After high school, Branden Shreves started a job in retail and stayed in the industry for a couple of years. But over time, he realized it wasn’t something he wanted to stick with long-term.
“It had started to take a toll on me,” he said. “So, I decided to try something new.”
The problem was, he wasn’t sure what “something new” looked like.
That’s when he connected with Verstela’s Everett, WA branch. From the beginning, Branden felt supported.
“They made me feel like I was at home,” Branden said. “They were awesome—I couldn’t ask for any better.”
With Verstela, Branden had options. He was able to try different roles, work at different companies, and see what each environment was like.
“I was willing to try anything,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt to give it a chance and see where it takes you.”
One day, Senior Recruiter Jennyfer Russ reached out about an opportunity at a leading manufacturing company.
“I had never heard of the company before. When she told me more, I was interested right away,” he said. “And now I’m there—and I love it.”
Today, Branden works in a hands-on manufacturing role as a grinder. He works with parts coming in from the foundry—breaking them out of castings, sorting them, and grinding them as needed.
“It’s very physically active, which I really love. I like being able to work up a good sweat. I kind of lose track of what’s going on that stresses me out while I’m at work,” he said.
“And the group of people I work with are really great. They have a good sense of humor, and they really appreciate new people coming in.”
“They take care of their employees and there are so many different ways I could go in my career here. I’m happy where I’m at right now, but I know I have options down the line.”
“My daughter always asks why I come home so dirty. So I brought some pieces home to show her what I work on. I plan on using them for an art project we can do together this summer.”
Finding the right career path isn’t always a straight line.
As Branden put it: “You might not know what you like until you try it.”
We’re happy Branden trusted Verstela to help him find work he loves and a manufacturing career he’s proud of.
Not sure what kind of job you’d like? We’re here to help.
Take a look at our job board to see what’s out there—you might find something that fits better than you expected.
