It all started on Saturday....
Saturday: My brother, P, came home last week for spring break (he goes to school out of state). On Saturday we went downtown to shop and have lunch. I had been eyeing this frozen yogurt place called "The Ice Berry" for a while and really want to go. So I dragged P to go try it. It's not just any frozen yogurt, it's Korean frozen yogurt and it is D-I-V-I-N-E. I could live on it forever. I thought to myself, half jokingly, it would be fun to work here and eat this frozen yogurt all the time... I wonder if they are hiring... So P dared me to go ask if they were hiring. Low and behold they were! The manager gave me an application and I filled it out. It was really basic - name, phone number, address, if you've ever been convicted of a crime, and if you are able to work in the U.S. The was the gist of it - no previous work experience or education were needed. I figured it was just a preliminary application and that if I was called it would be for an interview where I brought my resume and had to fill out a more detailed application.
NOT THE CASE.
Monday: I got a phone message from the manager of the Ice Berry saying that I was hired. Hired?! All they knew about me was my name and phone number! When I called back and talked to the manager on the phone I clarified that I was hired and he said yes and asked me to come to training on Tuesday from 11:30am-5pm. I was still skeptical. The manager had a really thick accent and was hard to understand. I couldn't really be hired, could I? Nothing is that easy. So I decided to dress like I was going to an interview and bring my resume so I would be prepared if it was just an interview and I wouldn't look like a douche. Saying "I thought I was already hired..." to the manager sounded idiotic to me so I didn't want to make that mistake.
Tuesday: I got to the Ice Berry at 11:30am sharp. The store hadn't even opened yet for the day. The manager finally came and opened up shop a few minutes later. But get this - he thought I was waiting to buy some frozen yogurt. He didn't even recognize me as the girl he had hired!!! I had to tell him that I was actually there for the training, not for the yogurt. I was still skeptical. But he threw me an official Ice Berry shirt and I was off to work. I learned the cash register, how to make smoothies, how to dip the yogurt... everything. I was doing okay until I had to start cutting the fruit. I learned quickly:
I SUCK AT CUTTING FRUIT.
How can someone suck at cutting fruit, you ask? Let me explain: I couldn't get it up to their standards. Peel the fruit as close to the skin as possible. Cut one centimeter by one centimeter squares. All without a cutting board! You had to hold the fruit in your hand and do it. I swear the whole time I wasn't breathing because I was afraid I was going to slice my hand open. Everyone that works there is Korean (hello, Korean frozen yogurt) and they were all laughing at me and speaking in Korean. They would try to tell me what to do, but I couldn't understand them because of their thick accents. I felt so stupid. I was ready to quit right there, but I decided that I was going to complete my shift and stay until 5pm ------------ and then quit. Ha.
My mom picked me up at 5pm. (Yes, I know I'm 25 and my mom picked me up - lame-o, I know. But hear me out - the yogurt place is 20 minutes away from my house, but there is no parking so I would have had to take the bus which would have taken an hour and I couldn't because I had therapy beforehand. So there.) My mom wasn't going to drive me there every day though - now that would be SUPER lame-o. So I would have had take two buses and travel for an hour to get there every day for a stupid little ice cream shop job that pays half as much as my other job. And there was a chance I would have to quit my better paying job in order to do this one. There were other reasons to quit too... Sufficeth to say: a big fat NOT WORTH IT if you ask me.
My mom and I decided that I should call the manager on his cell phone and quit that night, tell him that I found another job or something, anything. To get his number off my phone message, both my mom and I had to listen to it four times to get the number right because his accent was so thick. I finally called him and quit. I'm lame, I know. But I feel much better.
So that is the story of my getting a job and quitting a job in one weekend. Yay for the Ice Berry!
14 comments:
haha- sounds like a breif yet painful job i had at the Twisted Pretzel at this mall in Honollulu. Everyone else that worked there were locals that spoke pidgeon and made fun of the "haole" behind my back, and all of the customers were japanese and i couldn't understand a damned word they said! Sounds like you made the right decision and made it out with all 10 digits!
In college, I worked one shift at Blockbuster, and I couldn't take it. Something about the way they insisted I organize their movies on the shelf. Plus, I had another job at the time. I don't know what I was thinking -- 2 jobs, full-time school, full-swing eating disorder. Ha. Anyway, we all have those job stories :)
I heard they opened some locations of this place in DC and I'm curious to try it. Where my sister lives in San Diego, there are all these bomb-diggity fro-yo places.
I had a friend work a single shift at a CiCi's pizza and then was never asked to return.
The shortest time I was ever officially employed by someone was the summer I worked for the calling center at my university. I discovered after seven weeks of asshattery that I suck at asking people for money.
Wow. Glad you quit - that sounds like it would have really stressed me out, too!
That's kind of a funny story. I did the same thing once. I got a job at the J Crew outlet b/c I could get major discounts. I started in September, hated my first day SOOOO MUCH that I went into quit the second day, but the stupid manager wasn't there, so I pretended I was sick. Actually, I should've gotten an Emmy for that!! Then I told them I got another job and worked a 4 hour shift one a week for a little bit so I could buy all my xmas presents. I lasted about 2 months. It was THE WORST. They make you fold clothes with this stupid shirt board. NO THANKS!!
PS. I started my list, but it's not long enough to post yet.
Sorry I'm behind on blogs, girlies, I'll catch up soon!
lol great story, Kjbabe. I love you.
Oooh that is amusing! I'm sorry it was stressful, but the way you wrote about it made me smile!!! :D. I would've quit too, but sometimes its cool to just have TRIED something even if you know you're planning to quit...like I'd love to be a florist for one day, after that I reckon I'd be over it, but just one day would be cool :). You'll always appreciate cut fruit from now on!!!
Well done on getting the job (hehe) and well done on quitting!
xoxo
that's hilarious.
haha, hilarious
I would have had a hard time working there, and I'm Korean! I have a tough time understanding thick Asian accents or if they talk really fast.
I have heard about this frozen yogurt and really want to try it. There is no place close to me, however. I've also heard about the Korean taco which has become popular in some metropolitan areas.
I worked at KFC for two weeks, actually like three shifts and then they didn't schedule me the second week. After the first time I worked I couldn't handle slipping around on the raw chicken juices in the kitchen, so I gave my two weeks notice. Hey Kara, blog friend!
rachel, the kfc story totally grossed me out! ewwww!!
kara, very glad you quit...that job sounds absolutely not worth it at all.
sorry im behind on reading and commenting on blogs but i've been thinking about you. much love!
Post a Comment