Working at Gentle Giant was a great experience to have during my gap year. This job teaches you a lot about hard work, and the benefits of working hard. The people who work there really care about their craft, so it is key to ask questions, and follow orders. The job can be stressful at times, but as long as you're doing your best you'll enjoy your time at the company. The schedule is also incredibly flexible, so it is always easy to take breaks when you need them. I met some really cool people, and had a great time working there this year.
What I wish was different
The work days are long, and the estimates on jobs isn't always accurate. After a couple weeks there I figured out you have to save making plans for your days off.
Advice
Respect your crew-mates, ask questions when you're unsure, work hard, and follow the safety guidelines to a tee.
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One person found this helpful
mover/driver
May 2020 - January 2021 • Readville, MA
What I liked
Summer work at Gentle Giant was perfect for me as a student athlete. I don't get time at school to make any money due to my workload with school and practice. When working at Gentle Giant you can afford to save your entire paycheck because the tips are good enough that you can live off the tips. I also never missed anything due to work because Gentle Giant offers such flexible schedules. I was able to make a lot of money and really enjoy my summer at the same time.
What I wish was different
Some days can be very long, so it can be hard to plan your afternoons the days you have work.
Advice
Don't be afraid to take days off of work, sometimes you need to let your body rest and if you change your mind and want to work then they will gladly give you work for the day.
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One person found this helpful
Mover/Driver
December 2016 - January 2020 • Somerville, MA
What I liked
Everyday is a different move and a different challenge. These challenges in a dynamic and fast paced environment really allowed me to develop my leadership, communication, and teamwork skills that have helped me immensely both academically and professionally. Everyday is unique which keeps it refreshing and interesting. If you're out of one of the main warehouses you'll be working with lots of different crews and I have met some great people and made a lot of good memories with these crews. Additionally, Gentle Giant allows you create your own schedule which is a really useful benefit.
What I wish was different
You don't really know how long they days are going to be so its difficult to make plans after work. Sometimes you get out early, sometimes you're working late.
Advice
Ask a lot of questions and work hard. The crews on the trucks will appreciate you taking the time to try and learn everything the right way.
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One person found this helpful
Mover
June 2019 • Wilmington, MA
What I liked
Gentle Giant was a great working experience. I really enjoyed the type of work that being a mover comes with. As an active person I didn't want to be stuck in an office behind a desk which is why Gentle Giant was a perfect fit. I also really enjoyed how flexible my schedule was, especially because it was during the summer. I was able to plan out vacations very easily because I chose the which days I wanted to work. Another aspect of working as a Gentle Giant mover that I enjoyed was the customer communication. Being able to communicate and connect with different types of people every day was one of the more interesting aspects of my experience. Finally, the amazing people and fun loving culture that Gentle Giant embodies was by far my favorite part of Gentle Giant and it is why I decided to come back.
What I wish was different
At times I do wish that I could find out what kind of job I would be working sooner than the day before. This is because it makes it a little harder to commit to short term plans made.
Advice
When working as a mover at Gentle Giant the most important thing to know is that you get out what you put in. You choose how many days you're available to work, and there are many ways to advance in the company that are solely based off of your own initiative. For example, there are training modules available to complete to earn money and/or advance in the company.
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One person found this helpful
Chief, Driver, Mover
June 2018 • Somerville, MA
What I liked
Very flexible work schedule so that I was able to work around practice times, you are quickly able to move up in the ranks and be able to start driving the trucks and able to earn more. Definitely hard work, but it helps you work on skills such as teamwork and also helps you stay in shape during the summer.
What I wish was different
There are times when I wish you could see what you were working on during a certain day further in advance than the day before. This is because if I want to see friends after work, I always had to put it until the last second because I couldn't see how long I was supposed to be at work until about 3 pm the day before.
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're new, the superiors would much rather you ask a simple question than try to figure something out on your own and potentially messing up.
