Rodney Adams III is learning firsthand the difference between having a job and being on a career path.
He’s had some decent jobs since he graduated from Indianapolis’ Cardinal Ritter High School in 2020 – things like filling orders at an electrical company, operating a forklift in a warehouse and hosting at a restaurant – but he never felt like there was long-term growth opportunities and the jobs didn’t fulfill his passions.
When he got to Allison Transmission, all of that changed.
“I can really consider my future in a company like this,” he says of the company that manufactures transmissions for a wide range of heavy-duty commercial, transportation and military vehicles. “I know what we do and who it’s for. At other places, I didn’t know who it was for or how it’s impacting everybody.”
Rodney was between jobs when his grandfather suggested he check out Allison, saying the company would give him the opportunity for a long career and financial stability. Having signed on in late 2022, the 20-year-old who works as a picker and packer – someone who gathers parts for shipment to customers – was quickly impressed by the way the company equipped him to succeed.
“They didn’t let me go to work without being fully trained and comfortable,” he says. Plus, while he feels he achieves more each day he’s at work, he’s less worn out and less stressed at the end of the day than he was at other jobs.
But it’s the long-term potential that really has Rodney excited. A sports fan and e-gamer who declared in an eighth-grade valedictorian speech that he wanted to be an engineer, he feels like Allison could help make that happen. The company offers a lot of training programs and education support, he says, and it encourages its employees to investigate and prepare for any roles they want.
“They have so many opportunities,” he says. “I won’t get bored with the chance to move from position to position and train for different jobs.”
Growing up with a big imagination and a desire to understand how things work and to make things better, Rodney says he feels like he’s in a position to pursue those passions with Allison, maybe even moving toward a career in engineering or someday working in HVAC, like that grandfather that nudged him toward Allison. “It’s basically lining me up to be where I wanted to be in middle school when I thought about my future,” he says. “It’s really a great opportunity.”
