Congratulations on 20 years of service, John!

Thank you for all you do!

Security Supervisor John Hedges will celebrate 20 years of service with STT Security this March! You can read about his experiences below:

When did you start working for STT?

I started working for STT 20 years ago this March. I actually wasn’t trying to get back into security when I applied; I had applied to a couple other retail jobs, but most places were looking for someone to work full-time. I sat down with the [STT] captain at the time and told him I wanted part-time, and he said “sure, no problem!” So, I took the job, started back up in security and worked part-time until the summer when I transitioned to full-time. This was good for me because STT runs a tight ship; it helped me overcome being quiet and learn to address conflict.

Work used to be much more chaotic when I started. There was a lot of gang activity and fights – you really had to be on your toes every day. We still deal with important work every day, but there’s not as much violence; there are more suspicious-vehicle calls or reports of transient individuals trespassing.

What have you done while working for us? How many sites/positions have you been in?

When I first started, STT did security for a few movie theaters. I jumped around in between probably four or five different movie theater sites, and I eventually moved into working malls. I worked at a few different malls before ending up where I am now.

What has been your favorite part about working for STT?

I would have to say it’s the people I work with. We have a lot of help now that we didn’t have before, and I love meeting and working with new people and learning from them. There’s also some new blood in [STT management] that has brought on some very welcomed changes; things like direct deposit, the new website, the online training – all of it has made a big difference and feels like a big upgrade.

What is your favorite story/experience from working with us?

One day early on working for STT, I was standing in the customer service lobby of a movie theater. I wasn’t having a bad day or a good day – I was just standing there and felt like someone was looking at me. I started looking around and met the eyes of a little girl walking with her parents. She saw me standing there and in uniform and smiled at me. I smiled back and waved at her. This little interaction though turned my day around and made me realize how being polite and kind to people can turn their days around too. I’ve taken that with me for not only my job but also how I approach things in my personal life. It’s also helped quite a bit with all the negativity in the world lately. We all have to go through this stuff together, so we can smile and be helpful to each other as we go through it – be positive!

What advice would you give to a new employee?

Never stop learning. Your job is constantly evolving. You have to be open to new ideas and willing to learn. When I started with STT, I wasn’t looking to get promoted or stay for the long haul – I just wanted to work. I asked if I could help out where I saw work to do – just with the intention of learning how to do it. My supervisor noticed I was putting in the extra work and I eventually worked my way up to where I am now.