Owner 

(Female, Age 45) from Wichita, KS

This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 45 who works as a Owner in Wichita, KS. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.

At a Glance

Current Job

Basic data on your current job

Job Title Owner
Salary $30,000
Other Compensation None Set
Hours/Week 60
Company Size (not answered)
Location Wichita, KS
Years Experience 12 years

Career Ratings

Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)

Years in Career 0
Education (not answered)
Income Rating 0 / 10
Interest Rating 0 / 10
Work-Life Rating 0 / 10
Fulfilment Rating 0 / 10

Current job Q&A

Describe the type of organization you work for.
I operate a lawn service that also does some minor landscaping work

Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I do everything from dealing with customers to employees, acquiring and maintaining equipment, take care of all paperwork, and work in the field

Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Work is seasonal so I have winter months off

Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well compensated

Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Sometimes I work with others and sometimes alone. While I enjoy being around others at times I truly enjoy the solitude my work affords me a good part of the time

Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?

Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes

Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Most of my work is done outdoors……and I love it. That’s why I chose to go into this business.

Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 4
Benefits: 5
Hours: 6
Co-Workers: 3
Supervisors: 7
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 2
The Actual Work: 1

A day in the life of…

Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:

5am to 6am
6am to 7am
7am to 8am I’m usually at first customer of the day at 7am which is generally a commercial customer. I try to schedule residential customers later in the day as not everyone likes to hear loud lawn mowers early the morning. During extreme heatwaves I may start at 6 am or daylight, whichever comes first, in non-residential areas to beat the heat and be able to take off in the early afternoon.
8am to 9am Through the morning I would go from customer to customer, unloading and reloading equipment at each stop. I always mow first, followed by trimming and edging with the weedeater or edger, and finish up with blowing off sidewalks, curbs, etc…
9am to 10am Most customers are serviced on a weekly basis but some prefer every 10 days or 2 weeks. I try to be as accommodating as possible. Also all work is done weather permitting…..I can’t work if it’s raining or too wet from previous rain.
10am to 11am Some customers may have scheduled shrub/bush or light tree trimming. I may extra help along to do this work as well as extra equipment. If it is being fitted in between lawn work we may leave the brush/limbs behind to come back to pick up and haul away after unloading/storing other equipment.
11am to 12pm This is normally about when I take a lunch break to refuel and rest up a bit for the afternoon push. I also refill the water cooler as it is absolutely crucial to have plenty of water to drink when working out in the heat.
12pm to 1pm By now I would have eaten and gotten more fuel, if needed, for the equipment. I usually have my sights set on how much work i want to get done before calling it a day….maybe 2 or 3 more customers unless I’m behind due to bad weather and may have to work till evening or even dark.
1pm to 2pm I leave the faster easier jobs for the afternoon when it’s hotter……moving from job to job gives built-in breaks.
2pm to 3pm Should be finishing up the day’s schedule and heading in. Equipment must be unloaded, cleaned, serviced if needed, and made ready for the next day.
3pm to 4pm Take care of daily paperwork. Enter and file expense receipts, put any checks/monies in business checkbook to be deposited, finalize what work was actually done on daily schedule sheet. Check phone messages and return customer calls. Adjust work schedule for next day or days as needed, possibly schedule estimates.
4pm to 5pm
5pm to 6pm
6pm to 7pm Return calls from any customers that may have not been available earlier.
7pm to 8pm
8pm to 9pm
9pm to 10pm
10pm to 11pm
11pm to 12am

Table of Contents

How you got your job

How did you get your current job?
It found me.

What was the application process?
Negotiating with customers

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
N/A

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
N/A

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
I prepared myself by learning as I went……sometimes from mistakes that cost me time, money, or both.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
On the job training. I learned as I went, sought out knowledgeable advice when I needed it, and learned how to operate equipment as I was able to afford to buy it.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
I did have a lot of accounting in high school which helped me a lot in being able to keep my own books.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Have the drive and desire to be your own boss, love working outdoors, and be willing to make at least some investment in some equipment to get started. I started my business with one small lawnmower, mowing for a few neighbors. It could also be helpful to seek out employment for someone else in this field to learn the skills needed to operate the various equipment safely and correctly.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
The biggest is being self-supervising and disciplined…..when you’re the boss you have to manage your time well and get the work done without having someone else, a supervisor, to prod you into doing it. People skills are essential in dealing with both customers and employees.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Not really……hardwork and motivation to succeed are the keys.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Treat both your customers and your employees as you like to be treated. Deal fairly and honestly with both. Charge a fair price for a good job. Take pride in your work. Lead by example.

Long-term career plans

Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
I don’t remember having a career plan.

What are your current career goals?
Stay on top of my game and keep my business thriving even in these tough economic times.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Being in business for yourself can be risky but it can also be very rewarding.

Prior work history

Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:

Title Length Salary Description
Prior Job 1 Bartender 2 years 10/hour Mix and serve drinks, take payment and give change, keep place cleaned and stocked
Prior Job 2 Clerk 1 year 6/hour Run cash register, wait on customers, keep place clean

Educational background

Please list your educational background:

High School GPA:3.85

GPA School Degree
College (Undergraduate)
or Technical/Vocational
Graduate or Professional
(Masters or Doctorate)

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