J.D.
WHO IS JUSTIN DIXON?
CALM AND COLLECTED
ALWAYS SETTING GOALS
PEOPLE TELL ME I'M A CALM AND COLLECTED INDIVIDUAL WITH A LOT OF PATIENCE AND AMBITION IN ME. I ALWAYS LOOK AT PROBLEMS WITH AN OPEN MIND AND LOOK FOR NEW WAYS OF DOING THINGS MORE EFFICIENTLY, IN A CALM AND PATIENT PERSONA.
ONE OF MY BIGGEST CHALLENGES ATTENDING MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY IS THE FACT THAT IT INVOLVED A LOT OF GROUP WORK. IN RARE CASES YOU GET PEOPLE WHO DO NOT PUT IN ANY EFFORT. THIS PUTS A LOT MORE PRESSURE ON THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE GROUP TO GET THINGS COMPLETED; HOWEVER, SEEING THINGS FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW, MAYBE THEY AREN'T REALLY SURE ON WHAT THINGS NEED TO BE DONE, OR SOMETHING PERSONAL IS GOING ON THAT NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT. OPENING UP TO THE TEAM MEMBERS NEEDS AND STRUGGLES MAY ACTUALLY HELP THEM OVERCOME THEIR STRUGGLES AND GET THEM BACK ON TRACK
ONE THING I ALWAYS FEEL THE NEED TO DO, IS TO SET GOALS THAT ARE CHALLENGING, BUT REACHABLE. SETTING GOALS FOR YOURSELF KEEPS YOU OCCUPIED, AND MOTIVATED TO REACH THOSE GOALS. WITHOUT GOALS, WHAT IS A BUSINESS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? WHAT STRATEGY IS IN PLACE?
THE FUN SIDE OF ME
I'M A BIG ANIMAL LOVER. MY BOYFRIEND HAS A CAT AND WE GAVE A GUINEA PIG A GOOD HOME. HER NAME IS SUZY. WHEN I AM NOT HOME TAKING CARE OF SUZY, IN MY SPARE TIME I LIKE TO BE ACTIVE.
BOYFRIEND: HIS NAME IS BRADLEY ANDREWS. HE MOTIVATES ME TO BE THE BEST ME I CAN BE. HE BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN ME. WE LIKE TO PLAY TENNIS TOGETHER (SEE PICTURE TO THE LEFT). WE GO TO THE MOVIES OCCASIONALLY, AND LOOK AFTER SUZY.
SUZY: SUZY IS OUR GUINEA PIG. WE ADOPTED HER JANUARY 9TH, 2017 AND SHE LOVES US ALREADY. WE LIKE TO CALL HER 'OUR DAUGHTER.' WE TREAT HER LIKE GOLD AND TAKE HER OUT FOR WALKS AROUND THE HOUSE. (SEE SUZY BELOW)
I'M CURRENTLY IN MY FINAL SEMESTER OF MY BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREE AT MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. THE EXPERIENCE WAS CHALLENGING, YET REWARDING IN EVERY WAY. I CAME FROM A LOW-INCOME FAMILY, WITH NO CONFIDENCE THAT I WOULD EVEN GET THIS FAR. I COMPLETED GROUP PROJECTS, FACED A FAILING GRADE, GAVE PRESENTATIONS, AS WELL AS VOLUNTEER MY TIME WHILE ATTENDING SCHOOL. TODAY, I HAVE A GREAT AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE TO GO OUT IN THE WORKFORCE.
DOLLARAMA IS MY CURRENT PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED WITH THE COMPANY FOR OVER A YEAR NOW AS A PART-TIME SALES ASSOCIATE WHILE I COMPLETE MY DEGREE. I WATCHED PEOPLE COME AND GO, NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE THE JOB. IN MY EXPERIENCE, IT'S NOT THAT BAD. I GET TO IMPROVE ON MY INNOVATIVE SKILLS AND AM VERY AMBITIOUS. WHEN I'M DEVOTED TO A TASK, I LIKE TO GET THE TASK DONE, IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE. I GET TO INTERACT WITH CUSTOMERS IN A TIMELY ND FRIENDLY MANNER, AND I GET TO FIGURE OUT NEW WAYS OF GOING ABOUT MERCHANDISING PRODUCTS WHEN SHELF SPACE IS LIMITED. THE BEST WAY OF GETTING CUSTOMER INFORMATION IS BY INTERACTING DIRECTLY WITH THEM. CUSTOMERS ARE KEY TO THE BUSINESS.
THIS PICTURE INSPIRES ME. IT SHOWS SOME OF THE WAYS A LEADER CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. SOME A THE TRAITS A LEADER NEEDS TO PORTRAY ARE:
WORK WELL IN A TEAM: A GREAT LEADER NEEDS TO WORK WELL IN A TEAM. WITHOUT A GREAT TEAM LEADER, ALL MEMBERS LOSE MOTIVATION, WHICH COULD IN TURN, RESULT IN HIGHER TURNOVER FOR THE COMPANY. AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, YOU NEED TO BE PATIENT AND EMPATHETIC OF THE NEEDS OF THE GROUP AND BE OPEN TO THEIR NEEDS TO BE A GREAT LEADER.
