Having a first job is an important moment for teens.  A job means money, opportunity, freedom from parents, and experience.  However, it also means responsibility and, depending on where you work, dealing with people you may not fit well with.

Three months ago, I was on the hunt for a job. I sat in front of the computer, filling out long applications just to apply for jobs that probably would never call me to come in for interviews. I waited and waited by the phone, but it never rang.  One
day, all that changed. On November 17th, I received a call from a manager at
Riderwood, one of the many jobs I applied for, and he offered me an interview
within minutes.

Before the interview, I was beyond scared. I rehearsed what I was going to say maybe a hundred times.  In the interview, the manager asked me many questions, like if I was a friendly person to be around or to name a difficult moment in my life when I had to take charge. He asked me about ten questions, told me I had a great
interview, and said he would give me a phone call on Friday. Instead of calling
me on Friday, he called me that night and told me that he would love to give me a
job as a waitress. I went through a long progress just to get this job interview and took a drug test and a had 5- Hour orientation.

After all this, I can say Riderwood is not the best job for me, and I’ve also learned
that I don’t like waitressing at Riderwood or probably anywhere. Being a waitress takes much time and energy and a positive attitude at all times. However, I still work there because, bottom line, the pay is good and it is worth it.

I have learned that not everything is as easy as you think it’s going to be. You meet many people with many different personalities on the job, and you learn how to deal with them all. I also learned that as an employee, especially at Riderwood, you are expected to do all of it with a smile on your face.

Service jobs are tough, and sometimes you might just want to give up, but every job is going to have its ups and downs, so but you’re just going to have to deal with it about make the best of it.