Industry Connections Worth Parking Long-Term

When I first entered the parking industry as a young adult just starting her journey, I was honestly just looking for a job with benefits. What I didn’t expect, and what no one really warned me about back then, was that you get stuck in Parking! Even more so, my greatest surprise has been the relationships. Not just the professional ones, but the deeply human ones. The surprising connections that would sneak up on you, shape you, and stay with you.

Parking is often viewed as a transactional part of daily life. You arrive, you pay, you park, and you move on. But for those of us who live and breathe the behind-the-scenes operations, it’s deeply human. It's a web of interactions of people who show up in small and big ways, every single day.

Even more unexpectedly, are the relationships within the team of coworkers (supervisors to front-line staff), vendors, clients and industry colleagues. They have been some of the most impactful. I’ve shared grief and laughter with cashiers during chaotic event days, learned patience from technicians who remain calm under pressure, and leaned on colleagues when big projects or difficult transitions felt overwhelming. Some of these people started out as faceless names in an inbox and evolved into mentors, supporters, and lifelong friends.

The nature of this industry puts you near all kinds of people from building owners, residents, transient parkers, city officials, and sometimes even folks just looking for a moment of kindness. It teaches you how to meet people where they are. How to navigate tough conversations. How to really listen. It forces you to see the human behind every complaint, request, or ticket dispute.

The parking industry taught me administration, operations, sales strategy, asset management, leadership and all the technical skills I could never imagine I’d need. But it also gave me something I never expected, which is community. People who have shown up for me in ways that go far beyond job descriptions and contract terms.

If you had told me 28 years ago when I started this journey that parking would bring me some of the most meaningful relationships of my life, I probably would have laughed. But today, I know better.

Behind every space is a story. Behind every job is a person. And behind every connection made in this industry is a reminder that people are the heart of it all.