My First Job: Jeff Renner, chief meteorologist

October 30, 2005

My First Job: Jeff Renner, chief meteorologist

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Jeff Renner

Current position: Chief meteorologist at KING-TV and author of several books, of which "Mountain Weather" is the most recent.

First job: Applied blacktop sealant to my grandfather's driveway to earn money for skiing, still a motivation for working to this very day! That was unsteady and also very messy work — I went through a lot of clothes — so as soon as I was old enough to get a work permit, I got a job at a beach concession stand making everything from burgers to shakes.

What I learned: I learned how to stay calm and polite in dealing with the public even when they were upset, such as when someone insisted they'd ordered a vanilla, not a chocolate, shake or that the hot dogs looked green and demanded a new one — which occasionally was almost as green. But I learned an even bigger lesson. The operator of the concession stand disappeared with all of the equipment (which belonged to the owner of the beach) — as well as our paychecks just a few weeks into the summer. That taught me that while it's important for an employer to check into prospective employees, it's just as important for a job applicant to check into the reputation of a prospective employer. I later found that boss had become a barber. I shudder to think what he did with a pair of clippers!

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