June 6, 2023 • 11 mins
Finding work in this economy doesn't have to be arduous. Tune in to hear from Olivia, an Express Employment Professionals Employment Specialist-turned-Operations Manager and one of her Associates, Leon, who she's helped place, to find out how the process has impacted both of their lives.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome back to On the Job. Can you believe we're
at episode six already? Where does the time go? Well,
after all these wonderful profiles of people in the midst
of their careers, we thought we'd switch things up a
bit for this episode and take a look at the
challenges that many people face one looking for a job.
So today we're going to hear about one man search
(00:24):
for work and how that path to employment helped him
to discover a whole new approach to life. Let's face it,
looking for a job sucks. It does. It's a painful
experience in so many ways. It's a moment of humility,
(00:45):
of anxiety, and, depending on how much money you have
saved from the last time you worked, oftentimes it's a
moment of sheer desperation. Whether you're searching online or in
the newspaper, or driving around town looking for now hiring
signs and handing out resumes. Searching for a job literally
begins to feel like a job itself. And one man
(01:06):
who knows exactly how that goes is Leon Albritton.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Here's a job, looking for a job.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
And if you're like Leon who doesn't live in a
big city, your options are that much harder because you have.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
To go real far to get something you know they
have way gainst it.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And then even if you get lucky and find a
gig that sounds of interest, you've got to go through
the whole application process, which means updating your resume, writing
a cover letter, reaching out to the hiring person, and
half the time, maybe way more than half the time,
after all that work, nothing and you can't help but
(01:46):
think that maybe that application that you've just spent all
that time working on wasn't even read. But thankfully there
are places like Express Employment professionals and people like Olivia
Marrafeld and.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I am the operations manager for the Vaparaiso, Indiana and Shaville,
Indiana Express offices, and.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Olivia totally knows how hard it is to get a
job because prior to working at Express, she was in
the exact same position that Leon was in.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
And you get so caught up in applying for jobs
online or using those different avenues, you so many times
don't ever get to speak to a real person. You're
submitting resume after resume after resume.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
But fortunately for both Leon and Olivia, they called their
local Express office.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I came into Express had my interview. They ended up
placing me at a property management company where I was
the leasing agent and I was there about five years.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Well, Olivia got lucky with that first job. Leon was
having a harder go of it. How many different jobs
did they try to get you in? Over a dozen?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Right? What am I?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Did?
Speaker 1 (02:57):
You ever get discouraged going after all these different and
jobs and them not working out?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Man, I was feeling just like you said too. It
was faultlessly. It was stressful. Man.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
At Express, well, it's their goal to place job seekers
in long term positions. They're also realists. I know that
sometimes it takes a few tries until you find that
perfect match.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
As much as it's about a client interviewing a candidate,
it's also a candidate interviewing the client, interviewing them to
make sure it's something that they're good at and want
to do. I tell people daily that not every job
is the right fit for every person. Just because something
doesn't work out that time around doesn't mean it won't
the next.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
You're playing the long game here with these people. It's
not just like, okay, you fail that doing this job,
we're done with you. It's let's keep working until you
find the.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Right fit exactly. And as long as someone is willing
to go to work, show up every day, do their best,
that's what matters to me. It's not a matter of
if they're good at it or not good at it,
it's are they willing to try and put in the effort.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
And Leon was definitely willing to put in the effort.
He went to job after job, showing up ready to work.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
He has done everything from working in a facility that
did laundry for hotels, to dairy corporations to even a
packager at a candy factory.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
It's quite the range there.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
It is. But he was always willing to go and
always willing to try something new, even if he was
going into something that he had never done before, he
was always willing to give it a shot.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
He was job.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
They Leon acknowledges that they were hard jobs. But if
we're being honest here, he puts the blame mostly on
himself because at that time in his life, with the
stress of trying to find work, piling bills, and a
feeling that he he was letting people down, Leon turned
to alcohol, and anyone who has ever used drugs or
(05:05):
booze to cope with life's challenges. Nos things can spiral
out of control pretty quickly. Did you lose a lot
of jobs because of your drinking?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yes? I did it, some good jobs too.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Then, in a moment of pure desperation, Leon decided to
leave his home in Indiana and moved to Seattle.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Because I gave him up. You know, I left my
property here, I sold my car, and I just left,
thinking beings is going to be different.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
There may have been a woman involved, but this is
a business podcast, people. So Leon found himself out there
in Seattle with no job, no car. And since I
know you're curious, that woman didn't work out either. And
while Seattle is a beautiful city, it doesn't exactly have
the kind of weather to break in your spirits. And
(05:57):
so Leon's desperation only grew. And what started out is
some drinking to cope became a full fledged addiction. When
we come back from the break, Leon hits rock bottom.
