Thread: What was your first job and any you would rather forget?

My first job was in a local supermarket on a goverment training scheme. They were that impressed they put me on the till after a month, now that's what I call progress : )

Worst job was fitting kitchens and bedrooms for 3 men who had just started out in business, we worked 14 hours a day most days and as it was new and they had all re-mortgaged their house to give this a go, guess who was the centre of their anger when things went wrong? This was also on the training scheme and they broke the law by working me more than 40 hours a week. Yes £27 for a 60 hour week, I don't even want to do the maths on that.....or see another kitchen or bedroom pack for the rest of my days.

My first job, besides babysitting and selling flowers on the corner was at Steak n Shake when I was 16.

Worst job? I have been very lucky in the past with my 'jobs'... can't say that any were the worst. I guess I could consider the day job that I have now (PGA TOUR) as the worst... only because it takes so much of my time that I do not have as much time as I want/need to devote to my slowly growing business. One of these days my business will pay me a steady salary and I can leave the day job altogether!

First job was working the counter at a trading stamp redemption center..Blue Chip Stamps. I don't think there are trading stamps anymore, but Green Stamps or BLue Chip Stamps used to be given with gas or grocery purchases, and could be redeemed for cool stuff.

Worst job was being a oil refinery operator in the days when women weren't welcome in those types of jobs. Hassled all the time.. Probably better now..

I left school when I was 14, my mum got me a job in a family run **** shop called Fairbairns...left school on Friday and started work on the Monday, the woman who owned it was very up herself and because I was a shy 14yr old school leaver..I got all the great jobs...clean the loo, walk the dog, make the tea you know the kinda thing...that was where I stopped taking sugar in my tea cos I was the only one buying it! so I stopped taking it..still dont take it..

Only twice that I can remember did she let me in the shop to sell ***** but on those 2 occasions I thoroughly enjoyed it... I would buy ***** whenever I could and she used to take so much out of my wages every week. to pay for them lol

I was paid £1.19'11 (old money) thats about £2.00 and had to give my mum the 19'11..

One day she called me in the back room..after I had walked the dog and made the tea of course and told me she had to let me go..didnt give me a reason ...gave me a wage packet and said ive paid you till the end of the week ..I was so shocked, I cried all the way home,..... god my mum was furious, not at them but at me for losing my job!.. did I get a grilling or what! anyway by 2 o'clock that afternoon my mum had me back on the bus on my way to an interview for a sales assistant in a department store, got the job and was very happy there until we moved area.

A little while later while I was on the bus to work I passed the **** shop and it was closed down...

I've had fewer jobs than I can count on one finger ... such a stickler I am

My first was just a temp summer job, in an office - within a warehouse - hmmm .... too many males for my liking, was glad when I departed ...

My next, which I held for years after University in between, was lengthy and rewarding ... (probably one I should never have left, but I did, funny, took 6 weeks off and then I was hooked on "freedom") lol

My next, again for a very long time, was one that just ended in misery ... enuf said ... lol

My next, my "own business" ... I loved it ... just financially wasn't worth it ...

Presently - I enjoy what I do "Almost nothing" lol .... no - I am really am looking forward to some work that has come my way ....

I have two "first" jobs. One was for the family - or it wouldn't have been legal - but I was, I think, 12 - and I made sandwiches for a catering truck and in the summer months went on trucks to help sell during the busy lunch hours. Had my own money changer and everything!

The first "real" job (not family) I got a summer job when I was 15 working in a photo-finishing lab. I had to validate all the mail in orders - which meant I dealt with the money. Funny that I was given that job as normally only someone with them a long time got it. I was asked to come back the next year (didn't) because of my speed and accuracy.

I've had a gadzillion different jobs over the years. All had plusses and minuses. The one I liked the least - I was asked to come into an ad agency and find out why they were financially in trouble. Didn't take me long to find the problems. Presented them to the President and he was furious. Canned me. I was lucky. I told everyone to go looking for other jobs. No one listened. 3 months later he declared bankruptcy and all the employees were without jobs and most never got all the money he owed them. I found him a "slimy" character from the gitgo and was glad to be gone - although I hated being told to go!

My most rewarding job (you didn't ask for this one) was the one I actually trained for (counseling and working with disadvantaged youth). I worked in a program helping kids that were wards of the state, disadvantaged in many ways, and some in trouble with the law. It was very rewarding, long hours - and low pay. I left it because, while I never cared about getting rich, I did care about feeding myself :). But it started me on getting involved in charities on my own time - and still do today, although now with animals most of the time.

My first job away from a family business (I too, was slave labor until old enough to break out! LOL) at 16 I was as a telemarketer for the Alameda County Sherrif's Mounted Posse selling tickets to the annual Kids Circus & Camp. Had to ride the bus for 1.5 hours to get there!

