Adam Breen joins Pinnacle columnists
Starting over and switching jobs is tough, which is why I do it
so infrequently. My first
”
real
”
job was when I worked at what was then the new McDonald’s on San
Felipe Road when I was 16.
It was as much a social experience as a financial one, as I had
a number of friends who worked there. Not only did I make nearly
$3.40 an hour as the Fry Guy and occasional salad maker, I got a
serious discount on food, which to a high school junior was almost
worth more than the salary.
Adam Breen joins Pinnacle columnists
Starting over and switching jobs is tough, which is why I do it so infrequently. My first “real” job was when I worked at what was then the new McDonald’s on San Felipe Road when I was 16.
It was as much a social experience as a financial one, as I had a number of friends who worked there. Not only did I make nearly $3.40 an hour as the Fry Guy and occasional salad maker, I got a serious discount on food, which to a high school junior was almost worth more than the salary.
My next gig was working on the assembly line at what was then Teledyne McCormick-Selph, a defense contractor on Union Road. I had just graduated from high school and was really looking forward to college, not spending eight hours each summer day putting together parts that would eventually be used on a military aircraft.
During my relatively short tenure there, I took my work seriously, but as incoming college students typically do, I seriously had trouble staying awake after being up late the night before. I respected the dedicated, professional adults who worked on the assembly line next to me, and told myself that I would do well enough in college that I would never have to join them again.
I eventually quit because I had serious preparing to do for my impending move to Fresno. There were kitchen items to “borrow” from my parents and second-hand furniture to acquire.
In college, thanks to the generosity of my parents and the low cost of living in Fresno, I focused on “academics” during my first two years and didn’t hold down a job. By “academics,” I mean figuring out how to work my schedule so I wouldn’t have to wake up early or take classes that were too demanding.
Eventually, when my parents grew tired of supporting my college-guy lifestyle – “Adam, you’ve been there three years and you’re still a sophomore?” – I grew up a little and got a job in the college bookstore.
I had to wear a nametag and clock in and out and stock shelves and find time to do homework and try not to blow my paycheck on Me-N-Ed’s pizza and Keystone beer with the guys.
That job led to a job as a cashier at a Fresno car wash, which carried me through graduation, which led me to a job at San Benito magazine in Hollister, which led to a job as a reporter and editor at the Free Lance, which led to a job at Santa Clara University, which led to a job as a teacher at San Benito High School and a second job at The Pinnacle. That all makes me sound busy, but I still do my best to work my schedule so I don’t have to get up too early.
Now I’ve got a son who just got his first real job as a city recreation department basketball referee and I’m telling him how important it is to be responsible and take his job seriously and save his money and go to college so he can pick his career.
In the meantime, one of my favorite jobs – newspaper columnist – has not changed; my weekly blurb has just jumped to the pages of The Pinnacle. I enjoy it so much, it’s almost not like work at all because I don’t have to wear a nametag while writing it and I don’t smell like vegetable grease when I’m done.
