Only about 4 years ago in late October, I started my first job. After many failed applications due to my lack of work experience, this retail store was willing to give me a chance. As a matter of fact one of the main traits that made me stand out from the rest was the fact that I was Puerto Rican and fluent in both English and Spanish. A majority of the staff was Puerto Rican some of whom didn't speak much English. I worked at the job for two years until I was finally able to afford to buy a used Lexus and find a better paying job. Within those two years I learned the importance of working hard- as it resulted in me getting promoted to an assistant manager at 17, patience- because you can't please everyone, and lastly confidence- as it taught me to stand up for myself and for what's right. The first valuable skill I learned at the job was the importance of hard work, things like showing up on time, picking up available shifts, and making sure I'm doing a task correctly and with pride. My main motivation was to save up for my car so I was quite eager to work and get as many hours as I can, but I knew I had to prove myself. The manager and other coworkers saw the effort I was putting into learning how everything works, and helping out as much as I could. The whole staff was so incredibly kind to me and respectful, and since we all shared similar cultures we all got along together very well, it honestly felt like I was working with my aunts. In the work place, it's important to show your worth and to care about your job. There were some instances in which I slipped up, whether it was giving the wrong change or not having enough time to sweep the store. They made me realize that sometimes things that are out of your control can affect your quality of work but I often would be honest to my boss and they were always very understanding. The next survival strategy I learned was the importance of patience. Oftentimes with seasonal hires, I found that they lacked the discipline and respect that I found necessary for the job. Usually they were younger and quickly hired, so there wasn't much of a standard for them. Unfortunately since I was an assistant manager at the time, I had to make sure they were doing their jobs correctly which was a battle in itself. I would explain how to do certain tasks and they would need it repeated to them often, which strained my patience but I knew there wasn't much I could do but to just explain something to them again and hope it sticks. Something I learned that was important was to express my concern to my employer about the seasonal hires behavior and oftentimes they were terminated. The last survival strategy I picked up was confidence, thanks to a change in staff I was exposed to my first disrespectful boss. The new manager would pick on everything that I would do and find ways to reprimand my work, he always made me feel like I was never putting in the effort. It's unfortunate when your boss is someone you can't really go to for genuine concerns, when he is the main concern. It wasn't until one of my coworkers overheard him saying that he believed I was too young to deserve the assistant manager position, where I knew something was up. Although I tolerate it and just continue the way I had always been doing my job, one day he trashed the break room and his office and demanded me to clean it, that day I knew that I was no longer going to tolerate that kind of disrespect, so I eventually left the job for another one and never returned again. It taught me that no job is ever worth getting disrespected over, especially by a grown man, and that you really do have the choice in whether choosing to stay there and continue to get degraded, or to just pick up your things and leave.