Surviving Cenex

October 23

I had to write about something I was good at, and this is the only thing I could think of. I had no idea how to end the conclusion paragraph.

In August of 2012, I decided to switch jobs. The town I come from is only about 1500 people, so there aren’t a huge variety of options for teenage employment. I got hired at a Cenex gas station. In the year plus since I’ve worked there, I’ve learned a few things about how to enjoy the worst aspects of the job. You can’t always pick who you work with, some customers just plain suck, and I’m always gonna be poor, no matter how many hours I put in.

Step one: Learn to like your coworkers

If I have to work for eight or more hours with someone, i’d rather be stuck with a person who either does their job well or is fun to converse with. Only two out of the 10 person staff were either of those things. There was Ralph, a quirky, older man who told raunchy jokes and made fun of politics and his job duties. The other person was my best friend whom I begged to submit an application. Since most of the time we were understaffed, I ended up working with him all winter. Every day after school, we’d both drive fifteen miles to Cenex to work. My job duties, the kitchen side, included making fried chicken, snack food, pizza, and cleaning. His duties in the store side, includes mopping the floor, waiting on customers, taking out garbages, and helping older ladies pump gas. It doesn’t seem like such a bad thing for a teenager to be doing, but nothing good comes from someone you’re stuck with, someone who is counter productive, or whom you don’t like.

Step two: Be able to handle all customers

When someone comes in ranting and raving about their broken down tractor or when their basement floors, and we don’t have enough sump pumps, you need to be able to calmly react. I think working with people as a cashier is the hardest job to do if you have a short temper. Remember to keep smiling. It’s important to remain polite and professional. If they’re still going off on their tangent, and you can’t help them, refer them to the manager.

Step three: Accept the fact that it’s minimum wage

Do you like nice things? Is world traveling something that appeals to you? If so, working here for a long duration of time won’t allow you to do all the things you want. This winter, I worked every single night for at least 5 hours and somehow, I still didn’t get a raise. I didn’t complain though. I was grateful I had a job.

So there you go. If you follow these three simple steps, you’ll be on your way to successfully working at a gas station. After I mastered these key steps, working there was easy.