Many of us have heard the saying “No Risk, No Reward” It is often used in speeches to inspire or motivate, and certainly applies to the jobs we take and the work we enjoy doing.

Typically, when we first start a job, it is exciting, and we look forward to what the future holds. Unfortunately for some, after a while, they begin to find it harder and harder to go to work each day. The work environment has changed, or maybe they don’t see a path of growth within the company. For many, the answer is to give notice and find another job, but that is much easier said than done. It is scary for anyone to leave a job, as there are so many unknowns. One of the biggest unknowns is “What if I don’t find another job right away?” Bradley, a supported individual in MVA’s employment services, decided to take the “Risk” of leaving his current job to search for the “Reward” of a new position that gave him more responsibilities and opportunities for growth. This is his story.

After Bradley graduated from Cascade High School in 2008, he started his employment journey as a courtesy clerk at Roth’s Fresh Market. This job gave him the opportunity to build his customer service skills. Bradley had other jobs throughout the next ten years and continued to sharpen not only his customer service skills, but he also developed other skills as well.

In 2018, Bradley thought he had found the job of his dreams. He was hired for a customer service position at a car dealership in Salem. In this position he was tasked with greeting potential customers as they walked in, offering them refreshments all with a positive attitude. This was a very important role, as he was the first person to meet every customer who walked in the door, providing an excellent first impression of the organization. Bradley did such a good job that customers were leaving Google Reviews of the dealership specifically mentioning him by name! Customers complimented not only the service he provided but also his infectious personality and positivity.

Bradley was doing very well in this position, but he wanted more responsibilities. Bradley wanted to add the job of washing cars to his ongoing tasks. His work supervisor sounded open to the idea, saying “just not at this time. “He kept waiting and hoping, but the answer was still the same not now. This was a very big disappointment for Bradley, but he did not let this affect his work performance. As time passed, however, there were other issues in the work culture that was different from when he first started. It raised the question to Bradley, was it time to find a new job?

In July of 2022, Bradley decided it was indeed time, and he handed in his two weeks notice. He knew that he was not guaranteed to find employment right away. Nevertheless, he decided to take the very real and very scary “risk” of being unemployed for an unknown amount of time. At the same time, he had confidence in himself and his abilities and believed he would find the “reward” of a workplace that maximized his current skills while offering him an opportunity for growth and a positive work environment.

Just ten days later, Bradley was ecstatic to get a phone call from MVA letting him know that he had an interview set up at Power KIA in Salem. After the interview, he had to wait a full week in anticipation of the outcome. Finally, on a Friday afternoon, Bradley was notified that he had been offered a position!

Bradley has been working at his new job for two months now, and he has never been happier. He enjoys his new co-workers, and he has been given new responsibilities. Every workday, Bradley spends an hour doing what he has wanted to do for so long, washing cars!   MVA is proud of Bradley’s growth and determination, and we look forward to his continued career growth in the years ahead.

This is one of the many things that have changed in supported employment over the past few years. People know that their first job will not be their last, and the confidence that is built from taking a risk and receiving the reward is a great lesson for us all to learn and embrace.