To make it in the Dot Foods warehouse, you must have a willingness to learn, a strong work ethic, and a positive attitude. And a little competitive spirit never hurts either.
For Olivia Lanham, it was a perfect fit…even if it’s not quite the journey she had planned.
For as long as she can remember, Olivia always maintained an active lifestyle and loved competing. A multi-sport athlete throughout her youth, Olivia caught the attention of many college basketball programs in her high school years.
“I saw a lot of scouts and had a lot of scholarship offers and I was about to commit to one at the end of the season,” she said. “But I had to redirect.”
Between her junior and senior years, Olivia had suffered no fewer than eight concussions. And after a week stay at Johns Hopkins, the institution’s head of neurology shared the news she had feared: her playing days had come to an end.
“Everything happens for a reason and I’m sad that it had to happen that way,” she said. “But I would not have found the career I have now if it hadn’t.”
With no more scholarships on the table, Olivia made her post-graduation, pre-Dot living in a different warehouse position. She enjoyed the atmosphere, but desired something with a better paycheck and a more favorable schedule. She found Dot Foods.
As a material handler with Dot Foods Williamsport, Olivia works the popular “3 by 12” shift, or three days of 12-hour shifts per week. Having four days off every week allows her to pursue interests away from work.
“I love the 3x12 day shift…It gives me a lot of time to do everything like play basketball, go to the gym, just to keep me busy and active,” she said.
While she’d never claim the job is “easy”, she does point out that hard work and dedication make the job less stressful than it could be otherwise. And having a tight-knit group of colleagues who look out for one another makes the work even more enjoyable.
“I like the physically demanding portion of the job. It’s like a free workout while getting paid,” she said. “And I like the family aspect of it. We all support each other and help each other when we’re in need and we have fun every day.”
As one of only a handful of female material handlers on staff, Olivia is a strong advocate for women in the warehouse and reminds prospective employees that the job is generally the hardest during the first couple weeks of training. But she advises that you keep with it.
“It can seem a little scary at first, but I just use that as motivation. If I can do it, then anyone can do it. If you keep at it and keep trying and giving it your all, it will get 100 percent easier.”
Fueling her competitive nature, one of Olivia’s favorite parts of the job is playing HORSE on the warehouse floor with colleagues during her breaks. The portable basketball hoop, which is wheeled out during every break, has been a big hit in Maryland with many members of the floor team.
As far as Olivia’s future plans, she hopes to grow with the company and work her way up to a leadership position.
“This is what I want to do as a career and I want to advance,” she said. “The support system I have here is tremendous. Everyone has helped me for any advancement I’d need.”