A strong work ethic, takes pride in a job well done.
(06:21):
This is the kind of person you need. Express employment
professionals can help because in good times or bad, we
understand how critical it is to manage your business for today.
With the right workforce. We offer hiring solutions to fit
changing demands. Express Knows Jobs. Get to know Express.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Go to expresspros dot com to find a location near you.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
We're back with Leon Albron, who at this point in
our story is out in Seattle, jobless and womanless, wondering
why he ever left Indiana.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And I left thinking is going to be different, But
he got worship.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
What started as a few drinks to combat life stresses
quickly turned into a full fledged dependency. Any money Leon
was making went straight to buying a bottle. But as
Leon's life was spiraling downward, he found out that at
that same time, his son's life was about to change
for the better in a very dramatic way.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Somebody showed me that my son was getting drafted in
the NBA.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Really yeah. Leon felt an obvious sense of pride that
his son's dreams of turning pro were about to come true,
but he also felt a deep shame for where he'd
let his life lead him. Leon had hit rock bottom,
or actually he didn't hit rock bottom. He tried to
walk into it and buy a drink.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
The name of the bob was lock Bottom. And then
I looked at the top of it his rock bottle,
that's ah wow.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And somehow that was what did it. The realization that
just as his son was about to become a professional athlete,
Leon was about to walk into a bar named rock
Bottom to have a few drinks and feel sorry for himself.
That's when he accepted that he needed to turn his
life around, that he needed help.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, well we he got me back in the swinging
things out there, and.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
After getting sober, Leon decided to go back home to Indiana.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
And he told me that Leon got Indiana. Surround yourself
around people, that's gilerus to not take it.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
And Leon did just that. He built up a positive community,
established a healthy routine, and rekindled his relationships with his family.
And then, of course he needed a job, and Leon
knew just where to go. When he got there, though,
there was a new face in the office because in
the time that Leon had gone out to Seattle, Olivia
(08:57):
Marifeld went from being a job seeker at Express to
being a staff member there.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I had no idea that they were looking for someone
for the front office here. I ended up getting an
interview on the spot meeting with the franchise, and then
started the next day.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Amazing, right, such a cool.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Thing to have been in the associates shoot in the past.
I know exactly what they're facing and what they're looking for.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And right off the bat, Olivia could see that this
was a new and improved Leon, Leon two point zero.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
It's been such a cool opportunity to see him grow,
to see him change, to see the things that he's
overcome in his life.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Very quickly, Olivia had Leon back out in the workforce,
doing a few days here and there, but all the while,
her goal, as it is with all her associates, was
to eventually land Leon that keeper.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
I think part of our goal in one thing our
staff really focuses on, is the fact that we aren't
just like any other temporary agency Michael, is to find
long term, permanent placement for these associates. So I want
to place them where their skill sets are going to
be valued and where they're going to do the best
long term. We want them to find a home and
(10:13):
find a career.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And with this new and improved Leon, a Leon that
is sober, clearheaded, motivated and always willing to do the work,
it didn't take long before Olivia made good on that.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
She's kept the word. And that's how my mom ever
told me, wherever you go on life, if you don't
have nothing else, always keep their word.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Because after all the jobs that didn't work out, Leon
has finally found the job for him. Working in the
industrial industry for the last seven months has given Leon
not only an income, but a healthy routine and a
sense of purpose. Like all of us, he has his days,
has afternoons when the clock drags, and mornings when he
(10:58):
just doesn't want to get out of bed. But then
he reminds himself how far he's come and how hard
he and the folks that Express have worked to get
him where he is today.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Express ball me back contill a human again. That's the
way I'm gonna put it. They gave him my life back.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
For on the job. I'm Avery Thompson.
