What to Expect From Your First Job

Your first job is often one you remember your whole life. It sticks with you. My experience was mostly positive and taught me the importance of customer service. It really drove home the point that you catch more flies with honey than napalm. Or is it vinegar? Regardless, my first job was as a server at a small hole-in-the-wall ice cream shop/diner in a small town along the Ohio river.

I got that job about a week after my 16^th birthday. I had just obtained my license and was so excited to be driving and experiencing this newfound sense of freedom. However, with this new sense of freedom, I also had to get a job to have money to afford to do the things I wanted to do. This was not a big deal to me as I liked staying busy. I knew someone who worked at the diner, and I asked my friend to put in a good word for me, without even interviewing, I got the job. I was so excited to be making my own money. I started in the fall and with it being an ice cream shop we were much slower. My friend that got me the job also was in charge of training me, which was awesome because they were the only person I knew who worked there. Perfect time to get the hang of everything without getting overwhelmed. This also allowed my trainer to take more time and explain everything we did there.       

After a few months, I got pretty good, and the owner of the diner asked me if I felt comfortable training people. I told her yes and I started to be a trainer there. While training people I learned I had a passion for helping people develop themselves that I still carry with me to this day. There were many great things I enjoyed about working there. I would have to say that for me it was always about helping people. That was when I felt most happy at work when I get to help people. I also liked the fact that I always had cash. If I really wanted to do something with my friends, I would pick up an extra shift and then have the cash to go do stuff. 

Although there were many great things about working there, there were also some things that were not so great. For instance, the diner was privately owned, and the owner had a bit of a mean streak. She would hold meetings and lecture everyone about cleaning standards and would call out people in front of peers and customers. Calling some of the staff (who were also teenagers) lazy and dumb. She would check your tickets to make sure you were charging customers the correct amount and any mistakes were taken out of your paycheck. She also liked to play favorites and had a group of people who got away with everything.

Overall, I was there for a little over a year before I moved to a town that was too far away to make the drive anymore. I do not hold any ill feelings about the job and ultimately think it helped shape the person I am today. For that, I will always be thankful. However, when I share stories about what it was like working there, I often get people who are shocked I stayed that long. I got really close to the people I worked with and still talk to those people 6+ years later. In that aspect, it was worth it. It helped me discover some of my passions and enabled me to do things I wanted to do and was a good first job. Although the place is closed now, I still like to go up there every summer with some ice cream and walk along the river. Share your first job stories with us on our socials at the links below!