It was the weekend before I came home from school for the summer, and all I could think was, "I need a job. I need a job. I need a job." I called my mom, frantic because I was so nervous that I wasn't going to find something. I wanted something with good hours, decent pay and something that wasn't too hard (not too much to ask, right?). Being the loving mother that she is (thanks again, Mom), she called her friends that work in local businesses to see if they had any openings for summer help, and lo and behold, she found something for me almost instantly.
But, it was a warehouse job. Second shift. Full time. During the summer.
At first I said no, but after thinking it over, I decided to try it. It certainly helped that the pay was good, but now that I've worked there for almost two months, I'm thankful for getting this opportunity for other reasons than just getting paid.
I was really nervous going in, mostly because I had almost no idea what I'd be doing. There was a lot of talk of "picking," but I only vaguely understood that that meant I'd be filling some kind of order. Throughout my first week, I learned how to safely operate a forklift, which was also called a "walkie"; to pick, check and palletize (literally meaning to assemble boxes on a pallet) orders; to package smaller orders that would be sent via FedEx or UPS; and to always, always, always stay hydrated. All of these things were totally new to me (minus the hydration part). I had no previous experience working in any type of warehouse environment, but I adapted, although it wasn't always easy.
Although I don't believe there's any such thing as a "man's job," working in a warehouse is hard work. Not only am I lifting and moving heavy boxes, just operating the walkie could sometimes be difficult. There's no such thing as power steering in the forklift world, so I use a lot of my own body strength just to get around the warehouse. Doing this job has definitely made me stronger because of the physical demands that the job requires, but it has also taught me that hard work pays off. When I put time and serious effort into my work, it shows.
Working in a warehouse definitely tested my patience, and even though I consider myself a patient person, this job has made me even more so. Pallets break. Boxes fall off of your pallet and break. Boxes fall out of your hands and break your nails. A lot of people I work with compare the job to playing Tetris, and I really like that analogy because the whole job is about finding ways to construct things and reconstruct them after they fall. Being patient was one of the things I had to be reminded of throughout my shifts because things may fall apart, but it doesn't mean that they can't be put back together. Be patient and persevere; you can get anything done.
Hard work, patience and perseverance are probably some of the best things that I was able to take out of this job, but I'm also taking away friendships. I was afraid that it would be hard for me to make friends because I was the only girl working on my shift, but my coworkers were very welcoming and helpful. I've made some great friendships working this job that I know I wouldn't have found elsewhere. This summer has been one of the more difficult ones that I've had because I got in not one, but two car accidents, and my coworkers were there to remind me that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
Almost every time I tell someone that I work in a warehouse, they say, "I can't imagine you working in a place like that," and at first, neither could I. But, this is truly one of the greatest jobs I've ever had, although I haven't had many. I learned things that your average 20-something doesn't know how to do (because, seriously, who knows how to drive a forklift?), and I'm grateful for these unique experiences that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. I remember dreading going to work when working previous jobs, and although this job is far more "back-breaking" than any job I've ever had, I look forward to going in. Every day, I get to push myself to complete things that I've never done before and interact with great people. This opportunity was a blessing disguised as a grueling warehouse job, and I'm happy to have discovered how lucky I really am.
Who knew I'd love this job so much?
