I have been working for the same company for over five years now. Because I am so young, every time I say that I get a worried look followed by "wow". I say wow myself just so you know. It's amazing to think that I have been with the same company for so long. Most people my age never like to settle, nor should they on just one job. Although I wouldn't say I settled either, I just found something that worked my school schedule and didn't want to change what I had.
I started working at the YMCA when I was seventeen. I was still in high school, had barely just gotten my driver's license and this was my first ever real job outside of babysitting. I was thrilled and terrified at the same time. Thankfully most of the people that I worked with were around my age, or at least my maturity level so it never felt like I was the youngster with no experience. I mean it did for the first couple of weeks when I was learning what to do, but I quickly caught on and excelled.
A year later I had graduated high school and was about to start community college. I began to think about whether or not I wanted to try out a new job. Not to say that I didn't love where I was working at the time, but I thought since I was starting a new school why not a new job as well. That idea didn't last long. I quickly came to the realization that the job that I had was extremely understanding of the fact that I am a student first and a worker second. School has always come first. That is why I have worked for the YMCA for so long; they always work with my school schedule. Do you know how hard it is to one find a job? But also find a job that accommodates to your school schedule. It was a miracle.
Two years passed and I received my Associate's Degree and was on to ASU to finish my Bachelor's. Even then, the YMCA still accommodated to my needs. I switched locations to work at so my new location was right across the street from my campus. The transition was quite easy because I was doing the same job that I had been doing for the past three years just now at a different location. It took some time for me to get adjusted as well as my coworkers getting adjusted to me. But I quickly made the new location a great fit for me as well.
Now two years later I just celebrated my fifth work anniversary. I am currently working at the location where I was initially hired and the location that is closer to school. I am trying to maximize my hours before school starts. It was the hardest realization that I would have to quit my job to accommodate for my busy semester. I have been with this organization for five years. The memories that I have made will forever be with me. It's sad realizing that all my hard work is coming to an end quite soon. Wow, five years really went by in a flash. I guess the old saying is true, you never forget your first job.
