Genie Farris
Sitting at her desk with a big smile on her face, Genie Farris is one of the first people clients see when they walk into the Suntrust building on West Forsyth Street. Farris knows that first impressions are key, and says she aims to make one in such a way that people will want to come back. She isn’t a secretary, nor is she, what some may call a “greeter.” Instead, Farris is a daytime security guard. Farris, who’s been working in the Suntrust building for close to a year, says she loves her job, and despite the possibility of being put in harm’s way, says she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I like the fact that I don’t have a normal job,” Farris says. “There is something interesting and unusual happening all the time.” But Farris says growing up she never took the jobs of security guards seriously. “I used to think of them as a joke,” she says. “They always seemed bossy and pushy, but now I know there is so much more to the job. Sure, it’s a typical security job, but at the same time it’s not,” she explains. “Other than protection, the main objective is to make sure everyone is assisted and happy.”