Hard Choices

“I want to quit.” I thought to myself as I locked up my bike. The wind and rain blew me through the door, and I started to strip off the wet layers as I headed up the stairs to my locker.

 This was my first ‘real’ job. Not that I hadn’t worked before – I had been working since I was 11, but those were always cash jobs for friends and neighbors. This was the first place I got an actual paycheck, had a work schedule, and had more than one co-worker.  

As I changed out of my muddy biking clothes into my work clothes, I listed the pros and cons in my head.

Cons:  minimum wage, 4-hour shifts, 2 hours of biking for each shift (work vs commuting time not that great), the job wasn’t challenging anymore…

Pros: It’s a job, I like my manager, it’s better than sitting around at home, I enjoy meeting the different customers and getting to know the regulars… 

4 for 4.

 I sat down at the breakroom table and opened a granola bar, glancing at the clock. I still had 20 minuets until my shift started.

Why am I working here? It’s partly for the experience but more importantly, I need to be able to pay for school in the fall. I pulled out my phone and started adding some numbers… Tuition, Books, Used car, gas, insurance… Hourly wage, average hours a week, weeks before school… – $13,880 vs. + $7,380. So that was that. I needed a full-time job if I wanted to afford school in the fall. I stood up and signed in before heading downstairs.

One week later I was offered a full-time position in the promotions department. I also saw a $0.75 raise before my 3-month trial period was up an, almost unheard-of occurrence. I went on to stay with them through to the end of my first year of university, helping me support my future aspirations.

More About Me… 

I am Canadian born and raised with a curiosity that’s never been sated.

Probably because of that I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember (5+ books a week used to be typical) and over time, that has evolved into writing.

My professional background is a bit eclectic, everything from working on a horse farm for several years to a brokerage in downtown Toronto. However, being a quick learner, I hadn’t found a job that consistently challenged me… until I found copywriting.

My ‘need to know’ and ability to learn quickly helps me to really get inside the brain of the target audience and ‘see’ how they work. It helps me ‘speak’ to the target audience in words and from a position they understand and respond to. 

Fun Facts

• I am the middle child of 8
• Favorite pastimes growing up were biking, snowboarding and hockey (of course eh!)
• I have two young sons, one daughter, and a border collie who, collectively, probably have enough energy to power our house…
• In the summer I can quite often be found outside working in the yard, going for a hike, or camping.