Confessions of a Serial Interviewer by Steven Ra Ga

I am a teenager, I have my learners permit and I want to start making my own money. I can’t recall how we used to look for jobs in the 90s but I found one working with Telus.

It was my 1st job, I was going to be a mascot. The ad said something like $7 per hour 2hrs of work.

I got my dad to drive me to the location, there was a Telus rep inside a small office he showed me this giant cell phone mascot. He said the girl that used to wear it quit. At this point I am already pushing 6’ tall.

So my Dad left and said he would be back in 2hrs.

So I got into the costume it was awkward and heavy, like a giant rectangle. He gave me a sign and said “Kid, you are going to walk back and forth between these two trees waving the sign to get peoples attention, for the next 2 hrs, I will come get you when the time is up.”

He left. So I started walking at first it wasn’t bad maybe 5mins in.

15mins ~ I am starting to sweat it’s 25 C outside in June.

20mins ~ A car zooms past “Get a real job!” I hear someone say. To me I say “this is my 1st job”.

30mins ~ Some aggressive looking teenagers older than me walk towards me. My thoughts start racing saying “please don’t kick me or hurt me”. I say this on repeat. The teens walk past without incident.

48mins~ my feet are starting to hurt. The shoes are too small.

1hr 30mins ~ I am bored out of my skull, people yell and toss garbage from their cars as they pass.

2hrs ~ the Telus rep comes out of the office. “Hey kid, it’s been 2hrs time to stop.” I take the head of the costume off and return to the office.

The guys says “So how do you like it? Tough right.” I nodded and say “yah” He pays me $14 cash and my Dad came to pick me up.

I never went back to that job, but it taught me a thing or two about hard works.