Dear Management Trainee Candidate,

I understand you are considering a career with Hajoca Corporation.  Choosing the employer that’s right for you is an important decision.  Partnering with an organization that shares your values can be a powerful experience.  I feel privileged to work at Hajoca, because the company’s values are in alignment with my own.  I have the freedom to live into my dream.

Hajoca’s unique business model creates that freedom, and our four strategic priorities emphasize the key aspects of our culture… they can be captured by the formula of  L(PxC) = R or Leadership times People times Customers equals Results.

Leadership – Hiring and developing world-class leaders is critical in our decentralized culture.  Our Profit Center Managers are the “heroes” in our business model.  Working with a high degree of responsibility, autonomy, and accountability, their job is to inspire behavior in our teammates that delivers results.

People – Staffing our profit centers with knowledgeable and service-oriented people respected for their reliability and integrity, and providing them with opportunities for personal and professional growth, is a fundamental part of our success.

Customers – We strive to earn the loyalty and trust of our customers and to add value to their business, through thoughtful collaboration and genuine concern, and by providing expert, accurate, and consistently outstanding service.

Results – Our focus on delivering superior results allows us to share our success with the whole team.  Our profit sharing program is a special and meaningful way to reward people for delivering superior performance.

The Hajoca business model isn’t right for everyone.  Profit Center Managers in our culture are held to high expectations, and, in turn, are offered significant recognition and rewards.  If you desire the freedom to live into your dream, I trust you will give serious thought to a career at Hajoca.

I wish you all the best in finding the right home for you.

Rick Fantham
President

MDP Overview

Hajoca’s four-year Management Development Program is a hands-on journey designed to prepare you to lead a Profit Center. Through four progressive phases, you’ll learn the business from the ground up, working alongside team members in the warehouse, serving customers, developing your sales skills and gaining experience in leadership and operations.

Throughout the program, you’ll be expected to roll up your sleeves, pitch in and apply what you’ve learned. This practical experience builds the product knowledge, customer relationships, business judgment and leadership skills needed to think like an owner and successfully manage a Hajoca location.

Phase 1: Warehouse and Counter — 1 Year

You’ll begin by learning how the business operates day to day. Through hands-on experience in warehouse logistics, deliveries, inventory and counter sales, you’ll develop strong product knowledge and customer-service skills. You’ll also spend time in the field learning about the wholesale distribution industry and building a foundation for a successful career in sales and leadership.

Phase 2: Inside Sales — 9 Months – 1 Year

Next, you’ll work directly with customers to understand their needs, solve problems and recommend the right products and services. You’ll respond to inquiries, research product availability, prepare bids and build lasting customer relationships through exceptional service.

Phase 3: Outside Sales — 2 Years

You’ll move into the field as an outside sales representative, prospecting contractors, bidding projects and winning new accounts. During this phase, you’ll build your own book of business, strengthen customer partnerships and learn to think like an owner by identifying opportunities to grow sales and profitability.

Phase 4: Leadership and Operations — 3 Months – 6 Months

Your final phase focuses on the complete operating picture of a Profit Center. Working directly with a Profit Center Manager as a business partner, you’ll gain experience in profit-and-loss management, inventory and margin strategy, staffing, team leadership and vendor negotiations. This rotation prepares you to gain the skills and knowledge to successfully lead one of our locations.

The program is flexible and may vary based on the specific business needs of our training sites. Upon successfully completing the Management Development Program, you’ll be considered for a management opportunity based on your demonstrated strengths and abilities, the positions available at that time and your geographic flexibility. Opportunities may include Profit Center Manager, Assistant Profit Center Manager, or Operations Manager.

Is Entrepreneurship Right for YOU?

What do Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, and Mark Zuckerberg have in common?

No, they’re not all super-human masterminds who somehow stumbled upon lives of fame and fortune. They’re all highly successful entrepreneurs who had the confidence and skill set to turn their ideas into reality. Each had a clear vision for their career and the right personal qualities to meet the challenges they faced on their road to success.

You may be thinking, Hey, I have a lot in common with Jeff, Oprah, and Mark. Perhaps you want to work in business or even run a business. But have you ever considered becoming an entrepreneur? Maybe at this very moment, you’re wondering, What’s the difference between managing a business and being an entrepreneur? The difference is fundamental – when you are an entrepreneur you make the decisions, take the risk, implement your ideas, and own the results. Are you comfortable with that? Some people are, but others would prefer the direction and support provided by a corporation.

Need some help clarifying your career goals?

Let’s start by examining the backgrounds of some proven successful entrepreneurs. A longitudinal study at Stanford University (led by Professor William Damon) found that successful entrepreneurs are usually smart and have high self-esteem and high self-confidence. They occasionally got into trouble as teens because they were too pushy or would bend rules. (So those random trips to the principal’s office in high school weren’t such a bad thing!) They also typically started in a salaried position, achieved success, and then moved out on to their own.

