My First Job . . . Many Moons Ago!
Posted: Friday, November 25, 2011
by Julie Miklaszewicz
RVing Outpost, LLC
Wow, my FIRST job? That's an easy one. I was a senior in a private college prepatory school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One of my close friends had gotten a part-time job at a metal finishing factory on the south side of Milwaukee, and her boss' friend, who also owned a metal finishing factory, needed someone to work part-time in the office.
Because I was a senior in high school, I was done by 1:40 p.m. every day. Before I had a job, I had to take the city bus to and from school, but once I got that job, my parents let me drive to school so I could to work right from school. The job was on the south side of Milwaukee, in an area that I normally wouldn't be going to, but wasn't really bad in the early 80's. I'm not sure I'd go there alone nowadays though!
I was SO happy to be able to drive my 1973 AMC Hornet to school! I'll never forget the color . . . it was baby poop brown! As with most AMC's, it was also as ugly as could be! LOL However, it was my FIRST car, and it got me where I needed to go, including to work at my first job!
Because Ziggy (my boss and the owner) didn't have anyone else in the office to do anything, I was in charge of everything, including cleaning. I remember one day when Ziggy was gone for whatever reason, and I had nothing to do, I started cleaning. I changed the radio to a local rock station and started going to town. I got the whole office cleaned up and looking really nice. Unfortunately, I forgot to change the radio station. I didn't think it was a big deal, but as it turned out, the radio station played when someone was put on "hold" on the phone! Oops! LOL
For the most, Ziggy was a cool boss, but he had me do some things that even back then, if my father (the police officer) had known, would have very likely gotten him in trouble. I remember once, when I had nothing to do and asked him for work, he had me type up the names of movies to put on his VCR tapes. That wouldn't have been a problem, except that the movies were XXX rated! YES, I was 17 years old and had to listen to him read me the titles (he wrote them in Polish), so that I could type them up! OMG! I've NEVER told anyone that!
I probably shouldn't say this, but back then, the drinking age was only 18, and seeing as I looked older, I was able to go out on Fridays after work with the guys. I remember having a great time with them at the local watering hole and having a couple beers before heading home. Yea, I know, I know. No need to chastise me. It is what it is.
Aside from having to work for someone who was pretty much a pig, I'm grateful that I had that experience and didn't have to deal with anything more than typing up the names of dirty movies. At 17, having the responsibilities I did, it was pretty cool, and managed to get me into some other great office jobs.
I'll always be grateful to Ziggy for giving me that opportunity.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)I feared for you as I was reading. It was totally inappropriate, what Ziggy did. I'm so glad you didn't have to deal with anything more than typing up the titles of those movies.
Thank you, Jennifer. It certainly was in appropriate. I think if I had ever told my father about that, he'd have arrested the guy himself! I only worked there until I graduated from high school, so only for about six months. I hope whoever took over for me didn't have any problems with Ziggy.
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