Julia Burger
Where do you work and how long have you been working there?
“I work at Plato’s Closet and I started in August so I’ve worked there for about nine months.”
What does working there entail?
“I put the clothes away, I have to buy clothes from customers because we are second hand clothing store. And I also work the register, tag, hang and censor the clothing. I also work the dressing rooms.
How did you get this job or why did you get this job?
“Right when I was able to get a work permit I just wanted a job so I looked for places that hire at 15. The lady who owns the Plato’s Closet location worked at my church. That’s how we knew about the store. Her son is the manager and I asked her what age they hired at and they told me 15! I tried at the beginning of the summer but they weren’t hiring because of Covid but then I got a call back in August that they wanted me to work there.”
How many hours do you work per week?
“It changes every week, but I work two days a week during the school year. But over the summer it’s 3 to 4 days per week. “
How do you balance work and school?
“I only work on the weekends so I never work on days when I go to school. I make sure that I have one day on the weekend to do my homework.”
What has having a job like this as a teenager taught you?
“It has taught me a lot of customer service skills and people skills. How to interact with people I don’t know and I guess how to manage my time because I had to take on something important that I had to plan around.
What do you do with the money from this job?
“I buy a lot of stuff from Plato’s like clothes and I have a discount. Everything I spend money on now I buy myself like going out with friends.”
Do you ever miss out on social events because of work?
“Yeah, but I usually plan around social events, so I don’t schedule myself. But there are times where my friends want to hang out last minute and I have to say no. But I have had to switch a couple times.”
What’s the craziest thing that has happened to you while working at this job? Whether that be with a customer or a coworker?
“One time this guy came in who was trying to sell his clothes to us. He was obviously on drugs and he told us that he had just gotten out of jail and wanted to get some money. Then he disappeared for a while and a customer came up to us and told us that he was throwing condoms under the doors. So we called the police and they were there for a while trying to get him out calmly.”