What Was Your First Job?

[golfballs]

My first real job (not a paper route) was cleaning up the Lifter's Club in Oak Ridge, TN. I was 10 years old. The owner took a shine to me and paid me $20 for 5 hrs/week. Between that and my paper route, I was bringing in about $140/month, which was a fortune to me. The owner was cool as hell. He taught me how to box. He let me pal around with him and his friends. It was an awesome job.

As a child of the 80s, I was already into muscles but this probably solidified it and I've remained dedicated to the craft well into adulthood. I was such a skinny kid and it still surprises me when somebody describes me as "big".

You got the paper route before you were 10?

 

[NorCalVol67]

Paint department at Central Hardware in Memphis. My first day was unloading a mulch truck, that was fun.

One day I was taking paint cans back to the shelf and didn’t realize I had not fully put the top back on one. Paint spilled, I walked on it, slipped and fell in the paint on the floor. It was oil based paint. Went home and was pouring gasoline on my leg to try and get it off. Didn’t work.

 

[mad4vols]

Paint department at Central Hardware in Memphis. My first day was unloading a mulch truck, that was fun.

One day I was taking paint cans back to the shelf and didn’t realize I had not fully put the top back on one. Paint spilled, I walked on it, slipped and fell in the paint on the floor. It was oil based paint. Went home and was pouring gasoline on my leg to try and get it off. Didn’t work.

What a nightmare, how did it end up coming off?

 

[NorCalVol67]

I made a lot of beer bongs for people also.

I had been asking for a weekend off for weeks so I could go to Neyland for the homecoming game against Ole Miss. I think that was the first night game in November in Neyland history. I didn’t get it off so I quit.

Vols lost and it was cold as hell.

 

[NorCalVol67]

What a nightmare, how did it end up coming off?

Time.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

I mowed lawns and did some course maintenance for local country club when I was 15-16. I reffed games as well.

My first W2 job was delivering pizzas for Snappy Tomato Pizza. Made $8 per hour,plus tips, plus 75 cents per delivery.

What I learned - Everyone should work in the service industry once.

Stories to share - I delivered pizzas to a VBS once. I had to get to work early since they had to be there at a certain time. It was $199.92 and they handed me $200 and told me to keep the change and God Bless You. God didnt appreciate their cheap asses since they had a major fire a few months later.

Another story - Got caught messing around with a female coworker in the walk in fridge.

 

[n_huffhines]

You got the paper route before you were 10?

9. It was just a small local afternoon paper. This was not the Knox NS. I could easily manage 30 papers in my bag on a bike.

 

[FCTA]

Hauling hay for my grandfather for a nickel a bale. Who also was famous for making them very heavy. Great life lessons learned on the farm. Family values and good memories

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

Is getting coal for older women like a code word for something?

No, they would have wanted their 50 cents back

 

[Boston Vol]

What was your first job?

—————————————
Some question ideas below
—————————————

How old were you?
How did you get it?
How much did you make?
Was it a good or bad experience?
What life lessons did you get out of it?
Any funny stories?

How old were you?
15

How did you get it?
I walked in and asked how old you had to be to work there. They told me 16 so I just lied on my application, and said I was born in 1982 instead of 1983. It was pre-September 11th so they didn’t require ID or anything.

How much did you make?
5.50 an hour

Was it a good or bad experience?
Good, except on Friday nights when I had to answer phones.

What life lessons did you get out of it?
Graduate from college

Any funny stories?
Waking in on a shift manager “providing service” to one of the drivers in the walk-in cooler.

 

[GoDucks349]

What was your first job?

—————————————
Some question ideas below
—————————————

How old were you?
How did you get it?
How much did you make?
Was it a good or bad experience?
What life lessons did you get out of it?
Any funny stories?

Do you mean the first job I got paid for performing? Or the first job I received a W-2 for? Or the real first job I had?

First job I got paid for: Paperboy when I was in the 5th through 8th grade. Also umpired little league during this period.
First job with a W-2: USAF 1966-70 got out as a SSgt
Real first job: Working on the dairy my parents owned 4th through 6th grade. Fed cattle, moved irrigation pipe, put up hay, etc.

NOTE: promised myself I'd never end up on a dairy as a career....

 

[SlipKidVol]

1980. Wendy's in Hixson. Made what ever minimum was...3.25?
Worked there for 4 years. Great experience while in high school..closed the store,stayed in parking lot partying till 2 or 3 am. Then to school in the morning and then do it all over again.

 

[SDV]

1991 - 15 years old - Brentwood Kroger bagging groceries. I think I made $4.25/hour and customers would often tip me for carrying their groceries out to their car.

 

[Ace]

What is minimum wage now days?

$11 in Arkansas

 

[GritNGrind1906]

My grandmother owned a small diner and when she got custody of my oldest brother (~11) and I (~8yrs) in the early 90's, we spent our weekends, holiday breaks, and summers working there. It was a small diner in an industrial type complex where my grandmother was the waitress and the cook and my brother and I were the busboys and dishwashers. We would get to the restaurant at 4:30am and work until closing at 5:00pm for $15 a day - until we went under in the later 90's.

Perhaps it was the fact that I was a young but I don't recall having any bad memories working there. It was essentially the same customers every day so it was fairly communal and friendly. A group of cops would come early in the morning for coffee - back when they had baseball cards to give out to kids - and I had a nice collection back then. During lunch, all the other small business owners and their employees would come eat. When it was slow and there was nothing to do, I would hang out with the owners at the other shops in the complex which included a motorcycle repair shop, a shop the built drag cars, a live lobster distributor, and a Public Storage. Fun times!