CHALLENGES: A GREAT LEADER NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPANY. WHEN I WORKED OVER CHRISTMAS, DOLLARAMA RAN OUT OF BAGS AND COIN. AS A RESULT, I HAD TO ASK CUSTOMERS FOR EXTRA COIN SO I COULD GIVE THEM BILLS INSTEAD OF COIN IN RETURN BECAUSE WE HAD NONE AND WE HAD TO USE LARGE BAGS AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE MEDIUM SIZED BAGS.
CREATIVE LEADERSHIP: BEING CREATIVE AS A LEADER IS A GREAT QUALITY. LEADERS WHO ARE CREATIVE CAN THINK 'OUTSIDE THE BOX.' WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS THAT CREATIVE PEOPLE TEND TO THINK OF NEW WAYS OF DOING THINGS AND NOT ONE SPECIFIC WAY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. CREATIVENESS GIVES THE PERSON THE ABILITY TO BETTER SOLVE PROBLEMS.
AMBITION: AMBITION IS A STRONG QUALITY IN A LEADER AS WELL. AMBITION REQUIRES HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION. IT IS A QUALITY THAT I'M PROUD TO SAY I POSSESS. IT IS, AFTER ALL, WHAT PUSHED ME TO BE WHERE I AM TODAY. I GO TO WORK EVERY DAY WITH AMBITION AND I AM VERY DEDICATED TO MY SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS.
MOTIVATION AS A QUALITY: WHAT MOTIVATES LEADERS TO BE LEADERS MAY DIFFER. LEADERS MAY BE MOTIVATED BECAUSE OF CERTAIN PROMOTIONS OR PAY, OR BECAUSE THEY JUST ENJOY BEING A LEADER. CHANCES ARE, MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN LEADERS POSSESS THESE SKILLS AND DO NOT KNOW IT. LEADERS GO UNKNOWN. I DIDN'T SEE MY LEADERSHIP ABILITY UNTIL I WENT TO POST-SECONDARY, WHERE I BUILT ON THOSE SKILLS. WHAT MOTIVATES ME TO BE A LEADER IS THE FACT THAT I DO POSSESS A LOT OF THESE QUALITIES. I AM ABLE TO WORK PART OF A TEAM, I DID OVERCOME CHALLENGES, I AM CREATIVE, AND I AM MOTIVATED. MY STRONGEST QUALITY IS MY AMBITION. I AM AMBITIOUS BECAUSE I AM MOTIVATED. PEOPLE SEE ME AS AMBITIOUS. IT IS PART OF WHO I AM. I AM MOTIVATED BECAUSE OF MY NEED TO SUCCEED. LIKE I SAID, I STARTED FROM ALMOST NOTHING AND I GOT MYSELF WHERE I AM TODAY, MAKING THIS WEBSITE FOR YOU TO SEE!
DECISIONS: LEADERS HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR A GROUP , FOR EXAMPLE, LEADING A TEAM IN A NEW PROJECT THAT IS BEING WORKED ON. THOSE DECISIONS AFFECT THE WHOLE GROUP OF PEOPLE.
DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE THAT BENEFIT THE WHOLE GROUP. I'VE FREQUENTLY MADE DECISIONS AND GAVE ADVICE THAT ACTUALLY IMPROVED OUR GRADE ON OUR PROJECTS. AS A LEADER IN A PRESENTATION, DECISIONS ON WHO WOULD FIT THE BEST SPEAKING PART AND SUCH WOULD HAVE TO BE DECISIONS MADE. IN A MARKETING PRESENTATION I WAS A PART OF, WE HAD 2 PEOPLE DROP THE COURSE, SO I HAD TO TAKE ON THE LEADERSHIP ROLE AND MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE 2 MEMBERS THAT WERE LEFT IN THE GROUP. I THINK I DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB FOR MY FIRST POST-SECONDARY PRESENTATION.
VISION AND STRATEGY: WITHOUT A VISION, THERE IS NO STRATEGY. GREAT LEADERS MUST HAVE A VISION FOR THE GROUP AND HAVE A WELL ARTICULATED STRATEGY IN PLACE TO REACH THAT VISION. STRATEGY IS HOW YOU ARE GOING TO OBTAIN THE GOALS THAT ARE IN PLACE. A VISION ARE THOSE GOALS. WHERE I SEE MYSELF IN FIVE YEARS IS HAVING MY OWN PROPERTY AND WORKING IN A FIELD I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR. LIKE I SAID, LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT IN HUMAN RESOURCES, MANAGEMENT, OR TAXATION. THOSE ARE MY AREAS OF INTEREST. MY STRATEGY ON HOW TO GET THERE IS COMPLETE MY DEGREE AND FIND EMPLOYMENT. MANAGEMENT REQUIRES GREAT LEADERSHIP, AND I CAN BRING THAT TO THE ORGANIZATION.
