Sample Student Essay—CAUSE-EFFECT (CAUSAL ANALYSIS)

Nothing is Forever

(The Loss of a Job)

I have always prided myself on my work ethic. I am never late to work, I never call in sick, and I work hard while I am on the clock. I feel I am a great asset to any company. But, somewhere along the line, a higher power didn’t agree with my opinion of myself. After working at the same sports bar for four years, I have been fired. There are many effects losing my job has had on my life.

The first effect of losing my job is that I have an extremely reduced income. Even though I receive unemployment benefits and student loans, it’s still not enough money to pay all my bills. I have to pay for a mortgage, car payment, credit cards, gas, groceries, and a two year old. I love to go shopping, and now I can’t. It is very hard for me to control my urge to buy new clothes. Also, I can’t go out anymore. I used to be able to spend money on entertainment such as concerts and going out for a few drinks. Now I stay home every night while my friends go out and have fun. It is very important that I stick to a tight budget. I cannot veer off of this budget, not even in the slightest bit.

The second effect of losing my job is my bruised ego. Since I had been working at the establishment for four years, I believed I was important to the company. The fact that I was fired for no reason proved this to be untrue. If they let me go without reason, I must have been disposable. Also, I am too embarrassed to tell my family that I was fired. I don’t want them to think badly about me. They were all so proud that I had climbed my way to the top; I didn’t want them to know I had been pushed all the way to the bottom.

My ego is so badly bruised, I can barely conjure up the confidence to go look for a new job. It’s hard enough for me to walk into a place and drop off a resume, let alone have the confidence to successfully make it through an interview.

The final effect losing my job has had on my life is all the free time I have. Time used to be a huge issue for me. I just didn’t have enough of it! Now I have tons of time to do homework, which I had to limit to about an hour a night while I was working full time. Also, I have time to tie up loose ends. I can finally finish painting my bathroom, winterize my yard, and plant my roses that have been in storage for two months. My house is a cleaner place now. When I was working, I did the bare minimum. I only had time for laundry, dishes, and the occasional vacuuming. My home is now a spot-free haven of cleanliness. Most importantly, I have extra time with my family. I love being with my fiancé and my daughter. They bring happiness to my life that nothing else can. I get to spend the majority of the day playing with my daughter, eat dinner as a family every night, and tuck my daughter in every bedtime. I feel more like a family now, and it is great.

I don’t understand this fate of mine, and I doubt I ever will. This doesn’t mean I will not accept what I can’t understand. I must embrace this situation and squeeze something positive out of it. Losing my job isn’t the end of the world; it’s the beginning of a new day. There are a million jobs out there. Obviously, this one wasn’t right for me.