What was your first job?

[cyure]

Hello peeps! We have been talking about first cars, which has been lots of fun.

Now how about a new topic. I went to a work event not too long ago and as the get to know each other question they had us each talk about our first job. Innocuous enough right. We were all roaring by the end the stories were so funny.

I’ll go first…in college I worked for Video Library in San Diego. A small movie rental company. They had 6 locations. That was back in the day of VHS and Beta. The store had the X-rated section behind the curtain.

I think I caused a divorce! They had prepaid plans. You paid a fixed amount for 50 rentals and you could checkout 3 at a time. A woman came up the counter with her kids and her movies she wanted to rent. I told her I’m sorry you already have movies out you can’t rent these on your prepaid plan. She told me I was wrong. They hadn’t rented anything and asked for the titles. I told her they were all X-rated. Well she threw her movies on the counter and said “that’s it, he’s seeing her again!” Grabbed her kids and left.

Okay who is going to go next…

 

[BartMan Terra Total EV]

When I was eleven I lied and said I was 16. Got a job at the Pagota Inn in Wickford RI. No auto dishwasher all by hand. The soap had Chinese writing on it and probably was a mix of sodium hydroxide, sodium hyper chloite and formaldehyde. I learned how to work at that place and ate very well.

 

[J Alynn]

I worked at my neighbors campground. Camp store, snack bar, the arcade “barn” and I DJ’d dances. As a 14 year old myself and a few male campers quickly learned 14-15 year old girls hated their dads and we always found it entertaining. On busy event weekends I would do pre-check-ins with campers. Just to help at registration. Just basic info but any time there were cute girls in the vehicle I’d ask for their campsite number then the seasonal campers and I would track them down later . Was fun then but seems kind of sad now.

 

[dreamweaver]

I worked at my neighbors campground. Camp store, snack bar, the arcade “barn” and I DJ’d dances. As a 14 year old myself and a few male campers quickly learned 14-15 year old girls hated their dads and we always found it entertaining. On busy event weekends I would do pre-check-ins with campers. Just to help at registration. Just basic info but any time there were cute girls in the vehicle I’d ask for their campsite number then the seasonal campers and I would track them down later . Was fun then but seems kind of sad now.

Who wasn't devious at 14. Come on don't be so hard on yourself.

 

[nolen]

My first job was working in the lab in the Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences department at NCSU. I was using acid to dissolve soil samples that were taken from the middle of a whale carcass they had located on the bottom of the ocean. If I had stayed at that job long enough, I would have gotten to go on a sampling trip - either to Brazil or Antarctica. Unfortunately, I didn't stay that long.

 

[dreamweaver]

My first job was working in the lab in the Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences department at NCSU. I was using acid to dissolve soil samples that were taken from the middle of a whale carcass they had located on the bottom of the ocean. If I had stayed at that job long enough, I would have gotten to go on a sampling trip - either to Brazil or Antarctica. Unfortunately, I didn't stay that long.

Nice opportunity.

 

[cyure]

My first job was working in the lab in the Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences department at NCSU. I was using acid to dissolve soil samples that were taken from the middle of a whale carcass they had located on the bottom of the ocean. If I had stayed at that job long enough, I would have gotten to go on a sampling trip - either to Brazil or Antarctica. Unfortunately, I didn't stay that long.

Okay I didn’t expect any of these posts to include the phrase “whale carcass”.

 

[dreamweaver]

My first job was with a local industrial company that made large HVAC houses for industrial building and hotels. It was close enough to the house that I could walk to work. I was taught and became rather proficient in shearing, stamping, welding of both steel and aluminum, plumbing in copper and electrical wiring of distribution panels. The more I learned the more I was paid. That job taught me a lot about how hard work pays off in more than money. I had skills! It also provided the money I used to pay for my first car; some may already know that story about my 1964 Triumph TR4A.

 

[6-ScoutFamily]

Okay I didn’t expect any of these posts to include the phrase “whale carcass”.

I didn’t expect it to include p**n either.

My first job was a paper route delivering the Rocky Mountain News in my neighborhood in Denver… at 4:00am. We got $0.50/paper.

ADDENDUM: there were some snowy mornings dad took my around and I delivered the papers out of the back of his ‘62 Scout.

 

[Mousehunter]

Hauling hay one summer, construction the next, then more hay hauling (but now strongest on crew - and shoveling dried chicken excrement out of chicken houses. It gave me plenty of motivation for undergrad and grad school.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

First under-the-table jobs, paid in peanuts, were doing plumbing/electrical/roofing/construction/mechanic work. I started those at age 6 for my father and sometimes my brother. They dragged me along to their odd jobs whenever they needed someone small to fit into the tight spaces: plumbing under the crawl space; reach my arm behind the drywall to pull wires; crawl up into an attic to run new electrical or repair a truss; small hands can more easily get to the bolts in terribly-designed engine compartments…etc., etc., etc.

First semi-official, paid job was janitorial work at the local weather station at age 10. My father eventually got a full-time job as a meteorologist and convinced them to hire me as the janitor. I’d go in with him early on the weekends, clean the entire office, buff the floors (I’m still a little intimidated by the buffing machine, which was bigger and more massive than I was), etc. By about 08:00, the rest of the family would be in town and I’d join them to run all the weekend errands.

Did a lot of other semi-legit jobs...

First fully-legit, paid job was at Sonic, age 15.

 

[maynard]

When I was eleven I lied and said I was 16. Got a job at the Pagota Inn in Wickford RI. No auto dishwasher all by hand. The soap had Chinese writing on it and probably was a mix of sodium hydroxide, sodium hyper chloite and formaldehyde. I learned how to work at that place and ate very well.

Like BartMan - I lied to get my job at the local hospital in Saline MI and became an inventory clerk at 14. Loved it. Got to drive the delivery truck a couple of times to go pickup supplies from a nearby hospital. Then my girlfriend came to my work on my 16th birthday to surprise me with balloons and a cake to share with my cohorts (and my boss). It didn't go over well and that was my last day there!

 

[J Alynn]

Like BartMan - I lied to get my job at the local hospital in Saline MI and became an inventory clerk at 14. Loved it. Got to drive the delivery truck a couple of times to go pickup supplies from a nearby hospital. Then my girlfriend came to my work on my 16th birthday to surprise me with balloons and a cake to share with my cohorts (and my boss). It didn't go over well and that was my last day there!

Aaah-the old days when work was completely stick up butt rather than a culture where people supported each other and all worked for common goals. Still hard to find in a lot of industries. I’m very fortunate that I found my current job. Hopped around a bit-this is 4th employer in 3 years but just decided I deserve to be happy and appreciated and grateful I found a place that makes me feel that way and trusts my judgement and constantly asks me for my opinions. Was hired for a 2-part position 9 months ago and 4 months ago they asked if I wanted to lead a new division because of other experience- only ever had one similar experience in my nearly 30 year career. Hopping sucks but when you find a great place it makes the hassle worth it