PHOTOS BY MEGAN KANE
In the life of a teenager there are a number of firsts, all of which are important but none more so than one’s first job. Whether it’s ‘Cleanup on aisle nine,’ ‘Would you like some fries with that?’ or writing something on a computer for a news outlet.
When you finally do hear the words, “We’d like to offer you a job,” like what my manager said to me the day I got my first job, it definitely changes one’s life. The feeling is different than that of being offered a non-paying job such as an internship or a rewarding career-building volunteer opportunity. Whether it is the sense of economic independence or taking on new responsibilities that come along with being on payroll, there’s something exciting about one’s first job.
This last spring a past editor said, “No! Writing a column is not out of the question!” when he interviewed me for an intern position at The Hermiston Herald. From that moment on school (which seemed like a dead end) stopped feeling like a waste of time. Every imperfection in my life felt okay. After all, at least I could say I was making a small contribution to the world.
Maria Meza, a freshmen at Blue Mountain Community College, said a person’s first job is always a significant milestone in their life.
“It doesn’t really matter how bad your first job is – no matter what it is,” she said. Adding her personal touch of wisdom, “You’ll always look at it as an important job.” In July, Maria began working for Sunset Elementary’s Summer School Program – a stepping stone to her future dream job, something she is still figuring out.
“It’s very exciting to start your first job, especially on those days where you’re like ‘Wow I actually have a decent job,’” said Maria. First jobs are filled with awkward moments full of insecurity lasting anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months. But her worries were none of those.
“My biggest fear was letting everyone down,” she said. “I just didn’t want to have to explain to everyone that I screwed it up. Luckily I didn’t.” She exuded pride when she talked about her job, especially since as a result she now works for Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC), a nonprofit organization for children. On top of that she is now volunteering for the Hermiston Public Library.
But what is even more awesome than having a job is having two jobs that provide me with two distinct things I need – one pays money, the other gives me experience I will need in the future.
The latter is a writing internship. To some, a career in writing may not be a dream job. As former interim Hermiston Herald editor Daniel Wattenburger put it best in a piece he wrote called The Worst Job in America,’ being a news reporter is anything but glamorous due to the long hours, unspectacular pay, and endless pressures and stress. Then again, being a writer is – in itself – the most rewarding job for me. But interning doesn’t pay the bills, hence, this is why you can find me endlessly repeating the phrase, ‘Would you like some fries with that?’ every week at Jack in the Box.
Most see working at Jack in the Box as nothing more than a stepping stone to perhaps a future dream job (including myself). Nonetheless, I am very proud of what I do! No matter what one’s first job is (as long as it is a legal job) it is an honorable job worth taking pride in.
LySandra Jacks, a Hermiston High School senior, had been looking for a job for months before finding work at Ye Olde Pizza Shoppe.
“I felt relieved because I had been looking for a while,” she said. “I was also really nervous. I kept thinking about everything I could do wrong.” She pauses to laugh. “Now that I am getting used to (work) I find it pretty amusing!”
“But I also feel like I contribute to the community in some way,” she said. She also realized that she would have to hone her time-management skills.
“My biggest challenge is balancing school work and personal time and still getting sleep,” she said. And even though it is her first work experience, she has adjusted fairly quickly.
“It’s what I expected,” she said. “But you can never fully anticipate something that you’ve never done before.
Her biggest on-the-job surprise?
“I didn’t expect to be fighting off wasps all summer,” she said.
Luckily, Maria, LySandra and Katie haven’t (so far) come across any humiliating experiences in their first job – which is pretty rare. On the first day of my job I was put on fryers before I moved up to grill. For the most part I did okay on both. But occasionally (on grill) I would forget about a few burgers, chicken fajitas, or sausages. No one seemed to mind that every now and then things would come out “crispy” as I called them, except once when a supervisor completely humiliated me. Intentionally! What had happened was I had accidentally been overcooking fries (something I hadn’t noticed). Then one day she called me out on it, in front of everyone.
“Thanks to you, our waste costs have shot up $16 dollars,” she said. It was beyond the most uncomfortable moment I had ever experienced. After a few moments she glanced at all the employees (who were just standing like it was some car crash from which they just couldn’t look away) with her ‘you know I can push for you to get fired’ face. Instantly I knew better than to mention the word “crispy.” To this day that moment (6:34 p.m., early July, extremely hot, et cetera) has become one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
All of this doesn’t matter, though, for teens that have a job. What are most important are three things that come after the start of your first job that affirm you are a contributing member to society. (1) When we cash in our paycheck, (2) When we pay for goods or services out of pocket, and (3) When we are included in jobs reports.
Case and point: Two weeks after getting my job at Jack in the Box in July. I was watching ABC World News when a jobs report came on about how American employers had created 195,000 jobs in June. At first I didn’t think much of the report until I realized I was one of those numbers included among that staggering figure. (Instantly I smiled!)
Leo Gomez is a Hermiston High School senior, a freelance writer and an intern with Northeast Oregon Now
