My First Job

My First Job I got my flirt job at sixteen because my parents required it. However, I had no intention of getting a job and wanted to continue being a teenager where I had little responsibility. As I looked around my hometown for a job, I found that there were not a lot available. I finally was able to find a Job close to my house at a local Dairy Queen working for minimum wage. Now that I had a Job I had to make decisions in time I spent between friends, athletics, and now work. Having a job gave me another outlook on life.It taught me about the importance of money and the consequences of my financial decisions. It also helped me to understand the control I needed on the flow of my finances and along the way taught me many life lessons. The first day of my Job was November 1 lath, 2012 and I was dreading It. I had heard stories of how terrible working In fast food Is and I had no Idea what to think. As I arrived on I had mixed feelings of fear and excitement. Dressed In khaki shorts and a Dairy Queen polo I walked in to my first job. I was greeted with smiles and friendly remarks such as good morning.The manager explained where I would be working and told me to wash my hands. As I walked to the grill area, where I would be working at, I saw a very clean and well-kept station. My co-workers were all nice and very helpful. As the shift came too close I realized that maybe this wouldn't be as bad as everyone had said. I quickly learned basics of the grill and picked up a few tricks along the way. I learned the precise time to pull the fries out, how to properly cook a chicken sandwich, and to constantly be stocked. Being stocked was a key factor In success cause I never knew when a team bus would pull up and I would get very busy.I remember coming to the end of a busy shift and talking that didn't seem Like SIX hours. The slow shifts were terrible because I wouldn't have anything to do and the hours would drag by. The first conflict I ever had at work came during a busy day in the summer. I was working the grill and we were slammed. There were a couple of softball fields down the road and they had held a tournament earlier that day. Was working hard trying to fill the orders in a timely manner when I heard someone yell about us not working cast enough.I found that really disrespectful to my co-workers and me because we were working very hard. Now no matter how long I wait for food at a restraint I never complain because I understand how hard It can get. After I had been a Dally Queen for a few weeks I was scheduled a closing shift. This being my first Job I had no idea what to expect. When my first closing shift neared the end and I knew I was In for a long night. Firstly, we were not allowed to start closing until the last customer left the store and that wasn't until about ten enormous.There was no washing machine in this store so every dish was to be washed by hand and there were around 100 dishes. The sweeping of the restaurant had to b e perfect and if there was a crumb left it would have to be redone. That first closing shift I did not leave the store until midnight. I learned to dread those closing shifts and only ever tried to schedule day shifts. I went on to spend 5 months at Dairy Queen but as my financial necessity grew I knew it was time for me to move on. I appreciated the opportunity the company had given me and the knowledge they provided me.When I turned in my two-week notice it was met with sorrow and well wishes. I realized in those last two weeks I took great pride in my work and enjoyed it more then before. My last day was filled with good-byes to my co-workers who now had become my friends. As I clocked out my last time I realized that I never wanted to work in the fast food industry again. The explicit work I did at Dairy Queen was preparing food and maintaining the fryers. The implicit work I did was making the food faster without making mistakes. When closing though my explicit and implicit wor k changed.Then my explicit work was to wash dishes and sweep the floors. My implicit work was to wash the dishes quickly and efficiently sweeping up the dirt and trash. At times I liked my Job and there were other times I disliked it. I liked that as a teenager I was able to pay for my own gas and also have some money if I wanted to buy something. I also liked it because it gave me a sense of responsibility because the people at my Job were counting on me to show up for my shifts. But I also didn't like my Job because I would sometimes miss out on hanging out with my friends cause I had to work.I picked up a few skills during my time at Dairy Queen such as how to make an ice cream cone, responsibility, patience, and appreciation. The one that I liked the most was how to make a perfect ice cream cone. The second skill that I acquired at Dairy Queen was responsibility. I had to have responsibility in showing up on time for my shifts, keeping my area clear of debris, keeping my hands s anitary, and keeping my food items well stocked. I learned to have more patience with customers because in the food industry customers can get bit nasty.Finally I learned to appreciate what employees working in fast food do. My first Job really changed my life in many ways. It gave me the opportunity to be financially responsible and to learn to manage my finances. It also taught me quite a few life lessons and ways I could improve myself in a work place atmosphere. I also was able to use it as a resume builder and I use my manager as a reference for other jobs. My first Job may not have been the best but I will use it as a tool for the future and will continue to build on what it taught me.