Hundred Million Serious, be sure to subscribe by visiting 1inOneMillion.com. While the 1inOneMillion.com website is no longer active, I thought it would be awesome to leave this post up so we can remember to appreciate these extraordinary human beings and the jobs they do daily.
