What I Learned From Working In A Sweet Shop

April 12, 2008 · by Joanna Paterson · in

When I was a teenager I had a Saturday job in a sweet shop / newsagents for about 5 years. (I’m not sure this really counts as an ‘odd job’ although there were elements of the job that were distinctly odd.)

It was a small, slightly scruffy but very friendly shop round the corner from a suburban railway station on the edge of London. It looked absolutely nothing like this gorgeous sweet shop pictured here, though we did have a good array of penny sweets that I dipped into when no-one was looking.

The latest writing challenge at the Middle Zone threw me back to what I’d learned from this job and though there were lots of lessons it was what I learned on my first day that has stuck with me.

What I Learned From My First Day Working In A Sweet Shop

I turned up as a raw, inexperienced 13 year old expecting to be shown the ropes, to be taught what to do, to have instructions in newspaper ordering, chocolate box selling and till-button pressing. I wasn’t remotely prepared for the owners to head off to the cash and carry an hour after I’d arrived, leaving me on my own with the shop, the stock, the keys, the cash and the customers.

Left entirely to my own devices I learned (quickly!) to rely on:

My own resources: including the ability to do basic mental arithmetic, a friendly smile, and a belief in the power of just making it up and hoping for the best!

Honesty: when I didn’t know something (a price, where a magazine on order might be hiding and so on) I just said so. I didn’t feel the need for bluff with an hour’s training.

Flexibility: this short experience (and the rest of my career in that shop) changed my attitude to pricing structures. The owners were kind of casual when it came to marking up prices. Some things were shockingly over-priced and some customers told me so. We negotiated what seemed ‘fair’. Other goods had no price information so I’d make a price up and see if the customer was still interested. It taught me that price is not an absolute but what someone is willing to pay.

Asking other people: I got help from neighbouring shop-keepers when I needed change, but also and foremost from the customers. Regular customers were brilliant at helping me out and showing me what to do.

Doing my best: after the initial burst of anxiety I relaxed and started to enjoy myself. I couldn’t possibly do any more than my ordinary best because I didn’t have the skills, training or experience. This meant I had a lot more confidence my best would be enough. (We often lose sight of this when we’re deeply immersed in training and induction at work.)

Initiative: I worked hard to find solutions because I didn’t know the ‘right’ way of doing something. (Again, contrast with the way we’re normally taught to work.)

When I look back on this introduction to my odd job I realize that not knowing the rules was liberating. It forced me to rely a lot less on ‘the way things are done’ and a lot more on my own initiative and resources.

I set off with this post because I enjoy the WILF project so much and I’ve contributed each month since I met Robert (plus he’s a pal). I couldn’t see any way of making a link back to my own blogging purpose which I try to do when I can. But now it’s done I can see the writing lessons (not to mention the wider applications in business and in life…)

It’s easy to get too hung up on the rules. To wait for others to tell us what to do. To give us permission. To show us the way.

Sometimes we’re better not knowing how things are supposed to be done. Trusting instead in our own resources. Just getting on with it, adapting and improving as we go along.

Trusting that our best is good enough.

This post is a contribution to a joint writing project: What I Learned From Odd Jobs (run by Middle Zone Musings) and Lessons From Odd Jobs (run by High Callings) Follow the links if you want to take part, but hurry! The What I Learned From project closes tomorrow (13th)