I started my first job was during my teenage years and I was 19 years old from that time, I quit school from that year I decided to work because my late mom was very sick from that time, having an in and out from the hospital due to her enlargement of the heart. And eventually caused her death when I was 23 years old.

I thought It Was An Easy Job

Thinking to apply in a department store or in boutique of clothes, thinking it was an easy job but I'm totally wrong. Thinking working as a sale staff or others would say sales girl's from mall is an easy job but it's not.

The Process in Applying

Everytime Joree my husband and I strolled in malls during those days I saw posted of hiring sales staff from their glass walls. I decided to applied from Penshoppe a boutique. Their target market is for the young teenagers like me from that time. And most of my clothes also came from their boutique I managed to buy from them because I liked the linen quality of their fabric.

Photo from Google source

• I applied carrying with me my BioData, It's called biodata from that time. Then I just gave to the sales staff too who accepts the BioData.

• Days had passed I didn't expected that they wanted me to be interviewed, the thing was we don't have a landline and I gave the landline number from my aunt, but my sister-in-law from cousin who received those call that I'm going to be ready for the appointment interview to these dates and time.

• It was raining but my sister-in-law managed to come to our home telling me for the interview date and time.

• The day that I was waiting already arrived, I wore a semi formal of clothing with a top and a skirt.

• We were so many applicants, I think we were 25 of us who were interested from their job offers.

• It was the first interview, luckily I got into their slot, and will proceed to part two of interview.

• But the first interview was these: Tell me about yourself and so on, my spoken english was not that fluent and accurate also but I tried to speak it in english.

• Down to eight for the second interview we were only eight of us, some maybe didn't came back, some maybe was told to be contacted thru their land line phones. Those times mobile phones were not used regularly or normal as what we have now.

• We were down to four of us eager to be part of their company, and we have another third interview I think we were three of us, the third interview was about how you cater your customers if they asked a thing from your product that is not available. I just answered that I'll try to jot it down what you were looking for but sorry for now we don't have that kind of product maybe I'll consider your ideas and tell to the higher position who's in charge of the products. And maybe I could recommend replacement from our products.

• After that I was given all the requirements to be forwarded before it's due date.

First Time to Comply The Requirements

It's not an easy job to do it all, having all those errands from without knowledge.

So many requirements I complied to them, from the NBI clearance, police clearance and Barangay clearance some have payments to be paid by me. To get my SSS number and Tin number from the BIR but all of my transactions, Joree was with me too. So I don't feel exhausted and drained because theirs the moral support of Joree my husband now.

I also have my medical or laboratory results to forward to them, glad I made my requirements done before it's due date.

My First Day

I thought I would be working inside the boutique but it's not I will be destined inside the department store of the mall.

I worked inside the Gaisano City in their department, means I'm the only one who's in charge of Penshoppe from the Gaisano department store and someone will relieved me if it's my day off.

Struggles in my First Day

I thought my job was easy, but I'm not allowed to sit I have along period of hours standing from that area, I need to arrange the clothes everytime a customer will try to fit or just looking for other variety of products what they like.

I have to monitor the inventory every morning when I came to my area, try to see that the inventory were right from the number of pieces that they have in their lists. I have to clean my area, I sobs from my first day hiding in a place where clothes are in crowded. I can't bear my first day, my team leader was always angry with me I don't know why. Plus that our uniform is having a high heeled shoe, my feet were very painful for the eight hours of standing there.

I was crying hideously inside the mall during my duty. I can't imagine this was my work.

I had days that I'm late I think two times that I've been late for work, my team leader used to humiliated me she would right to the hard paper on top of the clothes, saying, "You're always late" at a bold letters but my late was five minutes only. But I remain quiet for all of that.

Sometimes I've decided to be absent, but telling to my team leader that I'll be absent as if it was a crime. She would told me that even she doesn't feel well vomiting she still managed to go to work.

Working there is like I'm entering to a prison cell, whatever I'm doing is wrong and trying my best to follow what are they saying, it was my first job.

One day we had a meeting before the store will open, I felt an outcast from the working area though we have a meeting I don't have friends others were making their groups but me only alone in the end of the corner, but unexpectedly the manager called me let me go to the center and she brought me as an example of the official uniform from the boutique. I was flattered I didn't expect her to that to me.

After that meeting, she called again my attention talking to me like an ordinary friend. I was ashamed from her. And I didn't know some of my co-worker gossiping behind my back. Because Joree my husband will fetch me from the store he would brought with him his nephew and his nephew was a toddler from that time. Until someone from my co-worker asked me if how old was our son. I told her I don't have a son. That's the nephew of my boyfriend. They didn't believe me.

Until I was fed up, I forwarded my resignation after I resigned I felt happy and relieved I was away from that hell-like place. My first salary from that time was 1,800php that's $23.

I don't have any photos with me, thank you for reading my article.