Blood, Sweat and Chilli Sauce: A Tale of a Crap Job

Between the ages of 13-16, I spent at least one day a weekend working 14-hour shifts on our family kebab stall at open-air markets.

I absolutely hated it.  Everything about it. It was a crap job by any measure.

The rest of my friends were staying in bed until midday and played football all weekend. There I was marinating frozen chicken the night before, waking up at 4 am, travelling for 90 mins in a rickety old van before helping my dad erect a market stall at 6 am.  Often freezing conditions.

I would then stand on a barbeque cooking chicken kebabs and serving until 6 pm, before eventually packing up the market stall, travelling home and then unpacking and washing everything ready for the next day’s trading.

If I were lucky I would be given a tenner to spend for my efforts (because money was *very* tight at home).

But, here’s the thing, I wouldn’t change this experience for the world.

Whilst it seemed like physical and mental torture, it made me resilient way beyond my peers. I was used to working hard and learning to become self-reliant.

And when I eventually entered the world of work, my teenage work experiences made most things seem relatively easy.

Firstly, it was always warm in the office!  Secondly, I saw how much more money professionals could make.

All without asking a single person if they wanted salad and chilli sauce.

Whilst we might intrinsically gravitate towards ease and comfort, the best things for us long term often involve experiencing high levels of discomfort.

Had my parents left me behind to snooze in my warm bed whilst they went out to graft, I doubt I would have had the same drive and resilience in my life (though I may have become a slightly better footballer!).

So, when interviewing candidates, never underestimate the value of their ‘crap job’ experiences, especially if it was during their formative years.

Never skim over this part of their history – it could be the very thing that sets them apart from the rest and sets them up for a life of accelerated progress ✊

#jobs #gratitude #resilience #progress #hiring #interviewing #kebabs #chillisauce #rebelrecruiters