The First Job that Changed my Life

Mmmm, espresso. Image via Wikipedia

When I logged in to Typepad today, the following "Question of the Day" was on my dashboard:

What was the first job that changed your life?

What an interesting question, I thought. It was honestly something I hadn't thought about in a long time; but now that I am thinking about it, I would say the first job that changed my life was one I had back in college, working in the cafe at a local Borders Books. Anyone who knows me well knows I'm a big coffee geek, and working in the cafe making perfect shots of espresso and lovely, frothy cappuccinos allowed me to live out that persona. I read books about coffee (after all, I did work in a bookstore) and worked hard at refining my skills everyday.

Then, an opportunity came along.

I was promoted to cafe lead clerk, which is like the assistant manager. I got to work with the manager on cafe promotions and merchandising. I was able to combine my love of coffee with my knowledge of and passion for marketing.

And that's when it all clicked for me. It's been a helluva ride ever since.

Most working adults have had a job at some point that served as a major turning point in each of their lives. It may have changed it for the better, or even for the worse - either way, it made them take a different path that led them to something brand new.

Now it's your turn to tell your story: what was the first job that changed your life?