Associate shares his journey of growth within Lowe’s
“This is not just a job to me.”
Hunter Ball had no idea he’d feel that way about his career with Lowe’s when he first started with the company 13 years ago. At the time, it was simply a side job.
Ball was already working full time for an office supply company, but after finding out his girlfriend was pregnant, he went looking for a second job to better support his growing family. He went to a Lowe’s seasonal job fair and landed a job as a seasonal cashier/loader.
It only took about five months of working evenings and weekends at Lowe’s for Ball to see he might have a future there. And management saw it, too.
“I saw much more potential with Lowe’s than I did with the other employer,” he said. “The management team at Lowe’s encouraged me to come on board with them, but to do so, I had to open up my availability.”
It was a big risk, but Ball felt confident about his choice. He took a leap of faith – quitting his other full-time job so he could have more flexibility with Lowe’s. Two months later, he was offered a full-time position.
Did You Know?
- In 2019, about 50% of seasonal hires were promoted to permanent positions
- Nearly 200 current store managers started as seasonal associates
Fast forward nearly 13 years and Ball is now working as a Store Manager on the Carolina coast, closer to family and the place he and his now wife had long ago planned to retire. Thinking back on his first few months as a seasonal hire, Ball said he couldn’t have imagined the path it would lead him down.
“Not in a million years,” he laughed. “My family and Lowe’s grew up together. Everything I have, financially and more, began with Lowe’s.”
That’s why Ball encourages those looking for a job to consider Lowe’s, even if you think it’s just for a season.
“You’re coming in looking for a job that’s a seasonal term, but I myself was sitting in that same spot you’re in right now,” Ball said. “But in the end, it ended up being much more than that to me. People need to know that there are people and processes in place [at Lowe’s] to help you develop and get better, to give you opportunities. You just have to go out and get it.”
Lowe’s plans to hire more than 53,000 associates for the 2020 spring season. Hiring events will continue to roll out in stores over the next few weeks, by region, to meet the seasonal spring hiring needs across the country. Find a spring hiring event near you!
