I have two funny anecdotes that came to my mind earlier today.
The first one is how I got my first job, at a music store in town. The busiest time for the store is rental season- August, September, and somewhat October as new students pour in to get instruments for the new year. So the music store hired a bunch of temp workers for the rental season, about 6-7, with some of us going on the road to parent nights for bands. I was in the latter group for the most part, which annoyed me, because we were basically auditioning for 1-2 permanent spots and obviously I couldn't demonstrate my competence if I wasn't in the store.
All-in-all, the other employees were ok but none that spectacular. So I ended up getting my job by virtue, more of less, of the application of basic, basic math skills. At the end of every night we had to go in the warehouse and do inventory of all the instruments. (Accessories we didn't because there were too many, they sold a lot faster, and the price wasn't high enough to be worried) So I was at the store a few days, mostly working at the counter doing rental contracts. So this one day, my boss said he did all the inventory in the back, but forgot a large stack of trumpets, so asked me to look at it. I walked back, counted the amount of rows, how high they were, and did simple multiplication. There were about 125 in 9 stacks of 12-13 or so, and they were all the same brand so they stacked flatly/equally. I walked in, walked out about 15 seconds later and said, "We have 125 trumpets." The manager stared at me, and said "How the hell did you figure that out so fast?" I shrugged, and he said, "Damn, you're hired. Welcome to the club."
The second anecdote is about computers; if the first was about my "cleverness," (even though I can't believe no one else was doing that) then the second is about my stupidity. I was pretty young, 11-12 or so, and obviously was interested in computers very much so back then. My older sister said the computer was acting strangely earlier that day, and when I was using it, it was immediately closing everything I opened. I assumed it was a virus, and someone remote controlling my computer (a common script kiddie tool people used in middle school) and triumphantly yelled something to the effect of "Not today!" and unplugged the power. It was only then, that I made a two realizations.
#1- If it was indeed a virus remote controlled, I could have unplugged the ethernet instead rather than yanking the power cord.
#2- It wasn't a virus, of course. The monitor was sitting on the ESC key.
2 comments:
Working at a gas station I had the same experience you did with your trumpets - except with cigarette boxes. I multiplied it out, and that was that. The boss got mad though - "that isn't how we do it here" and made me count them 2x2. Every night.
One of the many reasons that was my worst job ever, which is saying something.
I think the fact that your boss (illegally) made you pay for people who did the gas-and-go speaks volumes about his managerial capabilities. Or the fact that he bribed everyone with bonuses after you quit.
I don't know what I'd call my worst job, I've been lucky to have good ones- Music store, campus IT, and consulting work. I guess the worst would be the pizza store I worked at for 6 days, or the the refereeing job I had at Tulane freshman year that was just utterly boring. I like watching soccer, but not 8 games in a row, earning $25 ($5.75) in the process. I think sometimes if I had found the campus IT job back Freshman year, I'd be $10-15k less in debt. Shame.
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