Made a killing, always taking home the daily/weekly bonuses, despite being just barely tolerated for always going "off-script."
Who would have imagined?
LOL

One To Forget: Army Ranger. Too many haunting recollections, even now.

Vasili, you reminded me of a job I had. I was a telemarketer also (before the term was coined - but we aren't going into my age here). I called and gave away "free" dance lessons for a Fred Astaire Dance Studio when I was in high school. I also, always went off script - and they had to pay me - when I got people in in wheel chairs - even a paraplegic. Well, what can I say - they deal was, we were to get them in - they had to sell them the dance lessons :)

I don't think they appreciated that I told people that - and it worked. But I got so many in, they did make sales, and put up with my shenanigans (and paid me the bonuses).

Left school at 14 & worked in a sheet metalwork factory for 6 months. Gave me the incentive to never work in a factory again. Think it was more working in one place I never liked. So became an Electrician & have enjoyed it ever since.

Chris! I did some fabrication myself.....and I conned my way into it!
On a lark, I applied for a 3rd shift at Thomas Sign & Awning in Clearwater (working 11pm-7am) making signs from scratch, in both aluminum and iron. I say conned, because I was not that great at welding, but learned "again" MIG, TIG, OxyAcetelyne and aluminum in about 1 day....

Pretty soon I had my own 40x100' workspace and was left alone to build a whole series of signs.....you know those "ticket" signs you see outside of all the BestBuy stores??? I did all of them for the stores opened 2001-2002, thank you very much! And a lot of the Washington Mutual Bank & Wachovia Bank landmark signs, and Subway awnings...
I made 2 BestBuy signs a week on top of the other stuff before I tired of being tired all day....I think the last one I did was for Army Street in San Francisco...I was only doing it to earn a down payment for a much nicer car than I was already driving anyway....and just because...

So now you know!

10-14 yrs old, i drove down our dirt road (yes parents let me use the car, we lived a few dozen miles from civilization) about two miles at 5am before school and fed a dozen horses...climbing up into the top of the barn and throwing down a half dozen bales or something...

my first "official" job during the summer when i was 14 i was a boat mechanic apprentice at a marina on lake george

First job working at a dry cleaners at the age of 14. I think it was my worst job too! It was hot and steaming, no air cond., long hours. I regretted not being able to be a kid!

Best job (working for someone else) I was Vice-President of an Insurance Brokerage Firm for 20 years. I had to resign when my hubby decided to divorce me and I needed to make some changes for my kids.

Now that I am self-employed (Travel) this is THE BEST!!!

Originally Posted by Vasili

Chris! I did some fabrication myself.....and I conned my way into it!
On a lark, I applied for a 3rd shift at Thomas Sign & Awning in Clearwater (working 11pm-7am) making signs from scratch, in both aluminum and iron. I say conned, because I was not that great at welding, but learned "again" MIG, TIG, OxyAcetelyne and aluminum in about 1 day....

Pretty soon I had my own 40x100' workspace and was left alone to build a whole series of signs.....you know those "ticket" signs you see outside of all the BestBuy stores??? I did all of them for the stores opened 2001-2002, thank you very much! And a lot of the Washington Mutual Bank & Wachovia Bank landmark signs, and Subway awnings...
I made 2 BestBuy signs a week on top of the other stuff before I tired of being tired all day....I think the last one I did was for Army Street in San Francisco...I was only doing it to earn a down payment for a much nicer car than I was already driving anyway....and just because...

So now you know!

Hi, on the sheet metal work side of things, i was making ventilation ducts & sound attenuators. As a youngster I got the lovely job of lining the ducts with glass fibre for sound deadening properties.(Itchy) Would more than lightly be illegal now to use this stuff. I’m not sure? But I think it got banned in the states. Or they had to do something to it to make it more user friendly .

Originally Posted by Collectors-info

Or they had to do something to it to make it more user friendly .

Farm it out to foreign workers??? LOL
Now they use a spray coating of some sort, I'm sure.....

I only mentioned this "almost forgotten" job just to show that I have never been afraid of work, no matter how "low-brow"....if you do a job well, it speaks of your dignity...that's why I like to work. From being in an exotic military unit to selling on the phone, from being a "fabricator" to a diamond merchant --- it is what you make of it, and the measure of your reputation is how well you do things....

My first job was at 15 as a buss boy at El Cholo Mexican restaurant, where I learned how insincere waitress could be.

My first job at 15 was a Saturday afternoon job at Woollies - UK folks will understand. £1 for 4 hours! Best job a couple of years later was a summer job in a refreshment kiosk at a kid's paddling pool - it was good when I explain about the male students who were working as deckchair attendants and came to the kiosk for their tea breaks! hee hee!