Day 82 - First Day on the Job

What the hell is this thing?

June 29th, 2015

Up at 8. For whatever reason, Shimou wakes up with me and makes me coffee, fried eggs, and toast while I get ready. She’s a real champ and definitely doesn’t need to be doing this, but I appreciate it. I’m really glad that I downloaded the audiobook for “4 hour work week,” as it’s right up my alley. Entertaining stories, good tips, what’s not to love? 

The train and bus get me to work on time, where I have to role-play closing with a couple of the other staff. They walk us through some basic tips on what to do at what stages. It’s more awkward than doing it at the door because the trainer actually knows when you screw up, while someone at the door will have no idea.

We drive to the location, Matt (my trainer), Andrew (his cousin, his former trainer), and Matt (another Canadian). I change to jeans, and put on my walking shoes to find out that they forgot my badge at the office, 20 minutes away. Andrew bites the bullet and goes to get it while Matt takes me around to refresh me until I’m shoved out on my own.

Random Art

The ID arrives around 1, and I am thrown, flailing, in the deep end. I do terribly for the first bit, but see today entirely as learning the pitch. I’ll be lucky if I can manage any sales with the way I’m doing it. As I later say to Shimou, I’m good at forcing myself to do stuff I don’t want to do, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be automatically good or confident. Secretly, I hope no one will open the door, though I know that is actually worse because I’ll be doing all this for free. I suppose I need to reframe it as learning the skill set or else I’ll have a hard time surviving. Freedom from outcome. Freedom from outcome. Breathe.

Another perk of this job is that I get to see what it’s like in various suburbs, the people, and how their houses/lives differ form Canada. For one thing, every house has a screen door on the front, almost, and most of the houses are key-locks from both sides. That means that if there’s a fire and you don’t have your keys, you’d better get to a different exit. Seems stupid and dangerous to me, but appeared on at least 80% of the houses I come across.

Speaking of 80%, it’s also rather frustrating to have to do this in the method they set out. Most of the day is going around when no one is home, talking to retirees, injured, unemployed, sick people, or those who have the day off. People, basically, who almost definitely won’t sign up. The goal is to weed them out for later when people are home and eligible. Still, seems like a helluva waste of effort for me. We’re out here until 6, which means that the hours between 4 and 6 are our most profitable, yet we arrive on field at 11, and in-office between 8 and 9.

Between 4:30 and 6, I am literally running from one end of the neighbourhood to the other, trying to revisit places that I couldn’t hit up earlier, and talk to as many people as possible. Playing the numbers game. I manage 0 sign ups, which means the day is entirely unpaid. That is until…

We get back to the office and Matt gives me one of his to show me how to fill out all the paperwork, and, I guess, a form of encouragement. He says Andrew did the same for him, so he’s paying it forward to me. He’s a pretty cool guy, originally from South Africa, Ginger, and former personal trainer.

I stop at the gym on the way home, just to push myself a wee bit more, and arrive home. i’m spent, and was supposed to go back to Shimous, but she tells me to stay home and rest. I make my lunch, discuss possible business ventures with Lucas (back home), and fall asleep around 10 only to start again.

Another perk of the job

For those of you who are wondering what the charity is: I’m door knocking for Canteen, a charity that helps teens and young adults (12-24 y/o) who have cancer. They organize events and outings to help the kids forget about the disease and live a more normal life. This also includes counselling, among other supports. It’s not a bad charity, honestly, but of the three they talked about, it was my last choice. Prevention and elimination of cancer (breast cancer society) or saving people’s lives daily (life guard society) both seem like more effective uses of money to me. Different priorities, but I guess it’s even more of a challenge to see how much I can brainwash myself into backing this cause or, bare minimum, faking it enough.