It’s a teenager’s first step into the real world, a first stab at self-sufficiency.
It’s the sweet scent of minimum wage salaries and cheesy uniforms that provide young adults with their first glimpse at working life.
It’s a high school job and many Bexley students are partaking in this staple of so called teendom.
Senior Taylor Van Landingham, who works at Advance Auto Parts on Hamilton Road, said that he decided to get a job so that he could have more money and freedom.
“I pay for my own gas and a lot of other expenses, so I need money for that,” Van Landingham said.
Junior Elise Maass said that she got her job at Glow Putt, an indoor mini golf course in Gahanna, because she knows the owners.
“Timmy [Beck’s] aunt and uncle opened Glow Putt in December and offered me a job there,” Maass said.
Maass said that some of her jobs at Glow Putt include helping with birthday parties, running the cash register and getting people ready to play mini golf.
Van Landingham said that selling car parts to customers and commercial businesses are some of his duties as a salesman at Advance Auto Parts.
Van Landingham also said that his background in Spanish helps him with his job.
“I am the only person at my job that speaks Spanish, which is very useful because we get a lot of customers that do not speak very much English,” Van Landingham said.
Junior Jared Schiff, who works at Cosi preparing food and restocking items, said that his favorite job at work is making salads.
“[When you’re making salads], nobody is yelling at you and telling you what to do,” Schiff said. “You can do what you want.”
Maass said that watching customers’ reactions to Glow Putt is what she enjoys most about her job.
“I love watching people walk into the store for the first time because they’re totally shocked by the black lights,” Maass said.
Sophomore Zach Klingenberg said his co-workers at Johnson’s Ice Cream are his favorite part of the job.
“The people are really funny,” Klingenberg said. However, Schiff mentioned there are downsides to his job.
“[Sweeping] is boring and they make you sweep the whole floor,” Schiff said.
Maass also said she dislikes picking up after her customers.
“I hate having to clean up after the birthday parties,” Maass said. “As cute as the kids are, they make a huge mess.”
Klingenberg said that he does not like when work is too busy.
“[When it’s busy], you have to move really fast,” Klingenberg said.
Schiff said that his first day at Cosi was extremely busy but that it was memorable.
Maass said that an embarrassing moment at work was her most memorable.
“The first day I tried to work the cash register, I typed everything into [it] incorrectly and it was just a huge mess,” Maass said. “It was so embarrassing that no matter how hard I try, I’ll never forget it.”
Van Landingham said that an interesting experience he had at work was when he helped a deaf customer.
“[I] had to figure out what they needed,” Van Landingham said. “It actually wasn’t as difficult as I thought, but it was definitely something you’re not used to.”
Van Landingham said that his job is a great learning experience.
“I learn a lot from work,” Van Landingham said. “I learn things about cars I didn’t know, [and] I learn more Spanish.
