My Fourteen Birthday
Essay A:
The day I turned fourteen, my father told me that it was time I got a job .I always wanted to get a job, but never knew where to start. I would here stories of my parent's youth and how they would mown lawns and have paper routes when they were my age. Unfortunately, I was quite unqualified considering our neighborhood had mailmen and landscapers for those positions. I knew finding a job was important, not only would it make my parents happy, but also I would finally have independence. So I set it about myself to find a job.
I assumed that eventually someone would hire me is I applied enough. So I began by applying to McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and even the local gym. For the next few weeks I kept my phone near at all times, anticipating someone to call with an open position. Despite my efforts, no one ever called. I came to the conclusion that no one wanted to hire a fourteen-year-old with no job experience. I was disappointed in myself and felt that without a job I would be depended upon my parents forever.
In the summer of 2012, my luck changed. I had been at the mall browsing stores when I noticed that Nordstrom was hiring. I was now sixteen and felt compelled to apply. I walked in nervously looking for an application. After asking several people, I finally found the customer service desk and filled out an application.
Two weeks passed and I assumed the worst. I never thought in a million years that a Fortune 500 company would hire a sixteen-year-old with no job experience. I thought wrong. I received a call that they were having open interviews that Friday; I was invited.
The Nordstrom open interview was one of the most terrifying and exciting moments of my life. I had no idea what to expect. As I drove there, butterflies were flying around my stomach. I ascended three flights of escalators surrounded by mirrors, which let me admire my poor decision of wearing a grey sweater. I was directed to the interview room and was completely surprise at what I saw: fifteen girls all in their mid twenties sitting along the side of the room and one man in his late fifties. All were dressed much nicer than I was. I took a seat in the closest chair and waited. We were each assigned a department manager to be interviewed by; I was assigned to the manager of women's shoes. The interview was nerve-racking, I had to sell her a shoe I knew nothing about and then list experiences in my life that made me qualified to sell women's shoes. To my surprise, I actually did pretty well. In fact, I was called back the next day.
Unfortunately, the manager felt I was a little too inexperienced to start off in retail and I agreed. I knew nothing about women's shoes and was much younger than everyone else. I did, however, get a job on the stock team in women's shoes. My manager said that she was impressed with my ambition and had never seen a sixteen-year-old boy come to one of her interviews.
This job changed me. My father was proud of me, but more importantly, I was proud of myself. I was overjoyed with my job. It wasn't the best job or even that good of a job; it was honestly terrible having the carry 20lb Steve Madden boots up stairs in a humid stock room, but I loved it. I no longer had to ask my parents for lunch money nor did I have to wait until Christmas to get an iPhone. This job has given me a sense of independence and responsibility that has greatly impacted my life. Still to this day, I consider it to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.
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