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how old were you when you got your first job ?


excathedra
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Is was 17 when I got my first full-time, paycheck-earning job as a cashier at Kroger's (grocery store).

Before that I babysat, mowed lawns, raked leaves, helped little old ladies clean their houses. When I was younger, there was always the proverbial lemonade or Kool-Aid stand in the summer.

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My first job was an egg route. Every Tuesday a guy would drop off about 30 dozen eggs and I'd sell them to regular customers for 10 cents more than I paid the guy.

Later on I mowed lawns and had an evening paper route - the Rochester (NY) Times-Union.

My first paycheck job was in Sterling, Colorado at a furniture store in the summer of '76. I was there as a summer twi outreach program. I made minimum wage, which I think was $2.10 an hour. I worked with another twi guy at the store and we'd deliver furniture all around northeast Colorado. It was fun.

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After the teenage years' babysitting. . .

My first paycheck job was after high school graduation. (I feel so sorry for the kids who work in High School and don't have time just to hang out and be kids.)

My first job was as a Santa's Helper in a department store (taking kid's pictures -- this was work?), the long-gone "White House."

Then in college I lived with the mayor of Monterey, did some housekeeping stuff and cooking stuff and bookkeeping stuff, also worked as a hostess at the Colton Hall Museum on the weekends and for the Director of Public Relations as admin assistant in between and after classes.

It was down hill from there because I got into twi shortly after. pi_cry.gif

It's only with the job I got 6 years ago, and then the promotion-job just got today that I'm starting again to feel like the Lord is enjoying watching my life. :eusa_clap:

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  • 2 weeks later...

My first job (besides babysitting) was at 16. I worked at a movie theatre with my friends and my friends mom was manager. We all had a blast! I worked there for 2 years until I moved, which was right after high school graduation. Then in college worked as a cashier/pharmacy tech at a Revco/Rite Aid.

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I have a 16 year old, 15 year old, 13 year old, and 12 year old.

My 15 year old has been fervently searching for a job...but noone hires 15 year olds anymore (where ARE those good old days when I was 14 and working in Spencer Gifts?????).

So today, since I didn't have to work at my part time job until 6pm (which I got so that I won't have to pay full price at my favorite clothing store....LOVE that 40 - 50% off on sale prices!!!!!!!) :wink2:

I took my 15 year old, Kat to apply for a job at a healthy fast food restaurant. They'd told her that they couldn't hire her cuz of child labor laws.....well......hmmmm......I've been in the teaching professiong for over a decade and never once heard of the law this manager quoted. So I took her down there, she filled out the app. and after Mom being a bit pushy (but as politely as possible....don't EVEN get me started on these yankees and their manners!!!!!), tomorrow I take Kat back to tie down this job.

Honestly, I dunno what this dude is thinking.....Kat will be one of the best hiring decisions he has ever made. She works wayyy hard, is really good with people (even yankees), and is smart as hell. (not that I'm biased or anything)

As for my 16 year old....well.....she's 16....whatcanisay????? :who_me:

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Paper boy age 13. Kept the job through high school. Couldn't afford a car but I always had money in my pocket. The weird thing was, during high school every Saturday night I'd either get drunk or do acid; either way I still got started at 5AM Sunday. I had a big route: 50 plus houses, a nursing home an apartment building and a hospital. That was cool cause whatever the weather I could stick the papers in the hospital lobby.

First paycheck type job was in a factory. I was 18. Relatively good pay. Squandered opportunity. I didn't know how to work directly with other people without copping an attitude over little things. Got fired. TWI actually cured me of a lot of that.

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First paycheck type job was in a factory. I was 18. Relatively good pay. Squandered opportunity. I didn't know how to work directly with other people without copping an attitude over little things. Got fired. TWI actually cured me of a lot of that.

HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

:evildenk:

No comment.

