MyWescoTimeline

About Me

Why did I choose Wesco?

At the time I felt stuck in a job where I enjoyed the work but felt incredibly undervalued. My girlfriend loved her job and it seemed like a good company so I decided to give Wesco a try.

What were your first impressions of Wesco?

Honestly, while it was great to be in clean and safe workplace with super nice and welcoming people, I really struggled in my first position with Wesco. It wasn't until I moved out into a store that I really found my place with the company.

Year 1

Associate @ Distribution

In 2011 I started at the Wesco Distribution center picking orders. It was great, I finally had a job with a consistent schedule where I knew I could take care of my daughter and finally start feeling stable and secure. It was the first job I'd ever had that actually offered benefits.

Year 2

Associate @ Distribution

I continued at the distribution center learning more, picking up new skills, making new friends through work, and feeling a sense of security in a job for the first time in my life.

Year 4

Associate @ Distribution

Wesco Distribution, years 3 and 4 were a little rough. I was so grateful to have a job where I could count on being able to take care of things for my family but the warehouse life had really started to wear on me. This was the point that I decided that had to try to move into a store.

Year 5

Sales Associate @ Wesco 13

I finally did it!!! I made the move to a store and I loved it. I moved to Wesco 13 and I felt great about it. I was full-time 3rd shift and I got to meet so many new interesting people. It was fast paced but I never felt like it was too much because I was doing things that made a difference in someone's day. I had a job where my actions and my attitude could make a real impact. My favorite memory was a customer who had gotten very upset with me and left the store angry. The next day I took the time to talk with him again and I was able to fix the situation and make him happy. It meant a lot to me because I had taken alot of pride in what I bragged was a "100% customer satisfaction rate" and while it wasn't a huge thing it felt amazing to pump my fist and say to myself, " satisfaction rate restored!!!"

Year 6

Sales Associate @ Wesco 13

Sales Associate/ Baker / Ops / Assistant in training. Year 6 really seemed to fly by. I was learning a ton and working hard and I found myself becoming a go-to person at store 13. It was this year that I moved from 3rd shift to the bakery for few months, then on to my ops training and ultimately becoming an Assistant Manager in Training in the fall of that year. I don't know that there was a specific memory that would have been my favorite but I will always remember that year as the year that I had shown my daughter that anything is possible if you are willing to work hard for it. Amber Creed took a huge chance on me when most people wouldn't have and I am forever grateful to her for the opportunity she gave me.

Year 7

Assistant in Training @ Wesco 13

I continued my work at Wesco 13 and continued to grow and learn and really started to help grow others as well!!! It was amazing!! My favorite memory from that year was Hospitality 1 class. I always had this image in my head of stuffy, uptight "corporate office people". Boy, was I wrong. Vernetta taught our class and it was great, the first thing she did was crack a joke and change my view forever. She was fun, and funny, sweet, and kind and blunt all at the same time. She brought up topics that many people would have been to afraid to talk about but she made you feel comfortable and confident. That day I realized that its not just about growing people for the company it's about growing them for the world and for themselves.

Year 8

Assistant Manager @ Wesco 13

That spring I complete Leadership Academy. It was during that class that one of my favorite Wesco memories was made. Going through the Giving Leader with Russ and Sam was absolutely eye opening and really made me think about not just how I could be best for my team but about how I could be my best for myself. But even that couldn't top the day that Jerry Westgate walked into the room to track down the owner of the Volkswagon in the parking lot with the lights left on. Its not very often that you find a company owner and CEO that would go out of their way just to make sure that they personally deliver the message and help someone out.

Year 9

Assistant Manager @ Wesco 13 & 15/57

The end of that summer in the middle of interviews for a new position as an assistant at a MUM location I had an accident and broke my hip/femur. I was out for 3 full months. And Melissa Rendulic gave me the job anyway. Once again, another awesome Wesco manager putting their immediate needs aside to take a chance on me. My favorite memory that year though, was the outpouring of support and caring from so many people. Melissa brought me to LDD... in spirit, and photograph. And almost everybody from store 13 came by to see me bringing meals and visiting and just letting me know they cared and were thinking of me.

Year 10

Assistant Manager @ Wesco 15/57

The last year has been a blast, building new relationships, and helping to mold a team that are all fairly new. My favorite memories so far have just been getting to know my new team. They each have their own strengths, weaknesses, quirks, and pet-peeves. And working with them is always a blast!!

Looking Back

What would I want someone just starting out to know?

You can't even imagine the opportunities that await you. Opportunity to grow in a million ways and learn from so many amazing leaders. Work hard, stay positive, be open and honest, ask questions and accept criticism and grow from it. Be willing to step outside your comfort zone, everytime you do the boundaries get wider and wider

Gabe