Job Evolution
by Stephanie—Age 25—Fort Worth, TX
Meat patties sizzle on the grill. I’m stuck cleaning the bathrooms because I’m The New Girl. Then, it’s out to the dumpster with an overstuffed, smelly trash bag. At 16, I’d had trouble finding a job, so my mom suggested I apply at one of our town’s three Dairy Queens. Reluctant, I applied, and they hired me on the spot. Unfortunately.
After five months at the DQ, I climb up the minimum wage ladder and snag a cashier job at Wal-Mart.
I survive the Christmas rush and eventually move up to working at the Customer Service Desk. There I learn that the customer, no matter how wrong he or she may be, is always right. I issue refunds and store credit for worn jeans, muddy shoes, and stolen stereos. This lasted for two years, until I decided to take time off to finish school.
Fast-forward to 2003. Having just graduated from college with a B.A. in English, I get a job in the bakery at Central Market. I start out in retail—not terribly satisfying, but it beats cashiering. I explain to customers the difference between a baguette and a pagnotta (the difference? The shape, mostly) and get used to saying, “No, I don’t know if our Black Forest cake is like the one at the Swiss Pastry Shop” on a regular basis. After six months of telling customers what bread goes best with brie, a cheese I still haven’t tried to this day (I was a vegan at the time), I transferred to the night shift, baking bread. I had no problem sleeping during the daytime, though I did have problems staying awake through my shift. And my “days off” were during the middle of the night, which can put a cramp in one’s social life. Luckily, I didn’t have one of those.
In late 2004, I finally found a job in my field: copy editor at a publishing company. What kind of publishing company? One that publishes handbooks for tax preparers and accountants. The reading material is riveting! About a year or so in I began doing more layout work than copy editing, which was fine with me. We have swinging happy hours, and the use of acronyms in the office is rampant. I still work there, and I’ll probably stay there as long as they’ll have me. It beats baking bread at two in the morning.
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