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When Marquel Pettway stepped into Lewis Apartment Communities, he was in for a surprise… well make that two surprises. Coming from Verizon, Marquel had been put in a tough situation. Should he relocate his family for a job promotion or take a new opportunity headed his way? It’s safe to say Marquel made the right decision by choosing to start a career as a Leasing Consultant at Lewis Apartment Communities. Coincidentally, on the final day of Marquel’s interview, he received a phone call with the great news that his baby son, Preston, was to be born!

So allow us to present you Marquel Pettway, in his own words on how big opportunities can come from new beginnings.

Hear it From a Lewis Leasing Consultant

Tell me where you were in your career before joining Lewis Apartments?

Before joining Lewis I was with Verizon as a Sales Trainer. Then I was moved into a leadership role with them. It was a full-time job and it was 100% commission. I was in it for a year and they tried to get me to move to another state, but I felt it wasn’t going to work out. I didn’t want to move and leave my family, so I ended up staying.

How was the interview and hiring process for your position with Lewis?

I saw the job with Lewis on Craigslist and I went to a job fair. I met with David Draper and Lorena Pascale from the Recruiting department and moved on to other interviews. It was a smooth process. I had three interviews total, and I landed the job.

Once you were hired, what happened next?

My first week I was very confident, like ‘I got this’, but I then learned the Lewis policies and there’s a lot to learn. It’s a whole new industry. I had to find overall balance with all the information: property management policies, new software, understanding how pricing works, Fair Housing laws, and new customer service skills. The Lewis training was extremely helpful, and I learned to manage my time, and I got a lot more comfortable. I transferred skills I learned in time management that I used at Verizon and it helped.

What apartment did you start at and how was your experience?

I started at Sycamore Park in Ontario, California, and I learned a lot. It’s a smaller community and I was exposed to more parts of the business: leasing, files, renewals. You do it all and you deal with a lot. I felt it prepared me for new opportunities at other properties.

What’s the most challenging part of the job?

Managing your time and keeping that balance. You multi-task at a consistent rate and learning to get better at that is a valuable asset to the company and to yourself.

What’s the best part of the job?

You learn so much. You learn marketing, sales, and many parts of property management. You learn so much your brain hurts. But in a good way!

What advice would you give someone considering a career as a Lewis Leasing Consultant?

Be prepared, know your business, and be ready to take it all in. Knowing yourself and how you run your business makes you feel confident and you’ll get ahead of the game. If you come in knowing what you need to do and ready to learn, everything else will come to you in time and experience.

Would you recommend someone to work at Lewis?

I definitely would. It’s been great.

An Unexpected Surprise!

We want to finally introduce you to the main attraction himself, Preston. It was only four months ago Marquel received the words, “Preston is gonna be here!!”, and we are happy to see the many strides both Marquel and Preston have made since that eventful day.

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