Promptings from Valhalla - 26. Jack of All Trades

Idiom Prompt “Jack of All Trades”

“Welcome to All Trades Employment Agency. I’m Jack. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The tall man reminded Chris of a beanpole—skinny, but not unattractive. Jack’s smile was that of a polished businessman, beaming but appearing to be genuine.

“Chris Andersen.”

Jack and Chris both felt a tingle throughout their bodies as their hands made contact in a brief, but firm, shake. Jack gestured to a pea green chair across from his oak desk, and they each took their respective seats.

“So what brings you to my agency? How did you hear about us?”

“My friend Cindy highly recommended you. Since I’m new to the area, I thought this was a logical place to start my job search.”

“Cynthia Rella? She’s fantastic. A real go-getter. So, do you have the paperwork we sent you?”

Chris nodded and removed the requested items from his briefcase, then handed them to Jack.

Jack frowned. “It’s rather thin.”

“I graduated with my MBA two years ago, so I don’t have a long work history.”

“I see. Well, we prefer to employ individuals with a broad range of experience, as our customers’ needs are quite varied. Why don’t you tell me what jobs you had prior to and while you were working on your degree?”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “I worked at Dunkin Donuts when I was in high school. During college I worked part-time at an accounting firm. They paid for my MBA, but unfortunately went out of business last month, which is why I’m here.”

“Tell me about your duties at Dunkin Donuts.”

Chris stared open-mouthed at the man before him. “Let me get this straight… I have an MBA from an Ivy League university, and you want to know about my fast food experience?”

“I don’t have any need for an accountant at the moment, but I do have a request for a baker from the BBC Company on Main. Did you help make the donuts? That could qualify as baking experience.”

“No, I didn’t make the donuts. I made coffee and cashed out the customers. It wasn’t exactly rocket science.”

“So your major was business and accounting. Did you have a minor?”

“I had a minor in English and literature for a while, but gave it up to put in more hours at the firm.”

“You have good office skills then? Fast typing, computer savvy, know how to string a grammatically correct sentence together?”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“Great! Then I might have just the job for you.” Jack shuffled through a pile of papers on his desk until he found the one he was looking for. He held it up in triumph. “Red Wolf Publishing needs an administrative assistant. You’d be a perfect fit.”

“A perfect fit? How? I’m an accountant, not a secretary!”

“Well, you have to start somewhere. And getting your foot in the door at Red Wolf would be a great start. They employ a lot of people in this area.”

Chris sighed. “I suppose I don’t have much of a choice. I’m almost out of money and need to pay my bills. How much does it pay?”

“Pay?”

“Yeah, you know… that pesky little thing called ‘salary’?”

Jack laughed. “The name ‘All Trades’ doesn’t just refer to professions. We work on the barter system around here. What do you need? I’ll make sure you get it in trade for your services.”

Chris shook his head. He’d had enough of this crazy place. “I need a paying job. Thank you for your time.” He stood and left the room, leaving a puzzled Jack scratching his head. What the hell was this guy’s problem? Jack shrugged and tossed Chris’s papers on the stack already piled on his desk. He’d be back. After all, he was the only employment agency in town.

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