First Job By Iliana Rome

Life is uncertain since one’s plans for the future are always subject to change. Although people’s plans may not go as expected, they can still persevere and even find something better than they hoped. Iliana Roman exemplifies this principle. In her memoir, “First Job,” Roman illustrates how, although her life deviated from the course she originally planned, she learned from her experiences to reach a status that she never dreamed of.
Roman begins her memoir by mentioning how she became pregnant in high school, but her boyfriend left her and her kids’ lives. She was forced to drop out and get a job, but she was able to earn her GED. She then described how she had many jobs that she truly enjoyed, but the jobs conflicted with her personal interests and forced her to quit, including a job as a car salesperson. She quit the job as
the salesperson to pursue a degree in cosmetology, which became her lifelong profession.
Then, Roman chronicles her experiences as a hairdresser and a boss, where she uses all of her previous work experiences. Although she has many irresponsible workers, she still manages to keep her business thriving, even if she had to assume the roles of her missing employees. Afterwards, she mentions how she tries to be an example to her children and others, and ties her entire memoir together with the theme of education and work ethic.
I chose this article because it showed Roman’s perseverance despite her life circumstances. For example, even when she has to give up her careers in order to make time for her family and education, she still goes out of her way to find another job that will help her to achieve her goals. She never quits despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in her life that would prevent
her from attaining her aspirations. I also enjoyed this article because she mentions how she acquires skills from each of her different jobs, and then uses them in her hairdressing career. For example, Roman mentions how she learned how to balance books at a store called “Sportmart,” which she later uses when she becomes a business owner. Similarly, she uses the skills she obtained from the car dealership in order to deal with clients at her beauty shop. I thought that this showed how she was used her knowledge from past experiences to advance her life. Even though she had a successful salon, she wanted to pursue a career in real estate, which I felt was a sign of her inner drive and passion for life. However, what spoke to me most in the entire essay was how she strove to be an example for young people. Although Roman had a rough beginning, she still managed to become successful, and she wanted the best for her kids, reinforcing this by showing how her children desired to do great things with their lives. I also felt that the ending was perfect because her desire and passion to work reflected her father’s desire to work that she mentioned in the beginning of her memoir. With that being said, I felt this was an exemplary memoir that connected the reader to the author by her various descriptions of her persevering through all of her work experiences.