Welcome back to On the Job. Can you believe we're
at episode six already? Where does the time go? Well,
after all these wonderful profiles of people in the midst
of their careers, we thought we'd switch things up a
bit for this episode and take a look at the
challenges that many people face one looking for a job.
So today we're going to hear about one man search
(00:24):
for work and how that path to employment helped him
to discover a whole new approach to life. Let's face it,
looking for a job sucks. It does. It's a painful
experience in so many ways. It's a moment of humility,
(00:45):
of anxiety, and, depending on how much money you have
saved from the last time you worked, oftentimes it's a
moment of sheer desperation. Whether you're searching online or in
the newspaper, or driving around town looking for now hiring
signs and handing out resumes. Searching for a job literally
begins to feel like a job itself. And one man
(01:06):
who knows exactly how that goes is Leon Albritton.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Here's a job, looking for a job.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
And if you're like Leon who doesn't live in a
big city, your options are that much harder because you have.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
To go real far to get something you know they
have way gainst it.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And then even if you get lucky and find a
gig that sounds of interest, you've got to go through
the whole application process, which means updating your resume, writing
a cover letter, reaching out to the hiring person, and
half the time, maybe way more than half the time,
after all that work, nothing and you can't help but
(01:46):
think that maybe that application that you've just spent all
that time working on wasn't even read. But thankfully there
are places like Express Employment professionals and people like Olivia
Marrafeld and.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I am the operations manager for the Vaparaiso, Indiana and Shaville,
Indiana Express offices, and.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Olivia totally knows how hard it is to get a
job because prior to working at Express, she was in
the exact same position that Leon was in.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
And you get so caught up in applying for jobs
online or using those different avenues, you so many times
don't ever get to speak to a real person. You're
submitting resume after resume after resume.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
But fortunately for both Leon and Olivia, they called their
local Express office.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I came into Express had my interview. They ended up
placing me at a property management company where I was
the leasing agent and I was there about five years.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Well, Olivia got lucky with that first job. Leon was
having a harder go of it. How many different jobs
did they try to get you in? Over a dozen?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Right? What am I?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Did?
Speaker 1 (02:57):
You ever get discouraged going after all these different and
jobs and them not working out?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Man, I was feeling just like you said too. It
was faultlessly. It was stressful. Man.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
At Express, well, it's their goal to place job seekers
in long term positions. They're also realists. I know that
sometimes it takes a few tries until you find that
perfect match.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
As much as it's about a client interviewing a candidate,
it's also a candidate interviewing the client, interviewing them to
make sure it's something that they're good at and want
to do. I tell people daily that not every job
is the right fit for every person. Just because something
doesn't work out that time around doesn't mean it won't
the next.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
You're playing the long game here with these people. It's
not just like, okay, you fail that doing this job,
we're done with you. It's let's keep working until you
find the.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Right fit exactly. And as long as someone is willing
to go to work, show up every day, do their best,
that's what matters to me. It's not a matter of
if they're good at it or not good at it,
it's are they willing to try and put in the effort.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
And Leon was definitely willing to put in the effort.
He went to job after job, showing up ready to work.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
He has done everything from working in a facility that
did laundry for hotels, to dairy corporations to even a
packager at a candy factory.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
It's quite the range there.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
It is. But he was always willing to go and
always willing to try something new, even if he was
going into something that he had never done before, he
was always willing to give it a shot.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
He was job.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
They Leon acknowledges that they were hard jobs. But if
we're being honest here, he puts the blame mostly on
himself because at that time in his life, with the
stress of trying to find work, piling bills, and a
feeling that he he was letting people down, Leon turned
to alcohol, and anyone who has ever used drugs or
(05:05):
booze to cope with life's challenges. Nos things can spiral
out of control pretty quickly. Did you lose a lot
of jobs because of your drinking?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yes? I did it, some good jobs too.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Then, in a moment of pure desperation, Leon decided to
leave his home in Indiana and moved to Seattle.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Because I gave him up. You know, I left my
property here, I sold my car, and I just left,
thinking beings is going to be different.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
There may have been a woman involved, but this is
a business podcast, people. So Leon found himself out there
in Seattle with no job, no car. And since I
know you're curious, that woman didn't work out either. And
while Seattle is a beautiful city, it doesn't exactly have
the kind of weather to break in your spirits. And
(05:57):
so Leon's desperation only grew. And what started out is
some drinking to cope became a full fledged addiction. When
we come back from the break, Leon hits rock bottom.
