My First Job (learning the hard way)

I remember asking my dad for a new pair of shoes when I was 15. At this time I was an avid skateboarder for years and I was going through shoes and skateboards by the dozens. Seeing how my father knew that being supportive in my hobby would keep me out of trouble and mind away from the divorce, he would often succumb to my requests. I guess on this particular day he had enough and decided to give me the “time to get a job talk”. I was expecting it, but was hoping it would be coming a little later.

This was fine for me because I felt it would allow me to be a little more independent. I quickly started thinking about all the stuff I could get with the money I would earn from a job. I remember thinking of cars and skateboards and really becoming an individual. This was great, until I realized what jobs a 15 yr old could get.

So that afternoon my father drove me to the mall. I was determined to walk out with a job. I must have turned in an application to every store in the mall, whether or not they could use me. I don’t even think I knew what kind of job I could get. I just figured they would be lucky to have a go-getter like me!

Of all the applications I filled out, I ended up getting a job as a bus boy for a privately owned Chuckie Cheese type place. It was a pizza parlor with games and prizes and animatronics that told stories from a stage.

One of the greatest perks about the place was that the management hired a majority of their girls from my high school cheerleading squad. At this time in my life I was still obsessed with music and skateboarding and girls were still strange, annoying and distant to me. This was also at a time when skateboarding was still a fringe sport and usually resulted in me getting picked on at school, so even being close to the “popular” girls was a bit interesting and addictive.

My uniform for this gig was black slacks and a red and white candy stripped vest with a bow tie and red visor. I was definitely not pimp and no matter what I did, I swear those clothes always smelled like pizza.

I got along with the other staff quite well. After all, I was a busy bee at work and it meant independence to me. Even the “popular cheerleaders” spoke to me at work and it even spread a bit to my school. They would not even acknowledge my existence before that; at least that was my thought at the time. I swear I must have walked around turned on the whole time I was there. It made showing up to work very easy.

I remember getting my first check after three weeks of work. After taxes and everything else, it was a cool $119.00 and I was ecstatic. I quickly ordered my new shoes and bought some clothes. I believe I spent most of that check rather quickly. After all I was getting another one in two weeks!

I did this job for close to two years and it was a blast. I finally got fired after stealing a pizza. It was one of those things where no one else was paying for their lunch break food and I just happened to be the guy they dropped the hammer on. I was young and I was following the crowd.

This first job did however teach me some lessons of responsibility and some early flirting fun. What was your first job? What lessons did you learn?