Blog #4
Learning a New Discourse: My First Job
In James Paul Gee’s journal “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics,” he discusses Discourse and how it applies to how we act. He says that discourse involves more than just language; it involves our body language, the way we talk, and the way we act. In other words, it is a role that we put on. I feel the best example to use for this blog is to talk about when I got my first job, at a restaurant chain called Boston Market. This was a new discourse for me because I was 15 at the time and had never held any type of job before. My brother also worked at this restaurant, so he was my ‘in’ that got me a position. I started off at server, which basically meant I would put the food on customers’ plates as they ordered and hand it off to the cashier. After the first day of training, I remember telling my brother it was going to be the easiest job I’ve ever had (mind you I had never had a job before). My second day on the job, I was screamed at by a customer for getting creamed spinach in his corn. He then proceeded to call me a p***y (yes this happened). Because of this I gained a great respect for fast food workers and was determined to be the best server Boston Market had ever seen.
All funny stuff aside, I did have to use some of Gee’s strategies when I first started. It is expected when you first start a job that you will know little to nothing about what to do. So of course, I had to mushfake, and use my little experience to try and make it look like I was a great fast-food restaurant server. I had to pay close attention to what the other workers were doing and had my brother to help point out my mistakes and help me learn. The first few weeks were rough, as Boston Market tends to have customers with a low temper so making a mistake resulted in some sort of berating. As I started to get the hang of the system, I was able to start to correct or hide my mistakes if I made any and kept the customers happy. As a result as I was learning and getting better, I looked and played the part (as far as anyone else could tell). As Gee says in the text, just knowing the information won’t help with a new discourse. This applied to my first job as even though I was trained in all the types of orders and foods, I needed to know how to apply it in order to keep the customers happy. This meant using fast thinking to come up with solutions when customers started to have a problem, as well as knowing what to suggest based on what the customer is looking for.
I did turn into the best server that particular Boston Market had ever seen. I ended up being trained in every position and was their most efficient worker. That is until I quit after not receiving a raise (2 years into the job). Learning a new discourse is challenging, but if you stick to strategies like the ones Gee discusses you’ll be well on your way to becoming an expert.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that faking it when you first start a job is pretty necessary when you haven't really gotten the hang of things yet. I definitely have done this for both of the jobs I've worked and it's kind of inevitable! I've worked in the food industry as my first job and now have been doing sales for almost 3 years, and still witness customers freaking out over nothing all the time lol. So many people get upset about things that are either out of anyone's control or just plain dumb. I once had a guy slam him phone on the counter because he was so mad at the company not fulfilling his online order in time. This caused his phone to crack & made him even more livid, lol customers suck. Overall, liked your post & agree with your points on faking it in a new work setting!
-Anna
Hi Adam
ReplyDeleteWorking as a 15 year old is such a challenge. I started my first job when I was 15 at a summer camp and had no idea what I was doing and looking back on it, I cringe at all the mistakes I made. But I worked for the company for 6 years and gained respect from the people I worked with. I worked with a lot of angry parents and mean kids, but some people have a crappy day and you're the person they decide to take it out on, and it sucks. We learn from our mistakes, but everyone makes them and it's unfortunate some people get so worked up about little things. Just yesterday, this man walked into the bar I worked at and our bartenders refused to serve him because he was so drunk. He stormed out and pushed over a motorcycle that was parked outside and then ran away. People are crazy, but I'm glad you were able to overcome everything and excel in your job! Thanks for sharing your experience as I'm sure many of us can relate.
Hi Adam Fenne,
ReplyDeleteI love the way you write and paint a picture in our heads, it makes me feel like I know you! I too have shared your experience of being thrust into a new work setting at a very young age. I was 14 when I got my my first job and found out very early on that customers would not be afraid to hold back their anger just because I wasn't an adult. If someone is upset with the service, whether it is a minor detail or not, they will let you know about it. I am sorry that you were called a p***y, that was most definitely uncalled for, but i'm glad you can look back on it now and laugh! It is often experiences like those, where you are forced to act as an adult and treat situations with professionalism when you do not necessarily want to, that help you grow within a certain area or discourse. I have found that working from a young age, has helped me prepare for a variety of different situations as an adult and can now look back and be thankful for these uncomfortable experiences.