Let me tell you the story of a man I know -- a high school dropout at 16. Landing a job in construction, no job skills to speak of, he took every moment and opportunity to learn and to do. By 18, he had a well-rounded set of construction skills and earned his GED. Over the next five years, he developed his skills into that of a craftsman, a mason, a carpenter.
At 24, he landed a job in a restoration company as a carpenter. He was dependable and solid, his company t-shirt was pressed, tucked in, and he stood out as a professional. Within a year, he was promoted to team leader. As a team leader he focused on honing his customer service skills, communication abilities, and aggressively seizing every chance to learn the restoration sciences. He did not just execute a scope of work; he understood how it was written. His performance was consistently excellent in the following years. Customer service, quality and efficiency were his signature to job results.