Charlotte Local Graduating College; Continues Career at Autobell®
From “just a summer job” to “this is my path,” soon-to-be college graduate Adam Ojaniit makes plans to be with Autobell® long-term.
In July 2019, Adam Ojaniit decided to work at Autobell® as his summer job to help pay for college. Like many college kids, he figured it would be a decent, temporary job while working through school. But four years later, with graduation on the horizon, Ojaniit doesn’t plan on going anywhere.
“I love my job too much,” said Ojaniit. “Autobell® is exactly where I want to be.”
As a Business Management major at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, Ojaniit has learned the many ins and outs of what it takes to keep a business going. Although he thought he would eventually manage a business one day, he never thought he would be working his way up to managing an Autobell®.
“This job started as just that, a job. But it quickly turned into a place I am excited to go to every day. Autobell created the spark in me I needed to continue on my business management path,” said Ojaniit. “I even recruited my brother and cousin to come here because I knew they would love it too."
Although Ojaniit’s brother went to college and started his career elsewhere, Joey Vogel, Ojaniit’s cousin, plans to follow in Ojaniit’s footsteps.
“The people at Autobell really care about you and wouldn't hesitate to help you if you needed it, personally or professionally,” said Vogel. “I am preparing to enter the managers’ program, and like Adam, I hope to be a store manager one day.”
Ojaniit strives to be a good leader for his team and help them grow into where they want to be at Autobell. He credits his own leadership growth to his mentor and Store Manager, Carson Hutto.
“You can give someone the keys and tell them to run a crew, but it takes true skill to be a good leader,” said Hutto. “Adam has certainly always been a natural leader, and I’m happy to see how he has grown and leads the team.”
Although becoming a store manager is Ojaniit’s next goal, he hopes to become a district manager for Autobell in the future and leave an impact on his team members like Hutto left on him.
“Even during my first few weeks here, I could see how many opportunities Autobell® provides for employees. Then, as an assistant manager, it became even more clear that this was my path,” said Ojaniit. “The entire Autobell® culture is something I want to be a part of long term. I want to make a lasting impact and be the mentor people look up to, so I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else to start my post-college career.”