| Sales/Sourcing Representative II |
I work in the Recycling division of Weyerhaeuser, which is one of the
world's largest forest products companies. My job is basically to search
the Dallas-Fort Worth area for scrap paper tons from large producers,
such as offices, printers, warehouses, and waste haulers with recycling
routes. The scrap is either baled or loose, delivered or picked up by
our drivers in semi-loads, then processed for shipment to paper, tissue,
or corrugated mills, both domestic and international.
I am in a salaried position here with a yearly bonus, based on target
goals set forth by the plant manager and regional VP for our division.
The hours are what I make them to attain my goals. We have a "business
casual" dress code, which as a female is a big mystery. I tend to start
early, because most of my customers do. My manager is a nice person, but
does not have any direction for sales. "Get more tons" is a little weak,
when the health of our plant stands on two sales persons shoulders. I
got hired as a body in the beginning, although I knew I could do the job
well, having 18 years of medical clinic assisting under my belt. I
actually got the job when they asked why I thought I could sell, and I
replied that if I could talk people into 2 enemas and a scope where the
sun doesn't shine, that this job would be relatively easy. I was started
extremely low on the salary scale, and despite numerous conversations
with my manager, and past performances that warrent a decent raise, I am
still low on the scale, considering I was among the top five reps in my
division last year. I am the sole representative for our plant in four
industry organization. The other rep doesn't choose to! It's a lot of
extra hours for me to keep up, rewarding as these groups can be. I am
also considered a major resource to members of these groups for
information on recycling that I have collected over the years.
The best thing about my job is that every new customer is unique, or at
least my approach is with that in mind. I have the opportunity to listen
and learn about the person, the views, and their vision for their
business. Like a patient. You can't help anyone until you listen to
their needs. Secondly, I love the freedom of being able to leave the
office to prospect new business, or visit with existing customers. After
too many years of being inside a clinic for eight to ten hours, I have
found sales to be a terrific boost to my overall wellbeing. Yes, the
money is an issue, but we have some of the BEST benefits out there, and
I don't feel like I am on a short leash.
As to advancement, I am looking to take some more courses towards
design and business management, to eventually get into the packaging
division. This is self directed, as my manager does not tend to put
himself out for employees to get ahead. Some of this is no doubt related
to his lack of advancement over the years. He would need an MBA to move
up, but doesn't want to do it. I do want to say that this is not common
for the majority of Weyerhaeuser. There are many managers working with
employees to move them up through the system. We have a big push to
advance diversity candidates in all areas of the company. I am just in
an odd pocket with this situation. I do plan on staying with
Weyerhaeuser until retirement, so advancement will happen, one way or
another.
A little more on our benefits...becaues of our buying power,
Weyerhauser offers Cigna PPO plans for employees and their dependents.
Yes, the deductible and prescription co-pays have gone up this year, but
many companies have far less coverage. My dental is free. My spouse's
costs $11.00/month! They offer partial reimbursement for gym
memberships, partial coverage for orthodontia, covered vision exams, and
so on. I will get three weeks of paid vacation at the 5-year mark.
Unheard of> Every other job I've had gives three weeks at 10-15 years,
if at all. The matching for our 401K is better than 60%. Who does that?
There is also a seperate retirement fund to look forward to.
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