Hey Guys,
We've all been there- that waitressing job that killed your social life, the retail work tidying racks upon racks of clothes that people just chucked into piles. Those jobs we wish to forget and never bring up again...
(Except for when you want to blog about them and all their horrors to your readers...)
Today I am going to give you a 'lil insight into my working life pre-blogging! At the moment I freelance as a blogger/ writer and actress, whilst working generally in the London theatre industry.
Ever wondered what life in retail is like? Keep reading!
Starting at age 18, here is my working history; the best and the worst jobs, what I liked (and what I really didn't!)
British Heart Foundation
I started off my working life volunteering for my local charity shop "British Heart Foundation". I was about 17/18 and my mum was nagging me about getting a job (too right!) The only problem was, to get a job, you need experience - go figure!
I found a way out of the deadly catch 22 by volunteering within the BHS, gaining valuable retail skills which lead me to my first proper job!
I loved working in the back of the shop, sorting through donations and price tagging things. It meant I had first dibs on all of the good stuff! I managed to nab myself a trendy purple Topman hoodie and couple of oversized Ralph Lauren shirts (which I still sleep in to this day!)
Build a Bear
My friend Nick got me my first proper job at Build a Bear Workshop in Covent Garden. For those of you who have been living under a rock in a much better place than I for the past 10+ years, BABW is a place where kids get to chose, stuff (yes), dress and name a bear, before carrying it home in a cardboard house.
They LOVE bright, bubbly, performative personalities at BABW, so my recent graduation from the musical theatre course at The BRIT School helped a lot!
I met some awesome people at BABW. We often spent our evenings together in the local Nando's, seeing if we could hide inside the trollies full of bear stuffing or wondering how long it would take our manager to notice that we had put all the display bears into compromising positions!
There were some memories that I have chosen to store far, far away in the back of my mind. Such as running a Build a Bear Party for up to 20 screaming kids. Or dressing up in a huge sweaty bear costume for said-parties (think, DisneyLand-reject).
One of my favourite memories from this time was receiving my first EVER paycheque! How excitinggg it was for 18 year old me to have her own funds for the very first time. Maybe you would have been smart and saved most of it, or spent it all on clothes and tech (don't worry I did do that too), but not before I bought the one thing I had wanted my entire life. The one thing I had been dreaming of owning since I can remember. The ONE THING I couldn't live a day longer without....
A four-poster princess bed.
Which just so happens to be the same bed I am writing this blog post from...
#noregrets
Shakespeare's Globe
Ah, The Globe, home of the great, the greats and once the greatest theatre England had to offer. Also the home of lot's of retired men and women... and me.
Stewarding at The Globe is done on a voluntary basis. It attracts a lot of retired ladies and gents who have an interest in theatre and like to get out and about. I signed up to gain some stewarding experience and to see some free theatre!
I did enjoy it whilst it lasted. I remember watching an excellent rendition of Macbeth about 40 times throughout the summer of 2010. I remember a lot of blood, gore and fainting audience members!
Accessorize
Was short but sweet. I worked in the (now closed) Villiers Street branch which was tiny! Our peak hours were usually during rush hour as we were based on a small road that connected Strand with Embankment station.
Long story short, I was fired! Although I was their best seller, during my three month trial period, I woke up late for a 7am shift and I had the shop keys to open that day! Whoops!
At this point I was juggling three jobs so it was kind of a blessing to be rid of one!
Until...
Claire's
Just a few weeks after being fired from Accessorize, I landed a job in rival jewellery shop "Claire's" on Oxford Street. This was a large, busy store, but it was a nice step up from the tiny box shop I had been previously confined to.
I wasn't here long either, as I landed a part in a huge show in London so had to leave (no complaints from me!) I was secretly happy to leave as I found the management and a couple of the floor staff were just bitchy and nasty for no reason at all. I did, however, miss my huge staff discount on all the cute products!
I feel like everyone goes through a single (or string) of crappy jobs they'd much rather forget! But I think that year has contributed a great deal to who I am today, especially how I treat other people and how I work in a team.
Have you had an extensive work history like me? If so, what did you do?
Eb x
Location: Somerset House, London
All images by Osman Marfo-Gyasi
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