Telemarketing

In October, or November, I got a job at ROSS Marketing. My job was to sit in an old, broken, yet comfy chair, and ask people who they were going to vote for. The options were Steve Pagliuca, Martha Coakley, Mike Capuano, and Alan Khazei. Of course, the first day was rough. I was told to look over my script, and five minutes later I started calling people. Though the phonetics were presented to me, the names constantly twisted my tongue. Steve Pagliuca, for example, has a silent 'g', and when I mispronounce his name, I am mispronouncing the name of the person I am calling for.

After a couple of days asking opinions, I worked up the energy to actually find out what these people were campaigning for. It turns out that they are running for Senate in Massachusetts. Of course, it is not election time, which also confused me. It turns out that the old senator died, and is being replaced. That explains the 'special' part in the "special democratic election" that I was asking about. I also found out that the senator that died is Ted Kennedy. This made me think, what if he's related to John F. Kennedy. I asked my dad, and, sure enough, he was related. Not only was he related, though, he was John's little brother. Now here I was, asking people about their preference on who should replace the Senator who was so closely related to my own school's namesake. Also, a few months ago Dr. W, the principal, gave a small speech over the intercom about Ted Kennedy, who actually came to Kennedy to help get it started. I was experiencing history.

But telemarketing wasn't all about historical significances. Whenever I tell anyone that I was a telemarketer, they instantly get excited. The ask many questions, like whether or not I get yelled at, or hung up on, or messed around with a lot. I tell them the answer that they already know, yes I do. People often hang up on me. People yell at me because I am very annoying. They try to make me feel bad, and I kind of do sometimes. If I had a nickel for every time I heard that I was interrupting a supper, or waking the sleeping kids, I would probably make well over 12 dollars an hour.

Telemarketing has its ups and downs. It pays decent for kids (above minimum wage). Also, hours can be very flexible, which is exactly what I need. But I started coming into work, and they would tell me that they didn't have any work for me to do, so I wouldn't be able to work. It was then when I noticed how much I hated working there. I was ecstatic every time they told me that they didn't have any work. Eventually, I started telling them that I couldn't come into work, because I was busy. This wasn't completely true. I had plans... with friends. So last week, I came into the building in a good mood. I went up to my boss, whose name I hadn't quite remembered yet. I told him that I was very busy lately, and that I couldn't continue to work here. He seemed, if not pleased, okay with it. I think I did a good job. I actually came in to "resign". Most people, I would think, just stop coming into work.

I don't want to quit working completely. I figure that in the spring, I will be a little less busy, and can get a new job. I am planning on applying at Parlor City. This is the ice cream shop where my ex-girlfriend works. I also know another girl that works there. My ex says that to work there, one needs to be recommended by someone who already works there. Since we are still friends, I fgure I could get a job based off of recommendations. But that isn't the only reason. I like mowing lawns, and Parlor City no longer has a lawn mower. The two guys that used to work there went to college last year, and they always mowed the lawn. My ex says that the manager absolutely hates mowing, so I could put mowing in my application as a 'skill'. I think that I will stick with this job. Unlike my first job, I won't have drenched feet at the end of the day, I will get to say something other than one repetitive line throughout the day, and while working, employees can eat for free. To turn down this job would be crazy.