My dad – who I sometimes call Mr. Jay - is my role model.
He started his career with the First Bank of Nigeria in the late 70s. He worked at the bank for 35 years, rising through the ranks over the decades. He committed to the company because he felt the company was a good company.
During his career at the bank, my dad faced situations that tested his integrity. He was always committed to doing the right thing, and I saw the challenges he went through because he wanted to do things the right way. I saw him go through that, persevere, and become a true leader. He was always at peace because he made sure he did the right thing
His commitment to integrity and hard work is the example I follow in my own career.
I moved to Canada from Nigeria in 2018, hoping to find work in the oil and gas industry after completing a master’s degree in geophysics in the U.K. That industry, however, was experiencing a downturn at the time and work was hard to come by. I had to figure out what else I could do. I was living with my brother in Calgary, and he was working at Walmart Canada – so I decided to apply for a role at a store nearby.
Pictured above: Charles' father and mother visiting his sister in the U.K.
I quickly saw that if you are hard-working, there are lots of opportunity to grow at Walmart.
I started at as a part-time flex associate, and I am now an assistant manager at the McKenzie Supercentre in Calgary. My dad always taught me and my siblings if you keep working hard, you will see progress, even if it’s little by little. Hard work and drive took me to where I am, and I believe it will take me to the next level.
Walmart’s own commitment to integrity also makes me feel like I can keep growing at the company. Our ethics and compliance training, for example, is all about making sure we follow the rules and stay on the right side of everything - and this reflects how I already operate.
For instance, I am currently managing our store’s e-commerce/omni operations. Part of this job is looking at customer satisfaction scores. There are no shortcuts for something like this. I always say to my team: if we do the job right, the scores will reflect the true quality service we are providing.
My dad is now retired, and I video call with him and my mom back in Nigeria every couple of weeks. Talks with my dad always come back to how work is going. He knows about my progression at Walmart, and always gives me the same advice: to keep working hard, to keep going, to keep doing what you’re doing.
Happy Father’s Day, Mr. Jay!
Charles Jarrett is an Assistant Manager at the Calgary-McKenzie Walmart Supercentre
