Unforseen Bonuses

As 2018 came to an end, I found myself making new friends. Not individuals from Licking Valley, but people who attend other schools. The cause of these new friendships stemmed from the most unlikely of places: a job. Not one, but two at the same time. I have had a job before, but I was working with adults then. I would have never guessed the advantages of working with people my age or slightly older. In these two jobs, I work with people who are my age or a couple years older.

Going into these jobs, I did not know what to expect. I was beyond nervous to meet my coworkers because I have never really spoken to other individuals from different school districts. The first place that hired me was Journeys, I had been searching for a job for so long that the interview process was a normal daily practice. Right, as my manager and I sat down for the interview, she told me she had been doing interviews for so long she knew at the moment if she was hiring the person or not. Nerve-wracking, right? I knew I needed to impress her. I had prepared for this interview for days, I had asked around to adults and kids my age to help me become more confident while interviewing. I had done my research. I was ready. The interview went well, the manager offered me a job on the spot. For the second time in my life, an interview had led to employment

Within minutes of finding out the news, another place had called me back asking if I was still interested in working for them. Rue 21 was another establish I had applied to and was waiting for a response. As I was getting into my car I was given a phone interview and the next day I had a face to face interview. I never planned on having two jobs at once, but I knew I could make it work considering I am no longer playing a sport. To use my free time, I have begun to save money for college and adult life after graduation. The next day rolled around, I walked into the store and was taken out to a bench. The interview process was the same as Journeys. After the interview was over, I had landed a second job. Both of the positions I was hired for were seasonal, and I knew that my time at each would be short. After the process of successful interviewing, my real education began about the rewards of employment.

When I started at Journeys, I didn’t have real shifts yet. We began our training by having all the new employees come in and practice on the registers and the stockroom. The second time we came in, we finally met all of the “veterans” my boss likes to call them. I was beyond nervous, I had never associated with people outside of my school. In the beginning, the veterans weren’t really talking to the newbies. My first impression was that I was never going to be able to make friends with them because they seemed to only want to talk to each other. As the night went on, it started to get easier to talk to my coworkers. In reality, they were just like me. They too are your average high school student trying to figure out where they want to be after they graduate. They are from all over the county: Newark, Sheridan, Heath, CTEC, Utica. All from schools I have watched our athletics play against, but I never talked to anyone from those areas. We parted our ways after we finished training, now at work, I felt confident I would be close with them.

My first shift was on Thanksgiving, it was time to test the waters. I was paired up with my good friend Caleb Thomas. Caleb helped me connect with customers and taught me how to wrap my sale up and making my customer feel confident in what they were purchasing. Note: I was completely nervous, I had no idea what I was talking about. Yet. By the end of my first shift, I was connecting with customers as they stepped foot into the store. The sales pitch came naturally to me. As I waited for these opportunities, I was talking to my coworkers, getting to know them better. My friendships began to spark. I felt comfortable around these people, my first friendship began with Parker. He was easy to talk to and gave pointers to help me continue with my sales. Our conversations were and still are never dull. We talk on a daily basis, and he is easily one of my best friends. Another amazing person I have met while working at Journeys is Noel Justice. Boy, do I love this girl. She is my best friend. Noel is kindhearted, loving, and funny. We could talk all day and never run out of conversation starters. Our personalities automatically clicked. At first, I was intimidated by her because I thought she was way older than me. It turns out she’s a junior, and like me on the same road to success. I knew I was good at making new friends, but I didn’t realize how easy it was going to be.

My experience at Rue 21 was the same as Journeys. Instantly, I clicked with both of my managers and my coworker Monty. I have also really gotten to know previous employees from Rue and the significant others of my managers. In both of my workplaces, I feel incredibly comfortable. I couldn’t ask for more. Even though I work at Rue 21 more than I do at Journeys currently, I still have unbreakable bonds with the people I have met. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that have been brought forward during this period.

Having a job in high school seems like too much work to some. In reality, it is not too bad. Yes, there are going to be long nights when you work in fast food or retail, but you learn how to get through the long and boring shifts. Time flies by when you’re having fun. At both of my jobs, I tend to make stressful situations into a fun environment. What can beat making money and creating new friends? Nothing. Because, during these times you are learning how to deal with the public, defining your work ethic, and satisfying others. After a long shift, nothing is better than knowing you accomplished those tasks.

If you are thinking about getting a job, don’t hesitate. Do it. I push for individuals to get a job at my age because it has brought so much happiness in my life. My friendships with my coworkers are much stronger than any of my other friendships. Getting a job really has made me realize life outside of the Valley is incredible. This experience has only made me eager to see where I am going to end up in the next year, and who is going to be by my side.

Sometimes in life, it is time for the new. It is here where you finally discover the unforeseen bonuses.