Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! This is the place to learn about careers from the people who are actually doing the work every day. I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and this week’s guest is 2019 Van Buren graduate Johnathon Farthing, a general manager and franchise trainer at Five Guys. In this episode, Johnathon shares how he decided to leave college to pursue full-time employment with Five Guys, how teachers don’t only work in schools, the most fulfilling aspects of his career, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career in the restaurant industry or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Johnathon shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show!1:13 - A typical day for a general manager at a Five Guys franchise.3:57 - Five Guys refresh - how does that look?4:50 - Jonathon’s performance in a refresh led to a promotion for him as a trainer.6:03 - Jonathon’s career plans when he was graduating from high school - medicine, education, music education.7:21 - Starting at Five Guys immediately after graduating from high school.7:50 - Starting college while working at Five Guys - maybe confusing passion with a career and the impact of Covid.9:55 - Deciding not to go back to college10:25 - The outcome of “dropping out” of college - “It was hard to do.”10:50 - Going to college because it was expected - not the best reason to go12:15 - Regret and embarrassment but a positive outcome13:48 - Self-criticism and taking constructive criticism - be honest and open16:20 - It isn’t just fast food. There are many learning opportunities.17:40 - Learning how to work under pressure.18:25 - Promoting people and personal growth - the most fulfilling moments for Jonathon.19:50 - Jonathon’s career goals20:48 - “I want to be with people, and I want to train them.”21:49 - A teacher doesn’t have to be in a school - what Johnathon knows now that he wishes he had known in high school.22:30 - Jonathon never would have guessed that he would work in the food industry.Questions?Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/) or e-mail (bbratt@vbschools.net).Connect with Johnathon on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/johnathon-farthing-40294b246/) or by e-mail (johnathonfarthing41@gmail.com).
