Prologue

I’ve just finished my second year in university, and I can’t say I’ve been too happy the last couple of months. My solution? Take a break — I’ve been doing poorly, I’ve been feeling poorly, do I need any other reason? Not really. It took me a bit to break it to my parents that I’m taking a break, but I’d really not waste my time (and their money) on an education that doesn’t motivate or excite me.

Therefore, I’m taking some time to work.

Two and a half weeks ago, I started scouring Craigslist for jobs, the majority of them restaurant businesses, probably losing workers due to departing college students. Never having worked in a restaurant in my life, I had sent out approximately 20 emails for nearly any position that did not require years of previous experience: anything from bussers, to hostesses, backservers, and a few server positions where restaurants were willing to train. In batches of about 5 emails every few days, I plugged and chugged my info into what, by the end, became the default format for my cover letter.

I heard back from two restaurants.

The first came from my second batch of emails, with the response inviting me to schedule an interview, noting that they had already seen my resume. Wonderful! They know I have absolutely no experience -at all- with any sort of restaurant service and they’re willing to give me a chance.

By the time we had come to an arranged interview time, the Service Manager (let’s call him M) had CC’ed who I would later discover to be the General Manager (A) and the Asst. General Manager (D). Do keep in mind that I was applying to be a back server, the one that refills water glasses and clears plates. This caught my eye, all this for that measly position? Welp.

I went in with my nice white shirt and my nice black pants and shoes, and interviewed with M and D, though A was not there at the time. I apparently talked my way through an interview I was woefully unprepared for, and I was invited back for a stage (pronouced stahdj or stahjjh, in the oh so french manner) wherein I was told to follow one of the veteran backservers, N (the most wonderfully patient woman in the world), and tossed to the wolves of the dining room.

Again, I apparently picked up on (what is definitely more than just) serving water and bread and clearing plates that they invited me back (Again!) to meet the GM, A.

Holy cow.

Two interviews, a trial day, and a third interview. Geez. They take this hiring thing seriously.

Once again, I talked my way through the interview with A. Apparently I impressed him as, at the end of that afternoon, I once again briefly met with M and was given a job offer on the spot.

Within the next few days, I was given a schedule of my training and I dove right in.

(By the way, I never responded to the second restaurant, this was just too good.)