English 125
Instructor: Ms. Young-Manning
My First Job at Target
“Hi, this is Sanjeet from Target. Is Jodie there?”
“Yes!” I replied. “This is Jodie!”
“Well, I am calling to let you know that you were selected for an interview on April 20th at 1 p.m.”
“Oh, wow! Thanks,” I replied and hung up the phone. As I pressed the red button to end the call, I let out a scream of excitement. This had been my dream, not to work at Target, but to finally get closer to finding a job. As a teenager in high school, this was what I had prayed for: a JOB. I was into my first year of college, and I did not even have a car, so that was my primary goal in trying to find a job. However, after experiencing my first job, I left with more than just that goal. I learned how to manage my time, save up financially, and become more mature and responsible for the events that take place in my life. Even though I had that part-time job as a cashier at Target for only a year, I was able to grow into a young adult.
I was seventeen and attending Merced College when I got my job as a cashier for Target. The situation was inconvenient at first because I had to ride the city bus to get to and from my classes and work. For instance, I remember I was getting home from my noon class, and after I got off the bus, I went inside the house to get ready for work. I had only an hour to get ready and catch the bus. That day, I had taken too long to get ready, and I had to embarrassingly chase after the city bus, which was on its last run after 4 p.m. I was relieved and thankful that the bus driver had stopped because it was the last bus run, and I would have had to call a friend for a ride if the driver had not stopped. After jumping on the bus, I tried to check my phone to see how much time I had left to make it to work, but my phone was not in my bag. I had left it at home while I was rushing to get to the bus. I asked a passenger if I could use her phone, and she replied with a snarky attitude, “No!” I was very embarrassed and did not know what to do, so I just prayed I would be on time when I showed up to work. I was wrong; I was half an hour late and had been unable to call my supervisor to let him know. I got my first write-up after I explained myself to the manager. Another write up would lead to suspension, so I was distraught about the situation. After that experience, I never wanted to be late for anything. I knew that I needed that job to get a car. I then started to leave two hours earlier for everywhere I needed to be. I carefully wrote down where I needed to be and how long I had to get ready. To my surprise, I was able to manage my time more wisely for the first time.
Another positive outcome from my first job was that I learned how to manage my finances. My original goal in getting a job was to save up money to purchase a car. I had to learn how to manage my budget wisely, and that meant no more going out to eat. If I was hungry during my break at Target, I would buy the cheapest thing on the menu at the food court or in the grocery aisle of the store. After reviewing my bank account, I realized how much each transaction would add up, so then I learned to start budgeting better. I started buying groceries twice a month and packing my own lunch to work. As I checked my recordings of how much spent preparing my meals for work, I saw how much money I was saving. Soon after I opened a savings account, and I would cash exactly half of my paycheck into that account. The other amount of the check would go strictly to bills. I was learning to save up for what I really needed, and that was a car. As I continued to work, I learned more about money and how it functions in the real world. After working for two months at Target and saving as much as I could, I was super excited to purchase my first car. It was a Dodge Avenger in decent enough condition for me to get to and from work and school. It was a proud moment in my life: to have a nice first car and understand the dignity behind it.
Lastly, working at Target prepared me for the “adult” world. I was seventeen, with a job, and attending college. I felt a sense of maturity coming over me quickly, as I grew out of my shell from high school and finally stepped into adulthood with a steady job in which I put extra effort. I can remember how the other coworkers would accuse me of “hustling” hours. For instance, many of my coworkers were college students at the University of California, Merced. There would always be a party on the weekends. So I would tell some of my coworkers, “Hey, well, if you need a shift covered so you can go to the party with your friends, I can cover it.” I took on whatever shifts I could. I realized that a person has to work hard for what she wants and cannot stop. I was willing to sacrifice my weekends and free time to just work and save up. I managed my time more wisely and kept track of my responsibilities with an agenda, putting down my work schedule with school schedule. My communications skills improved dramatically; I spoke with my managers about any issues I had regarding work and resolved them all effectively.
Overall, working at my first job has made me become more responsible for my actions in life. It gave me the opportunity to gain useful time management skills, saving skills, and communication skills that I have come to use later on. Equipped with these necessary skills and eager to gain more, I am motivated to become successful in my pursuits.