For many of us, our first jobs are often minimum-wage positions that few of us actually enjoy doing.
And one dad on Twitter has proven just how much of a nightmare his daughter’s first job was, as he posts a picture of a letter she was handed by her boss when she arrived for her first-ever shift.
The dad, who posts under the name @essjax, explained his daughter has just left the job at an unnamed local retailer in New Zealand, and he has been given clearance by her to post a picture of the letter – which was actually just a list of 11 rules.
He wrote alongside the picture: “My kid recently left her job at a local retailer (which employs mostly 16-year-olds to pay well under minimum wage).
“This is a letter she received from the boss when she arrived on her first day on that job.”
The list of rules was condescending in tone and reminded readers that “the world won’t care about your self-esteem” and that “life is not divided into semesters”.
Rule number one simply read: “Life is not fair – get used to it!”
While rule two said: “The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.”
Other rules on the list told people that “flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity” and encouraged them not to “whine about your mistakes”.
Rule number seven read: “Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying bills, cleaning your clothes, and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were.
“So, before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your room.”
And rule eight said: “Your school may have done away with the winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they will give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t this bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.”
Fellow Twitter users were unimpressed by the ridiculous letter, and some even pointed out that the list of rules is not new.
One person said: “The employer is not even being original. I remember reading those words on the wall of a classroom when I was a teen.”
While another agreed, adding: “My friend’s parents had this on a poster taped to the toilet door. Memorised it while tinkling as a child.”
The same commenter also noted that rule 10 – which tells people that real life is not like TV and they “actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work” – is a reference to Friends.
They said: “Rule #10 is a ‘Friends’ reference. That’s how old this thing is.”
And another commenter also dated the rules back to the 90s, stating: “This thing’s been going around for something like 30 years, as I remember reading it in the 90s.
“Funny how ‘this generation is entitled’ is an evergreen message even as the generations change.”
Other commenters were sympathetic to the man’s daughter, who has since gone on to find a better opportunity.
Someone said: “I am sorry this was her first experience of employment. I hope she finds a rewarding job.”
As someone else commented: “Oh wow … I have a teenager who is thinking about a part-time job and really hope she doesn’t end up somewhere like this.”