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by Chazz Pratt
As a weary business traveler, I often see things that make me wonder about missed opportunities. For example, a recent hotel check-in prompted me to collect a conversation and share it with you.
On my previous late-night arrivals at this particular hotel, the front desk clerk appeared to be a student by day and hotel worker by night. As evidenced in his constant downward glances toward a smartphone and the stack of over-sized college textbooks placed neatly by the keycard machine, I'm convinced this clerk has plenty of work to do — social media or otherwise.
Month after month, I witnessed this same scenario: As the motion detector sensed my approach to the automatic doors of the lobby, a page turned or a pen got wedged between the pages of a book to serve as a temporary bookmark. Each time I entered, the front desk clerk popped up and welcomed me to the hotel. We exchanged pleasantries and commenced with the registration routine. I thanked the clerk and headed toward the elevator, ready to get settled in for the night. The whole lobby has a library vibe to it. The conditions were set for a great study session.
I admire anyone who can hold down a job while attending school. It's tough. Even though it's been many years since I worked 30 hours a week while taking 18+ hours of courses per semester, I can't help but think this hotel lobby scene is "well played." For the front desk clerk, it adds up to a commendable maximum use of those 24-hours available to all of us.
So, during my most recent trip to the front desk I decided to find out a little more about this student's journey through academia. I learned that with senior year approaching, worries of finding a job presented cause for concern. The leap from hotel clerk into a career in finance seemed daunting and uncertain for him.
I made a point to mention a few things as I received my room keys. Here's the rest of the story:
Sometimes opportunities are right before you. Don't be afraid to take the first step. Please share your success story on how you discovered one.
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