what was your first job?

Answer 1

newspaper deliverer.

I had these canvas bags that fit on my bicycle, and delivered the newspaper to houses in my neighborhood.

I don't see newspaper delivery boys on bicycles any more.

I think I was about 11 years old. I made over 50 dollars per month, which was a lot for a kid back in the early 1970s, considering that lunch at school was only 35 cents, a feast at McDonalds was only 1.25, double feature movies at the theater was 50 cents for admission, and you could get a popcorn and soft drink for less than two dollars. Levi blue jeans and corduroy pants, which were the rage back than, cost ten dollars.

Life was good back then.

Nate, below, you reminded me that I also had a telemarketing gig when I was 17. It was such a scam. We would cold-call right from the telephone book, and ask people if they would sponsor mentally retarded or handicapped kids to attend the County Mounted Police Annual Rodeo. The thing of it is, there was no such thing as the County Mounted Police, and there certainly was no Annual Rodeo. I became one of the hottest telemarketers. I even had the audacity to thank the person on the phone for sending the handicapped kids to the show last year, and going on about how they really loved the show, and I was wondering if we could count on their support again this year. Some of the people went along with it, even saying how they remembered sponsoring the kids last year, which was total BS. It was hilarious. I was making over 200 dollars per week, part time, which was a boat load of money for a teenager back then.

Answer 2

I got a job doing telemarketing when i was 17. I worked with some people who were around the same age as me. I had to take a phone book and call individuals and get them to invest in a service called the Junior Olympics that benefits disabled people or something like that. That lasted only four days.

Answer 3

Truck Dispatcher right out of high-school -- got canned 2 weeks after taking job.

Many years later I AM SO Grateful IT HAPPENED... It was a dead end job... and just before retiring I was making a 6 figured salary.. As the old adage states.. when one door closes another opens... just watch out for windows.

Answer 4

My first job was at a KFC- I stayed there almost two years! It was a great experience! Some of my later places of employment were also restaurants...but never again!! ( I love my office job)

Question for Mary's Oblate:
Where was the money for the "rodeo" going? straight into your pocket?
sounds pretty lucrative! ;)

Answer 5

My first Job was in a International Contact Center.It was really fun to learn abt the other countries & practise their accent.But a little bit tough for the first time.

Answer 6

I worked at a beach in the middle of Michigan (get out a map...) hauling boats into and out of the water. It was awful. The picked the smallest person there to lug around the heaviest thing. Oh, and my boss used to spy on me with binoculars from his office. He'd call me on the nextels and say, "you have a customer" when I was in the back room. Creepy!

Answer 7

I was 18 and I worked in the shoe department at K-mart. Part time, making minimum wage. I hated the job. The worst part was when people would steal a pair of shoes-they would put their nasty smelly old funky shoes in the box that they stole new shoes out of......it was sooo gross.

Answer 8

I was 16 and working a part time job as a server at a fast food Chinese restaurant. Hey, we all have to start somewhere!

Answer 9

Paper boy. Downside was you have to get up early and its 365 days a year without vacation. Plus side was whenever you needed money you just go out and collect, and you didnt work during the day.

Answer 10

Janitor for my dad's business when I was 11. But that doesn't really count. My first real "paycheck" job was corn detasseling when I was 14.