Worst job I had was my first proper paid job. I worked 12 hours every Saturday at a pasta factory. Basically, I would stand at a conveyor belt all day upon which little plastic pots would go past. As each pot passed me by I would have to put the correct weight of whatever ingredient I was doing into it. Basically my job was this: Weigh cheese, pour cheese into pot. Weigh cheese, pour cheese into pot. Weigh cheese, pour cheese into pot... FOR. TWELVE. WHOLE. HOURS!
I got a 45 minute lunch break and two 15 minute breaks. But they started the moment I left the factory floor. The canteen was right on the other side of the factory near all the managers offices and it took a while to remove wellies, overalls, hairnets and gloves before we could get down there. Not to mention having to put all that crap back on before we went back in. All that would take a good seven minutes, which meant that on a 15 minute break you'd only get about eight minutes actual break time.
I wouldn't sleep on friday nights because I would be counting down the hours on the clock. It was dark outside when I went into the factory and dark again by the time I got out.
One time a guy accidentally hit me with a crate and it caused me to fall over. I was perfectly okay but I pretended I'd hit my head just so that I could get the hell out of there. It's not like you could even talk to the person next to you because of the constant noise of machinery. It was hell. I think it gave me repetitive strain injury.
I did that job for a year simply because I was fresh out of high school and didn't know any better. I just assumed 'This is it, this is what it is to be employed!'
However, all these years later, I can honestly say that I am glad of the experience. No job I've ever had since has even remotely fazed me. I can pretty much stomach anything an employer throws at me because of working in that place.

No comments:
Post a Comment