PROMPTuesday – My First Job

This week, tell us about your first job. As I recently twittered, I worked at the Jelly Bowl Bakery in bucolic Buffalo Grove, Ill., and will write further about this learning and buttercreamy experience tomorrow, but for now, I want to hear about you. Tell me why you no longer have the use of your legs.

Oops! It appears there was a probing question file mix-up! Sorry! Just ignore me and instead write about your first job. If you want to fictionalize it, all the better.

Meanwhile, if you care to observe PROMPTuesday’s rules, here they are:

• Try to write your entry in 10 minutes. This encourages top-of-mind, primal thinking before the ego and judgmental brain kick in. Just set a timer, make your kid count to 600 slowly, whatever. It’s an honor system. And I trust you.
• Aim for 250 words or less.
• Please have fun. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Together, let’s rediscover the simple joy in the writing process.
• Post your submission in the comments OR post in your blog and leave a link to your blog in the comments.

The sweet smell of butter, the stickiness of syrup on my hands, and the never ending job of shining the gold banister.  The rat traps in the candy, flushing out the drink dispenser of flies, and unthawing of pretzels and hot dogs in hot water from the giant freezers in the back.  My first job working at Edwards Cinema was an experience.  Something I will never forget when I walk in any movie theater and avoid the concession because of the disgusting food memories of my first job.

My parents had a business that they had been running together since 1985 or so. My brother and sister and I would often ‘help’ them with mailers by stuffing and stamping envelopes or any other miscellaneous job since we were young.  So I had job experience.  Of some kind.  When the time came for me to get a job, it was expected that I would be applying to outside places, and not start with the family business. I’m not sure why of the exact reason now.  But that was what I had to do and I was happy to do it.

I turned 16 in April and started working on my resume.  My Mom ended up helping me writing the whole thing including adding my picture to the top right corner.  I always giggle at the thought of that picture because it was embarrassing but at the same time, everyone always remembered it.  And wasn’t that the point?

I was pretty excited to get a job. I enjoyed the thought of working, especially getting a job at a bookstore, and went right over to Crown Books to fill out an application.  My love of reading started in the second grade and it was my dream to work at a bookstore.  After applying, waiting, and calling repeatedly to find out if they had reviewed my application (Why! Why wouldn’t they call me!?), I gave up and started heading to other companies to apply.  I was a good girl, I knew how to apply. I went to quite a few places around my city and smiled, called back a few days later, harassed them a bit more, with no hits.

Then I happened to wander in to Edwards Cinema and I got lucky. The manager on duty glanced over my resume (which wasn’t really needed for any of these jobs but hey, it had a picture!), gave me a look, and invited me in. Apparently there was a huge party in one of the theaters the previous night by some of the employees which resulted in a need for more reliable ones to be hired ASAP.  Lucky me.

I won’t go into the details of how gross the job was. It was a job. I bought my black pants, white shirt, and a bowtie, and was happy to start taking in a paycheck.  It was also a great learning experience. But about two months later, the family business came calling and needed some help.  After working both jobs for a few weeks, it was clear what I needed to do. I quit Edwards with a fond goodbye.  Thanks for the memories!

Tagged as: PROMPTuesday