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My first job was loading burger patties into the broiler at Burger King when I was 16. That lasted 2 days, then Kroger called me for an interview, and I quit the BK for greener pastures. lol

Age 15/16 stock boy at Pier One Imports, moved and then assistant greenskeeper at a golf course, then assistant manager at a pizza place, then 10 years in the Navy........I got out in the early 90's. Now I do other things.......

In 1987 I was the best grocery sacker Safeway had ever seen up until then... I worked for a year to buy a guitar.

My first tax-paying job was at at Herfey's. Anyone remember those burger joints ?

I worked there for 3-4 months after school. I quit after we got robbed one night.

My first "tax paying" job was at GW Pirtle Scout Reservation working as a lifeguard teaching motor boating, skiing, lifesaving, and swimming merit badges for four years.

Before that I mowed my grandmother's MASSIVE yard once a week during the summer for a grand total of $10 a week. The job took from dawn till just before dusk because of all trimming required for the countless flower beds her and my grandfather had. You can't beat the perks though! The best home cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner anyone could ask for! You can probably guess that I didn't do it for the money.

Now I make snow, and do some home remodels on the side during the off season. (I'm not talking about the illegal kind either. Just to clear that up.)

My first job was as a summer camp instructor at Marine Military Academy. I was fifteen and I didn't get paid but my dad got a break in my tuition for the following year. The next job I had that I got a paycheck for was at Academy in Conroe for one summer in between school years. I worked in the fishing section even though I knew nothing about fishing and told the guy when I interviewed that I was in Boy Scouts and new a lot about camping.

Jack in the Box. Started at the fry station and worked my way up to the drive thru window. Working the bar rush (2:00 am) was always interesting. Had a few drunks fall asleep at the wheel waiting in the drive thru lane.

Dad24GreatKids wrote:Jack in the Box. Started at the fry station and worked my way up to the drive thru window. Working the bar rush (2:00 am) was always interesting. Had a few drunks fall asleep at the wheel waiting in the drive thru lane.

I was just resting my eyes.

At 14, I got a job roofing houses. The whole bit. Tearing off the old shingles if needed, putting down new decking if it needed it, putting on the new shingles...etc...etc...
I would work after school until dark every day. Then all day on Saturday, daylight till dark. Unless it was summer time, then it was daylight to dark 6 days a week. Except for the hottest part of the summer. During the hottest part of the summer, you couldn't really handle or walk on the shingles without tearing them up because they got so soft. So we would start at daylight and work until about 1:00PM. Then we would stop until about 5:00PM, then get back at it until dark. 6 days a week. I did that for almost 5 years.

C-dub wrote:

Ooh-rah! I have heard of that job, I think they give rides to Marines on their boats.

My first job was pumping gas at a service station (anybody remember those?) and was paid under the table. My first honest job(for taxes and withholdings) was driving a Uke at a limestone quarry.

Aside from the normal newspaper delivery, lawn mowing and leaf raking, at 16 I started working in a metal casting factory owned by a family friend. Got to drive a forklift and helped with mechanical and electrical repair of all sorts of equipment. Worked everyday for 2-4 hours after school and 10 hours every Saturday. Learned a tremendous amount of knowledge concering troubleshooting, tools, welding, etc. My friends are still amazed to this day when I jump right in to fix things, find the problem, and repair it without having any prior knowledge of the item. They started calling me MacGyver.

Dan20703 wrote:They started calling me MacGyver.

That's a great talent to have.

Picking blueberries at 10, topping onions at 12, planting seedling flowers at 13, painting at 14 and the first job that I got a regular paycheck for was filling gas tanks and changing tires at a gas station at 15.

Now most kids in the city can't work anywhere until 16. I think that is a real loss for them.