What was your first job?

Wendy's. I saved enough money to buy a stereo for a car I didn't have. Later traded it even for a CM400T Honda. My first real taste of freedom.

Mowing lawns.

Pet Salesman, for a local chain called Pet Depot.

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:

$5.15 was the minimum when I started my grocery store job. I think I made maybe $5.85 or so to start, though. I also seem to recall that the min wage increased shortly after I started, because I think I got screwed on my wage scale relative to the next few waves of people hired after me.

Crazy to think that was a mere 10 years ago, and now that wouldn't even buy you McDonalds value meal or a pack of cigarettes before taxes.

revrico wrote:

paranoid_android74 wrote: Not one place I worked stayed in business more than a year after I left.

It makes it really hard to list prior employers when they're all gone. I think I'm cursed, or a bad luck charm.

Yes, it sure does make it hard!

The three machine shops I worked for are long gone. As are the two manufacturing places I worked for.

I've been at the University of Michigan for thirteen years now- I have yet to sink them!

Tom_Spangler wrote: Washing dishes at Pizza Hut. Moved up to cook in a few months.

I worked there too- started with dishes then delivered. It wasn't bad until I delivered to a domestic dispute.

Appointment scheduling for a realtor, also entailed filing, coping and faxing. Really not a bad first gig at all. I had far worse after it.

Doing PC repair from home.

Busboy/Dishwasher at a Chinese Restaurant. Lots of great, free food. Many cute female waitresses. Nighly cash from a share of the tips. Ate more $$$ in General Tso Chicken than I earned.

At ten I started working for my dad on his 7up route. $10 a day all summer and whenever school was out. Delivering and packing out soda, learning paperwork, loading the truck, maintaining a few soda machines and making up bank deposits. It taught me a lot of important things like how to balance 10 cases of two liter bottles on a hand truck, lug them down stairs to a deli basement and that I didn't want to do it forever. At 13 I also picked up a paper route so I had money year-round. I did them both until I turned 16 and the bottling company went under and took a the routes with it. My dad went onto deliver frozen food and I started working in an electrical warehouse.

First job was at Harris Teeter (grocery store) that we lovingly referred to as Harry Tweeter. Worked there in high school and went up to a customer service clerk. Worked with some great senior managers who really wanted me to persue a long term career as a store manager. My Dad always said what a great job it was but I really didn't like it. Working that job made me want to become an engineer that much more so I'd never have to work nights or weekends again.

After one semester of college I said Berk that and went to work with a local land surveyor.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: What was Minimum Wage when you all started working? My mom talks about making $0.65/hr when she started at a farm stand. It was $4.25 for me in about 1993-1994. I go raises along the way to increase my wage to $5.15 just about the time they increased it to $5.15. Thanks Obama.

Pretty sure it was $3.35/hr when I was in high school, but unemployed. Google says is was $4.25/hr in 1991 when I became a civilian again, hence thinking $6/hr wasn't so bad.

I was being paid $2.25 an hour to sweep out houses under construction and I saved every penny to pay cash for a brand new 1980 Datsun.

You could buy a lid back then for $35.00.

Farm laborer. Picked cotton & was paid by the pound. Worked in tobacco for 25 cents an hour.

Minimum wage was $3.35 so at 10+hours I was underpaid but my rent and meals were taken care of so I was doing alright.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: What was Minimum Wage when you all started working? My mom talks about making $0.65/hr when she started at a farm stand. It was $4.25 for me in about 1993-1994. I go raises along the way to increase my wage to $5.15 just about the time they increased it to $5.15. Thanks Obama.

$5.15 for me, in 2003. ~$500/month before taxes(as a minor, limited to 30 hours a week or something stupid, maybe 28). Car insurance + cell phone were $300/month. Had it not been a second job, I don't think I would have been able to afford to go to work by the time I paid for repairs on my lemon of a truck.

Main job at that time was still construction, so I was making $9/hour cash, that at least helped with repairs, but still not what I'd consider livable or worth the bullE36 M3.

Minimum wage was $2.10/ hr in '75 at the burger flippin' joint (totally wrong turn there on that job) but Burger Boss got me a co-op get out of school free at noon every day although I only worked 1-2 days/ week at those hrs. Better than first farm job but realised closing and maintenance weren't gonna cut it except for partyin'. Off to trade school, rest is history.