What's the longest you've worked at the same company or job? Three years? A decade? More?
These days, job hopping is commonplace among people in the workforce.
Young professionals propel their careers forward by staying in one role for about a year, then hopping to a more senior role, for higher pay and a more prestigious title.
This strategy works for a while, but eventually falters. A person can only learn so much in one year, and the individual’s impact on their company’s success will be limited.
Because of this limited impact, people take less pride in their work than if they worked at a company for an extended period of time, they are less satisfied, more anxious, and burn out more often.
One man in Brazil — who has lived to be 100 years old — credits the love for his work for his longevity and good health.
In fact, he loves his work so much that he has won two world records for staying with the same company for 84 years!
Walter Started Working as a Teenager
Walter Orthmann is the official Guinness World Records title holder for the longest career in the same company.
Hailing from Brazil, Walter started working in 1938, at the age of 15.
At the time, children were expected to help with household expenses as soon as they were able to, and Walter’s mother needed his extra income to help support his younger siblings.
Walter was born in Santa Catarina, an area in Brazil with a large German population. From childhood, he was fluently bilingual with the ability to switch from German to Portuguese on a dime. This skill would serve him well throughout his career.
He found a job in the shipping department of Renaux S.A, now called ReneauxView, a local textile company in Santa Catarina, Brazil. He stopped going to school in order to work but the skills he had gained during his academic career followed him to Renaux S.A. He had extraordinary attention to detail and a remarkable memory.
He gained experience and rose the ranks
At work, he always went above and beyond. He was soon promoted to a sales position and then quickly became a Sales Manager. He stayed in his sales position for the rest of his career, building amazing relationships with clients worldwide.
"I was given the opportunity to work as a salesperson. I traveled to São Paulo and in less than one week I filled the production with orders equivalent of three month of work."
Walter Orthmann
His favorite thing about his career? The structure and routine it provides in his life. His commitment to his career is reflected in the other commitments in his life, including his exercise routine. He works out every day before heading to the office, even after a century of life!
He understands what he needs to do to stay young
Walter has seen many changes in his 84 years working and has come to an important understanding.
In order to stay young and relevant in the workforce, he needs to be up-to-date and adaptable, no matter what the context. The only thing he knows for certain is that the context will continue to change!
Walter will continue to show up, day after day
Despite his age, Walter has no plans to slow down.
He still gets up excited every morning, exercises, and heads to the office. He loves his colleagues, loves his responsibilities, and loves his life! The fact that he has now won a world record is just the cherry on top.
Walter’s story is remarkable and inspirational. It reminds us that a commitment to a life lived with loyalty and integrity is a life worth looking up to.
"Looking back, despite never having contemplated breaking a record, I think my proudest achievement was being certified as the title holder for the longest career in the same company."
Walter Orthmann
