I decided it was time for me to get a job at the end of the summer before my senior year of high school.
I had one more year before going off to college. I knew it was time to start raising my own personal funds. A friend reached out to me and told me a local children's clothing store was hiring, and I jumped at the opportunity. I interviewed that week, and I was hired on the spot.
This job is one of the best things that could have happened to me. Not only did I gain work experience, I gained some awesome life lessons.
1. Kindness goes a long way!
This lesson is so important. When you are nice and helpful to customers, they will remember that. They will come back to the store, tell your boss how great you were, and you start to bond a relationship with that customer. This goes with co-workers as well. You want to be nice and form friendships with the people around you so you can enjoy your work day! This was the first step in my networking field and it was important to start it on a good note.
2. Hard work gets you far in life.
My boss reminded me every day that he appreciated how hard I worked. He always told me that I was going to go places in life, and he never doubted me. When you work for your dreams, they will happen. People notice hard work and appreciate it and want to help you get where you want to be.
3. Patience is key.
There were many times when my customers were rude, indecisive, or just generally a mess and I would want to scream; however, I learned the importance of patience. Not everyone runs on the speed that you do, and you have to work at the speed of the customer. If you keep calm and stay patient, only positive things can come out of it: a happy customer and a less stressed mind.
4. The enjoyment of making your own money!
There was no better feeling than receiving my first paycheck. Sometimes when you work and you enjoy what you do, you forget you are going to get paid. Being able to depend on myself and not my parents for the first time was extremely rewarding. Since this paycheck, I have tried to only use my money as much as possible. The feeling of independence really makes me feel awesome!
5. Last but not least, responsibility.
When you work simple high school jobs, you can be replaced extremely quickly. To make sure this does not occur, you have to complete all your responsibilities.
You might have to get to work early on a Saturday morning to work a full day shift after an awesome party the night before. You may need to clean up the fitting room after the customer leaves everything on the floor and doesn't put anything back on the hanger. You may need to stock the store when new items come in.
It may be small things that you were not used to before but they are part of your job. You get paid to do these responsibilities, so you must do them. It taught me the importance of completing what you need to do.
High school jobs allow you to have a little extra cash in your pocket, but what some people don't realize is that they really build you for the future.
