Assignment 2: JOB

This past semester I worked for Fox Sports, which I found to be a very interesting job where I worked with prominent figures like Tom Brady. However, I think a job that had a more lasting impact on me was in high school when I worked at a car wash. My friends had convinced me to join them in working at the carwash near our houses, which ended up being yearlong. Sure, you pull up, hand over your keys, and walk away with a clean car, but there is a lot more that goes into it. In this post, I will take you through a few details that my friends failed to mention to me when starting at the carwash, so maybe you don’t get roped into it as well.  

 

The three main parts of the job that made it unforgettable were: 

 

• Battling the cold 

• People coming in with absolutely disgusting cars 

• Patience 

 

Battling the cold 

 

Working during the winter was absolutely brutal. The car wash would open at 7 am, so some mornings I had to be there at 6:30 to open, and the Colorado weather would have some mornings at 15 degrees. Despite the freezing conditions, customers still showed up, rain or shine, expecting their cars to be spotless, as if the weather didn’t exist. To make matters even worse, the towels we used were wet because they had apparently dried the car better. Because of this, my hands were always freezing from drying off the cars. I’d try to shove my hands into my pockets whenever I could, but it never seemed to help. My gloves would get soaked, making them useless, so I just had to tough it out. By the time I finished drying off the car, it felt like my fingers couldn’t move. It wasn’t just about enduring the cold—it was about learning how to keep going when every fiber of my body was telling me to stop. I never thought a job at a car wash would teach me grit, but those freezing mornings definitely pushed my limits. 

 

Disgusting Cars 

 

Whether it is kids or dogs, most people have one of the two or both. People would come in with filthy cars that appeared to not have been washed in months. We would start with drying off the cars, and then proceed into the inside with vacuuming, cleaning the windows, and all the hard surfaces like the center console. From half-eaten sandwiches stuffed between seats to spilled drinks that had turned into sticky, crusty messes, there was no shortage of surprises. One car had an actual pile of dog hair so thick that I had to use a special brush to get it all out.  

 

 

Patience 

 

While the job was not my favorite, I think that I gained patience and appreciation for people doing jobs that are not necessarily appealing to others. This patience was rewarding when someone tipped me one hundred dollars or when meeting Nuggets players who would come in. I think I learned about hard work and customer service. I think the job was rewarding to see the finished product, which was a clean car, and most customers were extremely grateful. My biggest takeaway was my newfound respect for anyone working in service. It was not always easy to keep positive while cleaning out filthy cars in the cold, and I probably would not do it again, but I’m glad I had the experience as it gave me a new perspective on the value of hard work.  

 

I couldn't figure out the word one, so I did this.