Prompt
Jim Hartwell took a pest control job in 1955 because he needed work, not because he had a plan. He ended up staying fifty years. But over the decades, he hired hundreds of young people who used the job as a stepping stone to something else — nursing, business ownership, the military, the trades, finance, ministry. Jim was proud of all of them. He used to say a good pest control job teaches you more about real life in two years than most degrees teach in four.
Answer this:
What career or life are you working toward, and what did your pest control job teach you — or what is it teaching you now — that will help you get there?
Be honest. If the job is funding school, say so and tell us what you're studying. If you've already moved on from the industry, tell us what you took with you. If it taught you skills you didn't expect — like how to talk to strangers, manage your time, or handle rejection — tell us about that. We're not looking for people who pretend they want a lifelong pest control career when they don't. We just want to know where you're headed and what the industry gave you along the way.
Write in your own voice. The selection committee is made up of working pest control professionals who've hired plenty of people who moved on to other things. We respect that path.
Formatting:
• 250 to 400 words
• Submit as a PDF, Word doc, or pasted into the application form
• Include your name at the top