Whether it be babysitting, working at a fast-food joint, or some other job your awkward teenage self managed to obtain, your first job will always leave you with some lasting memories. Lessons are learned, skills are acquired, and truths about yourself are brought to the forefront when you take your first step out into the working world. Not every first job experience is a good one, but your first one will be the one you look back at throughout the years as the the job that started it all.
Some of us got jobs because we wanted to, some because our parents made us and others because we actually needed the money. We all went through the process of looking for a job. For those of us who didn't work at their family’s business or babysat for the neighbors next door, we learned what it was like to go out into the world and search for places that were actually hiring and not looking for people with tons of experience or schooling.
Getting a job is not always easy, and you start to learn that with the tough economy, jobs really aren’t always available to those who need them. Respect for those older than us struggling to find a job, but continuing to look in hopes of bettering themselves and their families, is forged into our minds.
Actually trying to obtain a job your first time can be quite scary. That resume you had to make in high school is finally going to be seen by more than just your teacher, while you struggle to figure out how to get them to see you are amazing without typing out that your mom always told you how perfect you were. Your first interview may have you struggling to pick out an outfit for hours and Googling “common interview questions” in hopes of somehow being prepared. No matter what, you are going to be at least a little nervous for your first interview.
The trick is not letting our nerves make compete fools of us. Looking back to your first interview, I’m guessing most people will have a little smile about the amount of nerves we had for something that turned out to be no big deal. Without our first job interview and the ones that followed, we wouldn’t be a the confident point we are today.
Learning to work well with others may seem like a trait you mastered in kindergarden, but in the workplace setting, it can be a completely different ballpark. The people at your job aren't your peers from school who you know how to socialize with and what to expect from them. Most of the time you are going to work with people older than you and try to learn to balance a healthy respect for them, while also making sure you are taken seriously enough that you aren’t seen as some random child that got that job for no apparent reason. Your first job was not the place to just decide you liked working with some people but not others. You had to suck it up and realize cooperation in the work place means making sure you can work with people you wouldn't necessarily invite to your birthday party.
Being responsible at school and at home is different than being responsible at work. You were given the responsibility of making sure you were always working your hardest, on time to your shifts, and good with customers. You couldn’t just have those days where you decided to be late, decided to take the day off, or decided that since you were in a bad mood you weren’t going to have your game face on for the customers. What you wanted wasn’t the first priority and that lesson will probably be very true for many of the future jobs to come.
Finally, having cash to blow, some money to survive or even just paychecks to add to your saving accounts (for those who had parents who could get them whatever they wanted) was a big deal. The feeling that you are making your own money in the world is such a rush. Knowing that you earned those brand new sick headphones with your own hours spent at your first job makes them that much more special. You also learn that you can’t always just use your money on a whim if you want to have enough money to go out with friends. Understanding that you have to manage your money with care if you actually want to get the most bang for your buck was lesson we all had to start learning and are still learning as we continue to gain ore experience int he workforce.
However, what you will remember most is the memories. The time you spilled a whole box of chips in front of the whole store. The time a customer was so mad over something so ridiculous you had to bite your tongue to contain your laughs. The experience of your first job has left you with the memories that make you laugh, smile, and grimace, but know that you have made it through.
