New Job Within Marathon

For those who don't know, I work at Marathon Cheese Corporation which is a cheese packaging plant here in Idaho.   Since we moved here in October of 2013, it has been a challenge, to say the least, at finding employment that pays well.  Although it is by no means a glamorous job, it is income and it is steady.

I started in January of 2014 as a line worker packaging cheese.  It was a bit like going back to high school as I took in all the drama and cliques around me and I have never had much tolerance for either.  So I just do my job as best as I can and block out everything else.  I try to be kind to everyone and nonjudgmental and hope to be the example I would like to see in others.

When I first began, I was nervous because I had never worked in a factory before and the line I was assigned to was a very fast moving line.  It took me 2 weeks of someone constantly standing next to me to feel comfortable and then 3 more months by myself to feel confident.  At 5 months in, I am now bored.  There are other lines in the plant that I can work, but those who work my line and are good at it, usually do not get moved.  I guess I am good at it since I have never been moved?  Yeah, we'll go with that.

I had already applied to a few other jobs within the factory, but have been turned down for them all, mainly because I was too new and they hire based mainly on seniority.   But that didn't stop me from applying.   I applied again a couple weeks ago for a Backup Dock Worker Position and was pleasantly surprised when they approached me the Tuesday after Memorial Day to offer me the job!  So now I will be driving various forklifts all day instead of packaging cheese.  That's more my style anyway.  :)  It is only a Backup position at this point which means I will bounce between line working and driving but every indication points to it becoming full time in several weeks.  I believe my pay increased slightly too (I still have to check on that) and who doesn't like a pay increase?

I will still continue to look for other employment that I will be happier with long term, but in the meantime, I am grateful to have a decent job with income.