My First Job

Photo by Amber Middlebrooks / VOX Staff

By Amber Middlebrooks / VOX Staff

When I turned 15, it seemed like everyone my age had money — some of them worked for it, some of them got it from their parents. And, of course, they lived to go out and spend it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any money. On Mondays at school, I was stuck listening to all their weekend adventures, how they had a great time at the mall and the bowling alley and the movies.
“Amber, why don’t you ever come with us?” they’d ask. “You really missed out, girl. We had so much fun.”
I quickly realized if I wanted to get in on all the fun, I had to figure out a way to make some money. And I wasn’t going to ask my mom for it. I needed to get a job. But, as it turns out, that was easier said than done.
 
Job Hunting Is Hard Work
Searching for a job is very hard, especially as a teenager. There are lots of people vying for the few jobs available. When I started my search, I filled out what seemed like at least 20 applications a week. I put applications in at tons of fast-food places. I tried to get a job at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. I even applied at Atlanta Workforce, an agency that’s supposed to help people find jobs.

My hands hurt from filling out all the forms, and my feet hurt from standing in line. And I didn’t get much reward for my pain. Every week I sat by the phone hoping someone would call me back. No one did. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong, if anything, and I gave up hope for awhile and went back to my moneyless existence.

Then one fateful day this past March I went to the Douglass High School library with my friend Raymond because he wanted to look on the Internet for a job.

“You’re not going to get hired,” I told him. “Believe me, no one is hiring.”

Another student overheard our conversation and jumped in. “Six Flags Over Georgia is always hiring,” she said. And just like that I got job crazy all over again.

I jumped online to www.sixflagsjobs.com and started filling out the application, which to my dismay was very, very long. It took about an hour to answer a lot of unusual questions such as: Do you think everyone tells lies? Are you a good role model? Once I finished the online application, the program said I was 95 percent done — the last 5 percent I guessed was the interview, which I had to do in person at the park.

When I got home that day, I told my mom that I had applied at Six Flags and she was thrilled for me. I decided I wanted to go that Saturday to interview. The big day came before I knew it.
 
The Long Road to Success
My mom woke me up early so I could iron my clothes and prepare for the interview. Just after noon, I left my house. My only transportation option was MARTA.

When I finally arrived at the bus stop, I saw lots of people wearing the blue shirts, name tags and khaki pants/shorts combos that made up the Six Flags uniform. I told myself: Amber, that is going to be you soon. I got on the bus packed with Six Flag workers and we headed west to our destination. When I heard the bus driver announce, “Arriving at Six Flags Over Georgia!” I looked out the bus window and saw the park’s brand new roller coaster, Goliath.

It was a bit scary, but not as scary as the line of people waiting to interview for a job. I stood there for nearly a half an hour before one of the interviewers came forward to deliver some heartbreaking news. They weren’t doing anymore interviews that day because of how many people had shown up. We were told we could come back Tuesdays through Saturdays to try again.

I was disappointed, and a little sad, but I kept my cool and didn’t lose hope. I went back right after school that very next Tuesday. When I got to Six Flags, there wasn’t a soul there. I was early and I knew I had a chance.

Some other applicants trickled in, and at 2 p.m. they opened the doors. I was the first person in line, and soon I heard the tall, husky male interviewer call my name. I went into his office, where he shook my hand and told me to be seated. He looked at my application and then started asking me some of those same questions I’d already been asked on my application. “Why do you think Six Flags Over Georgia should hire you? Why do you want to work here?”

I think I answered well, and it appeared he was going to hire me until he suddenly stopped. “Wait, you’re 15,” he said. “All of the 15-year-old spots are taken for now. You’ll have to be put on the waiting list until a spot becomes available or until you turn 16.”
 
Unexpected Delays
I felt a sharp needle stick in my heart. I had qualified for the job on every count except for my age. So close, but yet so far. But then hope sprang back in my heart. My birthday was just one month away. “I turn 16 on April 20,” I said. And he told me I could come back then and I wouldn’t have to go through the interview process again. Still, walking out of that office without the “I’m hired” packet in my hand was embarrassing because everyone assumed I couldn’t get a job there.

The weeks didn’t fly by as fast as I had hoped, but eventually my “Sweet 16” day arrived. I was excited about getting presents and birthday cake, but mostly I was waiting until after school that day so I could finally get my first job.

When I arrived at the Six Flags employment offices, a woman interviewer congratulated me on my birthday. And then she said the words I had long wanted to hear: “You hired!” She went through a schedule to show me the different shifts and pay rates. I chose the day shift because my mom wouldn’t allow me to work nights, and I didn’t want to, either. She set up my job orientation and start date.

When I got home, a lot of people were outside and saw me with the biggest smile on my face. They thought it was because of my birthday, and I let them wish me a sweet 16 before I pulled out the Six Flags job packet and sprang my more important news on everyone.
 
On the Job Training
I went to my orientation in early May and passed all their tests with flying colors. I got my uniform, my ID badge and name tag.

After all the hoops I had to jump through, I was officially an employee of Six Flags. The following week I got trained on how to work in the stores and use a cash register.

The very next day I started my first real day of work. When I got there at 9 a.m., I found out that I was the only one working in this big store all by myself. I froze when I saw the customers start coming in, because I didn’t feel ready. A supervisor came in throughout the day to make sure I was all right.

By the time I got my hour-long lunch break my feet were already killing me. Part of me
dreaded going back to work. However, things went easier the second half of the day, and time flew by before I had to count down all the money in my till. I signed my time slip and clocked out. I soon would become a pro at running the cash register.

Later that month, school let out for the summer and I was able to work five days a week just like an adult. It felt so good waking up in the morning knowing I was going to work, making my own money. Getting into the routine was hard at first, and I never really liked standing on my feet for such a long time, but I got used to it and rarely complained.

Once I had a good handle on my job, I started getting tired of seeing money. I took people’s money, put it into the register and then handed them back their change. Whenever I began to get discouraged and didn’t want to get out of bed to go to the park, my mom would remind me why it was so important for me to learn the value of work. “Amber, there are people out there who want a job but they can’t get one,” she’d say. “Appreciate what a blessing your job is and just go.”
 
A Sense of Accomplishment
I have to say I made pretty good money — more than I expected. I also got some nice perks. An employee at Six Flags gets into any of the parks for free during  his or her off hours. And after working 200 hours, you receive five free tickets for the main park and five for the water park to give to friends and family.

My friends were proud of what I had accomplished, and I was happy that I could now go out on the weekends with them, shop at the mall, eat out and go to the movies. I even opened up my own bank account.

Though it was difficult to find this first job, I never gave up. And I feel so proud of myself for setting a goal and achieving it. I’m proof that though doors may close on you, that if you have faith and hope in yourself, you never know what other doors may open up.
 
Amber is a junior at Douglass High.