Christopher Mora Torres has only worked at JC Penney’s briefly, but with the holiday season upon us, he’s more valuable there than he realizes. In the beginning, he was working about twelve hours a week, but the need for employees and the increase in shoppers is expected to give him more opportunities to earn his $14 per hour.

“At my job, I am a cashier and we all have to wear all black and our name tags,” he said. It’s a great first job for a young man whose goal is to join the union when he gets out of high school.

“I work because i want to buy things that I like and I want to save up for a car when I’m older,” Mora said. It’s easy to keep the money in mind when he is faced with people asking him questions that he can’t answer. When he first started working at Penney’s, he admitted that he didn’t know the answers to half the questions people asked, but he’s been growing, thanks to his co-workers.

“The thing i love best about my job is my coworkers,” he said. “They all are so nice and patient with me.” He’s earned that patience as he’s worked with the customers and helped out with finding things in the store and folding clothes. It’s not just the co-workers who make his life easier. “I love my boss,” he said. “She is super nice.”.

He’s got a job now, but he knows that there are others who are still looking and he had a suggestion. “The best advice I can give to people getting a job is to be prepared in the interview. Bring a resume and a work permit,” he said.