“I work as a server at Yugo Ramen in Newark. I usually work about two to three days a week, which I’ve found really works for my schedule. Sometimes, I work two shifts on the weekends and a shift during the week. I try to get a lot of my work done during the school day. Some days, if I’m not working a shift, I’ll try to do work ahead of time, so my time balances out.

I have been going to the restaurant since I was 10. The manager there is really nice and she always said, ‘Oh, yeah, you can work for me later!’ This summer, I asked her for a job. I actually didn’t do an interview or an application. Everyone else working there did, but I only sent my schedule. In a way, visiting the restaurant so frequently was kind of an interview.

A lot of my job involves recognizing what I need to improve on. I know that I’m not going to be perfect at everything and I’ve learned to be okay with making mistakes. One of my coworkers came up to me and acknowledged that he’s not the best at everything, but that he knows that he needs to improve. I’ve started trying to implement this into my life. 

I like being able to talk to other people at my job, which is mainly customer service. There’s a lot of connections that I make with new people. Being able to form relationships with my coworkers and spend time with new people is really rewarding. 

Over the summer, it was a lot easier to work because I didn’t have any school work. When I transitioned into school, work became a part of my daily routine, so it wasn’t an extra responsibility. If you have friends with part time jobs, you can ask around. If you’re able to work hard and dedicate your time, most places will take you.”