--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I worked for a big department store, and…" description: "\"I worked for a big department store, and strangely, on my first day, they put me in charge of Christmas wrapping. I didn't know how to wrap a present a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/joel-edgerton-2300_big_i-worked-for-a-big-department-store-and_2371749.jpg" --- # I worked for a big department store, and strangely, on my… ![“I worked for a big department store, and strangely, on my first day, they put me in charge of Christmas wrapping. I didn't know how to wrap a present and make it not look like it fell off a truck.” quote by Joel Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/joel-edgerton-2300_big_i-worked-for-a-big-department-store-and_2371749.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/joel-edgerton-2300_big_i-worked-for-a-big-department-store-and_2371749.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b1/joel-edgerton-2300_big_i-worked-for-a-big-department-store-and_2371749.jpg) > “I worked for a big department store, and strangely, on my first day, they put me in charge of Christmas wrapping. I didn't know how to wrap a present and make it not look like it fell off a truck.” [Joel Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-edgerton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A novice was given an unexpected, high‑visibility task and felt unprepared, highlighting the anxiety of being thrust into responsibility without training. **In simple terms:** New employee given big job feels unready. Key Takeaway Seek guidance and practice before tackling unfamiliar duties. Themes anxiety responsibility learning Mood nervous hopeful Type advice personal growth When to use this quote - first day at work - holiday season - retail management Key Concepts confidence building skill acquisition mentorship Questions to Reflect On - How would you ask for help in a new role? - What steps can you take to quickly learn a new skill? A Different Perspective Lack of preparation can lead to mistakes and stress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Department store](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/department-store/) [First Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-day/) ## Related quotes > [Ancient Chinese custom if you were a guest in one of their homes and you admired some particular thing, they would wrap it up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/ancient-chinese-custom-if-you-were-a-guest-in-one-of-their-homes-and/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [“To perceive Christmas through its wrapping becomes more difficult with every year. "The Distant Music of the Hounds," 1954”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white-2/to-perceive-christmas-through-its-wrapping-becomes-more-difficult/) [E.B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white-2/) > [“Most centers offer a one-program-fits all type of service, which is rather like a department store that sells one-size fits all clothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/most-centers-offer-a-one-program-fits-all-type-of-service-which-is/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [I worked at the cosmetic counter at a fine department store](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lita-ford/i-worked-at-the-cosmetic-counter-at-a-fine-department-store/) [Lita Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lita-ford/) > [I think if you ask people what their concept of heaven is, they would say, if they are honest, that it is a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/i-think-if-you-ask-people-what-their-concept-of-heaven-is-they-would/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“Rather than spending time with the snooty residents of Opal in the department store, she would now be spending time with criminals whose company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alane-mills/rather-than-spending-time-with-the-snooty-residents-of-opal-in-the/) Alane Mills > [Chinese people, young people, they don't go shopping a lot in department stores. All department store guys hate me. They say business is bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/chinese-people-young-people-they-don-t-go-shopping-a-lot-in/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“A department store two days before Christmas Eve is like a city in a state of siege…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/a-department-store-two-days-before-christmas-eve-is-like-a-city-in-a/) [Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/) > [There's a lot of movies that aren't all about Christmas, or where Christmas isn't the focus, but have that spirit of Christmas in them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-osborne/there-s-a-lot-of-movies-that-aren-t-all-about-christmas-or-where/) [Robert Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-osborne/) > [I had 13 job offers out of college. I went to Bullock's department store and had a fantastic interview, but was skeptical. I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-j-lundgren/i-had-13-job-offers-out-of-college-i-went-to-bullock-s-department/) [Terry J. Lundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-j-lundgren/) > [I worked in fashion, but I worked more in the sales side of fashion than in design. I was an assistant buyer for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-atwood/i-worked-in-fashion-but-i-worked-more-in-the-sales-side-of-fashion/) [Colleen Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-atwood/) > [A great department store, easily reached, open at all hours, is more like a good museum of art than any of the museums we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-great-department-store-easily-reached-open-at-all-hours-is-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never saw a department store Santa as a kid. My mother was afraid to take me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-zwigoff/i-never-saw-a-department-store-santa-as-a-kid-my-mother-was-afraid-to/) [Terry Zwigoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-zwigoff/) > [I did a bunch of blue-collar jobs, because I knew I'd wind up with a white-collar job at some point, and I wanted to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/i-did-a-bunch-of-blue-collar-jobs-because-i-knew-i-d-wind-up-with-a/) [Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/) > [The lady across the hall tried to rob a department store . . . with a pricing gun. 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But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. 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