What was your first job as a teenager or young adult? Do those memories make you cringe, chuckle or laugh out loud? Perhaps you learned a valuable life lesson, discovered a career path or even met your future spouse? We asked people what they remember most about their first jobs. The answers we got ranged from thoughtful to nostalgic and even hilarious.
Read what they have to say and share your own story in the comments.
The Fire Alarm That Wasn’t
My first job out of high school was as a data clerk for an insurance company in Des Moines in 1960. The buzzer used by the agents to contact the dictaphone operator was a LOUD horn-type buzz. It was exactly the same sound as the fire alarm at my high school.
The first time it went off, I got up from my desk and walked out of the building. ALONE. A bit later I went back in to ask the others why they stayed and learned my error. — JudyAnn L.
Dropping the Drinks
At my first job waiting tables, I learned how kind and understanding people can be after getting a tray full of drinks dropped on them.
And to never let anyone take something off of your tray! — Karen C.
Punching Time, Processing Punch Cards
My first job was right after high school graduation. I needed to get a security clearance. I worked in the computer operations center at White Sands Missile Range, processing punch cards. Remember them?
At the time, the minimum wage was $2.54/hour. Thankfully, I still lived at home! I wasn’t an accurate typist by any means. I needed to retype so many of those punch cards—and the ones I liked the least were the payment processing cards for the soldiers. I had to enter a lot of data per soldier, so those took the longest.
After a while, I moved to processing computer tapes (confidential) for a vital operation at WSMR. — Bobbie A.
Lessons in Horse Poop
My first real job was mucking stalls at a horse barn.
I learned quickly that I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought about horses. — Michelle C.
The Job That Led to Adulthood
I did not get my first “real” job until I was 17 years old, and it was what I like to call my gateway to adulthood. It led to my first car, paid for my secondary education and it was where I met my husband of 31 years.
There were about 15 of us that worked at that hardware store and we were all very close. We worked together and hung out together as if we were a large family. Just the other day, I saw an old friend from that job. We haven’t seen each other for over 20 years and he instantly recognized me. We sat and talked about our lives, our families and the good old days.
That job is still a fond memory I cherish even today. — TracyLynn S.
What an Arm!
I delivered newspapers from 12 to 15 years of age. I excelled at folding and wrapping rubber bands around each.
I was also an expert at throwing the newspaper…on the customer’s roof. — Rick M.
The Crawl-Through Drive-Thru
My first job was babysitting, but my first real job was at Burger Chef, a fast-food job. This company was great to work for—still haven’t found a burger or fried apple pie as good as theirs. Times were different then.
Our drive-thru window didn’t lock well, so, if I was the first person there in the mornings, I just had to pop it with my hand by the lock and slide it open, crawl through the window and get to work. If you were the last to leave, you locked all of the doors from the inside and climbed out of the drive-thru window, sliding it closed with a “slam.”
Managers had keys, but, at 16, I was “‘the manager” a lot of times. I got raises about every three months and made $1.00 more than minimum wage. That was in 1978. Kroger was my job at 17, and I had a 401(k), insurance and retirement. I stayed for 24 years. — Amanda C.
Free Food Perks
I was 14 and washed dishes. I worked my way up to the head cook by 15. We had these amazing big sandwiches: roast beef, turkey clubs and others. We got a free meal every eight-hour shift, but I would save my meal to bring home for my Dad. — Bob M.
Love in the Stacks
My first job was as a shelver at my local library. I was in high school and it paid well. As a neat freak, I enjoyed making sure all the books were in perfect alphabetical or Dewey Decimal [System] order. The other fun part was that the children’s librarian used to have me come in and help with story-time programs, passing out the craft materials, etc.
I didn’t know it at the time, but that job would shape the rest of my life. When I was in college, I transferred to another branch, where I ended up meeting my husband, who was another shelver. We’ve been married 24 years.
I had such a good experience working in the library, that I began working full time and eventually got my master’s degree and became a children’s librarian myself. I have been in the library field for 32 years now, but for the past five years I only work part-time and work as a professional organizer on the side. That way I get to organize things OTHER than books, which has been a great transition. — Pam H.
