Personal Essay: My First Job

My first job is at a trucking company located in Derry. Adding a job to my schedule now was not too stressful because it was only the first week of my junior year. Also by now in high school everything is predictable the first few days of instruction. We start the first few days of instruction going over the course material and expectations. Thus, letting me have more free time in the afternoon the first week. I started my first shift on a Monday, it was so hot outside. I can remember seeing the heat rise off of the truck hoods. I restored headlights and washed a couple of the box trucks there for the day. I was surprised how easy this was, and remember going home and telling my parents “This is the easiest job ever”. I was beginning to get a taste of what it is like to have a job.

I realized after being able to handle an angry customer positively, I have matured working at Wendy’s. To be able to not step out of character when someone you don’t know is yelling at you because of tomatoes is huge. Having a job helped me practice professional skills. I also had to learn to save money because the same weekend I got my check I spent half of it. My first job made me feel like a complete adult, and although it was stressful, maturing is a step in life I knew I was going to face soon

As teenager, many people say their adolescence is one of the most important phases in anyone’s life. As a teenager, you get to experience many great events like going to high school football games, dating your first boyfriend or girlfriend, getting your driver license, and graduating from high school. As I look back, I believe that getting my first job was the most important event in my adolescence. I was very enthusiastic about getting my first job. I enjoyed that fact that I will be able to earn my own money and not having to ask my mother for any earn. Surprising, there was only one obstacle that was holding me back and that was the fact that I was a

I graduated high school back in 1994. I was engaged to be married in just two years, and even though I joined the Pennsylvania Air National Guard right after graduation it was only one weekend a month and two weeks out of the year. So I needed a full-time job. A friend of the family knew a guy who was opening a second store, and was going to need a store manager. I took the job and got started. What I didn’t know was the guy I was just hired to work for was a little confused as to what he wanted. I hung onto the job for a little over a year hoping it would turn around but, no dice.

I have not had very much experience as an employee during my youth. My first time doing real world work was the day that I volunteered at my father’s office at the New York City Department of the Aging for two hours. It was apparently a day off from work because no one other than him, myself, and his supervisor were there, but I helped my father organize and file some papers. After my brief stint as a volunteer, my first, and only, actual job I was paid for was over this summer at the Eileen Abraham Insurance Agency. I got the job through a program called the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). This program helped young adults, like myself, get summer jobs around the city in various different fields. I specifically chose the Eileen

As soon as I graduated from college I became a pharmacy technician at Walgreens. There I worked for two years. I acquired experience that no other institution can provide nor teach me. I learned not only about my interpersonal workings and more so about who I am when I am outside of my comfort zone. Having that job expanded my communication skills to a point where I can adapt to any environment or group of people and still be who I am. Customers became an importance to my life. I was able to related to them a personal level and a healthcare provider. Many patients had family members came to the pharmacy who had cancer. Having to be able to relate to their situations helped them to get through the hardships and giving them comfort

Like I stated before I was only sixteen when I got my first job and the only responsibilities I had before then were the chores around my house, which included mowing the lawn, washing the dishes, making my bed, and folding the laundry. Having any type of job requires more responsibility. This job required me to handle day to day office management which included, taking out the trash, restocking food and beverages, and vacuuming and sweeping. This taught me basic professional skills and how to take care of something other than myself. I also quickly learned that I needed to be responsible enough to multi-task my time between school, work, and a sport. I also had to be responsible enough to show up on time and to report to work every day that I said I would. Overall, I learned on the job techniques that I applied to the real world. For example, I also use this work experience, multi-tasking, and being on time with my second job, college and personal

For the past two years in the summer, I attended a week-long leadership coaching for marching band where I used creative thinking to solve conflicts. Besides that, I worked a customer service associate for Walgreens. Because I could not drive, I walked for 20 minutes each day and learned to be responsible for time. While standing at the main register, I greeted each entering customer (“Welcome to Walgreens!”) and developed a clear, resonant voice. By communicating with a variety of customers, I developed my social skills in understanding diverse accents and formulating quick conversations. Most importantly, I went on a “vacation” with my family. Due to job and financial conflicts, our family never went on a trip since I was in second grade.

I have learned that I must adapt my plan of action and tailor my reaction to the needs of others. There were many times where interruptions from customers or my supervisors occurred while I was doing an assigned task, however, their interruptions were more important than the task I was working on. The pressures and stresses in the workplace are inevitable, and it is up to me to adapt to those pressures. The skills I gained in customer service and the knowledge I learned about the organization in such a short amount of time has allowed me to undergo any stresses that arise. I was able to prioritize my tasks and account for the interruptions that may temporarily stop me from finishing them. I have also gained skills in teamwork and leadership. I have become a better leader and collaborator, as I am able to communicate my thoughts and ideas explicitly to my peers and supervisors. These skills will allow me to better my professional development as I can use them in any direction I chose to

When I was 15 years old I never thought that my first job would have such an impact on my life. Going into it, I had the mindset that I had to just show up and put in my time so I can get paid and earn some money. As it turned out my first high school job was so much more than that.

With a team of other high school leaders, I planned and organized activities and games for younger students for the retreats and camp events during the school year. I learned how to communicate effectively with my fellow peers and staff members, and most importantly how to deal with conflict in times of disagreement by finding compromise and different solutions. In addition to my church experience, I have worked at a restaurant business that required much teamwork, quality customer service and responsibility in carrying out assigned tasks. Due to its fast paced speed in serving the food and customers, I learned how to adapt to situations that were unexpected, such as when a customer had a specific request. I quickly found the help of my coworkers the most valuable when adapting to these situations, and that in fact I was able to excel in my own work when working in a

When I entered the workforce at 16, there weren’t many high paying jobs available for someone with absolutely no previous work experience. The only job available for me was in the fast food industry, so my first job was at TacoBell. Working at TacoBell, exposed me to my very first management style.

the end of the week some of them could to these tasks. I also helped

I feel I was one of the lucky one who got a job in very nice and organized company. I received a good salary, had a nice working environment and was given respect by other employees which were really amazing despite being the youngest employee. When I entered in this job, I knew nothing. I was completely inexperienced and unskilled worker but after working here, this job helped me to improve my working skills such as how to communicate with people around me, never try to be hypocrite, stay calm and focus only on my work. Having a job also taught me to value my own work, and what I put into something. As my mother said, this job also taught me how to handle my responsibilities by myself. I became responsible for some of my own expenses. This was a valuable experience for me. I learned the value of the money and taking my own decisions about what I spend my money on. On Short, I feel that if a person works just for the sake of money then there’s no point of working. Yes, money is important but no person can enjoy the work if that person is only working there for the sake of

As time went on, things slowly started to get better. With my improved work habits, I slowly began to catch up on school. Also, I began to know my coworkers better, and I get to spend more time with my friend there. Moreover, after knowing how the store functions and learning all the menu items, the work became easier as well. I started to really enjoy this job despite getting some wrist injuries from scooping ice cream.