I got off to a slow start in my "cigar" job. This was my first experience of working in a general office atmosphere, and I had a lot to learn.
My boss on the job was Frank____________. Frank had been with the company for quite some time and knew the cigar business. His title was National Marketing Manager and he was responsible for opening new markets, primarily in the eastern part of the country.
Much of my job was statistical. I had to research the retail cigar business through different media channels and write up reports about what I had found. Occasionally I travelled with Frank to areas outside of Philadelphia to conduct surveys looking for wholesalers with whom we could make arrangements for them to distribute our products to their retailers, and if so, make contractural arrangements to do business together.
The national sales office staff was small in number. It consisted of the general sales manager, his assistant, two office secretaries, Frank and myself. The women were somewhat standoffish in regards to me, and no friendship could be developed. The lead woman was the G.M.'s secretary and very proud of her poisition. Woe betide any of us who crossed her path. She would hustle into the boss's office to complain, and the accused was on the carpet..
My lack of experience made the job difficult. I had to depend on Frank for direction almost daily and that was wearing on the two of us. There were days when I had little, or nothing to do and that also made things difficult.
About a year and half into the job, I heard of an opening in the retail branch which was located on the first floor of the same building. With Frank's permission, I applied and was accepted. Ah, the freedom from boredom and into activity - what a break.
More, later.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
THE JOB MARKET
My Campbell Soup employment, beginning in May, 1946, was a pick-up from two prewar jobs. My first job, after high school, was as a delivery man for as stationer's company. My second job was at the shipyard. Now I was beginning job number three (see blog SOUPS ON)
My soup job was as an assistant machine operator on a labeling machine. The main responsibility was to remove jammed cans without losing a finger or two. It must have been O.K., because I still have my original ten fingers! I knew that once the canning season was over I would probably be unemployed, so I was busy looking for the next opportunity. As it happened, the opportunity came looking for me, and here is how it happened.
My late sister-in-law worked in the national office of a cigar company. She learned that the sales office was looking for an administrative assistant, no experiencee necessary. With my permission, she placed my name in as an applicant.
The applicant had to have one significant qualification; he had to be Protestant, that's right, Protestant! The owners of the company were Jewish, and the sales department was mainly Roman Catholic. The owners said that a Protestant was needed to "balance" the department. I got the job. Can you imagine a company in today's business world having that kind of a requirement?
Ruth and I hurried to buy a suit (my first, ever), which seemed to be made of burlap, because every third day the pants had to be pressed to maintain a crease. Whew!
More, later.
My soup job was as an assistant machine operator on a labeling machine. The main responsibility was to remove jammed cans without losing a finger or two. It must have been O.K., because I still have my original ten fingers! I knew that once the canning season was over I would probably be unemployed, so I was busy looking for the next opportunity. As it happened, the opportunity came looking for me, and here is how it happened.
My late sister-in-law worked in the national office of a cigar company. She learned that the sales office was looking for an administrative assistant, no experiencee necessary. With my permission, she placed my name in as an applicant.
The applicant had to have one significant qualification; he had to be Protestant, that's right, Protestant! The owners of the company were Jewish, and the sales department was mainly Roman Catholic. The owners said that a Protestant was needed to "balance" the department. I got the job. Can you imagine a company in today's business world having that kind of a requirement?
Ruth and I hurried to buy a suit (my first, ever), which seemed to be made of burlap, because every third day the pants had to be pressed to maintain a crease. Whew!
More, later.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
CIVILIAN LIVING
Becoming a civilian on December 26, 1945, took a bit of adjusting, that's for sure.
The first two changes had to do with employment and moving my family into our New Jersey home. It didn't take long to discover that my former shipyard job was kaput! Evidently there would not be any shipbuilding for a long time.
We had been able to rent our home during the war years (that kept our mortgage payments on schedule), so it was a matter of notifying the tenant of their need to move, clean the house once it was vacant, and then move back in. What a pleasure that was!
Early on, the government had established an unemployment plan to assist returning veterans into transition that I was now experiencing. It was called the 52/20 Club, which meant that you could receive twenty dollars a week for fifty-two weeks, or until employed. I promptly joined the Club and enjoyed the benefits until May of 1946 when I was employed by the Campbell Soup Company (see blog SOUPS ON). That four-month period was the only time in my work history that I was unemployed.
In retrospect, this period was good for our family. I adjusted to civilian life, Ruth and I adjusted to being together, and baby daughter adjusted to having a real-life daddy.
More, later.
The first two changes had to do with employment and moving my family into our New Jersey home. It didn't take long to discover that my former shipyard job was kaput! Evidently there would not be any shipbuilding for a long time.
We had been able to rent our home during the war years (that kept our mortgage payments on schedule), so it was a matter of notifying the tenant of their need to move, clean the house once it was vacant, and then move back in. What a pleasure that was!
Early on, the government had established an unemployment plan to assist returning veterans into transition that I was now experiencing. It was called the 52/20 Club, which meant that you could receive twenty dollars a week for fifty-two weeks, or until employed. I promptly joined the Club and enjoyed the benefits until May of 1946 when I was employed by the Campbell Soup Company (see blog SOUPS ON). That four-month period was the only time in my work history that I was unemployed.
In retrospect, this period was good for our family. I adjusted to civilian life, Ruth and I adjusted to being together, and baby daughter adjusted to having a real-life daddy.
More, later.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
MORE DRASTIC CHANGES
I happened to be on radio watch when two important messages came over the airwaves.
The first message, on April 15, 1945, announced the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The crew was in shock as we had not known anything about his deteriorating physical condition.
The second message, on May 8, 1945, announced the end of the war in Europe. The news brought lots of cheers from the crew, with dancing and jumping around the decks. We would soon be homeward bound, we thought. No way!! Our ship was assigned a weather-watch station halfway between Iceland and Greenland, and there we stayed until mid-November.
Back in Washington, D. C., the armed forces were putting together a POINT ELIGIBILITY SYSTEM for honorably discharged personnel. Your points included months of service, months on overseas duty, points for children you had under the age of 18, and points for commendations. I was eligible for discharge while on board ship, but getting to Norfolk was too long a swim!
I mid-November, the ship headed for Norfolk at FLANK SPEED. It was time to go home!
On December 20th, I entrained for home. I would be home for my first Christmas since 1941.
On December 26th, I reported to the Coast Guard District Office in Philadelphia to receive my discharge papers. I was "invited" to consider re-enlistment, but I said, "no thanks" and headed home as a civilian. Wow!
More, later.
The first message, on April 15, 1945, announced the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The crew was in shock as we had not known anything about his deteriorating physical condition.
The second message, on May 8, 1945, announced the end of the war in Europe. The news brought lots of cheers from the crew, with dancing and jumping around the decks. We would soon be homeward bound, we thought. No way!! Our ship was assigned a weather-watch station halfway between Iceland and Greenland, and there we stayed until mid-November.
Back in Washington, D. C., the armed forces were putting together a POINT ELIGIBILITY SYSTEM for honorably discharged personnel. Your points included months of service, months on overseas duty, points for children you had under the age of 18, and points for commendations. I was eligible for discharge while on board ship, but getting to Norfolk was too long a swim!
I mid-November, the ship headed for Norfolk at FLANK SPEED. It was time to go home!
On December 20th, I entrained for home. I would be home for my first Christmas since 1941.
On December 26th, I reported to the Coast Guard District Office in Philadelphia to receive my discharge papers. I was "invited" to consider re-enlistment, but I said, "no thanks" and headed home as a civilian. Wow!
More, later.
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