What Was Your First Job?

[Eclipse]

I first job was, like most girls, baby sitting. When I was in Junior Hi I had to pick up this little girl from her afterschool program, give her a snack, start dinner and watch her intil her grandfather came home about 3 hours latter. I don't remember how much I was paid, but I'm sure it was not much.

My first "real" job was at Long John Silver's. I am obviously much older than most of you, because minimum wage back in '83 was around $3.35 an hour. I remember how happy I was when I got 3.50! LOL I was the cashier and food prep girl, so I had to scoop up the cold slaw, refill the ketchup bottles, etc. I absolutely HATED the uniform. It was polyester with red, white and blue vertical stripes that would not have been flattering on anyone. It was an A-line cut, so it looked like a maternity top. I remember having to work the Friday after school started (the night of the first big football game for all of the high schools) and I stopped at the popular McDonalds after I got off work to get a bite and see who was there. The next week at school there was a rumor that I was pregnant! Seeing that I was a virgin, I would like to see that happen!!

[BLUTANG]

The summer after 10th grade i worked as a waitress at IHOP. I made about 2.25/hour because waitstaff kept all tips (but people in this hood DON'T tip).

They put me on the weekday morning/early afternoon shift when the restaurant was D-E-A-D so i never really had the experience of serving people who actually DO leave tips (example: groups, families after church, ballers after a night at the club).

My mom was dead set against me working because i had to ride the metro back and forth (i was only 15) and i wasn't really making any money anyway. My dad let me work the whole summer so i could "learn some responsibility." I didn't gain anything from that experience but about 20 pounds!

[DeRe]

My first offical job was at Church's Chicken...my my my....I never worked so hard in my life for 5.15. Though it did teach me the value of hard work. I must admit after I left I was sure there was nothing I couldn't handle. Yeah....fast food will do that to you...lol

[ladygreek]

Baby sitting like most folx. But my first REAL job was right out of college as a merchandising trainee for a large retail store in St. Louis. I thought I was hot stuff until I went into debt because I practically spent all of my paychecks on clothes, etc. because I had a 20 percent employee discount. And if we put it on the store's charge (which they automatically gave to employees) we got an additional 20 percent off.

[DeRe]

I know how that works..They tell you that it's a discount REALLY, it is another way of making you buy more and save less. I worked at a retail store for a little while, sure I had a new wardrobe but my credit was sitting on rocky legs for quite a while..lol

[12dn94dst]

My first job was @ Drug Fair (like Eckerd, CVS or Walgreens) when I was 16 going on 17 (fall 89). I was a cashier & made $4.25 an hour. The uniform was pants (no jeans), a white top & a red apron. I quit in summer 1990 over some bull. I was in south GA with my parents and we had to stay longer for some reason. I called to tell them I wasn't going to be back when I initially said I would. They said they needed me to be there because for whatever reason, I was on of 2 cashiers on the schedule (as if that was going to change the fact that I was physically not in the state). I politely reiterated the situation & told them if they can't understand that, then I quit.

[ykimber]

My first job was I think the Summer of 97, It was at Charleys Steakery at Randall Park Mall in North Randall (Cleveland). I only worked two days and then I was told to leave early on the second day and that I would be called if I was needed, basically I was fired! I guess I wan't made to work in fast food. After that I got a job at on of the shoe stores at the mall, I am more a retail person!

[Mz Destiny]

My 1st job when I was 14 or 15 was at Roy Rogers. Good lawd! To this day, I will NEVER work at another fast food place. EVER! I'd rather be broke. I was there for 2 months and quit because I was being sexually harrased by most of the boys that worked there, and my manager kept trying to come on to me!

Granted, they did, and still do, have some BOMB chicken, but it took me a while to even step back into a Roy's! Especially after I witnessed some nasty stuff done to the food! But every now and then, when I'm on the NJ Turnpike, the PA Turnpike or I-95 South, I smile and stop for a couple of wings and a biscuit when I see that brown and beige sign...

[Lady2000]

My first job was at Wilson's Leather and Suede, my senior year in high school. I thought that was the best job in the world and I got the opportunity to meet some really great people!!! I'll never forget it, especially those annoying sales quotas that I didn't make after the Christmas season!! None the less, it was cool and it I learned alot about sales.

[StrangeFruit]

My very first job was selling "Grit Newspapers" when I was in the sixth or seventh grade. I was a magazine junkie (still am) and it was in the back of "Right On." I convinced my mother to let me sell the papers and we went out a got a checking account (joint of course since I was a minor).

For my first gig, it wasn't that bad b/c it was something I wanted to do. But I had to cease selling b/c folks just couldn't get it and refused to get it.

My loyal customers were loyal b/c they saw someone who they thought was cute going door to door trying to sell a paper that almost no one ever heard of. It was fun though.

The first taxable job I had was picking tobacco in CT. Now that was some grimmy work. Folks do a double take when they learn that I picked tobacco. I don't know what they think of me, but they always say, "I can't believe YOU picked tobacco." Believe it and the stories from that.

[yasava]

Originally posted by DeRe
I know how that works..They tell you that it's a discount REALLY, it is another way of making you buy more and save less. I worked at a retail store for a little while, sure I had a new wardrobe but my credit was sitting on rocky legs for quite a while..lol

True that. One of my other jobs was at Lerner New York when I was a college sophomore. I was told that I had to wear current LNY (or a similar version from Express or the Limited) clothes and every month they would have about four, five outfits that would cost the customer 55-60 dollars and sell it to us for 30-35. A decent amount of money was given right back to the store and I had to rid myself of that Lerner card...y'all ain't paying me enough to model.

[9dstpm]

My first job was at Burger King. It was through the Diversified Occupations program at my high school that was offered to juniors and seniors. I hated Burger King. I was on the cash register, I was in the back making Whoppers and getting burned by the French Fries, and I was on the drive thru. When I applied for the DO program, I was hoping to get a job at Wal-Mart as a cashier since Wally World gave a decent discount and had their HS employees work good, school-activity friendly hours. Plus they paid better than minimum wage which was $4.25/hr in 1991. But the year before, some DO kids they had were caught stealing and for the next few years, they refused to hire high school kids.

Anyway, I got tired of working BK on Friday and Saturday nights only because my parents complained about me missing church so much. Then they complained about how much gas I was burning up going back and forth to work in their car, but they wouldn't let me ride to work with a girlfriend from school who worked there too. (Can't you tell my folks were SO thrilled about me working? ) The straw that broke the camel's back was when they got mad at me for switching with someone at work so that I could go see my then boyfriend play his last football game as a senior. They told me that I should have worked that night and not switched because that made me look irresponsible.

So I quit and since I didn't have any money to pay for my senior year stuff (invitations, ring, etc.) that next year, my grandmomma told me to order the most expensive stuff since my We-don't-want-you-to-work-while-in-school-parents were going to pay for everything. And believe me, I did.

[blackerican]

My very first job was working for the first Black mayor of Atlantic City NJ. He had a summer youth program & I was a "Bus Greeter". Basically, I gave information about the city and I provided directions for the tourist. I was 12yrs. old at the time and it was a very big deal for me. I made a whopping 300 every two weeks...that was big money for me at the time. I used my earnings to buy my school supplies for the new school year.

[DeRe]

Originally posted by yasava
y'all ain't paying me enough to model.

lol..I know that's right.

[CrimsonTide4]

ttt