What Was Your First Job?

[CrimsonTide4]

We've talked about odd jobs, dream jobs, worst jobs, etc., but never what was your first job?


My first job was at Mr. Chicken (this can only be found in Cleveland and surrounding cities) on Northfield Road in Bedford Heights. I was 14 but turned 15 that summer. My duties were order prep, cashier, and biscuit maker. I had finished the 9th grade and worked there during that summer in 1990. My mom made me quit when school started because I was starting high school and was taking a lot of honors classes. I made $4.00 an hour but got paid every week. Uniform was GROSS -- yellow polo shirt, DOO DOO BROWN work pants, and a DOO DOO brown visor with yellow script advertising the restaurant.


So come on and share. . .

[yasava]

My first job was at a college bookstore -- Univ. of Detroit-Mercy. I was 16. It was right before the winter term and I stocked books and got trained on the register. The asst mgr told me I needed to be fast because the the lines would be LOOOONG and the students want to get out of there! (Once I got to college, I could totally relate) It kinda irks me now when a cashier is taking his/her sweet time bagging my stuff and giving me my change.

I worked part time, except during Christmas break -- I was there full time to get ready for the new term. Got paid 5.00 dollars per hour. My uniform was whatever I'd worn to school that day. After the rush ended, I got stuck doing busy work (sizing t-shirts, straightening, once the manager asked me to refile her rolodex b/c she dropped it and everything fell out. )until Feb when the asst mgr called me at home and told me I was being laid off. I went back for a few weeks during the spring term though.

[librasoul22]

My first job was at Sonic. I got a job when I got my first car at 16. I worked there most of my way through high school and then senior year I started at Sam Goody (where I worked til junior year of college...been unemployed ever since). My starting pay was 4.75. Gawd, that sounds awful now. We did get 50% off the food and free drinks though.

[Gina1201]

Good topic, CT4.

My first job was during the summer of 1998, right before my senior year of high school. This was the same summer that my grandma passed away. The only reason I looked for a job was to take my mind off of her passing.

Anyway, my first job was as a cashier at Price Chopper (a NorthEastern grocery chain).

Okay, a quick sidenote which I know I will get clowned for. When I was like 7 or 8, my dream job was to be a cashier. I thought scanning groceries was like the BEST job to have. Whenever my mom and I would go grocery shopping, I would unpack the groceries and pretend I was a cashier. (Let the clowning begin)

Anyway, my starting salary was $5.15/hour. Our uniform was dark-colored pants or jeans, a white shirt and an apron. Since I was under 18, I had to wear a BRIGHT RED apron.

I eventually was moved into the video department and then the customer service department.

I used to have so much fun clowing the customers that came into the store. It's amazing what or who you'll see there. I worked there until my sophomore year of college with an ending salary of ONLY $6.50.

[delph998]

I'm not gonna clown you Gina, because I wanted to do that too! It's all good girl!

My first job was at Lerner New York (now known as New York) as a sales associate. I worked there from my sophomore year to freshman year of college. They gave great discounts too. Those were the good ol' days!

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by Gina1201


Okay, a quick sidenote which I know I will get clowned for. When I was like 7 or 8, my dream job was to be a cashier. I thought scanning groceries was like the BEST job to have. Whenever my mom and I would go grocery shopping, I would unpack the groceries and pretend I was a cashier. (Let the clowning begin)

I feel you. I wanted to scan stuff too and call for a price check. "Marv, I need a price check on tampons, extra absorbent." (Remember the GG episode where they all bought condoms and ended up getting a price check, LMAO) I served as a cashier at a variety of places, but never at one where I got to scan. The library does not count.

[yasava]

Originally posted by Gina1201


Okay, a quick sidenote which I know I will get clowned for. When I was like 7 or 8, my dream job was to be a cashier. I thought scanning groceries was like the BEST job to have. Whenever my mom and I would go grocery shopping, I would unpack the groceries and pretend I was a cashier. (Let the clowning begin)

No clowning from me either. I'm a little worse. I used to think it would be cool to be a cashier at Target. I was older, though like 12, 13. Well, I became a Target cashier my junior year of college. It sucked! I hated being an employee where turnover was so high, it took almost a month before anybody remembered my name. One of the managers noted on my record that I called in once, even though it was school related (so clearly education can't be on the priority list at this Target)

But, some folks were lucky to come through my line. If the price didn't scan and it was something pretty inexpensive, I told the customer to pick a price between x and y and that's what I sold it for. I wasn't into price checks, especially over a knick knack in clearance! I quit in December, but the day I did, I let my roomate get some pajamas on my discount, then told the manager I was quitting. She just shrugged and told me where the resignation forms were, like folks quit ALL the time.

