My first paying job was at the Auburn University Student Activities Center. During my time there I helped manage many different aspects of the weight room, work out rooms, and sporting events such as intramural basketball and volleyball. I started my job there straight out of high school and I did not know anyone at Auburn. Working at the Student Activities Center gave me the opportunity to meet and connect with other members of the University who had the same interests as me and it also helped me become a more outgoing person. I definitely believe this job helped me come out of my own shell and since then I am a much more confident person when it comes to trying new things and meeting new people.
My second job was a Summer job in Perry when I moved back home for a year. I worked with Hintz property management turning apartments in government housing projects in Macon, Georgia and various other towns around the middle Georgia area. This was another job that put me in an uncomfortable situation. Not only was it an entirely new group of people to work with, but it was also an environment that made me uncomfortable. More times than not the people were not very friendly and often times they were just plain rude. However I am thankful for my experiences there because they also taught me how to deal with difficult situations and sometimes difficult people. These are skills that everyone needs to have but they are not easily taught, they usually have to be learned.
My third job, one that I truly enjoyed, was working on the Journey's End poultry and pecan farm. It was at this job that I learned the meaning of hard work. I grew up working on my grandfather's farm every once in a while but I had never done farm work on a day in and day out basis. I was responsible for different jobs in the poultry houses such as checking the birds, repairing fans, waterlines, feed lines and augers, and refurbishing the house for the next flock when new birds ready to arrive. I also got the opportunity to do mechanic work on the tractors, feed cows and donkeys and harvest several different pecan orchards. Working the orchards was definitely my favorite part of my experiences there. I did everything from planting new trees to harvesting the crop every fall and I absolutely loved it. I did other things such as run irrigation, spray for fungi and bugs, and run the bush hog around the orchard. This job taught me skills that were totally new to me. For instance, I had never run irrigation over acres and acres of pecan orchard but this job allowed me to do that. I learned more about working on tractors and farming and chicken houses than I ever could have imagined, all while balancing school work and spending time with my family. I also learned about the importance of teamwork and accountability because without those two things the work would never get finished.
After my short time back in Perry, I got the opportunity to move back to Auburn. When I moved back I got a job working at Blooming Colors Landscaping and Nursery. This was my first full time job, as I was only going to school part time. This work was entirely different than the work I had done in the past because it was a service industry for other people. The clients we had knew exactly what they wanted and it was my job, along with my coworkers, to give them a desirable product. The main thing I learned from working at Blooming Colors was the importance of communication. I was the leader of sometimes up to four man crews of men who only spoke Spanish. I learned very quickly that the language barrier was something that had to be overcome before anything could get accomplished. As a group, we soon learned how to communicate effectively and I definitely learned some Spanish along the way. The other way I learned the power of communication was through my communication with my boss and my supervisor. Just as communication with those you are working with is important, communication with those above you is just as paramount. If I did not understand what he wanted, I could not do my job effectively and there were some times when the communication line got broken and it certainly caused problems for everyone. Working at Blooming Colors taught me the power and importance of communication and I know it is something that must be implemented in any working environment.
I am currently working as a transporter at East Alabama Medical Center. This job is also very beneficial for me because I get to see things inside the medical field that I would have never seen anywhere else. I have gotten to watch several surgeries and shadow several different doctors. This job has also given me the opportunity to meet people from a variety of different backgrounds. I have met people from all over the country and even some from outside of the United States. I have learned how to comfort those who are sick and hurting and I have also learned to celebrate with patients who have gotten well. I have observed nurses and doctors who have great physician-patient interaction skills and I have also, on rare occasions, seen how not to act around patients and their families. My work at East Alabama Medical Center will continue for now and I am really looking forward to it.
My second job was a Summer job in Perry when I moved back home for a year. I worked with Hintz property management turning apartments in government housing projects in Macon, Georgia and various other towns around the middle Georgia area. This was another job that put me in an uncomfortable situation. Not only was it an entirely new group of people to work with, but it was also an environment that made me uncomfortable. More times than not the people were not very friendly and often times they were just plain rude. However I am thankful for my experiences there because they also taught me how to deal with difficult situations and sometimes difficult people. These are skills that everyone needs to have but they are not easily taught, they usually have to be learned.
My third job, one that I truly enjoyed, was working on the Journey's End poultry and pecan farm. It was at this job that I learned the meaning of hard work. I grew up working on my grandfather's farm every once in a while but I had never done farm work on a day in and day out basis. I was responsible for different jobs in the poultry houses such as checking the birds, repairing fans, waterlines, feed lines and augers, and refurbishing the house for the next flock when new birds ready to arrive. I also got the opportunity to do mechanic work on the tractors, feed cows and donkeys and harvest several different pecan orchards. Working the orchards was definitely my favorite part of my experiences there. I did everything from planting new trees to harvesting the crop every fall and I absolutely loved it. I did other things such as run irrigation, spray for fungi and bugs, and run the bush hog around the orchard. This job taught me skills that were totally new to me. For instance, I had never run irrigation over acres and acres of pecan orchard but this job allowed me to do that. I learned more about working on tractors and farming and chicken houses than I ever could have imagined, all while balancing school work and spending time with my family. I also learned about the importance of teamwork and accountability because without those two things the work would never get finished.
After my short time back in Perry, I got the opportunity to move back to Auburn. When I moved back I got a job working at Blooming Colors Landscaping and Nursery. This was my first full time job, as I was only going to school part time. This work was entirely different than the work I had done in the past because it was a service industry for other people. The clients we had knew exactly what they wanted and it was my job, along with my coworkers, to give them a desirable product. The main thing I learned from working at Blooming Colors was the importance of communication. I was the leader of sometimes up to four man crews of men who only spoke Spanish. I learned very quickly that the language barrier was something that had to be overcome before anything could get accomplished. As a group, we soon learned how to communicate effectively and I definitely learned some Spanish along the way. The other way I learned the power of communication was through my communication with my boss and my supervisor. Just as communication with those you are working with is important, communication with those above you is just as paramount. If I did not understand what he wanted, I could not do my job effectively and there were some times when the communication line got broken and it certainly caused problems for everyone. Working at Blooming Colors taught me the power and importance of communication and I know it is something that must be implemented in any working environment.
I am currently working as a transporter at East Alabama Medical Center. This job is also very beneficial for me because I get to see things inside the medical field that I would have never seen anywhere else. I have gotten to watch several surgeries and shadow several different doctors. This job has also given me the opportunity to meet people from a variety of different backgrounds. I have met people from all over the country and even some from outside of the United States. I have learned how to comfort those who are sick and hurting and I have also learned to celebrate with patients who have gotten well. I have observed nurses and doctors who have great physician-patient interaction skills and I have also, on rare occasions, seen how not to act around patients and their families. My work at East Alabama Medical Center will continue for now and I am really looking forward to it.