Your twenties are a time for traveling, finding yourself, and doing reckless, memorable things that one would not deem acceptable in any other age group.
While I have done a good amount of that, one thing I definitely did not expect to be in my cards at age 22 was filing for unemployment.
I got my first job at a major retail corporation when I was 16, and worked there for about four and a half years. I started off as a cashier, then got promoted to supervisor. It was as good of a job that you can get at that age, if not better. Not only did I have a flexible schedule, but I also made amazing friends that I am actually closer with now. I planned on working there until I graduated from college, but as the saying goes, "You make plans, and God laughs."
Much to the public's surprise, the company that everyone thought would live forever, died — leaving tens of thousands of employees jobless.
Nevertheless, I collected my tiny unemployment checks and found something better about a year later. It was a completely different atmosphere: more peaceful and no face-to-face customer interaction in a call center with some of the most friendly people I've ever met. After only about six months of working there, I found out that the office was closing. The options that I had were to relocate to a further office or work from home, neither of which I could do.
Once again, I became best friends with job search websites like Indeed, Monster, and SnagAJob.
Yes, it is easier to find a temporary job to hold you over until graduation when you have youth on your side, but the whole time-consuming process of finding another job, going on countless interviews, and learning a new craft is just cringeworthy. But, everyone pretty much already knows all the cons of being jobless.
It is not exactly the most ideal situation to have to deal with that twice in less than two years, but if there is anything that I have taken from life thus far, it's that unexpected endings lead to better beginnings. So, here's why I'm not complaining:1. I have more time to focus on school.
So far, I've been lucky enough to have flexible work hours that fit around my school schedule. Although I was only part-time, having a break from work frees me up a little bit to dedicate more time to homework and studying. At least now I won't have to rush home after work to finish an assignment.
2. I'm not really a big fan of apologizing for things that are out of my control, anyway.
Retail and food service industry jobs are essentially the gateway positions for most careers. After all, we have to learn patience and a strong work ethic somewhere. So if you've been lucky enough to work in one of those fields, you know what it's like to constantly be constantly apologizing for things that are just out of your hands. A customer not receiving their item on time, technical difficulties, broken merchandise.... the list goes on and on. And so do customers when they're complaining about it. I'm sure I'll be dealing with this again in the *hopefully very far* future, but for now, I'm not sorry!
3. Lost sleep is calling my name.
No more early morning shifts = more sleep for me! I honestly like working early in the mornings because it allows me to have the rest of the day open, but I wouldn't mind catching up on some much-needed sleep.
4. I'm being forced out of my comfort zone.
While this is normally something I would not appreciate whatsoever, working has helped me come out of my shell and meet a very diverse group of people. Although my consistent interaction with my coworkers has changed, I still catch up with them now and again, and some of them are even my best friends. I'm just thankful for the people that I have met so far, and I know that I will create more friendships if I just put myself out there.
For now, you can find me holding hands with my resumé and enjoying my time off while I wait for a job offer. I'll miss the paychecks and financial security, but I know that something better is waiting for me ahead.
