A journalism graduate spent four years in service jobs before landing a career role. The author says the detour built patience and communication skills that made the eventual career more meaningful.
After graduating from Arizona State University's journalism program, the author moved to Los Angeles and spent four years working a string of service jobs, sandwich artist, trampoline park monitor, beach snack shack cashier, writing tutor, library aide, then a receptionist at a Beverly Hills hair salon, before landing a full-time digital editor role. The author, writing in Business Insider, described the period as a necessary detour from the traditional career path.
The author initially sought writing and digital content roles, but when those didn't materialize, took a receptionist job and an unpaid concert reviewer position. "My introverted nature evolved thanks to being in customer service and regularly attending concerts solo," they wrote. The service jobs, including a Starbucks barista role during a master's program at USC, built patience and communication skills that later proved valuable.
"When I feel the weight of a busy workday now, I remember when I used to be chewed out by customers," the author wrote. "Now, in any workplace tension or conflict, I have the muscle for patient, polite communication."
After a layoff from the digital editor role nearly four years later, the author found a new senior editor position within seven weeks. The author attributed the calm reaction to the layoff to the years of customer service experience: "I don't think I could have reacted that maturely or calmly to the layoff if I hadn't spent those years hustling in customer service."
The author's reflection comes as the U.S. labor market shows signs of cooling, with the unemployment rate edging up to 4.3% in July. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 114,000, below the 175,000 expected by economists. The leisure and hospitality sector, where the author worked, added 23,000 jobs.
The author concluded that the slow start provided a more authentic sense of the world. "I was also lucky enough to realize the unremarkableness of my journey and found freedom in being ordinary."
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