What was your first Job?

[Sabeking]

I worked at a place called Scottie's Chuck Wagon in the mall. I had to wear the most humiliating chuck wagon hat All the other teen girls were cruising the mall to check out the guys and I was taking burger orders with my Farrah Faucet hair wings and a chuck wagon on my head. But I needed that paycheck to buy those Jordache jeans.

 

[Cantw8]

I was 14 and worked for my father in his restaurant

 

[Liberty Belle]

Babysitting, but other than that I worked the cash register (front end and drive thru) at McDonald's.

 

[wishesuponastar]

My first job was delivering newspapers on my bike. I would get a dime or quarter for a tip lol

 

[E&Cmom]

Besides babysitting and tutoring, my first job as at Burger King. I worked a couple of years.

 

[DawnM]

I worked at Farrell's Restaurant to put myself through college.

 

[hulagirl87]

My first job was working at the Disney Store I ended up being there for 8 years and worked my way up to manager. I miss it!!!!

 

[jmb912]

When I was 14 I ran the cash register in a small convenience store/gas station and my boyfriend pumped the gas! I was only allowed to do it since my boyfriend was always on shift with me!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Babysat from the time I was 13 but my first big job was Gas station attendant back in the day when gas stations were full service. I did that for a full year.

It was no picnic in the wintertime in MN.

 

[suzimar57]

at 15 i worked in kitchen of a nursing home, preparing the meals PT after school and FT on weekends

 

[DVC-Don]

I was 15 and was hired to paint the front of a strip of stores downtown and the local IGA grocery store. Did it all by myself for $1.50 an hour under the table for a month back in the summer of 1967. After that I went to work in the IGA for $1.00 an hour minus taxes. Prior to that I delivered an afternoon paper for several years and made about $5 a week.

 

[POOHsie]

When I just turned 16, a new discount store was opening in our town called J B Hunter. Maybe you remember the chain. This was 1970. There was an ad for jobs and a long line of people waited outside. I was in line and accidentally bumped the person in front of me. He turn around and we started to chit chat. He went to my school but I didn't know him. It was love at first sight. We both were hired and were a romantic couple thru the rest of high school. Unfortunately, there were too many differences between us. I was too WASP-y and he was an Italian delinquent Fonzie type. We each married people of our own culture, but stayed in touch over all the years. We're almost 60 now. The job paid $1.70/hr and I stayed until end of summer my senior year. I'll see my friend at xmas, and we'll wonder again, why didn't we get married...

 

[disneyfreakk]

I was a lifeguard and swim instructor at the YMCA.

 

[mill4023]

All of my jobs from first to current:
Bussing and cleaning at a food court. $3.35/hr (min wage at the time)
Lifeguard
Housekeeping/maintenance at a ski resort
Dishwasher
Catering (including food prep, cooking, and serving)
Janitor at a grocery store
Grading standardized tests
Pizza delivery
Janitor at a university
Janitor at a YMCA
Maintenance at student family housing apartments
Software developer at Kodak
Software developer for a global trade software company
Software developer at a manufacturing company
Software architect/technical consultant/project manager at a software company that develops manufacturing software.

 

[PeterPanic]

All of my jobs from first to current:
Bussing and cleaning at a food court. $3.35/hr (min wage at the time)
Lifeguard
Housekeeping/maintenance at a ski resort
Dishwasher
Catering (including food prep, cooking, and serving)
Janitor at a grocery store
Grading standardized tests
Pizza delivery
Janitor at a university
Janitor at a YMCA
Maintenance at student family housing apartments
Software developer at Kodak
Software developer for a global trade software company
Software developer at a manufacturing company
Software architect/technical consultant/project manager at a software company that develops manufacturing software.

That looks like fun... let me try.

