My first job lasted 3 months. My primary goal was to save up the money I earned to buy a new 10-speed bicycle. My mode of transportation at the time was an old, used 3-speed bike that my dad had bought for me when we lived in Panama. It was too tall for me at that time. And the following year, when we moved to Alabama, I almost ran that old 3-speed into the ground. When we finally moved to Florida, the 3-speed was on its last legs. It still lasted another 2-3 years before the frame came apart at the joints. Luckily, this bike's demise occurred after my first ever job, because I used the old bike to deliver newspapers.
I learned a few things from my first job as a Neighbor Newspaper Delivery Boy. Neighbor Newspaper was a local paper that was distributed every Wednesday. I had hear about the opportunity from someone on the bus or at school. Here is what I learned from my first job.
1. I learned how to arrange and conduct my first job interview!
I never had an interview before. I called a number to inquire about the position. A date was set with the guy in charge to drop by my house one school day evening. It was my first ever interview. I learned to listen, ask questions and to consider the opportunity after it was offered to me. He told me what the roles and responsibilities were. I asked how much the paper pays its delivery dudes. I also asked how the entire process took place? I learned quite a lot about the business. Every very early Wednesday morning, there would be a stack of freshly printed newspapers on my doorstep, along with a pack of small plastic baggies. My job was to package the papers and deliver them to the houses on my specific paper route in my neighborhood.
2. I learned how to manage my time!
I had to prepare a few hundred papers by folding each of them, one by one, and slipping them each into a baggie. This was time consuming and it made my fingers black, so I tried to get the entire batch done before I even went to school on Wednesdays. I did this so I would have a large delivery bag filled with individual papers ready for delivery when I got home from school. The time spent in the morning was essential in order to cut the time needed to prepare after my school day ended. I still had homework or soccer practice to do after completing my route. The bike was an essential tool also as it cut down my deliver time. I mastered the art of grabbing a paper from my bag and tossing it into each driveway, without the need to stop.
3. I learned that teamwork is essential!
One Wednesday, a buddy down the street found a stray, black cat. All the kids wanted to hang out with the cat. I did so before I began my paper route. Bad mistake, because I was allergic to cats. The fur and the cat dander really did a number on me. I could barely breathe, I had asthma, I had hives on my arms where the cat playfully scratched me. I was in no condition to deliver the papers to their rightful destinations. But luckily I had siblings who helped me out! My home team stood up for me and helped me take care of business. My sister made sure I took the proper allergy medications and salves. My brothers took it upon themselves to deliver the papers on their own. They were even happy to do it because, to them, it was so much fun. They opted to drive around the neighborhood slowly in my big brother's monstrous, yellow 1976 Buick Century as they threw each newspaper into the driveway of target customers.
In summary
All three of these lessons were essential to laying a good foundation for future jobs. I succeeded in getting past the first interview, I learned time management, and I knew I could depend on others to help me if I was sick or in no condition to complete the task. After 3 months, I saved enough money for the new 10-speed bicycle I wanted to buy. I considered my options and decided that my newspaper delivery days would come to an end. It was a great experience and it forged inside me a strong work ethic. Eyes open for new opportunities and challenges. All at the age of 13.
And yes, the black cat was adopted by the kid who found it. Its name became Toby and he lived a good, long life.
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