OUTLOOK - Adjusting to any new job can make for an interesting transition period.
It's a time of hands-on learning and getting educated on all the ins and outs of the profession.
Just ask Azelyn Beckett, who's only been with the Town of Outlook's public works department for a few short weeks. Although her work history with the Town isn't anything new, as she used to work at the Jim Kook Rec Plex for about two years before taking a position at Rocky Mountain Equipment, she's still learning all she can on a daily basis in her new role.
"My title is heavy equipment operator," explained Azelyn, sitting down with this reporter at the town shop just before the work week ended last week. "I haven't quite gotten that far yet, as we're still working on the town side of laboring and stuff like that; potholes and things like that. I should be getting on that stuff next week."
Beckett, who's called Outlook home since moving here from Okotoks, Alberta in 2008, pursued the job after receiving some heads-up from current staff members, and it's been something that she's enjoying as it plays to her preferences.
"Actually, I got a text from Luke saying that there's a position if you'd like it," she said. "I got a call from Kelton, as well. I just thought, 'Might as well!'. I like the job and everything it includes. I like working with my hands and I like being outside; it was pretty much everything that I wanted to do."
A typical day for Beckett and crew starts with a meeting to see what the daily assigned tasks may be. Those jobs may change day to day and it's never the same thing twice, which is something that she enjoys about the position.
"We start the day at around 7:00 am," Azelyn explained. "We all meet and figure out what our tasks are for the day, and today was pothole filling, so we got into our little groups and I was paired up with the gentleman downstairs. We drive around, look for holes to fill, and sometimes we have mowing days so we'll have certain areas of town to mow. We tackled the cemetery just the other day. It switches up every day and you never know what to expect."
If you're reading this and wondering if you've ever even seen a female on the town's public works department, that's because you haven't. Beckett is in fact something of a barrier-breaker by being the first woman to be hired as a full-time staff member on the town crew, and it's something of which she takes a lot of pride.
"I am! I am the first full-time woman to work at the Town of Outlook's public works department," she said with a smile. "I think it's pretty cool and pretty empowering for a young woman. Maybe it sets a standard that 'You can do it too! Every woman can do it and it's not just a man's job!'. It is very challenging sometimes being a woman because I don't have the natural strength that men have, so it can be challenging, but you always learn and you can set a good example for younger women."
Beckett would like to see her hiring serve as something of an invitation to other females to pursue this line of work.
"I hope so," she said. "Because this is a really, really fun job, and if I can do it, anybody can do it."
That said, there are challenges that come with the job, and for Azelyn, such challenges can sometimes come with being a woman.
"Definitely the strength factor," she explained. "That's just because I can't lift some of the things that the men can, especially on compost days. Some of those big barrels of grass are very heavy and I can't throw them over my head, so I'll be like, 'Hey! I need a little hand here!' and they're more than willing to help me, which is really nice."
Beckett says one of the good things about her job is that it allows someone to be as skilled and useful as they choose to be. She has no qualms with the physical aspect of her work, as it's something that she expected and has turned out to be something that she enjoys.
"You can be as good as you want," she said. "That's my favorite part of the job. You are constantly moving around, you're lifting, and you're working your body to the best of your ability, and I almost celebrate the fact that I can move my body as I can. That's really, really awesome."
Azelyn says that the public may not know the levels that staff go to in order to successfully do their jobs at times. People can be easy to criticize something, but understanding the mindset and the tasks that staff can be given is something that she thinks may help residents understand and maybe even empathize.
"Just about how much work we actually put into it," she said. "Obviously, sometimes spots are missed and the public does focus on the parts that we miss, but for the parts that we do get to and we work hard on, if the public could just recognize that a little bit more. We do work very hard, and especially being here for the last two weeks and coming from an office job, it's been quite the adjustment, but it's a good adjustment. Just how much hard work we put into it, all over town."
Before she started her new job, Azelyn herself didn't fully realize the scope of what town workers really do, or the number of jobs that they carry out in the community. She says it's been eye-opening to see that some of the aspects of the job can be humbling and even a bit emotional.
"It has been, and just for the jobs that they actually do," she said, on whether things have been eye-opening for her. "I didn't know half of the jobs that these guys do - and that we all do here - until I started. A lot of them are not glamorous whatsoever. For example, the dead animals we'll see around town. When someone loses a pet on the side of the road, we're the first ones at the scene usually, and we have to take care of it. 'We found your cat, or we found your dog'. That's probably one of the worst things about the job; finding animals like that."
Beckett says Outlook stands out as a community that's filled with friendly people who aren't shy about engaging in conversation or even asking if town staff need anything to help get them through the day.
"This community is awesome," she said. "You're always getting the waves, or you're always getting the, 'Hey, there's so-and-so working on the road!' The acknowledgment when people drive by, or the small conversations; there's a strong sense of community there. People are always going out of their way to be like, 'Do you need anything?' I've had people stop on the side of the road and ask if I needed a water or anything. It's like, no, I'm okay, but thank you for asking! It's really nice having some recognition that way."
Azelyn hopes people can understand that town staff are out there trying to fulfill their work commitments in the best way that they can, working to ensure that all residents can enjoy a safe and smooth-running community on a daily basis.
"Just know that we are doing the best that we can to the best of our ability," she said. "We're trying to have fun doing it. We do appreciate everybody and we appreciate the acknowledgment. I appreciate the opportunity to serve these people. We always like encouragement and we always like being told, 'Hey, we noticed THIS' and being told we're doing a good job."
