# What Was Your First Real Job? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 4, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319 "2014-04-04T05:03:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/21 "2014-04-04T11:13:27Z")
1974 worked at Baskin-Robbins for $1.25 an hour. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/22 "2014-04-04T11:28:53Z")
At 15 my first job was at a Hallmark store. After school to closing, and I got a key to lock up after a while. Did window displays along with the other stuff involved in selling cards, books, knickknacks and stuffed animals. I don’t remember what minimum wage was then, 1985, but I’m sure that’s what I earned. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/23 "2014-04-04T11:31:40Z")
WOW! (sings) Memmmmorrries… I was a Utility Clerk (if that actually deserves capitalization) at our local Super Fresh Food Markets. It meant, I collected carts in the lot, dusted and cleaned shelves, mopped and cleaned bathrooms, and if lucky, got to restock shelves. I remember more than a few times crawling into the garbage smasher with a long, wooden pole to jam the waxed boxes and old fruit and vegetables into the masher. I got to drive a little pallet mover and even crush the dry boxes into a heap and tie the twine around them. Worst part was baggin’ the groceries. Ten customers felt like 4 minutes. I was so thankful when a customer requested an escort to their car. They weren’t supposed to tip, and rarely did, but it got me off the construction line, so to speak. Then the market added fresh coffee grinders, where the customer bought the beans and were ground when purchased. Smelled great (though I never drank coffee at 16, like many do today), but a huge line build-up was a guarantee. This was 1986, so I’m guessing it was about $5.00 an hour (??), though I could be wrong. That wage happens again, I’m only looking for a really tall building. 😃 I quit to go work in another store in the same mega-shopping center-- Windsor Shirt Company. I’ll never forget how great it was to leave the smelly and slimy world of grocery to the world of refolding shirts and restocking them until you wished you were grinding the beans and grabbing the carts again. But hey, that was probably a dollar more an hour. Go, life. It’s worth it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/24 "2014-04-04T12:46:23Z")
Age 16 - Lifeguard and swimming instructor, I have no idea of the pay Age 17 - Software engineer for Digital Equipment Corp, got the job via a scholarship before starting college ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/25 "2014-04-04T12:51:22Z")
I worked in my father’s store as soon as I was old enough. Pretty much did that through college, except for one summer where I worked as an assistant to a physician. Once I moved away after college, my first job was at our local OTB TV station. I ran the night shift, putting up results from the harness track. During the day, I would also work a couple of hours managing one of the betting parlors. ---
**Author:** ![Tiktaalik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@Tiktaalik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiktaalik)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/26 "2014-04-04T12:56:13Z")
Early 80s, I was 16 and got a job in a pet store. I was put in charge of cleaning up after, feeding, and taking care of the reptiles (mostly snakes) and small animals (gerbils, hamsters, ferrets, etc.). Note: Do not clean the small animal cages first and then move on to the reptile cages. If you smell like a hamster, apparently some snakes think you are a hamster, regardless of what your arm looks like. ---
**Author:** ![minionkat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@minionkat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minionkat)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/27 "2014-04-04T13:14:04Z")
I worked at the local rink and municipal ball park starting the summer between grades 8 and 9. I worked in the concession booth. I think it started at around $3/hr. I worked a lot of hours, got to see everyone and knew all the hockey and ball players at my high school. I got invited to a lot of parties. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/28 "2014-04-04T13:23:12Z")
Gofer at a PR firm, three days a week when I was in high school. I was about 16-17 at the time, and made whatever min wage was in 1992 ?4.25? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/29 "2014-04-04T13:27:09Z")
1996, Safeway, checker (“Grocery Clerk”), $7.10/hr with automatic union mandated 25¢ raises every 6 months. Worked there almost exactly 12 years to the day. I was earning about $18/hr when I left. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/30 "2014-04-04T13:29:30Z")
Worked at a small bookstore in college. Made minimum wage. My coworkers were awesome but my boss was a crank. ---
**Author:** ![Inna\_Minnit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Inna\_Minnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inna_Minnit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/31 "2014-04-04T13:40:41Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > 1996, Safeway, checker (“Grocery Clerk”), $7.10/hr with automatic union mandated 25¢ raises every 6 months. Worked there almost exactly 12 years to the day. I was earning about $18/hr when I left. Mandated whats? I worked at Safeway for a little over a year. It was minimum wage. After paying my compulsory union membership dues, I effectively earned less than minimum wage. Worst job of my life. But it was a small town and you take what you can get. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/32 "2014-04-04T13:47:40Z")
I worked weekends and summers on a farm starting when I was thirteen. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/33 "2014-04-04T13:51:28Z")
Ticket-taker/usher/marquee-changer/cleaner-upper at a suburban movie theater. I was in high school, so it was an evening/weekend job. I recall that if I worked four days a week, my take-home pay was 17 bucks and change. If I got five days, it was 21 something. So assuming a five-hour work day, that works out to less than a buck an hour! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/34 "2014-04-04T13:56:13Z")
Horse farm and then McDonalds My mother said I went from shoveling to serving. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/35 "2014-04-04T13:57:13Z")
I was 11 years old when I got my first paper route. Don’t remember the pay. I collected 50 cents a week from my customers. Didn’t make a lot of money. Some people would move without paying. I do remember I could buy Twinkies whenever I wanted, though. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/36 "2014-04-04T14:03:46Z")
I had a paper route when I was 9. You were supposed to be 12 but my parents got sick of me asking them for money they didn’t have so they said they’d help me with the route. I was allowed the route because you didn’t have to “collect” - they deposited right into a bank account. I made about $45 a month for delivering 107 papers or flyers 2-3x per week. First “real” job was when I was 13 and just moved to a different city. I spent the summer working at the snack counter at the bus terminal. I made $3.10 per hour (minimum wage then - 1987.) It was great - I met lots of people and really enjoyed it there. Too bad I made the mistake of referring an acquaintance, she got hired as manager, fired all of us and hired her friends. As soon as the Big Boss found out he offered us our jobs back but I had already been hired at McDonalds where I spent the rest of high school. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/37 "2014-04-04T14:37:20Z")
Flipping burgers at _Barry’s Better Burgers_ for $1.70/hour in high school. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/38 "2014-04-04T14:43:59Z")
Food service worker at a hospital while I was in high school. Not cooking, but assembling and delivering meals. Retrieving dirty trays, doing dishes etc. I think it was much better than the typical fast food job. I think I made $4.10/hr. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/39 "2014-04-04T15:33:09Z")
Age 13 in 1975 worked as a small engine mechanic for $10 per week. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319/40 "2014-04-04T15:37:35Z")
Prior to graduating college I did body work on school buses for $4/hour. First job post college (1989) I was a fisheries observer on a Russian factory boat in the Bering Sea for $1600/month. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-first-real-job/685319.md?page=3)