What's the most surprising trade secret about your job?

I managed boarding and grooming kennels for eight years.

The secret is that the employees actually do love your pets too, even the difficult ones.

Most of us realize they just miss their people.

The number of times I've wept when a pet died or spent way too many hours comforting a dog

with separation anxiety or spent hours off the hours comforting a dog with separation anxiety,

or spent hours off the clock with a border who needed to be rushed to a vet office,

I wouldn't trade it for the world. Some pets do just suck, though, not going to lie.

I'm a server. No matter how much we insist it's okay that you're keeping the entire restaurant

open after we've closed,

please know that we are 100% lying. We will get fired if we deviate from anything other than

pure delight that you're keeping us from going home. We dread it. Please don't believe us.

I used to work in jewelry. Most of the prettiest gemstones are also very affordable.

Tanzanite is a beautiful purple and looks nicer than Amethyst.

Topaz comes in lots of colors, including a pretty blue color which can be as nice as aquamarine.

Opals aren't as brightly rainbow-hued as they look in pictures. Almost every hairstylist gets the heepy-ge-bees when we shampoo your hair and you just stare up at us. Close your damn eyes at the shampoo bowl. I used to screen resumes for small companies. Job requirements are more of a wish list situation.

Never let some unchecked boxes deter you from applying. You have no idea what the applicant pool is like.

The biggest boon, especially at small companies, is someone who legitimately cares.

My company once put out a job vacancy for a position that would assist me in my job. Looking

purely at the job requirements, I didn't feel like I was qualified to assist myself in a job

I've been doing for two years. If you're looking for work and a job seems even remotely like you

could do it, apply anyway. It's not like you have anything to lose. There is way more butter than you think in almost every dish you eat at fancy restaurants,

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