Brenda Sanchez
Professor Croker
27 September 2011
English 101
ESSAY I
My First Real job
Seventeen years old, fresh out of high school, and I started working a minimum wage job at Denny’s. Not interested in education after four long years of cruelty, making money was all I cared about. I did not get the chance to walk the line with Pacifica High Schools Graduating Class of 2006, and honestly I did not care. I enjoyed my job a lot more than I had high school. I met a lot of new people all the time who were interesting and unique in each their own ways. The hours were good and my employers laid back and caring. I was making my own money and having fun, no longer dealing with petty high school business. The only person that was not happy was my mother. My mother was the only person at the time who insisted that I go to college after I had received my high school diploma.
I finally gave in to my mother’s wishes and enrolled at Oxnard College. I was not too sure what exact subject to accept as my major so I began with just general education classes. Starting college with no secure transportation and working was beginning to interfere with each other. People at work were constantly getting fired or calling Denny’s saying they were sick or just canceling their shifts all the time. I was asked to cover those empty shifts left and right, day shifts turned into double shifts. Sometimes I would ditch class just to sleep in. My mother was very disappointed she constantly would remind me of the struggles she went through in her life. I eventually stopped showing up to school all together and kept on working. I ignored my mother and went about life just working day in and day out.
Not going to school and devoting most of my time to work, seemed like it was progressing well for me at that moment of my life. Just when I realized everything was working out smoothly, my work environment began to turn for the worse. My fellow employees constantly made mistakes at work that would deeply upset the customers. The management started slacking off as well. Multiple times they forgot to input food orders to our producer and for a whole week some menu items would be inaccessible. Then one day, everything changed, this small older woman walked in through the door and announced she was the new manager. Four foot two, evil look in her eye, but she meant serious business; had been sent from upper management to fill the manager’s position after several complaints from customers.
Doris was bossy and crude, she made everyone around her presence feel inferior. She especially had an eye out for me and whenever we were in each other’s vicinity it was made clear; I was no good. My scheduled work hours started decreasing leaving me working only two days a week. The other workers being to also be rude, following Doris’s footsteps . At first I was upset, then I felt abused. The company that I was so loyal to betrayed me, and I had enough. I started showing up to work late and not caring about my appearance, which by corporation standards, was complete and utter defiance. We were arguing all the time about silly things that had no importance in the restaurant business. The more we argued the more I contemplated this path in life. Did I really want to work a low paying job my whole life and struggle to overcome? Or did I want to get an education work hard and get a better job? The more I thought about it, quitting my job was sounding like a really good idea.
Our last and final straw was on Halloween night, not only had I asked for the night off and not gotten it, but instead had to work well into the morning. I was outraged, I showed up to work one hour late to show that I disapproved. Ten minutes into my shift Doris started in on me, asking me why I was late and why I looked so unkept. I ignored her and went about my work, thirty minutes later two more workers came in, making us six workers in total. The restaurant was nearly bare except for this couple that sat in the back. I could not believe that I had to work on Halloween with six other people in an empty restaurant. I decided I was going to walk out, when Doris went in to talk with the night cooks I clocked out for the night and ran out the door. I was filled with instant happiness as I made a break for it through the parking lot, reminiscing about all the good and bad times working there.
Looking back now, I know that was a coward move on my behalf. How could I have just walked out on a job. I do believe that I was very Immature at the time and have learned so much between then and now. Leaving that job was in fact, the best thing for me. After I was able to find another job working in a retail position. I have jumped around from position to position but there is one thing I have not stopped doing is attending college. My mother is right, and in my eyes will continue to be right. Going back to college is and will still be the best thing anyone can do. Why not train for a career you love and earn a diploma saying you are proficient in education. That is the best reward anyone can earn other than an hourly payment.
