How did you get your first job?

How did you get your first job?

Jun 06, 2022
My first job was working at a youth conservation corps which was a program created by the county. I was 14 years old and in order to apply I was required to obtain prior approval from the principal at my school, proving that I had good grades and that I was eligible for work. Everyone who submitted an application with the required approvals was entered into a lottery to determine who would work on the crews that summer. I was selected!


That was a really interesting job because I worked very hard in the heat of the summer covered from head to foot wearing the required steel toed shoes, long sleeved shirts, and long pants. We did things like clear out swamps, swing post malls, use chainsaws, use a chipper and spread wood chips onto a path, build gabions, use all manners of tools, and so much more. That is also the summer that I learned how to use a router to create wood signs where the letters were actually routed out and then we would paint them. The county used that signage in parks and other facilities. It made me very proud to see the results of my labor all around the county.


As I look back, I realize I learned so much more than how to use the tools; I learned about not putting restrictions on my own capabilities. I gained confidence and the knowledge that I could endure through harsh conditions. I also gained some serious muscles!!