By the way, Librasoul, love your signature. Will & Grace is one of my favorite shows.

[librasoul22]

Originally posted by yasava
By the way, Librasoul, love your signature. Will & Grace is one of my favorite shows.

Thanks!! Will and Grace is my fave!

[FLKING]

My first job was a babysitting job. It was the summer after the sixth grade. The little boy I used to watch was named Andrew. I was in the local grocery store one day and this little boy that was about 1 1/2 was running from his mother. He ran straight to me and grabbed my leg. When his mother tried to take him, he reached for me to pick him up...so I did. When I tried to give him to his mom, he would not let go of my neck . So after about five minutes of this, I agreed to walk her to her house with hopes that he would eventually let me put him down. Well so much for that, I ended up staying there until about 8 o'clock when the little lad fell asleep. A couple of weeks later I ran into Andy and his mom at the store again and he reached and cried for me like he had lost his mind. She then asked me if I was interested in babysitting...at first I was looking at her like she was crazy. When she said the job paid $60 per week it was all good. I watched Andy all summer and made a killing.

[Gina1201]

Originally posted by yasava
But, some folks were lucky to come through my line. If the price didn't scan and it was something pretty inexpensive, I told the customer to pick a price between x and y and that's what I sold it for. I wasn't into price checks, especially over a knick knack in clearance!

I used to do this at the grocery store too. Especially when it was real busy, i.e. the 1st and 15th.

[Queencece]

was at T. J. Maxx. The store was BRAND NEW and we helped to set the store up for the GRAND OPENING. I was 16 years old and a junior in high school. I worked there for 6 months and I quit because I became a cheerleader.

My starting salary was $6.00/hr and I was there part time. The uniform was anything that you wore plus a burgundy smock and a name tag.

It was cool there, until all my friends that I had made left. Thats when I had to go.

My job was the register in the front and the layaway department in the back. I hated it, but at least I had my own money for a minute.

Peace
Q

[jll79]

My first job was in college because MOM and DAD was not having me work during High School. I worked the NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY in the city. With this job, you HAD to be in school and they always checked. It was dirty, dusty and very disgusting....and that includes some of the people who worked there. I would look for the books patrons requested and deliver the books to them. The weirdest and craziest people used to and still come to the library. Boy, those were the days. I started off with $5.50/hr and the wage went up every 4 months when you were reviewed. I never went through the raise because I was promoted to a higher rank so I went from $5.50 to $7.35 and then to $9.05. I made a pretty penny out of that job, but I finally left after 3 years.

[ClassyLady]

My first job was at a summer day camp. I was 14 and I was the teacher's assistant for classroom of twenty toddlers. The youngest kids were 16 months and the oldest were about 2 years old. There were two or three really sweet little kids in this class, but the rest of them were absolute terrors. It was so bad that actually had a gray hair for six months after the end of the camp. That wasn't the worst part though.

The teacher that I was assisting was a former hippie and woodstock fanatic that didn't want to let go of her glory days. She worked my last nerve. She would let her grown children, who still lived at home and did not work or go to school, come to the classroom when they were high and eat the kids' snack food to fulfill their munchies. Never again.

$4.35 an hour was not enough for all of that.

[RedefinedDiva]

My first job was as an security attendent at the Jazz Fest. We had to check bags to make sure no one was bringing in prohibited items, as well as make sure no one tried to sneak in. If anyone has EVER been to Jazz Fest, you KNOW that it is during the last weekend in April, first weekend in May. They are THE HOTTEST days in history and you are GUARANTEED some rain on one of those days.

On the first weekend, it was BRUTALLY hot outside. The following weekend, we had TORRENTIAL rain on that Saturday. We had NO shelter from the heat or rain. Needless to say, I did not go back the next year.

I went to the Jazz Fest this year and it was UNBEARABLY hot outside. I saw that they had made some renovations and now there were cool spots for most of the workers. Some areas just provided no refuge. They don't pay enough to withstand those conditions for a whole day.

[VirtuousErudite]

When I was 14, almost 15 and a freshman in high school I started working at Little Caesars pizza. It was a good job to have as a teen. I made 5.15 an hour and all the free pizza I wanted.