It has not escaped my attention that finding a job these days is tough for just about everyone save those who don't really need jobs except to make payments on their third house (and if you're saying to yourself "Ha! That's me!", then send me a grant. I take cash, check, money orders and Paypal.) For the rest of us, we'll take work where we can get it. I would advise caution to the young people (read: high schoolers.) Be careful where you get your first job.
I'm not that old; I'll be 26 this year. I'm old enough to know how the job market works and young enough to remember my first job quite vividly. I worked at a local drug store in Sammamish, WA. It was a pretty good job, as far as first jobs go. I wouldn't want to do it forever, but I don't regret the time I spent there. HOWEVER...having a first job in retail has had repercussions for me.
The economy was in the shitter as I was exiting college (even before people were throwing the word "recession" around, we had a feeling of what was on the horizon,) and I found myself unable to get a decent job. I went to the career center at the university and asked for help. I met with a recruiter for a job who's description was horribly convoluted, then the career counselor happened upon my retail experience. This led to a phone call, an interview, and my first stint at a prominent office supply store, which lasted 14 months, until I moved down to California.
Two and a half years later, I have been compelled to return to the same office supply chain (albeit a different store) for financial reasons. I still maintain my status as a freelance writer, but I'll be honest and say I'd rather be doing something else. And it wasn't for lack of trying. I had applied for hundreds, perhaps even thousands (I shit you not) of jobs before I put my application back into the retail market. I got next to no callbacks in hundreds of applications and eight months of job hunting. Not a week after I put my app in at the store, I get a call. I go in for an interview and a fortnight later, I have a job.
Now don't get me wrong; I do not begrudge my job, and I fully intend to keep doing it until something better comes along. I do not resent my return to retail: I do what I must to feed my family. What I am pointing out here is that I have observed a strong correlation between the first job you get and a lot of future jobs you will have. I know most young people don't have a clear idea of what they want to do after high school (I know I sure didn't) but I strongly urge you to at least consider a job that you would find enjoyable BEFORE you leave high school. Even if you don't start down that career path, at least shadow someone in your industry of interest or take part in an internship.
This phenomenon has also made it's way into my freelancing life. My first gig was writing game guides. I still do this today and the majority of my writing work (read: all of it) has been of a very similar nature to the guides I began writing. I pride myself on being able to write anything, given a style guide and a deadline. I needn't limit myself to writing about video games and as a matter of fact, at this point, I'd prefer not to. But that's all the work I can seem to get. Why? Because that's where my experience lies. It doesn't seem to matter that I have a BA with an emphasis in other fields and that I can provide samples that prove my ability to write something other than a video game strategy guide. All that seems to matter is experience.
That's why, young people, you should think long and hard about your first job before you automatically start working. Sure, it'll pay for your car insurance, your new iPhone or whatever it is you're after. But believe me when I say that your first job may well stay with you a lot longer than you intend it to.
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