Stewart Florsheim shares about his most memorable summer job experience.
During the summer, when we came home for our college breaks, my friends and I always tried to find work. We were happy to re-group in New York City, but we needed something to do — and also needed the funds to help pay for our expenses.
We tried to get jobs at our parents’ offices or shops; at local day camps, parks, or pools. My dad had a meat market, and one summer, he came through with a job from one of his providers — a pickle factory! The role was Assistant Chemist, and without a clue about what that entailed, along with a reluctance because chemistry was one of my weakest subjects, I accepted the job.
I had to spend the day on the factory floor — walking from vat to vat, testing the temperature of the water and the firmness of the pickles. Not hard work at all — other than it was one of the hottest summers in New York, there was no A/C, and I came home smelling like pickles.
The most interesting part of the job was chatting with the workers. I’ll never forget a woman, Victoria, who sat at the conveyor belt all day long, filling jars. She was good-natured and funny. She was appreciative of her job after having worked there for 14 years. When I was employed there, she had one week of vacation per year. She was getting ready to take it, and I asked her what she planned to do.
She said she goes to the movies every day — and did I have any recommendations for her? I learned a lot from Victoria — mostly that people can apparently be happy doing some of the simplest, most routine jobs. It was a great lesson for someone at college, facing the complexity of career choice along with the age-old advice to do what makes you happy. After my job, I couldn’t eat pickles for years — but now I do, and as I open the jar, I often think about Victoria. With a Perspective, I’m Stewart Florsheim.
Stewart Florsheim is a writer, content strategist, and volunteer for several Bay Area nonprofits. He lives in the East Bay.