Student X

20 September 2011

Panera Bread

Working at Panera Bread should have been my best job because I liked it at first.

The managers I had for the first few months were great. Then, with new management, the

job when downhill, causing me to abandon a group of people I had formed tight bonds

with. But the job also taught me lessons about the importance of leadership.

I remember having lunch in Panera with my mother one afternoon, discussing

how nice it would be to work in such an environment. Who would have thought that by

the August prior to my junior year of high school I would have my first real job there!

However, little did I know much of my days (and evenings) at Panera would be spent

working really hard.

Luckily, my first general manager organized training sessions so that I could

learn. My first trainer was an expert at teaching and was very patient with me when I

made mistakes. Soon I felt confident. Everyone I worked with was nice, and we became

friends. My other manager was really nice too, to top it all off, my best friend worked

alongside me as a cashier, and I even began dating one of my coworkers. Panera had

become not just a job but an exciting place to escape to after school.

However, my perspective on Panera changed after several months. When we

where informed that one manager was transferring to another Panera, the employees were

upset but not overwhelmed with sadness because he was somewhat strict. When we

found out our other manager, who was fun-loving and a motherly figure, was leaving, we

became concerned that Panera would not be the same.

Basic Intro /

Not very

interesting/

clichés and

misspellings

Needs

details /

clichés

Note how

“nice” is overused

in this

essay

Needs

details /

writing is

bland with

clichés

/some

grammatical

mistakes/

spelling

error:

where/were

I knew nothing would be the same when the next Bread Bash rolled around.

Every season, the Panera managers hosted a “Bread Bash” for all their employees after

work on Sunday. While it’s real purpose was to introduce employees to new or seasonal

products, Bread Bash was seen by employees as a chance to get paid for eating free food.

These nights were very social and everyone always had a good time, that is until the

management changed. The new manager made it less fun and was even mean. I hated

going to work. I dreaded my shifts. Soon employees started calling in sick and refusing to

cover each other’s shifts. What was happening to the Panera Bread that I had once

thought of as a second home?

During weekend rushes, it became apparent that the employees’ chemistry with

one another was falling apart. What had once been a carefully constructed line of work

turned into unmanageable chaos. I realized I had had enough. My once-perfect job was

slowly turning into a giant black hole and sucking me into it. The decision was made; I

quit.

Upon reflection, my experience at Panera was beneficial. Yes, I left some friends

and my boyfriend behind, but I saved my sanity, and I now realize that no amount of

money can make a hated job tolerable (well at least when one is talking about the typical

wages in service industries). In addition, quitting gave me a chance to start in retail, a

field I have grown to love. The most important lesson I learned is about the key role that

management plays in the life of an employee and in the success of a business.

Spelling &

Grammar

errors/

Illustrate these

general

point with

details