There are a handful of ways people seeking employment can stand out in a job interview. According to Bill Devlin and Kevin Lindvay with Casella Waste Systems Inc., three in particular come to mind: Showing up on time, having a positive attitude, and being willing to learn new skills.
Devlin and Lindvay recently spoke to juniors and seniors in the Conservation/Heavy Equipment/Natural Resource Management and Automotive Technology programs at the Hewes Educational Center. The pair discussed a host of career opportunities, not only with Casella but in other trade jobs as well.
“One of the skill sets that we look for is someone who has a mechanical background, they want to be in the trades, or they want to use their hands,” said Lindvay, maintenance manager at Casella.
Devlin, marketer and manager for Casella, said having the right attitude and a willingness to work are equally important when looking for a job.
“Finding people who want to show up every day is difficult,” he said. “You guys could set yourself apart by showing up when you’re supposed to. That alone will create a lot of opportunities.”
Casella was founded in 1975 by two brothers in Rutland, Vermont. They built the state’s first recycling facility two years later, and the company has continued to grow ever since.
Helping to promote the company and industry at-large was Cameron Anderson, a maintenance technician with Casella and a former Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES student. After high school, Anderson briefly explored a career as a music manager before settling back home.
“I was super green going into it,” Anderson said of starting at the waste systems company. “Now I make pretty good money for my age, and I’m appreciative of where I’m at.”
Anderson, who went to Cassadaga Valley Central School, graduated from the Welding/Metal Fabrication program at the LoGuidice Educational Center in 2020. He said E2CCB taught him to be a good worker.
“I showed up every day to school because I was enthusiastic about being in class and seeing the instructor, Kevin Valentine,” Anderson said. “Now I’m enthusiastic about showing up to work and seeing my co-workers.”
Devlin and Lindvay later took questions from the CTE students. Among the topics discussed: Many skilled trades jobs don’t require a college degree; many companies, like Casella, offer on-the-job training and will pay for employees to get their Commercial Driver’s License or other certifications; and Casella provides a variety of job opportunities, including drivers, technicians, sales, and office workers.
Casella continues to promote Career and Technical Education, providing thousands of dollars in scholarships to E2CCB students in the last couple of years. As noted on the scholarship application, “We value our frontline employees and provide them with training and development opportunities to allow for growth within their careers. We are excited to share this same focus with individuals looking to begin their careers in these roles.”
“The partnership with Casella that we formed over the last couple of years is incredible,” said Alissa Rinaldo, social worker at Hewes. “Their scholarship is the largest that we offer locally. Last year, they gave two, $5,000 scholarships to two seniors.”
Rinaldo noted that funds do not have to be used for college; she said one scholarship recipient put the money toward obtaining their CDL while the other purchased equipment for their business.
For more information on Career & Technical Education programs at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES, visit e2ccb.org.
