Saturday, June 23, 2012

Mr. Goodcents

The Door to the Future
Sometimes opportunity knocks.
Sometimes you have to open your own door and go looking for opportunity.


Grant had several job applications in across town, from the grocery store to the book store.  The money would definitely be nice, but the real reward was to be able to document gainful employment in the State of Missouri in order to become eligible to apply for in-state tuition.


With an eye toward opportunity for his first paying job, Grant spotted a "Help Wanted" sign in a nearby deli sandwich shop.  He got a call to come in and interview with the manager.  She told him he was one of 3 applicants for 2 openings, but led him to believe he had done well in the interview and was all but assured of a position, doing some general sandwich shop sales and some delivery.  His assurance that he could make correct change was perhaps the deciding factor, but the recent acquisition of the family's 2003 Camry was a plus in landing the job, as it gave him the flexibility to make deliveries.


Returning to Columbia, Missouri (aka 'CoMo') after a few days home in Texas, he was called to come in and make his start the next week.  He landed his first job!


His commute is about 2 miles from his summer place, so he able to finish his summer school Economics course at 10:50 AM and go directly to the morning shift 11-3.  He started out with 12 hours/week as a delivery driver, making good use of his GPS app on his smart phone.  He has quickly worked into additional behind-the-counter work; slicing the meats, dressing the sandwiches to the customer's choosing and ringing up their orders.  For deliveries he is compensated an additional $2 per trip and gets to keep the tips, which can account for more than double his hourly wages.


Grant speaks well of his manager and says everyone has been very helpful in helping him break-in to the way things are done a Goodcents.  Many of his coworkers are (or were) tightly-wound lesbians, but a couple of these high maintenance employees "flipped out" and walked out after declaring the working conditions "ridiculous".  It is a mystery to Grant as to what the unresolveable issue(s) were - but he has since ended up with additional hours to fill in for the walk outs.


Making sandwiches & Making money Makes Goodcents.

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