Fighting Fast Food Temptations
My first job was at Dairy Queen at age 15.
Funniest memory? One of the girls I worked with and I made gorgeous loaded sundaes…and then threw them in the trash without eating them to prove we had the willpower to stay on our diets!
That was long before I knew about food costs! — Kathy A.
Washing Dishes, Making Friends
My first job was washing dishes at a restaurant. I was 15 years old and had just returned from vacation when I learned my good friends had landed a job at Sixpence [a local restaurant]. I wanted to work too, and, of course, they put in a good word for me.
We had a great time, met many new friends and I ended up bussing tables my sophomore year. Looking back, I guess those were some of the best work experiences of my teenage years. — John P.
You Say You Want a Raise?
I worked at a convenience store. I started there when I was 12 years old.
I worked my butt off for $1.25 an hour.
After two years of devoted service to all customers, I asked for a raise. The owner told me to go stand on a chair. — Tony C.
Everyone Has Their Own First-Job Story
What do you remember about your first job? How did it change you? What did you learn? Let’s take a stroll down memory lane—share your story in the comments below!
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My first real job at the age of 20 was as an accounting clerk at a finance company where one of my job duties was to mail out notices to customers. This was in 1978 prior to office computers and we used electric typewriters. Well, my first lesson in realizing the importance of proof reading your work was when I typed a notice and mailed to a customer with the last name of Rucker. Unfortunately my finger hit the F key instead of R (*ucker). I was made aware of this embarrassing error when my new boss called me into the office to inform me that he had received a call from Mr. Rucker about the notice that he received in the mail. Fortunately both the customer and my boss had a good sense of humor and I did not get in trouble. However, proof reading was my top priority until I retired after 41 years of working.
I had two part-time jobs beginning at age 7. The first was feeding aging patients in my mother's nursing home; the second was tending my grandmother's hat/shop when she left for coffee. I was old enough to tend the shop and cash register but not to carry a cup of hot coffee across the street. As an adult my work life included social worker; hat-maker; and coffee-shop operator. Who would have guessed?
You found your passions early in life!
I transferred schools, registered late and therefore, wood shop was full. I took metal shop instead, and at the end of the school year, a local heating/ac and sheet metal shop contacted my teacher who advised me of the opportunity. I worked there full time during the summer and part time after school resumed until I went to college. I learned many useful lessons and chose a different career path.
My first job started when I was five on the family farm. When you were old enough to understand some basic instructions, you were old enough to work. Some folks will think that having your kids work at such an early age is child abuse. In the case of my parents it was part of overall life planning for their kids. They paid us to work, opening savings accounts for each of us and the money accumulated to be used by us when we turned 18. College, car, start a business, it was up to us. My parents, not rich but frugal people, also pledged to pay part of tuition and room & board if we went to college. If a child didn't choose college, they were given support to start another career of their choosing. There were six kids so this wasn't a small undertaking. The advantages of this was to instill a very strong work ethic in each of us. Those of us who went to college finished with no debt and still had money in the bank. In my case, that was all the way through law school. I know that there aren't many opportunities for most five year olds to work nowadays, but encouraging your kids to take responsibility, to learn how to save money, to open their minds to all possibilities for a career should be something that parents need to do for their kids. I can't say I was ever bored as a kid. Still can't say that today. Thanks mom and dad!
I had a somewhat good experience. They gave a good amount of hours to work. It was very stressful at first trying to learn everything new but I somehow managed to get through it. Sometimes coworkers would laugh at me struggle and because I was the youngest there. Overall the job was great but it was in stock environment which I didn’t want anymore.
I had a good experience with my first job.
I started my first job at the age of 17 at the Taxi driver my back home. I was a fast driver. I wasn't paid that much per trip, but I suppose it can still be considered a job.
After that, I find another job then I started out as a temporary, doing shelving and then I started helping people out on a computer. and they brought me on full time. then I started doing community events. It is one of the best jobs I've had before at that age and I got to see my slowly making difference in my community.
But, after four years, I had to leave.
Because I worked crazy hours but there was no overtime.
I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.