What does Endeavour Foundation employee, Rod, like about his new job as a Prize Home Sales Assistant?
“Everything!” he says.
Rod’s important role sees him front and centre at the Prize Home entry, welcoming up to 200 people a day. But he says that he never gets tired of it, and loves being the first face visitors see when they arrive.
“I say, ‘Welcome to the home. I hope you like it,” Rod smiled.
And sometimes, if he’s not too busy, he’ll even give guests a quick tour.
Originally from New South Wales, Rod, 43, began building his resume working in a diverse range of jobs before moving to Queensland and joining Endeavour Foundation 15 years ago.
“I used to work at a workshop packing Masterfoods herbs and spices,” he said.
“And before that I worked in a Sizzler restaurant in the kitchen cooking food.”
Since arriving in the Sunshine State, Rod has worked for Endeavour Foundation Business Solutions on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast before starting with the Prize Home team earlier this year.
Now that Rod has settled into his new job, he’ll also be receiving additional training to add even more strings to his bow.
“I’m going to be learning how to sell tickets soon,” Rod said.
“You need to go on a terminal and do it that way,” he added.
Rod works at the Prize Home three days each week, with his other two days spent packing car products at Endeavour Foundation Business Solutions in Maroochydore.
However, he loves his job at the Prize Home so much that his goal is to one day work with the Prize Home team full time.
One of the things Rod enjoys most about his job is showing off the amazing Prize Homes, but he’d never trade his own home that’s just a stone’s throw from the beachfront at Mooloolaba.
“It’s only one minute from the beach,” he said.
Which is handy, given that going to the beach is Rod’s favourite thing to do in his spare time.
“I walk along the beach every day in the afternoon after work,” Rod said.
And like many of us, he daydreams about one day jumping on a plane and escaping on an overseas adventure.
“I want to go on a holiday somewhere far away,” Rod added.
“If I won the lottery, I would go to London for three weeks. I want to see where the Queen lived.”
And then, Rod says, he “wouldn’t mind going to Scotland” to trace in the steps of his ancestors.
“The Highlands is where my relatives came from hundreds of years ago,” he explained.
In the meantime, Rod has his sights set on seeing more of Australia, starting with a steamy trip to Australia’s Top End.
“I would like to go to Darwin in the middle of Summer when it is boiling hot,” he said, “Because I hate winter.”
“I moved to Queensland to get away from the cold weather,” he explained.
And it seems he has no plans to move on anytime soon, with his goal to keep working with Endeavour Foundation until he retires at 65.
Which is fantastic news for the team at Endeavour Foundation.
Through his long and varied career, Rod brings a wealth of knowledge to his work at the Prize Home, making him a huge asset for the Endeavour team.
This season, we gave Rod a special assignment of getting the very first house tour of our stunning Christmas Prize Home at 12 Homestead Drive, Little Mountain.
Let Rod and our Head of Lotteries, Kirsty, take you through the home and show you what awaits the lucky winner.
Thanks to his previous work experience, he even knows the secret topping to Sizzler’s special cheese toast.
“Dairy spread with grated cheese, Rod said.
Then you put it on the grill,” he added.
Thanks for the tip, Rod.
Make it a Christmas to remember by purchasing your Lottery #446 tickets today, and support people with disability live their best life.