Edited by Belle
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First "job" of sorts was ridin' on the daily Milk Truck that used to drive through our neighborhood. I was a wee tyke, and I remember one summer the guy asked if I'd help out on his run, so I jumped on and made some deliveries for him and got milk in return. That summer when he'd come through I'd jump on board if he needed help, couple days a week. I vaguely remember how cool it felt coming home with a couple bottles of milk, "Hey! Check it out!" :) That and mowing lawns. Lawns was a biggie.

My first paying gig as a musician, I was 13, at my high school's Freshman dance at the start of the year. Threw together my first band and we each made a buck, one dollah, $1.00 per person. Since we didn't expect anything it was pretty cool as the priest (catholic school) handed us all a buck during the break. :dance:

Edited by socks
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I started working - real paycheck - when I was 13 years old. I worked 20 hours a week, as an employee for the town, at the nursing home my parents managed. I was basically an assistant to a CNA and dispensed medications, setup/cooked/cleaned up supper, basic cleaning duties, etc. - there were between 20-25 residents there. Thinking back on it now, I'm amazed at how young I was and how much responsibility I really had. I was a very good worker - my parents taught me how to have good work ethics - and I'm trying now to pass that on to my boys.

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I think my first job was when I was about 6. My great uncle always had parties and couldn't be bothered with bottle returns. So I would take my wagon down to his house and load it up and bring it to the liquor store. I would then go next door to the pharmacy and buy comics with the earnings.

Then I did the paper route, snow shoveling, mowing lawns thing. When I was 15, I got a job at the local ice cream/restaurant and did dishes and then learned to work the counter. I got fired for forgetting to put a banana in a banana split.

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Age 15...was paid $1 an hour to stand in an unheated warehouse stuffing little travel-size items in boxes for vending machines.

From age 16 to 19 I worked at the counter at McDonald's. They had competitions with other stores in the area and region, and I won a couple of awards for my speed and accuracy but missed going to the Atlanta competition by a point...dang...so close yet so far.

I worked my arse off for them but I refused to wear the stupid promotional hats...a three-cornered number for the Washington's birthday cherry shakes, and a boating hat for the filet-o-fish promo. What a rebel I was. :biglaugh:

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First paying job in 6th grade, so I was 9. My father's clinic was installing a computer, so rolodex cards had to be made of all the patient's names with their computer # for reference. My sisters and brother and I worked in our basement, and put the labels on the rolodex cards. Made 50 cents an hour, and thought we were rolling in dough! I enjoyed it so much, that when that project was over, I started working at the clinic doing filing, etc. Also worked at the hospital assembling charts and filing them, and retrieving them. By the summer of the 7th grade, I was running the switchboard for the clinic full time in the summer, 7 am to about 6 pm. There were about 5 departments and about 30 physicians and their staffs. And it was ringing constantly, but I loved the challenge. By 12 was babysitting at night, during school, and working at the clinic and/or hospital on weekends and during summers. At 15, started working at K&W Cafeteria as one of the servers in the line. My first day was Thanksgiving and boy was it crazy. Advanced from Salads (lowest pay) to Hot Vegetables (highest pay) before quitting for a waitress job when I was 16 and could drive. Worked as a waitress all through high school, and summers in college. In college, worked in the Admissions Office for the Medical School during the week. Did modeling and worked in a clothing store on weekends. Also typed papers for people as time allowed. Always did enjoy working, but I'm tired now and don't like going non-stop like I used to.

Suda

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I worked harvesting Almonds and driving tractors pulling trailers filled with almonds [even crossing I-99 freeway] when I was 12.

My first pay-check with taxes with-held was 15 working full-time in a hobby-store. Radio-controlled airplanes, cars and boats.

Then a pizza parlor, and then an A&W Rootbeer and hamburger stand. We had waitresses in mini-skirts and on skates. It was fun!

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I was probably 12 when I got paid to weed and water for a few neighbors and the good nuns of nativity paid me to help organise their school. I think they were looking for an excuse to kill me as once they got me up on a ladder it fell and I broke two fingers!

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