Folsom Bel Air

Everybody has to work in their life (ok maybe not the super uber rich and elite). Everyone has to go through getting that very first job. Sometimes it was difficult for some due to needing to have that "experience" as most people would prefer to hire someone that has some working experience over a total newbie. Well today, I will be sharing the story of my very first job as well as other thoughts on the job.

Background Story
For those that don't know I used to live in California. When I was in high school, I didn't really work as I was busy with sports during the summer breaks or visiting family in Malaysia. I know that there are some people that started working under eighteen years old but I wasn't one of them.

I actually didn't start looking for a job until I was eighteen years old and graduated from high school; this was around 2014. To be honest, I remember clearly being kicked out and locked out of the house to find a job. I remember walking to every store and asking if there was a job there or any job application I could apply for. It took a while but I finally landed an interview at Folsom Bel Air and got my very first job.

My First Job
I got my first job at Folsom Bel Air as a courtesy clerk. A courtesy clerk had a job scope of cleaning like moping the store and making sure the bathroom was clean. It also included helping the clerks bag the groceries and even help the customer load their groceries into their car. While bagging the groceries, there was also some dialogue required like asking how their day was etc. In addition to that, I had to help customers find items, do price checks and gather the grocery carts from outside which was pretty brutal during the summer since it was hot! If it's not too obvious, this grocery store had a slight focus more on service.

_{This is a picture from an aerial view which I got from google maps. The part circled in red was where I would usually park my car because I didn't like parking near other cars so I always parked far away}

My Experience & Why I Left
Overall, working this job was a great experience. I learned more about grocery items and fruits. Can you believe there are grapes called cotton candy grapes. It tasted like cotton candy which is why it had this name. I also learned how to make conversations better since I had to communicate with the customers. I'm someone that was extremely introvert and didn't really like to talk much but this job kind of forced me to get out of my comfort zone. It helped me get better at communicating with people and I still use those skills today!

After working at this grocery store for almost three years, I thought to myself is this what I wanted to do my whole life. Everything started to be a routine and I looked at the manager and I thought is this my future. Am I going to be like him if I just stay and work here in the coming years. I made the decision to continue my degree but I wanted a fresh start so I decided to go study in Malaysia. I liked Malaysia better so I'm still living here.

Would I Go Back?
It was a great start to my working experience. The co-workers and managers were nice but HELL NO I'm NOT GOING BACK.

Concluding Thoughts
I like bringing up stories as it not only makes the writing easier but there may be also some entertainment value. I wish I had a picture of me working here in the uniform but I didn't really take pictures. I even asked a friend I made from working here if they had a picture of me and well he couldn't find one. Anyways, that's all from me; I hope you liked my story!