Memoir | Job Hunt | Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. | Part II of VI

Having had a meeting with Mr. Cohen the day before, I embarked on my job search in the Capitol Hill section of the iconic Pennsylvania Avenue, a stretch that extends from Capitol Hill to downtown Washington, D.C. This part of the Avenue, near the Library of Congress James A. Madison Building, was home to two restaurants and bars, a women’s fashion boutique, a bank, a health food store, and a small grocery market. Street vendors also lined up this part of the sidewalk.

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After completing my volunteer work at the Rayburn House Office Building at 4:00 PM, I strolled along the strip of shops on Pennsylvania Avenue in search of a paid job. I was filled with anticipation.

The first establishment I came across was Dana Robbins Boutique. I was hired as a Saturday-only salesclerk. As a fan of dresses and skirts, I thought this store would be a great place to buy a few blouses, skirts, and dresses for my volunteer work and, of course, to cover my bus fare to and from work. The pay was modest, certainly not enough to move out of my mother’s house.

The second small business was the Hawk ’N’ Dove Restaurant. I was hired to work full-time as a waitress on Fridays and Sundays. The pay was modest here as well.

I was just happy to have some money of my own.

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The following day, I stopped by to inform Mr. Cohen that his advice had been successful and to thank him for it. He was pleased to hear that I valued his recommendations.

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At Dana Robbins, I learned not to gossip about my colleagues. I had carelessly spoken about my supervisor’s rudeness towards me and told a customer, who then informed my supervisor!

Carol, my supervisor, is an older, wise, and well-dressed woman who often speaks to me in a condescending manner, which makes me unhappy with her attitude toward me.

I was naturally embarrassed when she told me that the customer had relayed my unkind comment about her. However, she surprised me by saying, “You learned from this lesson, so be careful whom you talk to.”

I was relieved that Carol didn’t fire me!

I certainly came away with a valuable lesson: to trust no one.

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I enjoyed being a waitress at the Hawk ’N’ Dove Restaurant because it allowed me to interact with people!

The most challenging aspect of the job was accurately taking the customers’ orders and communicating them to the bartender and cooks.

The lesson I learned was the importance of effective oral and written communication.

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Working these two part-time jobs provided me with enough money for bus fare and maintaining a professional appearance while volunteering at the Rayburn House Office Building for the two congressmen’s offices.

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The only way to escape the low-income housing projects was to secure a full-time job, and I was determined to pass the typing test at the Library of Congress!

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(Copyright © 2025 by Mia Z. Edwards. All rights reserved.)