Interview with Employee/ Entrepreneur Assignment Dylan Bragg Nov. 2, 2015 Interview with Jack Parsons Co-owner K&P Contracting

What was your first job? How did it influence you? My first job was a small hobble doing carpenter work. Being successful at his influenced us to move forward and start our own business. How did you discover this job? Both of us were good carpenters and we both done a few hobbles on the side. From this we decided to set up our own company and go full time at it. People that we had done work for before were aware of what we were doing and we just got the word out and the word of mouth spread fairly quickly.

When did you start working? We started the company in 1976, but I started work right out of high school. Did you go to post secondary school? No, neither of us did, however I did write my journeymen papers about 5 years ago, so I am a red seal carpenter. I can work anywhere in Canada. I like to give back, so I am currently working with the government for a harmonization trade.

How did you start your business? My partners brother had promised us a stake in his company, after procrastinating about it for a while we just decided to go with it. How old were you when you opened your own business? I was 23 years old. My partner was 30. Our primary reason was to create full time jobs for ourselves and not depend on anybody else. That worked out for us because here we are now, 39 years later, and still going strong.

Did you want to do this work when you were young? Yes I did, but during high school I had thought of being a RCMP Officer. During high school I went to help mu uncle build a house. I learned to plaster and paint with him. Then I got a job at the Newfoundland Hotel as an assistant of the painter and carpenter. My next job was as a carpenter and from that job onward I never drew employment insurance because I was always working. Which of your high school courses prepared you for your work? The math skills I learned, especially algebra and geometry because to be a good carpenter you got to know all the formulas as it relates to triangles and circles. There are a lot of things in carpentry that relates back to math.

What skills do you use most often? The biggest skill is the skill of dealing with people. Also I do a lot of design work in terms of houses and renovations. You use your math skills quite often. To be successful in your own business your #1 skill has to be dealing with people. Do you like what you do? I loves it… and I always did love it! Right now our company has gone second generation, meaning that both myself and Francis, who have been partners since 1976, have bought family members in and that gives me a lot more flexibility to do the part of the job that I really like. I don’t like dealing with money issues, so now all that stuff is gone from hands. 99% of the stuff I do I truly enjoy. I’m 62 years old and because I love my job so mush I don’t plan to retire till I'm 76 and the reason is that I love my job so much.

Would you rather work alone or as a team? Always work as a team. There is very little you can do on your own. Even this evening before you came I met with a client, and before that I reviewed that stuff with Curtis. As a team you get opinions and that makes the job even better. Two heads are better than one. What's more important… making lots of money or jog satisfaction? Its nice to make money, but that's not the be all end all. I really love my job and that trumps everything else. If I wasn’t satisfied with my job I wouldn’t do it.

What advice do you give someone new in the workplace? A strong work ethic coming into a workplace. For first and for most, they don’t know to work and if I had influence especially over a junior high and high school perspective is to install a and train the young people about work ethic. What is your favorite part of your work? 75% of what I d is design work and technical problem solving. When you are doing technical work there is a ability to find a solution that work not only for the short term but for the long term and I really enjoy that.

What are you hours/ work week of your job? They have cut back quite a bit because there is second generation but when I was the one running the administrative and design part of the company I worked hours a week. I don’t work that much now. I work somewhere between 30 – 40 hours a week now, rarely do I go over 40 and rarely do I go under 30. Are promotions possible at you work and what is the procedure? Yes they are totally available, not so much for me, but for everyone else there is. We are looking for people that we can rely on and at the end of the day all you really want is someone you can trust and rely on.

What influenced you and your job choices? In terms of at the time, I think it was that the job was really available. When I started full time at it, it came easy and I really enjoyed it. How long have you been working at this job? I started in 1971, and have been working ever since. The business started in In the first 10 years I worked with my tools, not so mush now.

How are people paid for this work? Hourly is the usual way. Some people get paid by piece work, meaning that for say putting up drywall, it would pay 15cents per square foot. What is the salary scale like for this level of work? In our sector right now, it is between 18 & 24 dollars an hour.

If you could change anything about your career, what would it be and why? I’d change nothing… I have no regrets. I'm happy and content. What are you future plans? To continue to do what we are doing, to continue to build strong relationships with out clients and to do whatever it takes to continue t be successful. We have 39 years of success behind us. I want to make sure we have 14 years of success in front of us. That will make my retirement and the second generation will continue to go forward with success…