Jennifer Byers lost her father to lung cancer. One of the lasting lessons he taught her was that life is short, so do what makes you happy. After her father passed away, she started a hula-hoop company and a photography business. All the while she pursued her dream job as a flight attendant.
Today Byers has her dream job at Southwest Airlines; a job she’s wanted since high school. She first applied when she was 21, but put her dream career on hold when she was offered a raise and a bonus at the ad agency where she was then working.
Southwest was on a hiring freeze for many years, but when they finally began accepting applications again, the company was flooded with resumes.
“I felt like I won the lottery,” Byers says. “In two hours they got about ten thousand resumes and they only hire about three percent of applicants and I’m one of them. It was amazing.”
Her customers can tell that she loves her job. This allows them to open up and share their stories with her.
“Everyday there’s new stories that I hear,” she says. “I take the time to listen.”
Written by Jeremy Steen.
