[BossFrancis]

Originally Posted by Gridlock

I'm going to add about an experience I had in Halifax when I was about 18. I responded to an ad and ended up doing door to door canvassing for Greenpeace.

I worked 4 hour shifts and got paid $35 plus commission on anything over $100.

We ended up working in a lot of areas outside the city, so I spent a lot of time walking between driveways and up long driveways. And I sucked. So i get pulled aside and told that I suck. He tells me, what we're going to do is put you with this woman that is like god's gift to door to door canvassing. She'll show you what she does. BUT...if you don't make quota tonight, then we are putting you on straight commission, so to make my 35, I HAD to collect $100.

So off we go to some subdivision in Dartmouth. I'm working with this woman, and he's right, she can talk. Knows Greenpeace inside and out. And then I go off on my own. Come back with $20. She had $30. Turns out the local phone company was on strike. Turns out everyone that lived in this neighborhood worked for them. So I heard a lot of "we love you! but..."

So, we go back to the office, and I feel alright because we didn't even hit my target between the 2 of us. Still got put on straight commission! Hippie fucker! In fact, the only time I hit commission was when we drove for an hour back to my neighborhood and I knew everyone.

Honestly, I spent my teens looking for any place that wasn't actually "real" work. I sold bulk meat over the phone and ended up giving a deposition to the police when it was discovered that the manager was paying her self in her employees names, mine included. I sold newspapers on the phone that was mostly selling the Halifax paper to Cape Breton, an area of Nova Scotia that never even acknowledges that they are a part of the province, so that went well.

If I had to do it over again, I would pick actually working at a place that is legit, with some people exposure and a little bit of growth. Starbucks is perfect, but they tend not to hire the high schoolers. Grocery stores are great. You can come and go depending on school, you aren't working a deep fryer for min wage and hopefully your raises don't get eaten by minimum wage. PLUS...you always have a back up summer job because if you don't quit its always there. My gf did Safeway for 7 years all through the years off before school and during school. She took leaves and extended leaves and always had that back up.

I was at a disadvantage when I started working real jobs because I never learned that work ethic. I worked at a hotel when I first came to BC and was fired in 3 months. I was a lazy bastard. There were other issues there that didn't help my work ethic at all. I got into restaurants which thankfully, very quickly reformed my work ethic. You have no choice because some guy is always yelling at you.

After that, my key was always be the guy that is pushing himself further and getting others to do the same. Every job after that made me a manager.

There is something to be said for thinking out of the box, but on a lot of these places, its just not worth it. They are sleazy and second rate and you end up looking back saying what a waste of precious time.

Sorry..rambly post.

Wow, I had no idea people were so corrupt. Seems like I need to steer clear of Craigslist.
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