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uwmonkdm
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30 Mar 2013, 8:25 pm

I got a job as a prep/line cook, part time while I go to school.
But uh, I'm already feeling anxious about the social aspect of the job.

The staff are all quite young, around my age and from what I could see everyone is well dressed and quite attractive. The waitresses anyway, obviously...

So, any tips for how to keep my NT mask on better?
I already kind of slipped up, I have a kind of monotonous voice, and when she called to offer me the job the conversation went:

"Hey <my name>, just calling to let you know I'd like to offer you the job"

"Oh, cool, thanks"

"Is that .. alright? *slight laugh*"

"Yea of course, so what now?"

etc etc..

I felt like she could already tell something was "off" about me :?

tl;dr: How to act NT at a job so you don't attract attention to yourself?



managertina
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30 Mar 2013, 11:39 pm

Simply put,

Mask on sometimes and off at others. So, don't say things that are rude to people, like negatively commenting on their appearance ... that is a 'mask on' moment. But take your mask off for a moment about things that you are genuinely interested in. Sorry that I cannot be more specific. But I 'mask on' and 'mask off' at work, though I generally am more 'mask off' than on nowadays.

Tina



WrongWay
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31 Mar 2013, 10:56 pm

Don't worry too much about it, it can be hard to keep the 'mask' on all the time. Congrats for getting the job, the fact you've been taken on shows they think you can handle it. As long as you don't do anything inappropriate I think you'll be fine.


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managertina
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01 Apr 2013, 12:27 am

Hey there!

Again, congrats too!

I was looking at my other post just now and don't think I was clear enough. Relax! Know that you have the technical skills and that you are going to be interested in keeping them up. Don't try to be someone that you aren't. Find something in common, if you can, with some of the staff, like finding out about a similar tv show you like, or hobby, and talk about it a bit. Of course, being polite is a must, and that is what I meant about wearing the mask or playing the game. Other than that, know that you are skilled enough to carry it off, as wrongway was rightly saying.



MannyBoo
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01 Apr 2013, 7:29 am

Congratulations! Hope all goes well.

If you don't like talking too much, I find the having the quiet mysterious atmosphere may sometimes make you attractive to others. Get people to approach you, save yourself the trouble.



Andras
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02 Apr 2013, 5:27 pm

Congrats!

I can't really give you any advice, the previous posters summed it up pretty well. All i can say is from my own experiences is that the first month is always the hardest one. You need to get used to the routines and to the people who work there. The anxious feeling will slowly get less day by day and you should feel more comfortable.



uwmonkdm
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03 Apr 2013, 1:02 am

I had a few people comment on how quiet I was being... everyone there is quite loud and everyone is like flirting or whatever with the waitresses, I just don't get it :?



Andras
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03 Apr 2013, 5:15 pm

uwmonkdm wrote:
I had a few people comment on how quiet I was being... everyone there is quite loud and everyone is like flirting or whatever with the waitresses, I just don't get it :?
Have you told anything about yourself yet? Have you asked others how they are doing, what they do in their free time? A bit social chit-chat doesn't hurt.

About the flirting part...err... can't help ya there!



uwmonkdm
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03 Apr 2013, 9:07 pm

Andras wrote:
uwmonkdm wrote:
I had a few people comment on how quiet I was being... everyone there is quite loud and everyone is like flirting or whatever with the waitresses, I just don't get it :?
Have you told anything about yourself yet? Have you asked others how they are doing, what they do in their free time? A bit social chit-chat doesn't hurt.

About the flirting part...err... can't help ya there!


There's no time to really, the only person I got to talk to was the other prep cook and I think he's just as socially awkward as I am :lol:
The waitresses and line cooks pop in and out for like 10 seconds... so I probably just seem like a creep looking at them walk by :?