New Pizza Delivery Job. Need advice.

[ThisGuyIsThisGuy]

So, not content to simply wait around for a job to find me, I went to find a job. I let the SSA I'm getting started and hopefully I can try and see what my job at Donatos Pizza is like. Unfortunately, my track record for the longest I kept a job is not so hot. My security job lasted two days and my independent driver job payed little with the time I put into it. I'm going into this blind, not knowing what to expect, and hoping that they accept me with open arms. When I told the assistant manager that I had Aspergers, they didn't know what it was, but assured me that this is a "safe place", so that's comforting. On top of that, it pays 8.25 an hour with tip and milage, so I'm blessed to find something that will add up.

I need to get rid of these First Day Jitters before January 1st, when I start. I need advice. What should I do if I feel overwhelmed? What exercises can I used to help me feel better? What were your first meltdowns on the job and how did you handle it? Any information is welcome and needed.

 

[Gracey]

What are you afraid of?

What do you dread happening?


You’ve got some time before you start the work to find some triggers

Do you find a job overwhelming period?
Or can you identify specific, much smaller parts of this job that are causing you to worry?

 

[ThisGuyIsThisGuy]

What are you afraid of?

What do you dread happening?
You’ve got some time before you start the work to find some triggers

Do you find a job overwhelming period?
Or can you identify specific, much smaller parts of this job that are causing you to worry?

There's plenty I dread. Messing up, getting in an accident on the job, getting robbed in a delivery, things that are overwhelming. It might be paranoia, but I have great fears that I won't be able to perform, mess-up, or get hurt.

 

[Gracey]

How would you usually deal with not being able to perform, messing up or getting hurt?

What measures have you taken or what methods have you used to feel safe and calm yourself?

 

[ThisGuyIsThisGuy]

How would you usually deal with not being able to perform, messing up or getting hurt?

What measures have you taken or what methods have you used to feel safe and calm yourself?

I don't... have any... I'm afraid that I don't have a good method of coping to be safe or calm. Usually, and I know this might sound pathetic, I find a place to cry it out until it's out of my system, but it's not an option for work, so I need to find a way to practice mindfulness exercises for stressful situations.

 

[ftfipps]

Mindfulness meditation works amazingly. I was in a stressful living situation many years back and I was able to keep it together because I willed myself to be happy. You can change your brain to be constantly happy. It takes some practice but I was able to do it. I never got angry or sad. I was a delivery driver when I was a teenager. I had a great time. It is safe, you aren't going to get robbed. You drop off your money from each delivery before you go on the next one. You only have to interact with people for a short time.

 

[Gracey]

I don't... have any... I'm afraid that I don't have a good method of coping to be safe or calm. Usually, and I know this might sound pathetic, I find a place to cry it out until it's out of my system, but it's not an option for work, so I need to find a way to practice mindfulness exercises for stressful situations.

That crying isn’t always sadness.

Some studies have found cortisol (the stress hormone) in tears.

I cry too,
But I’m rarely sad. I put it down to a release of the build up of stress.

So if you’re pathetic, so too am I.
You’re in good company


Okay, let me ask you this;

What if the opposite were also true?

Yes, there’s a risk we can mess up with performance.

Equally there’s also a risk we don’t.

Your current thinking will have an expectation of messing up on a thought loop thus only looking for confirmation that you’re correct in your predictions when at work.

What about allowing some head space to acknowledge each time it went okay?
Each time you didn’t get robbed?
Each time you didn’t have an accident?

The opposite of what you’re expecting can also be true.

What do you think of that?

 

[ThisGuyIsThisGuy]

Mindfulness meditation works amazingly. I was in a stressful living situation many years back and I was able to keep it together because I willed myself to be happy. You can change your brain to be constantly happy. It takes some practice but I was able to do it. I never got angry or sad. I was a delivery driver when I was a teenager. I had a great time. It is safe, you aren't going to get robbed. You drop off your money from each delivery before you go on the next one. You only have to interact with people for a short time.

