Rants & Raves: Best and worst work experiences

[dropcap]”[/dropcap]I was tasked with getting a word-count for a 30-page document that a writer wanted to use in their article for a national newspaper. As the ever-willing intern, it fell to me to sit and count the words on every page. Four hours and 15,000 words later, I went home feeling slightly over-qualified for the day’s work!” Sarah K.

[dropcap]”[/dropcap]I looked up from my pasta salad to spot Jeremy Paxman buying a Meal Deal in a shop round the corner from the office. My face had the unique expression that said “I’m wearing my BBC work lanyard so I can’t even be excited, I just have to pretend to be cool and, like, your colleague. Hi, Jezza, cool.” Starstruck, London

[dropcap]”[/dropcap]My work experience in publishing was very hands-on; they stuck me into useful work immediately. I’d never used InDesign before, but I figured it out after about a day with practice. Once I’d mastered that, I was doing my own editing too. I was eventually allowed to produce a book all by myself start to finish. Now I’m definitely sure this is the career for me.” Hannah F.

[dropcap]”[/dropcap]When I worked as an assistant (yes, that’s the fancy word for shit-shoveller) at a local community farm my first day’s work was cleaning out the poo-ey hay in the pig pens. Wasn’t too bad. You get used to the smell. But Daddy Pig didn’t like invaders on his turf, so he charged into me and over the fence into a pile of failed eggs, half-digested food and poop. The agricultural dream. It’s beyond me.” Babe Magnet

[dropcap]”[/dropcap]The joys of customer service: I was on the phone and tried explaining the showing times of a film to a customer, who kept saying, “I don’t understand what you’re saying”. Eventually, he said, “You have an accent, I can’t talk to you”, and dropped the phone. Also, I had some lovely people telling me that I’m doing pretty well in this country for a Lithuanian, after inquiring about my native language and me trying to get the spelling of their cottage in the middle of nowhere… “It’s a double ‘P’, dear.” Foreign Affairs