A strong work ethic, takes pride in a job well done.
(06:21):
This is the kind of person you need. Express employment
professionals can help because in good times or bad, we
understand how critical it is to manage your business for today.
With the right workforce. We offer hiring solutions to fit
changing demands. Express Knows Jobs. Get to know Express.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Go to expresspros dot com to find a location near you.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
We're back with Leon Albron, who at this point in
our story is out in Seattle, jobless and womanless, wondering
why he ever left Indiana.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And I left thinking is going to be different, But
he got worship.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
What started as a few drinks to combat life stresses
quickly turned into a full fledged dependency. Any money Leon
was making went straight to buying a bottle. But as
Leon's life was spiraling downward, he found out that at
that same time, his son's life was about to change
for the better in a very dramatic way.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Somebody showed me that my son was getting drafted in
the NBA.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Really yeah. Leon felt an obvious sense of pride that
his son's dreams of turning pro were about to come true,
but he also felt a deep shame for where he'd
let his life lead him. Leon had hit rock bottom,
or actually he didn't hit rock bottom. He tried to
walk into it and buy a drink.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
The name of the bob was lock Bottom. And then
I looked at the top of it his rock bottle,
that's ah wow.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And somehow that was what did it. The realization that
just as his son was about to become a professional athlete,
Leon was about to walk into a bar named rock
Bottom to have a few drinks and feel sorry for himself.
That's when he accepted that he needed to turn his
life around, that he needed help.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, well we he got me back in the swinging
things out there, and.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
After getting sober, Leon decided to go back home to Indiana.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
And he told me that Leon got Indiana. Surround yourself
around people, that's gilerus to not take it.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
And Leon did just that. He built up a positive community,
established a healthy routine, and rekindled his relationships with his family.
And then, of course he needed a job, and Leon
knew just where to go. When he got there, though,
there was a new face in the office because in
the time that Leon had gone out to Seattle, Olivia
(08:57):
Marifeld went from being a job seeker at Express to
being a staff member there.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I had no idea that they were looking for someone
for the front office here. I ended up getting an
interview on the spot meeting with the franchise, and then
started the next day.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Amazing, right, such a cool.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Thing to have been in the associates shoot in the past.
I know exactly what they're facing and what they're looking for.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And right off the bat, Olivia could see that this
was a new and improved Leon, Leon two point zero.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
It's been such a cool opportunity to see him grow,
to see him change, to see the things that he's
overcome in his life.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Very quickly, Olivia had Leon back out in the workforce,
doing a few days here and there, but all the while,
her goal, as it is with all her associates, was
to eventually land Leon that keeper.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
I think part of our goal in one thing our
staff really focuses on, is the fact that we aren't
just like any other temporary agency Michael, is to find
long term, permanent placement for these associates. So I want
to place them where their skill sets are going to
be valued and where they're going to do the best
long term. We want them to find a home and
(10:13):
find a career.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And with this new and improved Leon, a Leon that
is sober, clearheaded, motivated and always willing to do the work,
it didn't take long before Olivia made good on that.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
She's kept the word. And that's how my mom ever
told me, wherever you go on life, if you don't
have nothing else, always keep their word.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Because after all the jobs that didn't work out, Leon
has finally found the job for him. Working in the
industrial industry for the last seven months has given Leon
not only an income, but a healthy routine and a
sense of purpose. Like all of us, he has his days,
has afternoons when the clock drags, and mornings when he
(10:58):
just doesn't want to get out of bed. But then
he reminds himself how far he's come and how hard
he and the folks that Express have worked to get
him where he is today.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Express ball me back contill a human again. That's the
way I'm gonna put it. They gave him my life back.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
For on the job. I'm Avery Thompson.
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