First job?

[swbooking]

My first job was at a the UCLA conference center as a waiter. It was pretty sweet but had wierd hours. the best job was at Deer Lick Lumber (Lumber Yard) gave me a little muscle, and i learned a lot about home improvement. paid $9.00 and hour. Both catered to my hour needs pretty well too.

 

[8Mud]

I did an apprenticeship program out of highschool. Got out early and worked till 6 PM. I worked at a brake shop, not really what you think it was, more of a factory. I did my share of grunt work and standard fabrication, but we also did custom and specialty stuff. Everything from antiques to cranes. Not just the brakes, but the hydrolics and other parts also.
I was into cars and the networking through this shop, really helped out. I got discounts all over. And got to know a bunch of serious racers. They were on the whole a good bunch, helped me with my projects, donated knowhow and parts. B&M hydro, Sharky's heads, Breedlove were some of our nieghbors.

 

[RichP]

First job at 14, pumping gas at my neighbors gas station. Cleaning engine parts, oil changes, grease jobs, etc. Also worked at a teenage nite club doing the light show. Summers I worked and traveled with a circus up and down the east coast. Winters worked as a welder for a a pipe manufacturer called Interpace, in 68 was making $15 an hour. Went in the Navy in the fall of 69.
My son, he worked as a judge, paintball, for skirmish USA, $8something an hour plus tips, weekends and sometimes 3x24 on the big games. He also works for a tree guy between classes, mostly manhandleing wood in the chipper and cutting, splitting, loading and delivering wood.
Daughter, worked as a Judge at skirmish, made much more money babysitting, she'd walk away with $60-$80 a nite, 4 hours usually. She had a freaking waiting list of clients with a big calendar. Now she goes to temple in philly and works at a starbucks, $10+ something an hour plus tips and coffee. She brought up like 8 lbs around xmas when she was home.

 

[Cottontail]

Detassling corn and walking beans....that is what you do in the summers in Iowa when you are in high school!

Then moved on to work one summer at a fun park, one summer waiting tables, I did some driving for the local auto auction.

Then when I got to college I worked as a runner for a law firm, a service agent for a rental car place, and worked in a warehouse.

After I graduated, while I was trying to get a position in my field, I worked for a temp agency that sent me all over the place for a few days or a few weeks at a time as needed.

That temp agency had me in a warehouse taping toothbrushes together (buy one get one free), boxing matchbooks, driving forklifts at a beer distributor, riding a garbage truck, doing evictions for the county sherriff.

The best job was the auto auction. I worked every Wednesday night driving cars from the lot though the lane for bidding. I may be there 2 hours, I may be there 4 hours, depending on the size of that particular sale. I got to drive A LOT of different cars. I was paid $30 flat per night regardless of how long the auction lasted. I would say it averaged to about $10 an hour...some nights $15 and hour, and some $7 or 8 an hour, but dang, it was a fun job!

 

[Kittrell]

alot better than my last job at round table.

Round Table Pizza! Man I miss California sometimes.

 

[dspilot]

I don't remember how old you said you were, but I know you said you were a senior. I would look into Fedex and UPS. Iworked for Fedex after I started college, and the pay is pretty good starting out(~9.00/hr), and they thrive on having students working for them due to the sort times (weird hours that usually coincide with when a student is out of school).

I would definately suggest checking them out. They pay decent and have excellent benefits--even for part timers. Some of the benefits that I can remember are: Tuition Reimbursement, Jumpseat Priveledges (free travel), Health Insurance, Flexible Hours and I am sure I am forgetting some.

They also have flexible hours, and you get to meet a lot of good people and work for a great company.

Just my .02, and a shameless plug for an old employer.

 

[neonrog]

I worked for a summer at a book bindery,which I got that job through a family friend. Then as a busboy/dishwasher at a roadside eatery thanks to a friend that already worked there. The next summer I went back to the bindery because I did a good job the year before. The bindery job was a summer job becasue they expanded to a second facility to recondition school books. My Senior year I worked as a waiter at a different truckstop, and then after I graduated, worked in a hospital laundry. That wasn't fun, but paid quite well. Later that summer I left for the Navy and put in my 20 years... Now I'v ebeen working as an Electronics tech for the last 5 years...

I got early jobs thanks to family or friends, but the jobs after the service have all been on my own merit. On the flip side, I spent a couple months unemployed 18 months ago and it sucked. What was worse for me was seeing illegals getting benefits *I* couldn't!

Don't be afraid to do dirty jobs, they sometimes pay better. And some jobs can lead to better things too. Good luck!

