Patrick Famaran

a pizzeria. When I was in the 9th grade, my very first job was a pizza chef at Peroni's Pizzeria. Located in Mississauga, Ontario, this hidden gem was where I first learned how having a job works: you do some stuff and then you get paid. It was simple. However, the stuff entailed a lot of tedious work, washing dishes, cleaning and preparing the ingredients. It was also here where I learned, first-hand, about workplace responsibility. I learned that employees report to a supervisor and that supervisor reported to management. It was also here that I learned about work as a team sport. If someone does not do the dishes, then it slows down the entire production of pizzas made, because we would run out of dishes to make the pizzas with. Essentially, this first job taught me the fundamentals about the workplace. 

 

Next, came Tim Hortons. At Tim Horton's, I was both a storefront employee and baker. Through these positions, I learned the basics of customer service. It was here that I learned how to be respectful to customer's in the workplace, and how the goal of the service industry is to make the customer happy. This is an important learning experience because it also taught me how to act professional in the presence of customer's and potential clients. This is an important skill to have when you're out in the work force. 

 

After that came Credit Valley Golf and Country Club. I am a server and a bartender. At this position, my customers are members of the Golf Club and also big clients such as weddings. It's here where I was able to learn about the importance of pressure in the workplace. Seeing as how my customers are regular members and very important catering events, you must always deliver exceptional service. Because of this need for perfection, there is also a need to perform consistently. This is where the pressure kicks in. As a server, you need to be able to cope with the pressure of table service and as a bartender you must not get overwhelmed with the orders. After a few years at this position, I feel like I have successfully been able to cope with the pressure.

 

Now I'm the Director of Communications for the Knowledge Integration Student Society (KISS). Each level of my service learning experiences have provided valuable lessons of working, in general. First, it is important to know the basic structure of a workplace, proper teamwork and etiquette. Next, it is important to know the role your consumer or client plays in your business. And finally, it is important to make sure that you do not succumb to the pressure of your job. In short, all of these professional experiences also contribute to who I am as a professional.