Everything was stacked against him, as he got onto the roof. He managed to duck down. He could hear people below. He didn’t dare look for fear of being spotted.
The life of a house burglar isn’t easy. Martin needed the extra cash from jewelry or items easily sellable, or even cash from safes, if he could break in. It sometimes took him a while, but he usually managed to break the combination and take whatever he could find. Once when he opened a safe, he found a pearl neckless which was valued at $15,000. He got five in cash and settled for it. Quick turnaround!
A burglar is a thief, but like everyone working nine till five, it’s a profession that has its ups and downs. It takes a certain skillset to be able to break in to another’s abode, but with practice it will become second nature. Just like everyone else, criminals get better at their "jobs" over time, which can make it hard for them to quit and find respectable employment.
A UK home security firm put out an ad for a job as they were looking for a unique candidate to join the team on a consultation basis, with a role focused on assisting them with product testing alongside advice-led articles. The job description read as follows:
“Why a convicted ex-burglar?
As our unique home security system is designed to outsmart criminals and stop burglars in their tracks, it makes sense for us to collaborate with someone who has the unparalleled experience and understanding of security that we’re looking for. By making a burglary conviction a pre-requisite for the job, we can make sure we pick someone with the experience we need and the work ethic to put that to good use.
What’s more, we also hope to be able to help our hired reformed offender get back on their feet, find some paid work in the current unstable job market, and generate some experience to add to their CVs for future career opportunities.”
The only problem Martin had was that he was so good, he had never been caught, and therefore didn't have a burglar conviction. It just goes to show that everything done in life whether for good or bad provides opportunity. In his case, he was over qualified and unable to help.
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Ask yourself these questions:
1) Was the job market unfair for Martin?
2) Would the company be losing a rare opportunity?
Vocabulary builder:
Stowaway (n) = runaway, fugitive, escapee, escaper, fare-dodger
Turnaround (n) = the process of completing or the time needed to complete a task, especially one involving receiving something, processing it, and sending it out again.
Skillset (n) = a person's range of skills or abilities
Abode (n) = house, residence, dwelling, habitat, home
Tracks (n) = ways, roads, paths, pathways, trajectories, foot path, trails
Hired (adj) =borrowed, lent, rented, employed, appointed, engaged, take on, sign up, take into service
Unfair (adj) = partial, one-sided, biased, prejudicial, discriminating