Monday, August 10, 2009

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

I was reading YinkusLoLo's blog where she blogged about how people perceive certain jobs that we do in this country i.e Cab driver/Fast food worker etc etc and all in all, it made me think of the topic of 'Jobs'.

I've been subject to a serious background check which entailed that I list all the jobs that I've had in the past 10 years and my oh my, I actually had to sit and think about that one. You see, in my 10 years or so that I've been in this country, I've worked a total of approx 18 jobs or more sef
*Gasp*...18 jobs in 10 years shey? Blame it on the restlessness. As my aunt used to say to be back in the day...'Na only you wan collect all the jobs in this America'. As in, at the end of the Tax year, while my mates were filing taxes with just one W-2, I'd have 3 or 4. LOL
My current job is the longest that I've ever been anywhere and that's because it's a 'real' job as opposed to the random stints that I did during my college years.



My first job in this country was at KFC. Worked there for 1.5 months and I was O-U-T...after that I swore that I'd never do another fast food job. But working that job definitely taught me to be nice to people in the fast food industry...it's certainly not easy to maintain your cool when you deal with customers who talk smack to you because they see you flipping burgers or frying chicken.
Surprisingly, I remained a broomstick while I worked there despite my daily lunches of crispy chicken and biscuits.
I still very vividly remember my shock when I received my 1st paycheck...as in I was told that I would be making $6.25/hr and I had already calculated it well well o. I was like ok with this $$ that I'm expecting, I'm finna do this and that...only to receive my check and I was like NA LIE. This one na real ojoro...I went to my manager and told him that my check was short, that I worked X amount of hours...etc etc. Bwahahahhahaha, long story short, that was my introduction to American taxes. Chei!!!

I've also worked a lot of retail jobs. You name it: Victoria Secret (My lingerie collection was bangin' back in the day...I was also really good at getting people to open their Angel credit cards), Ann Taylor, The Limited, Ross dress for Less, Rugged Wearhouse...*I know there's more but I don forget*

I've worked at an ear piercing store/jewelry store where we had to make daily sales and I learned how to pierce ears. I remember my first piercing experience...I was shaking.
Come to think of it, I wasn't too terrible at getting people to buy Jewelry either. Now, I remember the name...Piercing Pagoda.

I've worked at department style stores i.e the famous AMES that went out of business (I had some real ghetto fabulous coworkers who used to constantly gist me of their sex lives...I will always remember how 2 of them came into work the next day talkin' bout they met up with some dudes who just got out of jail and had the best sex ever as per the dudes were catching up for lost time...*SMH*), CVS (where one of my managers was constantly trying to feel up on me. Apparently no one read me the sexual harrassment policy; and I flipped out on another manager and quit), IKEA...(It was a temporary gig but they had a good discount).

I've worked at a Sprint Customer service typa place. Well, I just worked there for 1 week and bounced. The hours were just ridiculous! 3pm-11pm 6 days a week.

I've done the Admin/Office jobs/College Work Study jobs too. Part time steez when I started feeling too grown and sexy for retail.

I've worked at a Clutch & Brake company where it appeared that I was the hottest thing walking. Imagine an environment filled with sweaty mechanics and ish, and the only other female was this 60 year old woman. Every friday, those men were always all too eager to come get their paychecks so they could make small talk with me. LOL

Of course, I did a couple of internships in my college major. At this point I really felt like I upgraded my life...Ha! Internships in my field definitely didn't pay bad at all for college kids. A far cry from the KFC days. :-p

*Racks brain*

I absolutely can not remember the rest of those my lil part time jobs ooo. LOL...but there you have it, I've had a 'range of experiences' on the job front.
Working all those years of retail certainly taught me the following things:
  • Be nice to sales associates.
  • Take your clothes out of the fitting room after trying them on...it is an absolute witch trying to clean up at the end of the night. I mean sometimes we'd close at 9 and I'd get home at 11 (Well, I used to catch the bus so factor in travel time sha o).
  • Don't friggin' try on 10 things and walk out of the store with nada. Mchewwww....lol

