Finding A Career, Not Just A Job, At Zoom Drain
This was it – rock bottom.
For service technician Marquise James, all of his temp jobs led him to a recycling company, picking through trash. Every day was spent sorting through mountains of putrid, rotting waste. All the while, James couldn’t stop thinking that there had to be something better out there that would help him achieve the lofty goals he had long set for himself.His road to Zoom Drain was a series of happy accidents and bold chances. Growing up in Delaware, the state’s small, quiet surroundings just didn’t fit James’ style. After moving to Northern Philadelphia, he started maneuvering through a series of temp jobs that could help pay the bills but typically only spanned for about one to two months.
“Those temp jobs were just exhausting, especially when thinking about what I was having to deal with at home,” James admitted.
The apartment complex James was living in was less than ideal. After a long day of work, he would have to come home to screaming neighbors or flashing police lights.
“It was just a negative experience all around.”
Following the rough hours, horrible bosses and the uncertainty that came with never knowing when or where the next job was going to be, he decided it was time for a more stable change. Just when he thought he had his path figured out, a big mistake put him on a different track.
“I was supposed to start working at a cable company but the people they were using for the background check pulled up the wrong file and somehow told me that I had a felony,” James recalled of the mistake. “I knew there wasn’t anything there. My dad works in the public safety building in Delaware and after looking more into it, there wasn’t anything on my file there either. So, I’m still not sure what file they pulled up.”
Feeling frustrated with how the office was handling things, he also submitted an application for Zoom Drain.
“They called me back and said everything had been sorted out, email us when you want to start the training,” James added.
Fast forward more than a year and a half and he is now officially recognized as a journeyman through the state of Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor. The journey that James took proved his excellence in our classroom environment and out in the field with our seasoned technicians – truly epitomizing a great student of the trade.
Another exciting achievement for James came later that month when he did something that he hadn’t given much thought towards making a reality. He was able to get out of his apartment complex after closing on his first home. It hasn’t been easy, and James doesn’t want to sugar coat that the work is any less demanding now than it was during his temp jobs.
“The work is tough but you have to look at the brightside. Even though you’re doing this amount of labor, what are you getting out of it and what are you working toward? I don’t necessarily want to say the balance between work and life is better, because I work a lot more now than I did then, but it’s a lot more manageable because I’m not in that negative atmosphere anymore. I can actually get to sleep now.”
It’s this work ethic, passion and positive outlook that has made James one of the key players on the Zoom Drain team.
“Marquise’s positive attitude and how dependable he is are two of the things I admire most about him. Both are very important attributes to have when climbing the ladder of success here at Zoom Drain,” said General Manager Steve Solla.
Even though the work can be challenging at times, James has been able to find what he was looking for while making his way through all of those temp positions..
“Me coming to people’s houses and being able to help them solve their problems just feels different,” said James. “It feels like more of a purpose.”