VICTORY!!!!

Very early on in my experiences with working I've tried to have a very good work ethic. I've tried to work hard and be respectful of the people I work with and the customers (when I've had to deal with them). I also came to learn early on that it doesn't always get you anywhere. There were many times in jobs where I asked if I could be moved to another department or get cross trained and was turned down while people who didn't seem to put in as much of an effort got moved up. There were times that I had to fight just as much for hours. I've had bosses rave about how good of a worker I am and how they wish they could clone me, yet scoffed when I asked about having a raise. In almost all of my jobs I got to a point where eventually I just stopped caring and slacked off....well as much as my work ethic would let me.

That has finally all changed.

Recently I quit my job at the restaurant in GR. Gas prices were killing me and I was getting to the aforementioned point where I wasn't caring as much. Also, it helped that I got offered a job at a place opening up in Zeeland (a town smack dab next to where I live). Once again I was dishwashing, but at this point I didn't care. I just needed a second job closer to where I live. We got my availability with the grocery store worked out although there was an annoyance on their part the first day after they realized that two of the nights they scheduled me that I wouldn't be available til an hour or so after they wanted me. That annoyance lasted about 2 days until they realized how good I was. After day 3, they said that if I wanted more hours they would gladly give them to me.

Then they had their first weekend. I try not to worry about what goes on when I'm not at a job. But I already knew that the other dishwasher couldn't handle it. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but during training it was obvious that it was his first job (obviously he's in high school) or at least his first restaurant. Every day I worked that first week I had both cooks and FOH people tell me they loved how I could keep up and somehow I knew the weekend wasn't going to go smoothly.

Enough about that though, things were going VERY smoothly and then about half way through the night the sous chef was like "Hey, we need to talk to you before you leave". I'm not sure who reads this but hearing those words is never a good thing. Luckily he knew what was going through my head and clarified that the talk was nothing to worry about. Towards the end of the night Brooks (the sous chef), Luke (the owner/GM/Chef?) and I went outside to talk.

And they offered me full time!!!

Full time as in a 5 day, 40 hour work week. And a raise to $8. I don't think I've EVER gotten a raise based on ability and working for 40 hours in rare in the restaurant industry unless you're on salary and salary in that business is not a good thing.

Naturally I accepted. Which means no more grocery store. It will make going out on "weekends" harder, but I get a two day weekend on Sunday and Monday which will make planning things with friends easier.

My whole working life I've run with the idea that hopefully someday I'll work as a place where they recognize and reward mine (or anybody's) hard work. It's nice to finally be at that place.

Like I said, life can only go up from here!