And of course, that kinda fueled my shopping habit with all them discounts and all. I especially loved that Rugged WearHouse stint...talk about brand names for less. I remember snagging this BabyPhat jacket for $30 (when BabyPhat was cool), Express baffs for like $10 or less...and my all time favorite Tommy bright yellow bubble jacket that my friends still make fun of. Whatevs to y'all, I was absolutely killing it. :-D

All in all, it's always fun to reminisce, look back and those good ol' days, look at where I am in life right now and thank God. e no easy at all o!

46 comments:

.. said...

LOL..Lovely post..

mizchif said...

Good for you.
That's one of the things about growing up in naija, one hardle gets to experience the work life, till after uni, but i think this way is better, cuz it does help you appreciate things more.

LMAO @ "when baby phat was stii cool" I absolutely HATE baby phat!!!

Oh and i've been thinking about u.
(hehehehehe) How many of those harry potter books have u been able to find?

Zena said...

I was reading the list of jobs, and men....u tried sha

I can count how many times I've worked but like Mizchif said, that's one thing u won't experience in naija, dat u excperience here

Do you know my aunt reads you now, lol.... She saw me reading and every morning now, she'll ask me if ur updated, lol

e don tey sha, how body? u don update for the other part?

Zena said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
~B~ said...

wow, 18 in 10 yrs?? only u?? lol, I agree wiv ur aunt!!

36 INCHES OF BROWN LEGS said...

damn... if i begin dey list all my jobs, no b small thing o!!

Anonymous said...

wow only you...

BSNC said...

ahh babe you really work this work oo. hahahah i know what you mean about the KFC py check. na really ojoro..lol


look where you are today. We thank God o...

Rene said...

18 in 10 years....mahn, u tried o!

Yinkuslolo said...

i give u hand babes. but i think many pple work random jojbs like u do too, esp students. i have only gotten the opportunity to work on campus asper part-time student/internship. i wanna go outside and do something new.

Anonymous said...

lol...u try oh.

Yinkuslolo said...

ehen, u've worked in those fash retail places. do and give info about stuffs on ur retail blog oh. take care

chayomao said...

Lovely reminiscing post
Nne u try oh!
In btwn, i notice a change!

Nice Anon said...

Nnem.. you try oo! See jobs wey you don do.

My first job was dietary aide at a nursing home and I got $258 as my first paycheck.

I have worked at US Vision, WaWa, group home job and one of those clients actually attacked me and broke my hand ( which the doctor said won't heal properly for another 10 yrs) so I quit after that. Mehn obodo oyibo no easy at all.

Jadore-Fashion said...

a funny post, i can't stand kfc and their oily chicken lol!

Anonymous said...

na u sabi!! 18 jobs!!!....hmmn..well I've heard worse lol..

Ebony~!* said...

I'm still stuck on the 18 jobs in 10 years line......Hmmmmm dats deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

TayneMent said...

I bind the restless spirit in you IJN! lol!

Blogoratti said...

That's a whole load of jobs mehn...but seeing that you were moving around a lot,it's cool.

Isabella said...

wowza well that's preety good. I hope it was worth it hun ..love the blog

Anoda Phase said...

waoh, weldone u...I'm glad u learnt a few lessons on ur way up...thk God 4 where He has brought u 2...

bob-ij said...

lol @ coming in and walking out of the store with NADA! hehehe.... oops! But these jobs are a whole lot. I think I've had only 3 or 4 and one of them was an exam proctor! so umm I haven't been around yet...lol
x!

Kemberly said...

Mgbeks. I can't read ur blog! I don't know if it's just me...

Vivi N. said...

You're good remembering even more than half of the jobs you worked. With 18+, my mind would've been foggy.

KFC. LOL! That's all I'm gonna say. ;o)

Reverence said...