In terms of skills, a study from Gallup.com shows that successful entrepreneurs, compared to their peers, are better at:

  • Clearly articulating the competitive advantage of their company to their clients
  • Making decisions with their customers in mind (e.g., pricing, products, or service offerings)
  • Planning for growth and aligning employee responsibilities with company goals
  • Aligning employees’ strengths with their roles, thus maximizing employee engagement and increasing individual performance
  • Making decisions based on an observed or anticipated impact on profitability

As you can see, accomplished entrepreneurs possess certain skills and tendencies that drive their success. Does it sound like we’ve been describing you?

At Hajoca, we created a quick checklist that can help you further assess your interests in being an entrepreneur.

Some of the qualities were identified from research (Gallup.com) and others come from our extended experience in developing entrepreneurs (we’ve been around since 1858). We invite you to take a few minutes to see how you compare to entrepreneurs!

Candidate Profile

So, what does a Hajoca management trainee look like? Let’s start with what we don’t require… your college degree need not be related to management and any work history or job experience need not be industry related.

What you do need:

  1. A Bachelor’s degree with a solid GPA
  2. Demonstrated leadership in educational, athletic, professional or social activities
  3. Willingness to relocate
  4. Desire to run your own business
  5. Passion for challenging and rewarding work
  6. A wide breadth of skills

We seek quality over quantity for our Management Training Program. We take the raw potential of our management trainees and cultivate it. If you have drive and imagination, if you set high expectations and have the determination to exceed them, please visit our Opportunities to view current openings.

Hajoca is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer (EOE and M/F/DV), committed to maintaining a barrier free workplace where all employees can contribute to their fullest potential.  We understand that an outstanding work ethic can exist in anyone.  We welcome all who meet the above criteria to apply to our Management Development Program.

Why Join the MDP?

You’ve been working for a while and you crave more, right? The work you’ve done so far has been a good stepping stone, but you’re capable of even greater things and when you look back in 5, 10 or 15 years, you want to be sure you’ve done everything possible to reach your full potential. So, you’re getting back out there to look for entrepreneurial jobs.

Well, you’ve found Hajoca’s Management Training Program so you’re already on your way to an entrepreneur’s job! Now take our advice and seize the opportunity…we guarantee it will be the best move you ever make.

Hajoca’s Management Development Program offers you the ultimate chance for the next place you work to be your last. You’ll be exposed to all aspects of our business, from the warehouse to the office. You’ll be hands-on every day with customers, with products, with a dedicated team of experts. You’ll be presented with opportunities and challenges, and there’s no limit to what you can achieve in the short term as manager in training and once you’re invited to manage your own business.

What does an Entrepreneurial Spirit mean to us?

It really knows no boundaries, but here are a few examples…

  • You thrive with guidelines instead of limits
  • You color outside the lines
  • You work best when you call the shots without having to bounce every decision off of a higher power
  • You love being part of a team
  • You love work – hard work, teamwork, work and play – it’s all appealing to you, so long as it’s gratifying
  • You’re willing to go wherever the best opportunity takes you
  • You’ve done a lot, observed a lot & learned a lot…and you’ll never stop because you know that’s the only way to succeed
  • You can’t imagine doing anything else but managing your own business

We give you the entrepreneurial job and we do everything in our power to see you thrive. The rest is up to you. And if your entrepreneurial spirit is anything like ours, we’re 100% sure you’ve found the place to fulfill your career aspirations long term. Apply to become a management trainee and, no doubt, you’ll have found the best job for an entrepreneur.

Our Commitment to You

Hajoca Management Development Program candidate headshotHow many companies do you know that actively look for employees unproven in the work world, like recent college graduates? Companies that believe it’s worth hiring passion instead of pedigree, and invest substantial time and money in people with limited experience because they’re sure those people are destined for management?

We understand that finding good entry level jobs for college graduates can often feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. And we’re sure you understand that top-tier new graduate jobs don’t come around every day. You know you’re smart, talented, dynamic, resourceful and will someday be running the world. We know we can offer you the world… or, more specifically, one corner of it where you’ll get to be the boss… call the shots… and succeed beyond any measure you’ve probably hoped for – but wouldn’t expect – right out of college.

If you want your corner of the world and you’re willing to move to get it… if you kicked butt in school and want to join a company that appreciates this, take our advice: seize this opportunity to get one of the best jobs for recent college graduates!

Hajoca’s Management Training Program offers you the rare potential and privilege for your first job out of college to be your last. We take entry level to a higher level by putting our management trainees on a leadership path immediately. You’ll be exposed to all aspects of our business, from the warehouse to the office. You’ll be hands on every day with customers, with products, with a dedicated team of experts. You’ll be presented with opportunities and challenges, and there’s no limit to what you can achieve in the short term as manager in training and in the long term when you receive a job managing your own business.

If you’re feeling disillusioned because you’ve been searching but haven’t found quality jobs for new graduates, look no more! We see your potential and we’ll do everything possible to cultivate it. So what are you waiting for? Apply to our Management Development Program and start your career journey today.