What mindfulness training did you go through? Where might I train?

Also, all right, I trust you. Where would I hide my wallet when I'm driving, though? My glove compartment?

That crying isn’t always sadness.

Some studies have found cortisol (the stress hormone) in tears.

I cry too,
But I’m rarely sad. I put it down to a release of the build up of stress.

So if you’re pathetic, so too am I.
You’re in good company


Okay, let me ask you this;

What if the opposite were also true?

Yes, there’s a risk we can mess up with performance.

Equally there’s also a risk we don’t.

Your current thinking will have an expectation of messing up on a thought loop thus only looking for confirmation that you’re correct in your predictions when at work.

What about allowing some head space to acknowledge each time it went okay?
Each time you didn’t get robbed?
Each time you didn’t have an accident?

The opposite of what you’re expecting can also be true.

What do you think of that?

I want that so badly. I really do. I'm just overly cautious...

 

[ftfipps]

I read books about mindfulness. It works, it is very easy and Imagine it, never getting upset. Just being chill all the time. I have to get back into it. You should be given 20 bucks to make change with, you won't need your wallet. You will lock it in a lock box back at the store with all of your money from orders. I delivered pizzas for a couple years, It's fun. Enjoy!

 

[ThisGuyIsThisGuy]

I read books about mindfulness. It works, it is very easy and Imagine it, never getting upset. Just being chill all the time. I have to get back into it. You should be given 20 bucks to make change with, you won't need your wallet. You will lock it in a lock box back at the store with all of your money from orders. I delivered pizzas for a couple years, It's fun. Enjoy!

I'll certainly try, but I first need to find out what their policy is for folks that have personal car insurance and not commercial. I don't want to get shafted by that. :/

 

[Gracey]

What mindfulness training did you go through? Where might I train?

Also, all right, I trust you. Where would I hide my wallet when I'm driving, though? My glove compartment?



I want that so badly. I really do. I'm just overly cautious...

Me too, usually.

If you don’t want to keep on getting out your wallet in front of customers,

Have change ready in each pocket?
Change for a ten in one, change for a twenty in another?
(If they haven’t paid online or tell you to keep the change as a tip?)


Mindfulness is a good practice to keep your thoughts in the present moment - thus interrupting those thought loops that can gain momentum.

You can find instruction on how to, online.
Good luck

 

[Mattymatt]

As easier said than done as this is, try not to think too much about the first day of the job as it's still several days away. One of the nice things about delivering pizzas is that your customer interaction will be short and brief. May I ask why the security job did not work out? It's okay if you don't want to answer. I once had a security job that lasted two years because it was doing 3p-11p and I only save people up until about 6 and then there was literally a mass-exodus of people leaving. I had the building to myself and I could talk to myself without any danger of other people around. If you don't mind telling me, I might be able to help you find a security job that you would be well-suited to.

Save for that, I am really not qualified to offer any advice because I have a terrible employment track record myself. I'm 41 and the longest I've ever been employed was four years and I have a feeling I was successful at that because I was in a non-customer facing job. I was in a back office job which was perfect, and unfortunately, I managed to screw that one up. Those types of jobs are few and far between.

 

[BraidedPony]

Remember that everyone has to go through the first day of a new job and everyone has to be trained. You are experiencing what we all have gone through, many times, so you are not alone.
If you need to cry in the car, wear sunglasses and if anyone at work comments on your red eyes just tell them it’s allergies.
Do you get free pizza?

 

[ThisGuyIsThisGuy]

As easier said than done as this is, try not to think too much about the first day of the job as it's still several days away. One of the nice things about delivering pizzas is that your customer interaction will be short and brief. May I ask why the security job did not work out? It's okay if you don't want to answer. I once had a security job that lasted two years because it was doing 3p-11p and I only save people up until about 6 and then there was literally a mass-exodus of people leaving. I had the building to myself and I could talk to myself without any danger of other people around. If you don't mind telling me, I might be able to help you find a security job that you would be well-suited to.

