It was hard for me to learn and accept that hard work goes unnoticed. Superiors come into situations with their own opinions. I have found it difficult to change their minds no matter how much evidence I have. I thought my reputation would give me some credit. It didn't. I learned that I always have to look out for myself.

I learned to be very careful what I said in a retail setting, even if I was joking. I made a joke about a store manager once that got me fired. He took it as a threat against his life, and when I showed up one morning, a police officer was waiting to escort me out. The officer said I hadn't necessarily broken the law, but it sure felt like it. That was a pretty miserable, embarrassing lesson, and one of the few things I would definitely change about my career.

I am a clerk for an online bookstore. It's being around books, especially the really old ones, that moves me. I just like touching them and being around them. I think if I owned the bookstore I could live happily ever after, even though it isn't my first choice.

Well, I think what people find odd about me is that I have a genius-level IQ and I used to own my own business. So, clearly, I am underachieving. I think that makes my friends from when I was successful very uncomfortable. It probably makes my enemies ecstatic, though.

What really drives me nuts is when someone orders an antique book, with the publication date right in the listing, and then complains that the book is old. Another one that happens sometimes is that someone will buy a book that has damage or wear, and even though we described every minute flaw in detail, like we always do, they'll write or call complaining that the book has dog-eared pages or something, as though it was the first they ever heard of it.

Go to college. Study for a professional field. Be a doctor or lawyer.

I cannot really say that this job moves my heart. The only thing that does give me satisfaction is preparing food for others. This is a lifelong passion and I enjoy it no matter where I perform this task. I do however feel as if I have found my calling in bakery business. Preparing food that is delicious to look at and to eat is a sweet spot in my life.

Retail positions do not typically pay a great deal. That is unless you do go into a management position. I make about $25,000 a year. I live within my means and this combined with my wife's income provides a decent living for my family. However, you have to consider that I have been working toward this salary for the last ten years. I truly feel as if I should be paid more for the time and determination that I put into my retail position.

I would have to say, if I could write my own ticket, in five years I would be working in a traditional hometown bakery. I long for the time that is given to be creative and individualistic in those places and that is what I would be most happy doing.

Know what you are talking about. You cannot make things up. The customer will find out the truth and return the product eventually. And then you lose all credibility and potential referrals.

I applied for the position when a friend of mine, who was working at the store, told me there were some openings. Had I known what I know now, I would have pursued a junior position in publishing. It’s so much easier to start off in an entry level position when you are fresh out of school. Employers don’t expect much from you except an education. When you are older and looking to break into a professional field, such as publishing, employers expect an education and work experience in that particular field.

My family is my motivation to get up and go to work every day. I feel proud that I am able to provide for my family, not only giving them what they need, but splashing out now and again on what they want. I am also an example to my children. I have taught them that if they want something, they need to go out, get a job, and make the money so they can afford it.