bartender

cook

administrative assistant

event coordinator

veteran service officer

The American Legion

A typical day at work starts out like this, you come in to work in the kitchen after punching in on a ancient time clock to a mess usually from how the previous staff before. After cleaning what should've been an already clean kitchen you then have 30 mins to; cut the ovens fryers and hood vents on prep everything you need food wise for your shift, figure out inventory wise what you need and are out of and finally before service you HAVE to create a special for the day. During service its typically snail slow as the lounge is not treated as a gathering place for veterans but rather a elderly night club. During the end of your shift if it is the end of the night you are responsible "locking" the premise by locking all doors in the building by yourself regardless if your male/female/elderly/sick and escorting the bartender that night to thier car if they drive, otherwise you are responsible for taking them home. The difficult part of the job is waiting until the members and non members leave due to the fact that they rather stay later and we close at 9/10.The most enjoyable parts of this job would have to be the time after you finished your shift that you maybe sometimes get a shift drink. Just going on record stating that things were like this before COVID-19. In addition, the general manager will belittle you and berate you in a public setting infront of staff at "meetings" then ask you to make them an menu and go get the liquor order for them as they dont know how too. 

As a paramedic in Amador County with extensions into Calaveras and Alpine counties I responded to all degrees and natures of emergencies over a vast geographical area.  Working with volunteer fire departments and an EMT-1 partner, I was well-respected and enjoyed an incredible amount of autonomy and freedom in my medical care.  I coordinated helicopter responses and landing zones, managed emergent cases for long periods of time with extended transport distances and had an extended scope of practice to include transporting patients on anticoagulant drips and those being mechanically ventilated.  I had an excellent working relationship with my medical director and base hospital and was frequently called upon to assist in the emergency department with critical cases when staffing was sparse.  My unit was dedicated to the Kirkwood clinic in the winter and I responded to all transportable cases from the ski-resort to Barton Memorial trauma hospital in Lake Tahoe.  In the summers I floated to service Camanchee Lake, Pardee Reservoir and Mule Creek Prison.  My job in this community was invaluable for my growth as a new paramedic.  It taught me confidence, leadership and breadth.  My co-workers and the management were passionate exceptional people who shared my love of medicine.  The hardest part of the job was working 48 hour shifts and being mandated for days at a time when another paramedic called in sick.  The hourly compensation was not competitive and the long-term benefits were also below par.

My responsibilities included training workers in food & drink preparation, service, sanitation, & safety procedures; compile & balance cash receipts at the end of the day; cash handling, deposit preparation, & payroll; resolve customer complaints regarding service; control inventories of equipment & liquor, report shortages to designated personnel; purchase supplies & equipment needed to ensure quality & timely delivery of services; observe & evaluate workers & work procedures to ensure quality standards & service; collect money for drinks served; check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol; clean glasses, utensils, & bar equipment; balance cash receipts; attempt to limit problems & liability related to customers’ excessive drinking by persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for patrons; stock bar with beer, wine, liquor, & related supplies such as ice, glassware, napkins, or straws; serve wine, & bottled or draft beer; take beverage orders; clean bars, work areas, & tables; mix ingredients, such as liquor, soda, water, sugar, and bitters, to prepare cocktails & other drinks. I learned to be diplomatic and calm a situation in a chaotic environment. The hardest part of the job for me was coming of with monthly attractions that would appeal to the members to come and contribute to the different causes the organization supported. However, it was worth the struggle to see everyone enjoying themselves and what we were able to raise for the current cause.

The Post is a veteran's bar so you are around a lot of older people, but don't let that fool you! They are a great group of people to be around and are fun to work with. The bar manager is amazing and understandable. She is super flexible when it comes to hours and if you want a day off all you have to do is ask and she will try her hardest to make it happen. A typical day is you open up at 11 and get the bar ready for the day. You have people in and out all day. You get whatever they want to drink and sign them up for whatever drawling they want also. talking and getting to know your customers is an important thing so being friendly and talkative is a must. Not to talkative because you still have to work. About 45 minutes before shift change you have to refill the coolers and stock anything low. Once you are off you have to go to the office and count your drawer and make sure it is balanced. After than you are official off work and can go out to the bar and enjoy a some drinks with everyone. The post has five bartenders working there and they are all great! extremely nice and willing to help you out. The hardest part about this job is that it gets busy and that can be overwhelming for one people to take care of. The member understand that aren't to hard on you when you make them wait for a little. The money and tips are nice and the environment is wonderful!

A typical day of work consists of just waiting on tables and maintaining a good work ethic toward everybody. I make sure that the job is done the right way and don't "flee" as soon as I can without making the place clean and put things back the way they should be.