Washing tanker trucks...$4.00 each
Pumping Gas... 50 cents per hour
Stocking grocery shelves... 55 cents per hour
Cashier at Mini - Golf.... 75 cents per hour
Stock Clerk in parts room of truck repair co.
Unloading Freight Cars for a petroleum company. $4.00 per hour (thought I was rich. Part time.)
Medical Supply delivery driver. $1.50 per hour
USAF (Four years, one in Vietnam) Don't remember (not much)
Manager of a Ben Franklin Store $150.00 per week.. 2 years
General Manager of a Printing/Publishing Business (Don't remember).. 11 years
IBM Temporary in Electronic Chip Manufacturing.. 2 months
Office Manager for a Construction Company.. 6 years
Owner of a Residential Care Home.. 14 years Some of the surrounding list was in conjunction with this.
Part time Payroll accounting for a School District.. 5 years
Payroll and Accounts Payable accounting for a large Construction Company.. 5 years
Municipal Bus Driver.. 3 years
Supervisor at same Municipal Bus Company.. 7 years
Retired.. 3 years and counting.

In the middle there someplace I also sold Real Estate and worked in a Travel agency. So as not to make myself look bad, all those changes were voluntary. I'm kinda restless and unless I'm doing something new, I got bored really quickly and looked for something different. The time in any of those positions ranged from 2 months to 14 years. So far I haven't gotten tired of Retired.

The first 7 were while I was still in High School and College.

 

[PigletsPal2]

All of my jobs from first to current:
Bussing and cleaning at a food court. $3.35/hr (min wage at the time)
Lifeguard
Housekeeping/maintenance at a ski resort
Dishwasher
Catering (including food prep, cooking, and serving)
Janitor at a grocery store
Grading standardized tests
Pizza delivery
Janitor at a university
Janitor at a YMCA
Maintenance at student family housing apartments
Software developer at Kodak
Software developer for a global trade software company
Software developer at a manufacturing company
Software architect/technical consultant/project manager at a software company that develops manufacturing software.

Wow! You have a very eclectic work history. I'll bet you couldn't find two more people who went from maintenance worker to software developer! Which job did you enjoy more?

Queen Colleen

 

[Patch'sD]

Newspaper Delivery Newsday - Elementary School
Newspaper Delivery Long Island Press - Elementary School
Newspaper Delivery NY Daily News - Elementary School
Caddy - High School
Book Sales Person - Words Worth Books, Roosevelt Field, - High School
Caddy - College
Golf Cart Mechanic - High School
Valet Parking Country Club - College
Car Detailer - College
Valet Parking Restuarant - College
Alarm Device Repair Tech - College
Engineering Assistant, Modem Manufacturer, College
Configuration Analyst, Data Systems Company, As a Coop In College
Systems Analyst, Data Systems Company
Manager, Technical Planning Aerospace Manufacturing Company
Manager, ERP Systems Aerospace Manufacturing Company.

Some of the early jobs were held three at time during the summer of college, but up until present time I worked year round.

 

[mill4023]

Wow! You have a very eclectic work history. I'll bet you couldn't find two more people who went from maintenance worker to software developer! Which job did you enjoy more?

Queen Colleen

Actually, the maintenance job was a lot of fun, very low stress, and the commute was about 100 feet.

DW and I lived in the family housing apartments with our two kids. So my co-workers were mostly students, many of whom had kids and were also neighbors in the apartments. Our boss was a cool guy who liked playing video games and had computers setup for that purpose in the maintenance shop. We did actually do work, but had plenty of time for fun too.

Of course, the money is much better in software development.

Catering was actually a lot of fun too. Janitorial work is the worst, but you do what you've got to do to pay the bills.

If I summarize my job history and add one detail, it makes more sense:
1. A bunch of minimum wage jobs before having a college degree.
2. Finished my Bachelor's in Computer Science
3. Started a real professional career.

 

[aaarcher86]

I was a tennis instructors assistant and I would referee soccer. Seriously good money for a kid!

 

[runsandjumps]

My very first job I worked at a mom and pop pharmacy. I did the register and handed out RXs. I loved it.

I think I got paid $9 an hour. I had non idea the money was so great until I got older. I don't think I have ever gotten minimum wage. I realize how fortunate that really is now!