We all have to start somewhere when looking for our first job. People will tell you that you can't be picky because you don't have much experience and without experience, not a lot of places will hire you. So you may end up working a pretty crappy job that you never thought you'd be working. Or you may be working a job that you really like (lucky). Either way, there are a few things you learn during your first job.
Customers sometimes don't care.
You'll probably never see them again but if you saw them on the street you could remember how annoying they were. Whether they made a big deal out of you "messing up" their food order, or they messed up the clothes you just perfectly folded, you hate them and everyone like them.
Your paycheck is not what you would expect.
If you expect a big fat paycheck, that's not going to happen. You may not get a lot of hours or you may not understand that taxes come into play. Obviously, it's better than before you had a job when you made nothing at all but still, you'll believe that you deserve more than you got.
The radio plays the same six songs.
While the music does make the time go a little faster, it doesn't help that they only play the same few songs every hour. You'll learn the lyrics to songs you may hate and the moment you hear a new song, you dread the thought that now this song will be played in the next hour.
8 a.m. shifts are the best and the worst.
While 8 a.m. shifts are great for getting work done early and having the rest of the day for yourself, waking up to go work at a minimum wage job is the worst. Leaving your warm and comfy bed that early should be a crime. Then when your boss asks why you're so tired you want to punch them.You would rather die than stay later.
The debate you have inside whether you stay late and get payed a little more or go home and relax. Sometimes you can't even control your response and end up staying two extra hours when you would rather go home early and refresh for the next time you have to work.
Holidays are the worst.
This is especially for people who work in retail. The amount of work that has to be done for the holiday season is something you may never expect. As a customer, you may have never noticed something before but as an employee you put your heart and soul into setting up that display.
You need to start somewhere.
While you may hate your job and cannot wait to someday quit, you're just happy that someone has given you the chance to start out somewhere. And no matter where you go in life, you're grateful.