Lol at taynement AMEN O!!

Reverence said...

Lol at taynement AMEN O!!

Repressed One said...

Chineke!!! only you?? U've had more than 3times the # of jobs i've had in about the same time...well sha all na experience

webround said...

just last week i was talking to someone back in Naija and i said - 'we have it easy in Naija cos we don't start working till we do IT in undegrad whereas here, people enter the labor market at 16 or even b4'

in the end, all these are experiences which have molded your xter.

Tigeress said...

waow u've been around! lol! sounds rather interesting tho. luckily i havent done retail- i'm sure they wld have sacked my lazy ass within the first week. But when i was 17 i worked as a waitress at a cafe. I remember- i fell ill and got fired- i think. Luckily i immediately fell into telephone market research.

Unknown said...

Hmmmm..... u've tried oooh.
I wish I'd get a job. Damnn this recession!!
It'd be my first job and I'd start to tell my story....ha!!

Anonymous said...

Woah! I hail you oh. Ps please what does Mgbeke mean? I saw the name in a book and remembered you..lol

Rita said...

Now I admire you the more...

Buttercup said...

Omo, you don try o! Ahnahn.. I can imagine the wealth of experience and knowledge you've acquired so far..

mochahourglass said...

buhahaha. KFC. I say no more. You know why I'm laughing.

Anonymous said...

LOL @ your experience with American taxes.

Omo, you have WORKED o!

Wished there are decent Uni. jobs here; I would rather slit my wrists than do the kind they have on offer.

Enkay said...

You won't believe it but for the past two days, I have posted comments that never showed up!!

Aaaargh!!! Blogger dey find my trouble o!

Now I don't even remember all the nice things I said.....

Elle Woods said...

what happened to your new layout?

Chomy said...

Anty you are old o!!!!!



u were working when i was just shitting in me nappies...



LMAOOOOO....only you o....oya make we go spend all the money saved up in your savings account.....

Dude Baby Phat was NEVER and will never be cool!!!!!!!just like House of Dereon lolololol


never did fast food, cuz i will be that one person who coughs into someone's food because they were unposh....lol

lets see...pharm tech in HS, customer rep freshman year, Dad's girl sophmore year (thts a job o look it up), professional couch potato junior year, law office intern after school, now DC govt.

u know what job i really wanted but never got hired for becasue i apparently wasnt qualified....Obama's concubine, apparently i didnt have enuff experince. *wink. i also want to be a professional swimmer, but apparently i am not very good at swimming, except that nobody told me all this while i was building prepping for that dream....

so my next job is going to be a professional blogger commenter, i just have to figure out how much it pays....

uNWrItten* said...

argh!! i need a job!!!
i worked at VS too!!!ahhhh the good days..i would love to work at IKEA!! that store is the ish mehn...this america the things we dooo...

LusciousRon said...

You don work plenty jobs o! Weldone. they can only add to your experiences.

Penelope...! said...

WOW. Ive never even worked in my life. Uve tried.

Uzo.@.Afriqion said...

What happened to the new template? I was really liking it:(

Geebee said...

Wao! 18 jobs! . . . or more? Now that’s something pretty serious. Well, I never cease to thank God that the Nigerian tax system is not nearly as tough as the American tax system, otherwise . . . infact forget it sef, such stuff would hardly work in a society as uncivilized as ours over here. That aside, we all pray we’d be employers of labour and not employees in the long run.

Geebee said...

Wao! 18 jobs! . . . or more? Now that’s something pretty serious. Well, I never cease to thank God that the Nigerian tax system is not nearly as tough as the American tax system, otherwise . . . infact forget it sef, such stuff would hardly work in a society as uncivilized as ours over here. That aside, we all pray we’d be employers of labour and not employees in the long run.

Whistling Beautiful said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Whistling Beautiful said...

all those jobs. you gvae experience oh. Your resume would be like What???????????????? LOL