I still remember the day I
landed my first job as if it was just yesterday. This day could not have had
more impact on my life. The day was Monday, July 5, 2004 that I landed my very
first interview. I was 16 years old and had just finished up my junior year at
Oxnard High School. I had been searching for a job since I first turned 16 in
October of 2003 but had no luck because I had no experience. I applied just
about everywhere that I knew was hiring. I found that I didn’t really enjoy
high school so I wanted to take the work experience class they offered so that
I could leave school early to work. I also come from a family of seven which
includes my parents and four siblings; I wanted to be the first out of my
siblings to get a job. My parents were not financially stable at the time and
weren’t throughout my whole childhood so I wanted to contribute something
rather than sit there and ask for things and want things I knew they could not
afford.
I had taken a home economics
class during my junior year that gave us a lecture on how to land a job and proper
work etiquette. I learned that you needed to show interest by calling the
employer because they get a lot of applicants so calling them would help me
stand out of the bunch. I wouldn’t overdo it on the phone calls because I also
learned that a business can be busy and I didn’t want to annoy them. After
applying and all the calls and hard work the day I landed my first interview
finally came.
I wasn’t home on the Friday
afternoon that Deanna from Subway called my house asking for me. I was out with
my boyfriend at the time shopping but the minute I started walking up to my
house my older sister Eileen and younger sister Vivian ran up to me holding a
message written on a little piece of paper. Of course I asked “what’s going
on?!” they continued to talk over each other for a moment because they were
really excited for me. Finally Eileen said “A lady named Deanna called you from
Subway and wants you to call her back! she wants to know if you’re still
looking for a job”. I said “no way!!!” and I ran inside really nervous and
excited and locked myself in my room to call her in private. I proceeded
dialing the number with a shaky hand on my parents white phone with my heart
pounding up to my throat. Three rings later I hear “thank you for calling
Subway how may I help you?” After my
conversation with her I had an interview set for the very next Monday at 2 P.M.
That whole weekend I remember being a nervous wreck and doing some research
online for what to expect at my interview. I practiced how I would respond to
the questions I thought she was going to ask me and prepared my outfit for the
day.
When Monday finally arrived
my mom drove me to my interview. I arrived a few minutes early so I waited in
the lobby shaking and wiping my sweaty palms on my black pants. Finally the
moment came when Deanna walked out of the back and called me into her tiny
little office. Seeing her in person finally after only having talked over the
phone was not what I expected. She was sort of heavy set with red hair and was
younger then she sounded. I sat there with her as she asked me about my
availability and questions about how I would handle certain situations. I was
very intimidated because, although she was very friendly, she was also stern at
times. After the interview she gave me a quick tour of the restaurant and then
it all came to an end. That is until a few hours later when she called me to
tell me she would love for me start working with them that week. I began working
two days later.
My first day on the job was
very nerve wrecking because I was afraid of not impressing my boss and my
coworkers. I wanted to stay busy and ask a lot of questions to show them I was
eager to learn and wanted to be there. Alberta Beall, the manager on staff at
the time, trained me. She taught me the basics as to how to prep the veggies,
where the supplies were, the types of bread and cookies we sold, the names of
the sandwiches and how to prepare some of them. Making my first sandwich for a
customer was very exciting for me. The customer could tell I was new and told
me to take my time which I though was very nice. He made small talk with me as
I somewhat struggled to make his sandwich. He asked how my first day was going
so far and mentioned that I was doing great on his sandwich so for me not to be
so nervous.
My parents were so proud of
me for landing the job just as much as I was. I felt a sense of independence
and accomplishment. From that point on I made it a point to give half of my paycheck
every two weeks to my parents to help out with a utility bill. I absolutely
hated to see them struggle financially or argue over money so I felt at 16 I
should be old enough to do my part. They couldn’t have been more appreciative.
Growing up I was never able to have the things I wanted so after my job it
truly felt great to be able to save up for my own things or to walk into a
store and buy that pair of jeans I wanted so much. I didn’t want my little
sister and brother to grow up the way I did so I bought them a lot of things
too. I always took them out for new shoes and clothes because I wanted them to
look sharp all the time. I grew up wearing nothing but hand-me downs and had to
wear my shoes until they honestly fell apart. I know it may sound materialistic
of me but for once I wanted to have nice things.
I couldn’t be more grateful
that Deanna saw potential in me and was willing to hire me without any previous
experience. I kept that job throughout high school and was still able to keep
very exceptional grades. Landing my first job at such a young age taught me a
lot about myself. I knew at that point the true value of a dollar and the
experience helped me grow up a little faster. Working in fast food also taught
me that I knew I wanted an education so that I could find a way better job with
much higher pay. I have had several jobs since and have worked consistently
except for when I attended Ventura College full time in 2007. Overall, my first
job definitely helped mold me so I will forever see that time as a beneficial
experience for me.