THE FIRST JOB

americandream, originally uploaded by binkybink.

With the freedom of summer often comes the responsibility of the rite of passage called the ubiquitous summer job. As a teen, I worked at Hallmark (those collectors take their Christmas ornaments in July very seriously!), a smoothie store (for years, the only thing I could whip up in the kitchen was a frozen fruit concoction), and a stint as a nanny (don't even get me started on that one--I have pretty much blocked the experience).


While I joke about these gigs, they actually taught me a lot more than some of my classes ever did. Not to mention the great stories that I have from those experiences... There was the time that my HS best friend and I went to prom and then worked the morning shift at Hallmark together, deliriously giddy from lack of sleep with our hair in a disheveled semblance of the previous night's updo. When I pull those photos out they still send me into fits of laughter. But, I digress.


Often, it is hard for teens to find that first job. People see your age, or that you don't have working experience, and look the other way. We want to scream, "Look at me! Take me seriously!" I remember before I landed the Hallmark gig, I handed out two hundred resumes, shaking hands of countless managers who looked at my age and waved me out the door. Dry cleaners, restaurants, grocery stores--oh the frustration! When I did finally get the call to come in, I jumped up and down and screamed with joy. I finally was a working woman, and I often found salvation in my job each summer as I escaped the boredom of the seasonal heat to air conditioned purpose. The people that I met while at these jobs were an added bonus. At Hallmark, the football coach at school was a very serious ornament collector (shocking!) and scores of grandmothers came in as regulars and asked for my help to pick out just the right birthday cards for their relatives. I gotta say, I loved the heck outta that job.


In our research, Girls in the Hall came across this great site to help you get a jump on finding your own job to make memories. We Got a Job helps teens find jobs in their towns. Check 'em out and let us know where you end up.


Gotta a great summer job story? Comment on here, we want to hear it!