Picture drawn by Kaori Yokoyama

" Having a creative part-time job for the first time in my life"

                 On June 27th and 28th, I had a creative part-time job the first time 
            in my life!!  On Saturday, it lasted from 10AM to 5PM, and on Sunday, it has 
            lasted from 1PM to 5PM.  The work itself was easy.  I had to put all the 
            "sales" tag in order and group it into one set of pile so the stores can put 
            up their "sales" tag. The sales are going to be held from July 4th, therefore,
            the department store needed a helper to get things done by the coming sales.

                       This was a creative experience for me because I gained a lot more 
            than I have expected.  I have expected that since the work it self is so easy, 
            I will just earn the money but nothing else, but that was a BIG mistake!!  
            I have earned more than the money I have earned.

                       First of all, I didn't know that there are such huge human 
            relationships within the department stores as well as the "personal" human 
            relationships.  I have heard that you must be aware that you must have good 
            relationships with the company, but I have never understood how important it 
            was.  However, I was able to REALLY understood it by experiencing such a thing 
            happen right in front of me.

                       Second of all, there are tremendous competition between the rival 
            companies.  This competition is harsh than I have expected.  
            The representative director was sitting in front of me and calculating the 
            profits of the new service they have started.  He was doing it aloud.  
            I can hear every number he is saying.  The tremendous amount of money that 
            is moving for the sales has shocked me.  There was absolutely no word for me 
            to say.  I was just quiet and was working on my own job that I had to get done.

                       Last but not least, I have noticed that since I'm working here as 
            a part-timer, and not a full-fledged employee of the company, it will not 
            effect me so much, in terms of earning and human relationship with the company 
            and the people.  However, I have thought that I would not want to work for 
            this place as a full-fledged employee of this company.

                       Having a part-time job has many sides.  One of them are that you 
            work just for the money, another is to get the feeling of what the atmosphere 
            of the working place is like, how the people are, and what is your goal of 
            coming here and goal of earning money are three important points to think 
            about on working for a part-time job.  Everyone has their own way of doing 
            things.  Theredore, one part-time job can become ten different things 
            depending on who is working for what.

                       Before I've gone to the part-time job, I have predicted that I'll 
            work for the money.  However, as a conclusion, I have gave all of the money 
            I have earned to my mom because I have noticed that I have earned a lot 
            more "valuable experiences" than the money I have earned. In this way, 
            this experience was a creative experience.

Written by Eriko Miyamoto
based on the her portfolio project of 1998



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