Under Cover Cigarette Catcher
Description:
This job is with the State government. I was trying to catch people selling cigarettes to minors. I was 14-15 years old (clearly underage). I went with two undercover agents and would go to various locations and would go inside and ask at the counter for a box of a specific kind of cigarettes. If the people sold them to me then I would pay and walk out of the building. It is quite invigorating. You are not allowed to lie or trick the person. You feel really good helping with the cause. Once I was in the car they would go inside and write the person a ticket. There was always someone watching me to make sure that I never got hurt or anything. You drive all over the state and you work every once in a while. They take you out to lunch and the people were really nice. You get paid minimum wage but you also get lunch. You get lunch and the people are really nice.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I got this idea and found the employment from my dad. My dad is a detective and he saw they needed people so my brother and I both did it for a little extra money. We had to fill out an application and after the first time if you do not work hard then they will not call you again.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
Some of the obstacles I had to overcome were doing something I new was wrong. I never would buy cigarettes on my own so that was awkward getting used to that but I knew I was helping our state out by doing this.
What I learned:
I learned that there are many different ways to make money than the typical fast food job. This is very fun and it is always different. You have adrenaline and it would be a good intro into an undercover field if that is what you are interested in. You learn how to work with others and how to work with elders. This is a good intro job where you can get good resources if you work hard.
United States Air Force Academy Summer Hire
Description:
Every year the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, has a summer hire program where they hire high school and college students to work on the base. There are a range of jobs in a variety of locations on the base that allow students to get experience in different areas. This program not only covers the Air Force Academy, but also Peterson Air Force Base on the other side of the interstate. The wages are well above minimum so it allows the students to do much better than they normally would in fast food or restaurants.
I was assigned to work in the parachute loft. I was an assistant to the parachute riggers (those who are licensed to pack/repair parachutes). I was able to learn quite a bit about how parachutes work and how to properly jump out of an airplane. That might not be useful in everyday life, but it is useful in the military. This job could lead to becoming a licensed rigger. Riggers are very highly regarded because everyone who was using the parachutes they packed was going on faith that that chute would open and work as designed.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I heard about the job by word of mouth. The Air Force Academy also had a website posted that explained the program and how to apply. As I began to do more research I found that quite a few government institutions have similar programs for teen age individuals.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One of the hardest things was on the days where very large classes of cadet would come and use parachutes. I had to prepare each parachute to be packed by the rigger. Preparation meant untangling parachute lines and laying them out. I had to learn how parachutes were put together to understand how to efficiently prepare these parachutes. That was very interesting. That allowed me to keep up with the load.
What I learned:
I learned a lot about the military and obviously parachuting. I wasn’t old enough to actually jump at the time, but I learned a lot about the mechanics of keeping the people safe who did jump.