Talk about setting a goal and going after it.
An 8-year-old Lexington, Kentucky, elementary school student applied for a dishwashing job so he could save money to buy an Xbox. He went job hunting without his mother’s knowledge.
Will Work for Xbox
Nash Johnson is not afraid to get his hands dirty to reach his goal, literally. The boy filed an application for a dishwasher position at a restaurant called Drake’s and said he was “under 18.” Drake’s employees must be at least 16 years of age.
“It didn’t ask for my actual age and it didn’t ask me when I was born, so I put I was under 18,” Nash told NBC affiliate WGRZ.
He added, “That had to be the easiest job I knew. Also, I’m very good at washing the dishes,” Nash said.
Nash said he wanted the Xbox to reconnect with his friends.
His mother, Belinda, had no idea her son applied for a job, but he wasn’t surprised at his go-get-it attitude.
“That kid is not afraid to fail. He’s a go-getter,” she said.
On his application, he also wrote: “This will be my first job ever!”
Xbox Gifted
While Nash was not able to work at the restaurant, Drake’s humored him by inviting him to a job orientation and gifted him the Xbox he wanted.
Although he said he was grateful for the Xbox, Nash wanted both the job and the gaming console.
“I wish I had the job and the Xbox,” Nash said. “I do have the Xbox but I wish I had the job!”
In addition to his Xbox, which is priced around $300, Nash got a Drake’s polo shirt uniform.
Learning Financial Literacy
Nash’s work ethic stems from his upbringing, and his mother says financial literacy is important in their family.
“Financial literacy is really important in our household. He’s like, ‘I can get me more money if I go get me a job, that’s going to get me more money than doing my chores at home, that $5 a week gets me,” she said.
He has jars at home for “savings,” “gifting,” and “spending.”
“Don’t be afraid to jump out there and go for it. Go get it. You want something go get it,” Belinda said.
What Nash Would Have Earned
Drake’s is one of six chains owned by the Bluegrass Hospitality Group in Lexington, Kentucky, co-founded by Brian McCarty and Bruce Drake in 1998. According to the company’s website, BHG’s dish machine operator position pays up to $20 per hour. Most dishwashing jobs pay on average $14 per hour, with some working making an annual salary between $18,000 and $30,000.
