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Jed Johnson works behind the counter at the New Canaan Starbucks, where it seems like he knows almost every person who enters. Johnson remembers names, drink orders, vacation plans and kids' school years. To those he doesn't know, Johnson offers a big smile and a warm welcome.
"I'm doing a job I actually enjoyI didn't know that could happen," Johnson said with a laugh. He came to work as a barista more than two years ago after leaving a career in management that made him unhappy.
"I'm the classic example of someone who majored in the wrong thing because everyone else was doing it, and I wanted the money," he said. Johnson grew up in Norwalk, attended high school in Darien and earned a degree in marketing from Central Connecticut State University. His work took him to other parts of Connecticut and New Hampshire, but he decided it was time to move home.
"I thought, 'Now I have a choiceI can continue doing the same wrong thing or I can start over,'" he said. "So that's why I'm here."
Johnson said he was drawn to Starbucks after reading a book about working there. And when he read the job description, he noticed something. Johnson had always tailored his resume to match a job's keywords. "For the first time in my life, the job description matched me," he said of the barista position.
An active volunteer in the community, Johnson said he's thankful his job gives him time to help nonprofits. Though he eventually wants to go into counseling and psychology, he said he enjoys his work. "Part of our jobs is to connect with the customers," Johnson said. "But it also makes the job fun. Ironically, part of my job is something I love to do."
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