ASSIGNMENT 2: JOB (FINAL)

This past semester, I had the opportunity to work for Fox Sports, an exciting job where I collaborated with prominent figures like Tom Brady. However, the job that left the most lasting impact on me wasn’t one in the sports industry—it was my high school job at a car wash.

At first, it seemed like a simple gig. My friends convinced me to join them at the local car wash near our houses, and what I thought would be a short-term job turned into a year-long experience. On the surface, it seemed straightforward: cars pull up, people hand over their keys, and drive away with a clean vehicle. But behind the scenes, there were challenges I never anticipated. In this post, I’ll share a few details my friends failed to mention before I started—things that might make you think twice before signing up for a job like this yourself.

Battling the Cold

Working at a car wash during the winter was brutal. The doors opened at 7 AM, which meant some mornings required a 6:30 AM start in freezing Colorado temperatures, sometimes as low as 15 degrees. Despite the weather, customers still arrived, expecting their cars to be spotless as if winter didn’t exist.

To make matters worse, the towels we used were always damp because they apparently dried cars better that way. This meant my hands were constantly wet and freezing. Gloves were useless once soaked, so I just had to tough it out. I would shove my hands into my pockets whenever possible, but it never provided much relief. By the time I finished drying off a car, my fingers felt numb and stiff.

Enduring those mornings wasn’t just about staying warm, it was about pushing through discomfort and finding resilience. I never expected a job at a car wash to teach me grit, but those freezing mornings certainly did.

The Filthiest Cars You Can Imagine

Whether it was kids, dogs, or just plain neglect, some people brought in cars that hadn’t been cleaned in months—maybe years. The job started with drying the exterior, but the real challenge was tackling the interior: vacuuming, cleaning windows, and scrubbing hard surfaces like the center console.

From half-eaten sandwiches stuffed between seats to spilled drinks that had morphed into sticky, crusty messes, there was never a shortage of surprises. One car had a pile of dog hair so thick that I needed a special brush to remove it. Some cars smelled so bad it was hard to breathe while cleaning them.

The experience taught me a lot about people. Some treated their cars with care, while others seemed to forget they were ever inside them. Either way, it was my job to clean up the mess.

Learning Patience and Appreciation

While this wasn’t my dream job, it taught me patience and a newfound respect for people working in service industries. I learned the importance of customer service and how to stay positive even in less-than-ideal situations. The moments of reward like receiving a $100 tip or meeting Nuggets players who came in for a wash made it all a little easier.

At the end of the day, seeing a freshly cleaned car and a satisfied customer made the work feel worthwhile. I walked away from that job with a deeper appreciation for hard work and for those who do jobs that often go unnoticed. While I wouldn’t rush back to work at a car wash again, I’m grateful for the experience and the perspective it gave me.

Sometimes, the most unexpected jobs teach the most valuable lessons.