 

[Spudboy]

My first job was stocking shelves and cleanup/odd jobs at a 7-11 store. I then went to work for my dad at a transmission shop. Started out mopping the floor and sweeping the parking lot. By the time I graduated from high school I was rebuilding trannys. Good to have family in a business like that. Dad sold the shop the day after I graduated and moved to Idaho. So I got a job with Manpower as a day laborer. I found a lot of jobs I didn't want to do for the rest of my life, but the pay wasn't bad and some of the work was fun. Joined the Navy six months later and the rest is history.

My kids have had jobs like have been mentioned already. Two of the girls worked at Target. It was a excellent place to work. Accomodated their extracurricular activities and when the oldest moved to another area for college, they arranged to have her transferred to a store in that area. My youngest daughter now works for Jack-in-the-Box and enjoys it. She sees all her friends, the pay isn't bad, and her manager is real good about working with her schedule. The boys have worked as janitors, department store sales, waiting tables at restaurants, working at the kiosks in the mall, etc.

My advice would be to look at the places you go to eat, shop or entertain yourself. While you are there, ask if you can apply for a job. Most people I see today are looking for an easy job that pays a lot of money - it ain't gonna happen, so pay your dues. Get a job (any job) and start working your way up.

 

[cherokee89]

My first job was at a high-end grocery store in a very nice part of town. The pay was OK. I worked too many hours, but that is my fault. The MILF watching was incredible. Rich soccer moms at least a dozen times a day!

Man, I should have capatilized on that situation a little more....

 

[PhunkXJ]

My first job was working at The Buckle in the mall. I did that for about 3 months then worked at American Eagle for a few months and then decided mall hours sucked and my paychecks were going right back to the store because I had to wear their clothes.

The best job I had was as a cashier at Menard's. I think I started at $7/hr which was awesome compared to what I made at the mall. I got a raise every 3 months, at least 0.10/hour and as much as 0.50 depending on my performance or manager's mood. When I graduated high school I got a dollar/hour raise after I showed them my diploma. I ended up being there for a little over 2 years and left making a salary of $13/hour. The best thing about working for Menard's was that if I put the days I needed off in on time about 2-3 weeks, I always got them, the schedules were available 2-3 weeks ahead of time, and I only had to work every other weekend. It was perfect for my high school schedule.

 

[planefixer]

I got my first job when I was 12 (circa 1979).My Grandparents were contracted to manage/operate a small, county airport at the time.I got paid to help wrench on airplanes as well as airport grounds maintenance.My family has been into aviation since Gramps was a kid and I, along with my older brother,now own and operate the family business that Gramps started back in 1974.In highschool I had a few food related jobs and did some landscaping and construction after highscool was over but ended up going back to wrenching on airplanes and sticking with it because its what I know/do best and didn't really like doing other types of jobs.

 

[bmyohn]

my first job was delivering papers in 4th grade...now i work on a farm and do maintenence stuff...i get paid 7.25 an hour...its fun...no regular hours(go in whenver i want)...farms are always looking for people to work...not so much in the winter but spring through fall..i would hit up some farms..its fun work too!

 

[dspilot]

Also check out Lowe's and Home Depot. They pay pretty good, and are usually good to work for also.

 

[Gramps]

Picking Cotton

 

[casm]

First job: age 15, doing demolition/renovation work on a convent being converted into a retirement home over the summer. Pretty awesome job, and the pay was decent. Lived on-site, which was great from the partying aspect. Never went back into that sort of work, but learned a lot about how houses are built and maintained that's come in useful in later life.

Best job: trainee assistant director. Worked my 180 days over three summers on various film & TV productions (mostly commercials). The day I got my 3rd Assistant Director's ticket, though, I basically woke up and realised I wasn't interested in being in the film industry anymore. Paid well, but the hours blew - 5am to midnight wasn't uncommon.

Worst job: fast food, working for Eddie Rocket's (Irish equivalent to Johnny Rocket's). Pay sucked, customers sucked, tips sucked, co-workers were morons. That lasted about a month-and-a-half before I went to pumping gas in the local petrol station, which was a huge improvement - I pretty much sat on my a** all day reading the newspaper and making change for people once they'd got their fuel.

 

[2000_XJ]

when i was 16 i got my first job at jiffy lube that place sucked but i did learn a few things. then i went to a tire shop when i was 17 im still there and its good cause i get awsome discounts on tires and i have access to techs and tools to work on my truck

 

[DansGreyMj]

i worked for this guy
http://kiwiindian.com/