Glass City

Today was my first shift at my new job - I now work part-time as a cook at the Glass City Cafe.


Applying to jobs was somewhat frustrating because I have a pretty weak resume and I don't have many connections in the industry yet. I applied to a few jobs at restaurants that I like to eat at and got no response. The posting for Glass City was perfect for me because they wanted applicants to apply in person at the restaurant. When I dropped my resume off, I was able to explain my situation, and the person I met seemed to like me immediately, which I think really helped me get the job.

The main requirement I was looking for in a job was something busy because I hate being bored at work. So I was a little nervous applying because I've walked by the restaurant a number of times and have never really noticed it busy. At my first interview, I wasn't entirely convinced about the job because it sounded like I was only going to be making salads and sandwiches, but the second interview with the regional chef was a lot better. He thought it would be a perfect job for me while I'm in school because it isn't super demanding, but I would get to cook with fresh ingredients, which is definitely better than working at a pub just throwing things into the deep fryer.

I showed up to work this morning at 6:30. It was extremely difficult waking up that early considering I've been sleeping in for the last three months. It was a training day, so basically I shadowed someone who does the same thing I'll be doing.

There are two stations - sandwiches and salads. I was on sandwich station, which also does breakfast, soup, and a couple of other random dishes. The first task in the morning is to go through the prep list and see what food is low and needs to be replenished. We prepared a whole bunch of sandwiches until about 9 when people came in and started ordering breakfast. It was so much fun getting the orders and learning how to cook and plate all the dishes. I made omelettes, scrambled eggs, eggs over easy, and for lunch, paninis, quesadillas, and pizzas. There's also lots of cooking prep to do in between rushes.

So far, I think the chef might be right in that the job should fit in perfectly with school. I'll be working two nights a week and one weekend morning, which is my ideal schedule. And work is busy enough to keep me occupied, but not so busy that I'll be exhausted doing both work and school. I also really like how small the restaurant is, so once I'm comfortable with my station, hopefully I'll be able to learn all the other aspects of a restaurant. So I'm definitely happy with how things worked out.