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I am a HS graduate looking for a job. Well apparantly people in my HS hate me. There is this rumor that I stare at people going around. This group at my school hate me so much that everytime they see me talking to someone, they tell them I'm rumors about me and now that person doesn't want to be friends with me anymore. They won't leave me alone. Well I am commuting to college and I want to find a job, problem is is that they mostly still live in the same area that I do. What if they come in the same store I work at? What if they complain to the manager about things about me that aren't true. They will probably exagerate it a lot too. Can they just walk into the same store as I work at, make false claims about me and get me fired?
I am trying to make a fresh start in life, but it seems as though nobody will let me. There is a lot of people in this group and they can easily overpower my words with their numbers. I'm scared that whatever they say is going to follow me to college, but even if that screws up I at least want a job to work through but I feel that will screw me over too.
Are there some specific incidents that occurred during high school that caused these people to dislike you? What kinds of things are you concerned about that they might say about you to a boss to endanger your job?
They spread a rumor that I stare at people to the point of harrassment. They might lie or exaggerate even further though. I don't know. Can they fire me for that. A lot of people have turned on me this past year.
Look, the law states that you can be fired at any time, for any reason. And a customer can file a complaint to a manager any time they want, and for any reason.
But the scenario you describe is pretty unlikely. For starters, all these petty things that seem monumental when you are in high school...tend to fade away pretty quickly after graduation. Kids spread rumors in high school because it's something to do. Everyone's in a contained environment with no freedom. After graduation, everyone scatters and finds more interesting things to do, and more interesting people to hang out with. Even when everyone stays in the same small town, this stuff tends to stop.
And adults can spot these stupid high school games from a mile away. Even if your classmates did come to bug you while you were working, the likely response from your manager would be to kick them out, not to fire you. Most likely these kids wouldn't be buying anything and no manager wants pests hanging around that aren't paying customers.
Thankfully there is life after high school. Sadly a lot of teens don't know this until they graduate and start living. Take a deep breath, pat yourself on the back you made it through and now start living your new life. The economy is pretty crappy right now and if anything that will be your biggest hurdle. Not what some snot says.
As an adult in my late 30's a lot of people from high school have found me on facebook. Most live very unremarkable lives. The ones that were popular seem to want to relive the high school days because that was the best time of their lives. Kind of sad when you think about it.
But the scenario you describe is pretty unlikely. For starters, all these petty things that seem monumental when you are in high school...tend to fade away pretty quickly after graduation. Kids spread rumors in high school because it's something to do. Everyone's in a contained environment with no freedom. After graduation, everyone scatters and finds more interesting things to do, and more interesting people to hang out with. Even when everyone stays in the same small town, this stuff tends to stop.
Adults are simply overgrown children most of the time. You will find the same cliquish, backstabbing, childish crap among them as you would at a high school. And I guarantee it will be even worse because you are now at work and the stakes are even higher.
I am sorry that you suffered from the behavior of mean kids. You absolutely owe it to yourself to not allow bullies to overshadow the next chapter of your life. As you are preparing to find a job, it wouldn't hurt to get a couple of letters of reference from former teachers or your guidance counselor. Just a simple letter indicating you were polite or had great attendance, or never engaged in conflicts with other students, etc. can really be helpful in getting your first job. The kind of meanness you experienced has already harmed you -- it has effected your self-confidence. It has also taught you to watch your back and think ahead about the impact of prior experiences......so from that pain you are also a more careful and thoughtful person who now considers future scenarios. This characteristic might serve you very well in your adult life if you use it for planning but don't fall into the trap of being paranoid. Good luck!
Adults are simply overgrown children most of the time. You will find the same cliquish, backstabbing, childish crap among them as you would at a high school. And I guarantee it will be even worse because you are now at work and the stakes are even higher.
This is what I fear the most. That me getting fired from one job is going to spiral into this madness of me not being able to find work because I harass people(even if it isn't true). I can get over the crap that happened in high school really easily, but it feels the next chapter of my life is being affected by this dumb crap that happened before.
I have facial tics (had them a majority of my life) so I do know how you feel. This is another approach to take...maybe take some courses in people skills, confidence building or talk to a therapist about this. I'm not saying this to hurt you, but self review and awareness can only help you have a better life, no matter what you do. Sometimes we can come across to people in ways that we just aren't aware of. We all do this...we never see ourselves as others see us. Have you ever had your eyes checked...there might be some physical problem where you come across as staring without realizing it. HS can be cruel but so can the work environment...where I work it is just like junior high, with gossiping, cliques, etc. and these are middle aged people. It doesn't just stop at high school. I'm sorry you have been put thru this pain, but it can be a learning experience if you can grow from it. You sound like a sensitive person and someone who really wants to try to do well and I'm sure you can but it might take some work on your part, which will be well worth it (because people "out there" are not going to change).
Things happen don't be discouraged if they put in a false complaint. Once you start and get the swing of things start to make some "work" friends. Once you have some friends mention in passing, without dwelling or making it all you talk about, that you had some difficult situations with peers in school. With all the talk about bullying people are sure to notice a slipped comment here or there. Then if down the road a complaint rolls in you have a few allies to back you up. It'll all work out in the end...talk to some adults who aren't family about your experiences...they've probably had some of their own and will give you tips and hints about growing out of that behavior. Also as an adult you control your wardrobe, style, where you live, so see if there are areas to grow as a person and if you'd be comfortable with those changes...part of growing up is gaining confidence...your peers just found it early...you have to try to get ahead on the path by putting in a strong effort.
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