During high school, I landed a job as a survey interviewer. The tasks covered designing surveys, creating databases, and analyzing data, but the real challenge came when I had to convince people to participate. Whether it was a phone call or a face-to-face encounter, getting people to take the survey was never easy. I interviewed people everywhere - on the streets, shopping malls, and trains. The job was about more than just data collection. It was an opportunity for personal growth. I had to step outside my comfort zone and build relationships with strangers based on my professionalism, attitude, and personality. And that’s what I loved about it. Working as a survey interviewer helped me develop strong communication and interpersonal skills. I learned how to listen actively, and convey information clearly and concisely. I also learned the importance of building rapport, which proved valuable in my career. Overall, the job was a unique experience that helped me grow as an individual.
I was always a big football fan, even though I didn't have much talent for it. Because I was particularly interested in coaching, I ended up impressing the PE teacher and becoming his assistant, which felt like a proper job. The coach would focus on improving our players' fitness and technical abilities, while I'd work on figuring out the best lineups, formations, and the opposition's tactics. I remember being accused of taking it too seriously, but I loved every second of it.
When I was in high-school, I worked at Pizza Hut restaurants as a waitress. I loved it because it taught me excellent communication and multi-tasking skills. It also suited me because it was flexible and active - I didn't want to be sat at a desk. I also made some great friends, some of whom I am still friends with today.
I've always loved playing tennis. While I tried many other sports, I quickly realized that tennis was the only one I was truly good at and the only one I had true potential to stand out. I loved the sport so much that I practiced four hours every day and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I applied to teach tennis to younger kids. I loved cultivating that love of the sport in someone else. I also loved seeing the happiness and pride in my students' faces when they finally managed to learn that new serve, or that one-handed backhand. It was a great way to do what I loved, earn money while doing it, and staying in shape!
I remember my best job in high school fondly. I was working for a local photography studio as an assistant photographer. I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best photographers in the area, and I learned how to do portrait, wedding, and commercial photography work. I loved getting to be creative with the shoots and coming up with ideas for poses and backgrounds that would make for beautiful photos. Working with couples on their special day was an amazing experience—being able to capture their love story through my lens was like nothing else. And it was wonderful to hear how happy they were with their photos after seeing them for the first time! Not only did this job help me grow as a photographer, but it also taught me invaluable life lessons like time management and attention to detail—skills that serve me well in my current business.
The best job I had during high school was being a magician's assistant. It was literally my job to be "cut in half" and "pop out of a locked box". This job offered me the unique opportunity to learn life skills, many of which I find come in very handy as a business owner. Looking back, I see how this job as a "magician's assistant" taught me how to be confident in front of an audience and follow precise instructions. As the founder of Heirloom Video Books (sendheirloom.com), I am on sales calls daily, presenting our product to potential customers, my audience, with poise and confidence. Additionally, magic performers require a strong ability to understand and follow precise instructions, working in close rhythm with the magician. Again, as a business owner, I feel the importance of this skill as I teach my staff precision in product construction, observe their performance and critique my own ability to learn and follow our procedures.