Day 16:" I'm Not a Telemarketer...I'm a 'Professional Telephone Fundraiser"

I would love to talk about my Tall buildings studio..but since I'm having hard time even typing at the moment..(I really want to have it as an organized story and not have it be some mumbo jumbo like the posts i've been putting up lately..)

So, I thought i'd talk about my first real job.

I had odd end jobs..mowing lawns was the usual, working at my parents store for 'room and board'...

It was in my freshman year when I saw this hot pink sign, for the Phonathon for the Annual Fund Drive at my school. I got an interview and was hired on the spot.

So every tuesday and thursday, at 6pm, I would head over to the office and talk to people til 9 pm.

Basically what I had to was talk to past alumni and parents of current alumni, and ask them to make a "generous" contribution to the annual fund.

Sounds simple right? It wasn't hard finding the courage to talk to random people on the phone...

It was really unforgetable.

You needed a lot of patience to deal with certain kinds of people.

1) The sweet people with a hearing problem. You don't want to get annoyed..but ya can't help it..

This really was his name...

I remember my supervisor cracked up at this...

2) Suspicious wives. Our supervisors told us to just call whoever we were looking for by their first name, that way they didn't hang up on us. Of course that was really popular.

3) People who are blaming you for their financial woes/shitty school experience.

4) People who don't understand...

5) Creepers.

When I first started this job, I talked to an elderly man for about 2 hours, because I was too nice to stop him..when I finally told him about the fund...

I didn't like calling my friends parents too much. It was like they hated me each time I called..

"Stop calling me!! I don't want to talk to you!"

I think the worst is when I call my mom. My boss had a good kick out of it though.

I knew he was playing around..

Luckily she never picked up the phone.

She made herself very loud and clear that if I ever called...she'd tell me that i'm crazy/stupid for even thinking that she'd contribute.

Don't get me wrong, I really did like this job. The plus side of this job was being able to talk to past alumni, and see what they are doing now..

.Some are living exciting lives...

Others still paying their student loans..

So in the end...I never knew how to feel about my own future...

(wow...so...sleepy...)