News & Culture

Rebecca Molnar: My First 6 Months at 505-Junk

Author: Rebecca Molnar

When I used to think of a 9-5 desk job, I generally pictured isolating cubicles, tedious spreadsheets, and the infamous “I’m dead inside” meme courtesy of The Office. As soon as I came in for my first interview with 505-Junk, however, I could see that this office was dynamic, fast-paced, and definitely not boring. In my first six months, I quickly learned that this was made possible by the incredibly supportive and dedicated 505 Team. I remember being in a Daily Huddle with Franchise Manager, Alex Elsey, about 3 months after I started when he asked me “Rebecca, do you still like working at 505-Junk? I want to make sure you’re happy here.” And I could tell he truly cared that my answer was “Yes!”

Rebecca’s Background
My time in university was incredibly rewarding. In addition to studying sociocultural anthropology and psychology, my years were filled by competing across Canada with the UBC Thunderbird Synchronized Swimming Sports Club, acting as the club’s Vice President and then Marketing and Communications Officer, and participating as an active member of my sorority (Kappa Alpha Theta), including serving as the Chief Panhellenic Officer.

While in school, I also maintained a job at a local owner-operated consignment store. This experience was one reason why I was so excited to start with 505-Junk. To work for a thriving local business under two unbelievably hardworking entrepreneurs inspires me every day.

After I completed my degree, I was lucky enough to find a “real world” job right away and spent my first post-grad year working on an education tour across British Columbia. While on the road, though, I began to crave a stable job where I could learn and grow with a company. Enter 505-Junk.

Growing with the 505-Junk Team
I knew 505 was different than some other companies when my interviews were two-hour dialogues that flew by. They learned about me, I learned about them, and together we knew it was going to be a great fit.

Things at 505 are constantly developing. After working for the Greater Vancouver Franchise as the Administration Coordinator for just four months, I was brought into the Head Office as the Inbound Sales and Administration Coordinator. It boggles my mind when I think of how much I have already learned. When I was hired I had to ask what Accounts Receivable meant!

I am so grateful that Barry and Scott did not look down on the fact that I did not study business at school. They immediately had faith in my transferable skills and my ability to learn about business while at 505. They give me tasks that not only play to my strengths but also challenge me to grow with the company.

In just half a year, I witnessed the sale and launch of our Lower Mainland North and Fraser Valley/Langley franchises, with which came the need to expand our Sales Centre. I was thrilled by the opportunity to help recruit an Inbound Sales Representative to join our team! This was new territory for me and I loved the process of vetting resumes, setting up candidate meetings, and even running secondary interviews. 505 was quick to show me that they value my insights and encourage me to share my opinions in our collaborative, open-office space.

In my current role, the majority of my time is spent on the phone with repeat and potential new clients. While I had plenty of customer service experience from my retail years, there was a steep learning curve to be able to sell our junk removal services – from communicating the advantages of our business model to creating a weight estimate. As soon as I started taking incoming calls, it was obvious how much our clients appreciate 505’s concept. They love that we divert junk out of the landfill, that we charge fairly based on a transparent pricing structure, and that we genuinely care about offering consistently outstanding service. I love being a part of positive customer experiences!

Easily one of the most thrilling things about working at 505 is the endless opportunities for growth. I joined the team at such an exciting time – especially with the opening of our new franchises. The ball is really rolling and there is no sign of it slowing down! It is amazing to be here at this stage and I can’t wait to continue working with the team to exceed our goals.

-Rebecca Molnar