Save for that, I am really not qualified to offer any advice because I have a terrible employment track record myself. I'm 41 and the longest I've ever been employed was four years and I have a feeling I was successful at that because I was in a non-customer facing job. I was in a back office job which was perfect, and unfortunately, I managed to screw that one up. Those types of jobs are few and far between.

No problem at all. What happened was that my routine was this: I got up at 5, take an hour to get ready, drive an hour and a half to work in the worst commute to Nashville. Stare 10 hours at computer camera and hope to get some interaction with people, go an hour and a half at home, have an hour to decompress, and go to bed.

The reason I quit was because I wasn't stimulated. It felt like I was wasting time, not doing anything productive. I was vegging on a chair, and unable to do anything without supervision. I couldn't even read a book. I quit the second day.

 

[ThisGuyIsThisGuy]

Remember that everyone has to go through the first day of a new job and everyone has to be trained. You are experiencing what we all have gone through, many times, so you are not alone.
If you need to cry in the car, wear sunglasses and if anyone at work comments on your red eyes just tell them it’s allergies.
Do you get free pizza?

I don't think I do, but those are good ideas.

 

[Mr Allen]

About 10 years ago I did a job at a recycling place, it was supposed to be disabled specific, but can someone tell me how working in a mucky, noisy recycling plant is suitable for the disabled? And don't even get me started on the pay! £2 a day 9 while 5, 8 hours work!

I did the first day and hated it and would've quit there and then, but I thought no I'll see if the job gets better this week, in the end I quit after 3 days.

 

[Mattymatt]

No problem at all. What happened was that my routine was this: I got up at 5, take an hour to get ready, drive an hour and a half to work in the worst commute to Nashville. Stare 10 hours at computer camera and hope to get some interaction with people, go an hour and a half at home, have an hour to decompress, and go to bed.

The reason I quit was because I wasn't stimulated. It felt like I was wasting time, not doing anything productive. I was vegging on a chair, and unable to do anything without supervision. I couldn't even read a book. I quit the second day.

Ah yes, that is sadly the nature of a lot of entry level security work. It does get better once you get some experience. I am also certain that they could have found something for you closer by. The boredom can be absolute torture.

 

[Tom]

I don't quite see how they call it a safe place. It depends on where you will be required to make deliveries mostly. What's the area like you will be servicing, any dangerous neighborhoods, etc.

 

[novart]

I did pizza delivery for ~10 years. I had to get a job after high school, it was more of a desperate choice since I didn't know how I would sit in an office, work well with coworkers always around me and a boss or two over my shoulder. Granted over half of that was spent in one of the ranked safest cities in America (at least at that time). Very rich area, so not only was being off socially relatively more accepted but when it wasn't the big tips still made it feel worth it.

I worked in two poorer areas after that, including areas that had to have gang injuctions and even some roads we simply could not take orders from. I absolutely felt like a target, but nothing ever happened. Maybe it was luck but I started to think like I belonged in those areas I delivered to because, well, I did. I think that attitude helps you blend in. Just a scrawny white kid in a hispanic neighborhood walking past literal gang members and no one bats an eye.

Check the place you work at, feel it out and don't get down if it isn't right. At my first job we didn't give much of a damn about "acceptance", my disabilities were not known to my employers but we still had a good time and I was treated as well as anyone else. At the two other jobs where I did have my disability registered I faced outright harassment and in one case was physically assaulted by an assistant manager until I quit both.

Side jobs are important too. My first job had it's own cooks, a dishwasher, etc. All I had to do was focus on delivering pizzas, and from there I could lend a hand when I could. The latter two jobs had me scrambling to do so many things it made my head spin and my delivering suffered as a result.

It can be pretty exciting. I had never had "work" go so quickly, I'd always go home amazed that I actually managed to do it. I also learned how to do small talk from the hundreds upon hundreds of houses I went to.

 

[BraidedPony]

Because of this thread, I’ve been thinking about how delicious pizza would be.....