You have to take chances in life when they are presented to you and, two years ago, Jack Tennant offered me a chance.
Sitting at my brother-in-law’s house in Ottawa – one of the many areas in Ontario where I have spent more than a few years of my life – frustration was beginning to settle in on the job-front.
Apparently finding employment in my home-province – even with a university degree, work experience and a glowing reference letter from a previous publisher – has not become any easier since I left in 2002.
My wife Kirsty and I attempted to move to Ontario to be closer to family and friends, but it didn’t take long before the Wild West lured us back…more specifically, Jack lured us back.
In his typical, unorthodox style, Jack hired me most unexpectedly.
Through sheer disappointment with Ontario job prospects, I applied for three positions with newspapers out west; two in British Columbia and one at this independent paper in a wee little town by the Bow.
I was offered employment at two of the three.
Jack looked at my application (at least I assume he did) and offered me the job as editor by way of email the day after I had applied. Maybe he was desperate, but I’d like to think he represented an old-school way of looking at things.
My grandfather once told me that if I wanted a job all I had to do was walk in and tell them when I could start…an old-school way of approaching a job-hunt for sure, but if you look deeper, an admirable tactic that I think more employers should look for in an applicant.
Like my grandfather, Jack doesn’t beat around the bush. If you want the job and you’re willing to work your best at it, you’re hired. If you don’t intend on working hard, then why on earth would you apply in the first place?
I did intend on taking full advantage of the opportunity and, thankfully, Jack offered me that chance.
My wife and I – including Kirsty’s sister’s family – had just moved to Ottawa from Alberta three months prior, so to make a long story/conversation short, I packed my stuff and drove to Cochrane, not knowing why I had ever left.
My wife and in-laws came out shortly after, dismayed at my apparent flightiness, but thankful, nonetheless, that they had an excuse to move back out west.
Few people like Jack are still around who are bold enough to offer you that chance. More and more it seems that if you’re not born with at least five years experience, you don’t know someone in your particular industry or choose to work for free (a.k.a. internship) you end up getting left on the outside looking in.
So it is with great sadness and ongoing gratitude that I bid farewell to Jack as the publisher of the Cochrane Eagle.
I would say he will be missed, but we all know he’ll be around.
