Interview with an Employee or Entrepreneur

Interview by David & Andrew RodgerInterview w/ Jim Rodger

Q18: What do you do at your job?“I am the Warehouse Supervisor with

the Coast Guard. I am in charge of all the staff in the warehouse and I’m also responsible for the inventory and for the building in general”

What made you choose the job that your in today? “I applied for the position and ‘won’ the

spot though my past experiences.”

What does it take to do your job? “You at least need a high school

diploma and other than that, the other requirements - for the most part - are purely experienced based.”

Is there anything that you would like to change about your work place?

“I would like to take the current inventory system we have and get a more updated one mainly because the one we use is not as efficient as the most up to date model.”

What jobs did you take prior to the one you are in currently? Did you enjoy that job? “I served with the British Air Force for 22 years

and then worked with Air Canada cargo after leaving. I really enjoyed my time with this kind of work as it something I have been doing all my life. I still enjoy doing that work today.”

What is something you look most forward to in the run of the mill day? “Don’t get me wrong, I love my job but I

think we can all agree that the best part of a work day is when we go home!”

How old where you when you first started working and what was the job?

“I was 15 when I took a part-time job with a butcher in England. My first “real” job was for the British Royal Air Force.”

If you could work any job in the world what would it be and why?

“I would be a Nascar Driver or a pilot because I would be able to go so fast!”

In your day-to-day job, what kinds of problems would you experience? “Most problems tend to come from

personal staff health or work related problems like being sick and not showing up for work or on the rare occasion someone slacks off.”

What is the most annoying thing about your job?

“There isn’t very much in my job that’s annoying. My job, to me, is actually quite enjoyable.”

When do you plan to retire? What do you hope to do after retirement?“I had planned to retire at 55 but I’ll

probably wait until 60. As for my retirement plans, I’ve mostly considered traveling around the world with my wife but you never know!”

Q11: What safety precautions are taken in your workplace?“We have to wear steel toed boots,

hard hats, safety vests, and a form of eye protection. To operate or to even work around the equipment you have to take safety courses.”

Q12: What is your worst work experience you have had?

“The worst experience I’ve had relating to my work is when I walked in on one of my colleagues and found him passed out. After this, he found out he had cancer has been off work ever since.”

Q13: Would you recommend this job to a student? Why?“Yes! I would recommend the job. The

main reason is because of the health benefits along with dental and the pay is pretty good. Also if you’re interested in logistics, it is a good job for you.”

“Yes, the job at times can be stressful. The big part of why it can be stressful is when there’s a lot of requests or orders for parts on the ships or other things.”

Q14: At times, can your job be stressful? If so, what makes it that way?

Q15: How many hours do you work a week? “I work 37.5 hours a week … unless I

get called out on overtime.”

Q16:What are some things you have learned to do by taking the jobs in your life time?

“I’ve learned how to use a computer, learned to drive, to operate a forklift how to manage people and write reports. But that’s just some of them”

Q17: Have you ever been injured in your workplace? “yes! I have strained my back lifting a

box that was incorrectly labelled. I had to take time off because of what happened and I was prescribed medication for the pain.”

Q19: Can you be promoted from the position you are currently in? Have you ever been promoted? “While I was in the military, yes I was

promoted 4 times but the job I am in now, I have not yet been promoted.”

Q20: What advice would you give to the students who want to go into the workplace?

“Obviously, get the best education you can and, try to do a job you really enjoy.”