For years I dreamed of working in the brewing industry. One day in the spring of my junior year in college, after a lot of deep thinking, I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I was sitting in class, ignoring a lecture on US History, about what I do not recall, because I was too deep in thought, when it finally all became clear to me. Making beer was the perfect career for me. It required both scientific knowledge and skill as well as creativity. I could make a product I was proud of. There were standards on which I could judge my own success. Am I winning awards? Does my beer sell well? Do I like my product?
As soon as the lecture ended I walked straight across campus to the library and began reading books on how to brew beer. I eventually got a homebrew kit and started crafting my own recipes. I even changed my major from history to chemical engineering to help secure the right job upon graduation. Eventually I gave up on engineering, as it was taking far too long to graduate, and instead decided to finish my history degree and get out there to begin learning on the job. Coincidentally, it was on the day that I finished my final term paper, thus completing my college coursework, that I got a call from a nationally known craft brewery offering me exactly the job I wanted: professional brewer. At least I thought it was the job I wanted.
Now, five months in, I want out. I am creating this blog for two reasons. One, to finally satisfactorily answer the questions I get when I tell people what I do for a living. "What exactly do you do?" "What's it like?" "Do you get to drink beer all day? " And, "Why do you hate it so much?" Two, I need a place to vent. I don't plan to be at it much longer, but until the day I finally do have the pleasure of quitting, I need some way purge all the frustration, stress and anger I manufacture over the course of a work week.
I probably would have started this sooner, but the fear that it would somehow get back to someone at work prevented me from doing so. Now, however, I wouldn't mind getting fired. I would like to leave on good terms when I do quit, but termination certainly isn't the worst thing that could happen to me. Anyone who reads this most likely was directed here by me personally, and therefore knows exactly what brewery I work for, but for a variety of reasons, I will not refer to the company or anyone involved by name.
I work four days a week and will attempt to post at least something every day that I work, but I really can't promise anything at the moment. We will have to see how it plays out.
No comments:
Post a Comment