Genesee: Made for the Trade, Volume 13

Campaign highlights variety and quality of jobs available at the state's oldest brewery

Working a shift as an emergency medical technician at a naval base in Sicily isn’t quite the same as surviving the dinner rush at one of Rochester’s busiest (and most popular) destinations.

But that doesn’t mean Mikala McGarity isn’t happy she’s gotten to experience both. McGarity, a Colorado native, started working at the Genesee Brew House two years ago after completing four years of service in the United States Navy.

She believes both jobs will prepare her for her ultimate goal of opening and operating her own business, probably geared in some way toward the hospitality industry. But in the meantime, she is studying at Monroe Community College and gaining invaluable experience inside the action-packed atmosphere of the Genny Brew House, the pilot brewery/restaurant/museum accompanying the state’s oldest brewery.

Mikala McGarity, a server at the Genesee Brew House, is the latest Genny employee to be featured in the brewery’s Made for the Trade campaign. McGarity is the third to be highlighted during a special month of profiles to recognize the contributions of military veterans at the brewery.

The campaign shows the wide range of rewarding careers at the brewery. Genny employs more than 600 people and the brewing department, which numbers about 50 people, isn’t even the largest department at the expansive 28-acre St. Paul Street campus.

The digital campaign showcases careers in packaging, operations, maintenance, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, security, and so much more. It aims to show the range of careers available without a college degree, those that can be obtained through union and trade training.

More details about jobs can be found here: https://www.fifcousa.com/careers/.

Here’s a bit more about Mikala:

Q: What branch of the military did you serve in and how long did you serve?

A: The United States Navy. I was in the Navy exactly four years to the day.

Q: Did you join right out of high school?

A: I did, yeah. I enlisted at 17 years old and left a month after I graduated high school in 2016.

Q: You said you’re from Colorado, so how did you end up in Rochester?

A: My fiancé, we met in the military, he’s from the Rochester area. So we moved back out here together.

Q: How did you find out about the role at the Genesee Brew House?

A: I think I was doing some online searching and I was just looking for something to get me into the restaurant industry. I am going to business school through MCC right now. And I originally wanted to open my own restaurant. Plans have changed. It was originally to get me into this industry so that I can get my foot into the hospitality industry.

Q: What was your role in the Navy and where were you stationed?

A: I was a hospital foreman, but more specifically, I was an EMT at a hospital in Sigonella, Sicily in Italy. I was there for 3½ years. The other six months I was doing training and boot camp. I was also a trainer for new EMTs coming into the department. We had a pretty small base, so there was only ever four EMTs on at one time and we only responded to the base and the immediate area surrounding the base.

Q: What sort of skills, lessons or attributes did you gain from military experience? And how has that helped you in your current job at the Brew House?

A: That’s such a hard question, because it’s such a different experience on both sides. I would definitely say my ability to handle stress. That’s very helpful. Of course, I get overwhelmed like everybody, but I am able to calm myself down a little bit and I am able to see things from a different perspective than a lot of other people in the Brew House do. To them, it is very serious and important, but to me, you can take a breath and figure things out. It’ll be just fine if you think clearly. Definitely my problem-solving skills, I am grateful for that.

Q: What makes you most proud about working at the Genesee Brewery?

A: I really love my job at the brewery. I really love that we are completely concerned with providing a good experience for our customers and the people visiting the brewery. I love that our job is to make them happy and to make them look at the brewery in a positive light. We want people to come visit us and we’re really good at making people feel comfortable and happy. I really do love that.

Q: What advice would you give someone hoping to work at the Brew House?

A: To just push through the hard days, because the good days make up for it tenfold. There are always going to be stressful situations, busy days, but as long as you have a good environment and good crew, which the brewery does, then everything works itself out.

Q: Do you have any favorite Genny beers?

A: I am a huge fan of the Brew House’s Cryo Hop Blend Blonde Ale and I also really, really like the Cashmere IPA.

Q: So you like it hoppy?

A: I do! And I didn’t used to be a beer drinker at all until I started here at the Brew House.

A: xxx

More about this partnership

Genny wants to hire you! By highlighting the wide variety of positions available at the brewery, the hope is that folks will see a college degree isn’t a necessity for a great career. Many of these union and trade positions come equipped with opportunity for learning and advancement.

Over the next three months, we’ll highlight some of the people behind the iconic beers in this space.

“We want to continue to attract people to union and skilled trades. There is a shortage of skilled workers, and the industry needs to attract more women and minorities. There are viable career opportunities for virtually anyone who wants to work in beer,” said Mary Beth Popp, vice president of communications, FIFCO USA. 

To learn more about working at the Genesee Brewery, go to: https://www.fifcousa.com/careers/