Cheeky 8-year-old finds loophole on job application to buy himself an Xbox: 'My first ever job'

Editor's note: This article was originally published on November 16, 2022. It has since been updated.

Children can often go to any extent to get their favorite toys. But 8-year-old Nash was determined and he was ready to even earn his own money to get his hands on an X-box to play with his friends. So he went ahead and filled out an application for a job despite being underage. He came across an online post from the nearby Drake's restaurant stating that they were looking for someone to fill the position of dishwasher. Nash, a student at Meadowthrope Elementary School, filled out the application but without the permission of his mother.

"I'm very good at dishwashing," Nash told WCNC. While filling out the application, as he didn't have any prior experience, he wrote in the application form, "This will be my first ever job." However, there was one barrier. The age limit for the job was 16. But little Nash was not the one to give up. He found a loophole in the form. “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 said.

When his mother, Belinda Johnson got to know what he had done, she wasn't surprised.“That kid is not afraid to fail. He’s a go-getter,” Belinda said. She added that financial literacy is important in their house so she teaches it through spending, saving, and giving jars. However, Nash knew that his spend jar won't be of great help for buying an Xbox. He was earning about $5 a week for doing household chores and the starting price for an Xbox is $300. “He’s like, 'I can get me more money if I get me a job,’” Belinda said, according to TODAY.

Nash didn't get the dishwashing job because of the age limit and he was disappointed about it. “I wish I had the job and the Xbox,” Nash confessed. However, Drake's management invited him for orientation and gifted him with a staff T-shirt and an Xbox. “I was, like, shocked, very shocked,” Nash said. “I do have the Xbox, but I wish I had the job,” said Nash.

Drake's restaurant posted a video of the orientation and wrote, "We received an interesting application while hiring for the newest Drake's location. Nash stated he was looking for his first job so he could save up money for an Xbox. We gave the number on the application a call, and it turns out Nash isn't quite old enough to work at Drake's yet, but invited him to orientation for a surprise. Nash, welcome to the Drake family!"

The COO of the business, Mark Thornburg was also impressed by Nash. "His personality just shines and it could not have happened to a better person," Thornburg said, according to Lex18. Belinda thought that the whole incident shows his son's good character. She hopes that he continues to have this kind of work ethic and he carries it with him and his courage too. "Don't be afraid to jump out there and go for it. Go get it. You want something go get it," Belinda said.