Newspapergrl struck a chord with a post about getting fired. It got me thinking about how many jobs I’ve had since I was 13, so I decided to follow the trail of how I came to work in public relations, or how I got a job in PR. It’s a lengthy post.
The Working Life
Elementary School Janitor – Way too many of my friends worked here with me. The elementary school had tunnels underneath it that could have been imagined up by Edgar Allen Poe. Dark, creepy and windy. We occasionally had our fun running around inside them like irresponsible teenagers. Got paid the same no matter how long it took to get our assigned work done. Quit for Hardees (age 13-16)
Hardees – Learned how to make fried chicken and biscuits. Quit for Baseball (age 16)
Burger King – My co-workers were often drunk because they kept beer in the cooler next to the shredded lettuce, and I got to work one day to find a girl separating the seeds out of her marijuana while sitting in the break room. … NOTE … This is why I will never allow my kids to work in fast food. Quit because it was a crappy job, but I think that was easy to figure out. (age 16-17?)
Harmon’s Grocery Store – Started at Harmon’s at $4.25 an hour. Grocery bagger. “Promoted” to produce guy after a temporary stint stocking bread, milk and the dairy case. This was the only time in my life I ever had to work on Thanksgiving Day. I learned a lot about fruits and vegetables and that when you cut the bottom off of lettuce, the milky white substance that comes out tastes like dirt not milk. (Produce initiation I guess) . . .I quit because Circuit City had a program that would pay for school (age 17)
Circuit City – There were probably 10 of my high school friends that worked here with me at the same time. I worked in the warehouse where I learned to drive a mean platform forklift. Quit to make more money fertilizing lawn to save for a mission. (age 18)
Utah Lawn Care – I had my first experience with the stench of an egg farm when I fertilized the grass at the caretakers house. Hundreds of thousands of chickens laying eggs smells like death. Quit to go on a mission. I think I was making $8.50 an hour. (age 19)
Deseret Industries – Learned how to make furniture. One of my co-workers tried to get me to become a professional speed-walker because he trained speed walkers. Seriously. The guy would speed walk around the warehouse on his breaks. (age 21)
Piano Mover – My first day on the job we moved a $150,000 Fazioli piano from Kingsbury Hall to a piano store. The guy I worked with was only about 5’10″, but he was the strongest guy (pound for pound) I’ve ever met. I only worked this job for two weeks during Christmas break while home from college. $10 an hour plus incredible tips. (age 22)
College Security – When you’re a security guy at a private Christian college with only 8,000 students, “security” means getting paid to be an honor code enforcer that everybody thinks is self righteous. (age 22)
EFY Counselor – If you can go weeks on very little sleep, like hanging out with teenagers, and eating cafeteria food, this just may be the job for you. In all seriousness, it was very rewarding to help teenagers get a little more focused in their religious commitments. I think I made $350 a week, but had room and board paid for. (age 22?)
Ricks College Outdoor Programs – Two weeks. Left because I landed a sweet internship at Micron (23)
Corporate Affairs Intern, Micron – Boise was incredible, and Micron provided housing with a maid. What more can I say? Summer of 2001? (age 23?)
BYU College of Nursing, PR/Development – I didn’t really want the job until I realized that it was the College of Nursing, which just happened to be almost all girls. I was single and in college. Do you blame me? I met my wife a year later, and she wasn’t a nursing student. (age 24)
BYU College of Nursing, Webmaster – Quit the PR job. I decided I shouldn’t have, but they already filled it, so I became the college webmaster. (age 25)
Daily Universe Newspaper, Asst. City Editor – At this point, I was teetering on the “become a journalist or do PR” decision. (25)
Politis Communications, Intern – My first work for Papa P. Politis was kind enough to throw me in the deep end from the beginning. None of this “getting your feet wet” kind of stuff. It was time to swim. (25)
PRSA, Intern – New York. New York. Met tons of big-name PR people at the Silver Anvil Awards. I even interviewed for a couple of jobs there. Saw Fenway Park, Niagra Falls, Yankee Stadium, etc.. etc… Came home to be with the girl I would marry two years later. (25)
Politis Communications, AC, AAE, AE, Consultant – More of “the deep end.” What a ride. Learned a ton. Did a ton. Traveled to New York once or twice and a lot to SF. (25-28)
Current
Decade Media, Dir. PR/Marketing (28 . . . )
Henry Capital, Managing Partner (29 . . . )
Acero Home Cinema, Partner (29 . . .)
Utah Jazz, Game Night Staff, Seasonal (27 . . .)
Salt Lake Bees, Stats Stringer, Seasonal (29 . . .)
Holy Cannoli. I think I counted 23 jobs, which isn’t surprising by the nature of my nomad behavior in my early 20s. How do you get a job in PR? Do stuff. How many jobs have you had? Pass it on.