Article 48: My first job.
My first "Real" job was during my last year of high school.
I had taken classes in various business subjects.
In that last year of high school, we could do a co op.
That meant we could work part of the time instead of going to school.
It would count as a credit towards our diploma.
The place I got a job was at a men's tailor shop.
The owners were a very nice older German couple.
They had two other men working for them, too.
One of the men had had brain surgery for cancer.
He had a big, long scar all around the top of his head.
He told me all about it. He was always happy and full of fun. I thought he was very brave!
The tailor shop made suits to order.
One of the salesmen would measure the man, and the customer would choose a fabric and style he (or his wife) liked.
The people in the back of the shop would then cut and sew the suit.
The suits cost a lot of money. There were also suits already made that the customer could buy instead if they wished.
They could also rent suits or tuxedos for weddings or parties.
I worked at a little desk. I answered the phone, wrote letters, filed papers and did some bookkeeping.
It was about a mile walk from my school to work. I passed many clothing shops.
That wasn't good because I spent a lot of the money that I earned in those shops!
I worked at the tailor shop for almost a year. It was a good experience and helped me get my next job with the United States Navy. That was fun, too