In this current economic climate, a common fear among university graduates is not being able to find a job. However, three Brock University alumni have shown that a fulfilling career isn’t always about the nature of your degree, but instead, how you use it.
JustJunk.com, a Niagara-area franchising company, specializes in removing unwanted items from people’s homes. With new locations opening up across Canada and the U.S., the corporate office has recently opened its door to a team of young, new university graduates who are eager to jumpstart their careers.
Steve Adams (BBA ’09), a 24-year-old graduate of Brock’s Business Administration Co-op program, was hired to work at JustJunk.com in a marketing communications role. After only a few months of learning, growing and adapting to the world of junk removal, Adams was promoted to marketing manager — an impressive job description for such a young addition to the team.
“Brock provided me with tools necessary to provide great skills to my job,” said Adams. “The business co-op option gave me a great edge after graduation.”
A business degree, however, is not a pre-requisite to work with the JustJunk.com franchising team.
Shane Wright (BA ’10) graduated Brock last spring with a degree in liberal arts but discovered he was most passionate about his business-related courses, especially sales and marketing. Enthusiastic about the business world, but wanting to remain close to home as a St. Catharines local, Wright calls JustJunk.com, “the perfect opportunity — the best of both worlds.” Now in his third month on the job, Wright is responsible for customer service, web-page editing, marketing and franchisee relations. “Working for JustJunk.com is second to none, and the sky is the limit,” said Wright.
One of the newest members of the corporate team has her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and could not be more excited to utilize her skills in an unlikely way.
Aidan Millar (BA ’11), a Brock student who will graduate in June with a psychology degree, says that JustJunk.com has provided her with the chance to learn the ins and outs of a blossoming business. “My education experience at Brock instilled in me critical thinking and organization skills as well as the ability to communicate effectively and practically,” said Miller. Miller views her skills as transferrable, and for JustJunk.com, this means in a public relations capacity. Having not even graduated yet, Millar did not think such a rewarding job would come so easily and quickly. “I couldn’t be happier,” said Miller.
JustJunk.com, led by president and founder Michael Thorne, has tapped into the always-needed service of junk removal. “As long as people buy new things, they have to get rid of the old,” said Thorne.
Thorne is clear about whom he wants on his team. “We need big-picture thinkers. We want people who care about this business.”
The youthful and tech-savvy staff provides a business advantage. “We young people — business degrees or not — have a fresh, out-of-the-box perspective on the business world,” said Adams. “You can’t put a price on that.”