During this job I have learned how to manage my time well, get along with others, depend on myself and others, be a waitress and a bartender (mixing drinks and waiting on people properly) and maintaining a positive attitude toward my coworkers and customers.

My coworkers are seriously so much fun. They are all easy to get along with and drama free. The best part of the day is just really seeing them. They all put a smile on my face and encourage me when needed. My coworkers also give constructive criticism when needed and I am very appreciative toward them.

The hardest part of the job is probably making sure that every single person is satisfied in some manor, whether it's sitting down at the bar and having a few drinks or just having a family dinner on a Friday night.

The most enjoyable part of the job is probably just seeing everyone, being able to interact with a lot of people and when customers tell me that I'm a very good or hard worker. That always puts a smile on my face.

The American Legion John Fulton Post is one of my favorite places that i have worked. My nights are filled with laughter, good fun, music, sports talk, History lessons and more. Since I have been there, I have come across some amazing people from Vietnam Vets, to our oldest member being 87 yrs old!  I have always been in the Bar business as an evening job, but here Its more like family. I have learned things from the members that a High School/College Education could never have taught me about the World, War, History, Racism, Family, Work etc. These Men and Women have endured somethings that i cannot even fathom having to deal with or try and survive. I generally enjoy my nights, but you will have those times when things just don't seem to go right, or a customer may get unruly, something breaks or won't work properly, or just a crummy night in general. My co-workers have been there for years just like me, and we get along really good. The hardest part of the job to me is the nights when there are no customers or members, it just makes the time go slowly.

Helping Military Veteran was an awesome experience for me. Enjoyed meeting and greeting the community leaders and volunteers.

I believe behind every successful nonprofit organization is a high-performing team of volunteers. My experience at the American Legion, was more than a team. It’s was a community family.

I personally volunteers in the American Legion youth programs. Without their leadership, our American Legion Boys State and Boys Nation would be impossible. Without American Legion Family volunteers, our Oratorical contestants — from local to national levels — would not have the opportunity to learn in-depth about the Constitution and hone in on our public speaking skills. Without our patriotic members who freely give their time to help us, school children would not learn flag respect. Which I've now have a new appreciation for.

As an American Legion volunteers I also provided assistance at VA hospitals, Vet Centers, long-term care facilities and more. Our members shuttle veterans to their medical appointments, spend time with them on holidays, provide chaplain services and much more.

The impact was an incredible experience for me.

The hours aren't bad, club doesn't open super early for 3rd shifters, so no super early mornings.  Co-workers were great, everyone supportive of each other, as long as you didn't slack on your responsibilities (proper closing/cleaning/stocking) because whatever tasks you don't do, means more work for someone else. Customers become family and you always feel like you've got support.   There can be some issues with lack of communication in the hiring process, which makes current employees feel lied to and unimportant.  The last word is often given to the board members, which sometimes csn be bad because they're not bar/restaurant-focused, so they sometimes don't always understand certain aspects of that side of things. They have a tendency to treat the club like their own personal clubhouse, which can get a little out of hand and be off-putting to other members.  
Great place to work, customers always super appreciative of anyone who works hard and cares about their job!!

Management is a complete disaster. The Executive Director and most at the Director level really have no business being in those positions. The ED "manages" by trying to instill fear and by intimidating staff. The ED does not have a grasp on how the legislative process works on Capitol Hill and that makes for a very ineffective lobbying effort for veteran-centered legislative issues. These are six-figure salaried positions that are being occupied by some of the most incompetent people I have come across in my entire career--and that is saying something. The Legion's Form 990 is available on the web and for an organization that is bleeding members and money it is astounding to see that the ED and National Adjutant are earning around $200k and more than $400k, respectively. Trust me, they are NOT worth what they earn. The Legion is dying a slow death and with the characters it has leading it there is no hope for improvement. Leadership should be ashamed, but it isn't.

My typical day is crazy busy from the moment our door opens at 7:30am to 4:00pm.  The phones never stop, clients are wonderful and sometimes they prefer to speak to me instead of my boss.  I have learned from start to finish when filing benefit claims for the veterans.  As far has the VA it's self I have taken upon myself to go to the many other departments, find out what exactly their responsibilities are.  I take it upon myself to find out more that can assist me in assisting the veterans, where they need to go, what I can help with and when they need to request help from a different department.  My co-workers are the absolute best I could ask to work with.  I manage spread sheets that will make month end numbers easier to compile for Corporate.  As far as the hardest part of the job was when I first began and not fully understanding what it was exactly my position was suppose to consist of.  I answer all phone calls and return calls.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Bartender 27 salaries reported	$12.87 per hour
Cook 13 salaries reported	$17.81 per hour
Administrative assistant 1 salary reported	$42,316 per year
Event coordinator 6 salaries reported	$45,000 per year
Veteran service officer 1 salary reported	$47,300 per year

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