How my first job made me the person I am today
A month into #myfirstjob I met Lisa for the fourth time. Lisa was an older lady who came into the grotty clothes store I worked at every Saturday within fifteen minutes of it opening. Every week she'd return the item she'd bought the week before. And every week she'd linger slightly longer than anyone else at the till.
I don't know why it took me so long, but after meeting Lisa for the fourth time something she said clicked. Every Saturday, I was the only person Lisa spoke to.
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I disliked the job. I severely disliked having to hang underwear on those awkward hangers. I hated scrubbing the floor at night. I had a horrible boss and I cried during the 10 minute walk home after each shift.
But it never occurred to me to quit. If it had, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I thought I was there to make money but like every other job I've had since, I was there to learn.
As Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman said, it's not about what we learn about ourselves in our first jobs, but what we learn about others. I learnt how to interact with strangers. I learnt how to fill a 12 litre bucket with water in a tiny sink. I learnt from colleagues that a top degree from another country often meant nothing when you landed in London. I learnt that everyone has a story they carry with them wherever they go.
It's been 10 years since I met Lisa. I hope there's someone behind a till learning as much as I did and chatting with her right now.
You can read more #myfirstjob posts here
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Carla Bradman is the marketing manager at Paramount and writes a blog about small business marketing.
Manifesting, actualising, arriving…
9 年It's astonishing quite how unbearable experiences like this can be at the time, however only in the glow of hindsight can we recognise that, as you say, it's these experiences which shape us. I too have similar kinds of experiences which I wouldn't change for anything, as painful as they were. A few words on Lisa. Social isolation is more prevalent, particularly with older people, than we could ever imagine. Your weekly conversations probably meant more to Lisa than you could ever know. If you feel the inclination, search out your local Age UK and see what services they offer to support older people in your area; perhaps even get involved. If you feel up to it, Age UK (the national charity) run a corporate volunteering tele-befriending scheme, too.