 

[sona]

Dodging tree branches my uncle rained down upon me while his chainsaw was at full song.

 

[mad4vols]

I mowed lawns and did some course maintenance for local country club when I was 15-16. I reffed games as well.

My first W2 job was delivering pizzas for Snappy Tomato Pizza. Made $8 per hour,plus tips, plus 75 cents per delivery.

What I learned - Everyone should work in the service industry once.

Stories to share - I delivered pizzas to a VBS once. I had to get to work early since they had to be there at a certain time. It was $199.92 and they handed me $200 and told me to keep the change and God Bless You. God didnt appreciate their cheap asses since they had a major fire a few months later.

Another story - Got caught messing around with a female coworker in the walk in fridge.

You lucky dog, sounds like you had more fun at work than the rest of us.

 

[mad4vols]

How old were you?
15

How did you get it?
I walked in and asked how old you had to be to work there. They told me 16 so I just lied on my application, and said I was born in 1982 instead of 1983. It was pre-September 11th so they didn’t require ID or anything.

How much did you make?
5.50 an hour

Was it a good or bad experience?
Good, except on Friday nights when I had to answer phones.

What life lessons did you get out of it?
Graduate from college

Any funny stories?
Waking in on a shift manager “providing service” to one of the drivers in the walk-in cooler.

That must have been awkward

 

[mad4vols]

My grandmother owned a small diner and when she got custody of my oldest brother (~11) and I (~8yrs) in the early 90's, we spent our weekends, holiday breaks, and summers working there. It was a small diner in an industrial type complex where my grandmother was the waitress and the cook and my brother and I were the busboys and dishwashers. We would get to the restaurant at 4:30am and work until closing at 5:00pm for $15 a day - until we went under in the later 90's.

Perhaps it was the fact that I was a young but I don't recall having any bad memories working there. It was essentially the same customers every day so it was fairly communal and friendly. A group of cops would come early in the morning for coffee - back when they had baseball cards to give out to kids - and I had a nice collection back then. During lunch, all the other small business owners and their employees would come eat. When it was slow and there was nothing to do, I would hang out with the owners at the other shops in the complex which included a motorcycle repair shop, a shop the built drag cars, a live lobster distributor, and a Public Storage. Fun times!

I can’t imagine having to get up that early, that was a long day for an 8 year old.

 

[GVF]

My first real job was working summers in the Food Science Dept., at the UGA Experiment Station in Griffin. 1980ish. My dad was a plant scientist there, so we did our summer jobs there in other departments. My boss/department head was a good old-fashioned southern Jap. Loved that guy. He had me do all kinds of stuff for him. From making wine out of peppermint candy (pretty sure that was a personal project, and I guess I finally got a good batch when he didn't spit it out), to getting published as a co-author when I was 17 in the Journal of Food Science for my work for him. He was doing a study on solar heat and the disinfestation of food products. So, I built a crude solar oven, infested Gainesgurger dog food patties with insects, put heat probes in them in the solar oven, pull samples out at specified temperature thresholds, incubate them to see if the larvae hatched, and determine at what temp heat will disinfest foods. I suppose the basis of the study was to aid lesser developed countries where food was at a premium, reduce loss of food by being able to inexpensively "purify" it for consumption. Not bad for a high schooler at the time.

I also learned during those summers by observing a rather gross scientist eat mayo from a jar kept on top of a cabinet at room temp, that it really doesn't go bad. I never bought into that and still consume my mayo from the fridge.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

That must have been awkward

So, that's who walked in on me....

 

[mad4vols]

My first real job was working summers in the Food Science Dept., at the UGA Experiment Station in Griffin. 1980ish. My dad was a plant scientist there, so we did our summer jobs there in other departments. My boss/department head was a good old-fashioned southern Jap. Loved that guy. He had me do all kinds of stuff for him. From making wine out of peppermint candy (pretty sure that was a personal project, and I guess I finally got a good batch when he didn't spit it out), to getting published as a co-author when I was 17 in the Journal of Food Science for my work for him. He was doing a study on solar heat and the disinfestation of food products. So, I built a crude solar oven, infested Gainesgurger dog food patties with insects, put heat probes in them in the solar oven, pull samples out at specified temperature thresholds, incubate them to see if the larvae hatched, and determine at what temp heat will disinfest foods. I suppose the basis of the study was to aid lesser developed countries where food was at a premium, reduce loss of food by being able to inexpensively "purify" it for consumption. Not bad for a high schooler at the time.

I also learned during those summers by observing a rather gross scientist eat mayo from a jar kept on top of a cabinet at room temp, that it really doesn't go bad. I never bought into that and still consume my mayo from the fridge.

This was so much more interesting than flipping burgers.

 

[Wireless1]

Mowed yards starting at 9, delivering groceries at 11, driving the delivery truck at 14 (was a relative and didn't drive more than 1 mile from store) First paycheck was working inventory at Zayres department store - I think the total check was about $25 after they took out SS.
First regular job with a paycheck was courier at Parkwest Hospital the summer of 1975.....then back in 76 through college.

 

[mad4vols]

Mowed yards starting at 9, delivering groceries at 11, driving the delivery truck at 14 (was a relative and didn't drive more than 1 mile from store) First paycheck was working inventory at Zayres department store - I think the total check was about $25 after they took out SS.
First regular job with a paycheck was courier at Parkwest Hospital the summer of 1975.....then back in 76 through college.

That must have been a blast driving a truck at 14.

 

[Wireless1]

That must have been a blast driving a truck at 14.

The first few times I was King of the World, then it kind of became just a thing.