Hey everyone, just wanted to share a little story and maybe get some advice.

So I’m a 16 y/o male and I’ve been looking for a job on and off for like 2-3 years now. Never really had a real job before, but I did work for a week and a half as a dishwasher at a brunch place. I actually loved it, but they couldn’t legally hire me long-term so I had to go. Still, I got my first ever paycheck there — $536! Felt amazing.

Anyway, fast forward to this past Saturday — I went out job hunting like I usually do. First stop was a Popeyes and they immediately shut me down and rushed me out, not hiring. Whatever. Then I walked into a McDonald’s and asked if they were hiring 16 y/o’s. The shift manager told me to wait a minute while she made a call, and a few minutes later she tells me:

“Come to this location (we’ll call it MCD2) — you’ve got the job.”

BRO. I said yes so fast. I was hyped — but then she hit me with the plot twist:
I had to be there the next morning at 8:00am.

Now here’s the thing… I had literally stayed up all night the night before just to go job hunting early (I’ve been working on waking up early — I’m a super deep sleeper). So at that point I had two options:
	•	Go back to sleep and risk oversleeping
	•	Stay up and risk crashing hard

I decided to just stay up so I wouldn’t miss it. 6:55am rolls around and I’m still up, surprisingly full of energy. I planned to leave at 7:30, but ended up heading out at 7:21 and got there around 7:34.

Walked in, let them know why I was there, and ordered some food. A few minutes later, the hiring manager comes out, gives me a tablet, and starts asking me some basic/personal questions. I filled out a bunch of stuff — basically a background check — and then we talked about availability. I said I’m flexible, and she said they really need people for morning shifts. I told her that works for me.

Once I finished everything, she said they’d reach out by the next business day after the check clears. A little disappointing to not get immediate confirmation, but I felt confident. So I ate my food, went home, told my family the news, and just passed out — I was exhausted lol.

Sunday was chill, nothing happened. Then Monday night (yesterday) at exactly 9:44pm…

I GOT THE JOB.

They officially told me I’m hired. I’m honestly so proud of myself — I’ve been trying for years to get hired. But now I’m kind of freaking out…

I have really bad social anxiety and I’m scared of messing up or just being overwhelmed on the job. Any tips for someone like me starting their first real job while dealing with anxiety?


finally got hired at McDonald’s after years of trying, but now I’m super anxious 😅 (16M)