Labor Ready.

What an interesting morning/afternoon I had.

For those who know me well enough, you all understand that I can be painfully shy when having to ask other people for anything and just about every part of me rebels against the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone. You also know that I kick and scream and whine about it until I approach whatever it is I have to do, then I do it. This may surprise some people, but it's the truth. I think that when I have to do new/uncomfortable things that the poor person who has to listen to me probably wants to box my ears so that I'll actually have something to complain about.

I have been trying to find some sort of temporary employment for the month before I start with AmeriCorps just so that I'll have that extra cash and won't feel bad about spending what I have saved. I applied to a few places for maintenance or work in retail and eventually got a call back from a grocery store native to this area. At first, I decided to keep the information that I could only work for a month to myself and practiced what I would say with Connor on the drive into town. I reasoned that a lot of people in the past had done the same thing. However, when they asked me why I was there I told them about AmeriCorps so naturally they asked when I would start and if I would be able to have an outside job. This was the time to lie or stretch the truth and I couldn't do it. It's just not in my nature. This lead to some tactful sneak around and basically letting me know that they couldn't use me. Not surprised, but still disappointed. That day, I had driven 45 minutes into town to drop Connor off at work and only had one car so I was stuck there.

Luckily for me, Connor let me know about a temp agency called Labor Ready. Apparently you just walk in and they'll send you out on some job that they had called in that day. On the list of things I ever wanted to do in life, showing up at a place at being sent off to do random labor was not very high. I like to be prepared and I like to know what I'm getting myself in to. Realistically though, I need the money and I've owned up to trying to experience what someone in poverty might have to do. I can do this temp thing until I start AmeriCorps and there are no obligations for periods of time which is perfect. So I whined and then I called and found out that I didn't have the proper forms of identification with me. I decided it was a good first step and to attempt to actual show up and work on another day.

Hello, June 28th, 2011. Just under a week from the initial call. I was actually busy most days and Connor had two days off, so we were slugs. Today, I braved Labor Ready, which is a medium sized brick building that looked like it was a laundromat in a past life. As I walked in I was greeted by open floor space measuring somewhere around 30 feet wide by 10 feet long that was covered in black and white linoleum. Following that was a sort of cubicle with a counter on top that made it look like no one was working and in the corner there are white plastic lawn chairs next  to a table. After further inspection, I found that there was someone behind the desk and she greeted me with a mediocre, "Hello," and asked, "What do you need?" I assumed that it would be obvious that I was looking for work but I answered and told her I was new and was looking for work. She took my two forms of identification and began to look me up. There wasn't anything to look up since I wasn't in their database which meant a lot of paperwork and a few safety quizzes.

The first quiz I took was about whether or not I stole things, what drugs I used, and how acceptable it was to fight people and which were the correct situations to hit people. There were a few questions related to what my trade skills were, but it was pretty much a behavioral test. I passed that one. Go figure. I always have to wonder at the people who answer yes to the question "When you strongly disagree with someone, is it ok to hit them?" Seems like an easy answer to me. Either way, on to the next step, which was the safety test. I read through the booklet which has some pretty good safety tips. I basically learned that if Labor Ready tells you that you're doing one job (and they're supposed to be specific), then you have to stop and call the office and let them know when the site is making you do something else. This ranges from working on roofs to cleaning pools at a job they said you would be doing landscaping. The description must match the work done. They also tell you all about how to make sure you're dressed properly for the job you will be doing.

So I took the quiz and filled out some paperwork. While doing this I got a taste of the people who use this service. I ended up filling out my paperwork alongside a gentleman who had been working at a Labor Ready for years in Wisconsin and had moved into SD the day before. Another man shared his opinion about how blonde jokes give blonde people a bad rep. He went on to explain that they are so intelligent and swift that sometimes they don't get the emotional side of things. It was all sort of random but I pretty much felt he had reverse prejudice going on. Meanwhile, a business called in to have someone assigned for a job the next day. The other story I heard gave me a little more insight to the people that the workers at Labor Ready are used to dealing with. The receptionist said that some woman had called and asked a question about what time an application was due. The receptionist said that she told the woman it was due at 2 p.m., to which the woman responded "2 p.m. in the morning or the afternoon?"

Shortly after I turned my forms in and she went over it and was shocked that out of about 25 questions I had only gotten one question wrong and I needed to correct it to be finished. She also pointed some things out to me that I'd forgotten to sign. I did that quickly and came back. Again she was surprised at how quickly I had corrected my error. I could sort of see why after her stories. Apparently she was impressed because she asked me if I wanted to do the job that had come in while I was filling out my application. Tomorrow morning I have to be in town at 6am, so that I will be ready to drive someone around for four to five hours while they take down data. That was as much information as I got. I don't need a CDL and I'll be driving the car they drove up from Virginia. They did require that a copy of my license be sent over and that I filled out a sheet for consent. We'll see how it goes.

Labor Ready opens at 4am every morning and closes at 7:30 p.m. every day. I found out that this is because they work with one company that has a 6am-6pm shift and a 6pm-4am shift almost every day. I guess they package gaming cards. She gave me Pokemon as an example. This clued me in to why the lawn chairs were sitting in the corner. I'm betting that people line them up and sit in them while they wait to be assigned work.

In order to be approved to work for the gaming card company I had to do a drug screening test. The last drug test I did for my internship during school was at an off-campus location so I expected to have to it somewhere else and send the results back.

Apparently, this was not the case. I was to take the test there and bring the sample out for her at the counter when I was done. At this point, I'm optimistic because that means no waiting and I could hopefully start tomorrow. However, when I get out of the restroom I saw that the nice older gentleman was standing at the counter waiting get his paperwork approved. I, being modest as I assume anyone else would have been at this point, looked at her blankly waiting for instructions with the sample close at my side and out of sight and said, "I have the sample." "Well, put it on the counter," she countered, not caring one iota about my self-respect at that time, and then realizing too late why I was hesitant. "Everyone does it!" she blurted and then continued to ramble as I meekly set it on the counter, "It's a natural thing, right?" she asked the gentleman next to me, much to my mortification as he nodded and said yes. Until that point I was able to pretend he wasn't in the room, but she had to go and pull him into the conversation. "Everyone does it, no need to be embarrassed." Yea, ok. Easy for you to say, lady.

Needless to say, not a huge deal, but not the most comfortable situation. And obviously I passed.

So, I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll be able to work in the morning, take a short nap, and take the 6pm-4am shift. It's gonna be tough and I'm very sure that it will be very boring. But, I'll bring some headphones with me and see if I can get away with listening to that while I work. Oh, I get a sack lunch provided to me, too.

Pretty successful, and yet another example of how things can work out even when you hem and haw and really don't want to do it.