Daily writing prompt

Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.

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After I retired, I wanted to work part time doing something useful. I signed up for a course with a nationally known tax preparation service, and spent many weeks attending evening classes, and studying at home. I learned quickly and grew more excited as time went on because I knew I could help ordinary people with the onerous annual task required by the IRS.

Then, on the first day on the job, the compensation schedule was explained. The hourly pay wasn’t great, but then, I wasn’t in it just for the money. We were also told how we could earn bonuses for signing customers up for “instant refunds”, which turned out to be very short-term loans at an exorbitant interest rate. So my success at this business would be predicated on my ability to con people into getting money that they already had coming a couple of days early by paying a ridiculous fee to get it.

So I quit on my very first day, before I’d prepared even one tax return.