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Here's an inspiring article about what some now rich and famous folks did early in their working days. Just goes to show that our first jobs don't have to be glamorous, and if they aren't, won't limit us from going on to bigger and better things.
From Focus.com:
The Humbling First Jobs of 25 Very Successful Celebrities and Business Leaders
Reading these stories about other folks reminds me of some of my early jobs. My very first job, besides the chores around the home, was filing papers in my dad's company office. I absolutely hated that job. I was 15 and thankfully it was only for a summer between school.
Another early job I held was pumping gas at a Tenneco Station (quick-mart type place) in Atlanta. (Anyone remember Tenneco?) This was long before self-serve gas stations. Not only could I pump the gas -- I checked the oil, tires, and washed windshields, all while the fill-up was running! Many of my regular customers would tip me well, too.  I was about 20 and held that job during a winter to pay for my first car. I had to be at work by 6:00a. Brrrrr Though the sunrises were often beautiful.
What were your first jobs? |
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Sep 27, 2010 | 6:05 pm |
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Artist
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Besides always having stuff to do around the house, the first job I got paid for was being a vet assistant. it's not that glamorous. animals get scared and make messes that required me to clean it up, and they range in viscosity and coloration and stench. Currently I intern at the association for diplomatic studies and training though, which is my second "job" so to speak. I'm to young to really say much about anything professional... |
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Sep 27, 2010 | 6:17 pm |
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My first job was that of a paper boy. This was back in, likely, the late 70's.
Note: The worst time to deliver papers is when it is raining and dark. Never mind the cold of winter. Raining and dark mornings at 4:30 in the morning are the worst. |
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Sep 27, 2010 | 6:19 pm |
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The first job I did as a pro was that of Radio DJ for a free form FM radio station...
As a kid I just played sports and failed at school as a past time  |
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Sep 27, 2010 | 7:11 pm |
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Dishwasher. Led to a lucrative 8 years of dishwashing jobs, with a couple of cooking jobs in between.
I noticed I could make more money washing dishes. Far more overtime at my usual place (TGI Fridays) for dishwashers. No one was jockeying for night dishwasher hours. |
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Sep 27, 2010 | 7:33 pm |
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Well, besides mowing all the lawns on my street between 11 yrs old and 13, I was a sod buster. That means cutting out and pulling up sod to sell to the public. That was at 15 yrs of age. |
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Sep 28, 2010 | 4:09 pm |
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As a kid, I was a babysitter! Making a whopping 15 cents an hour! Yes! I am THAT old....I used to babysit God!
Right out of high school I was a car hop at the A & W Rootbeer joint...
Great thread Bec... |
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Sep 28, 2010 | 5:08 pm |
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My first real job -where i needed to apply with a social security card - was a salesgirl at a 5 & 10 cent store. Then i went on to bigger things as a meat wrapper in supermarket. But long before that at about age 8 or 9 iused to wow them with my math skills at the bowling alley. Made a lot of tips keeping score for bowlers. |
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Sep 28, 2010 | 5:50 pm |
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My first jobs was paperboy, then working at newsagency then on to work at Adidas factory, eventually working with famous sport stars who would come in to get custom made runners for their sports, most famous for you cricketing fans was Dennis Lillee After that well.... |
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Sep 28, 2010 | 6:38 pm |
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Artist
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I started performing as a magician quite young, and was semi-pro from about age 10-18 - lots of children's shows, birthday parties and eventually adults in restaurants.
My first, and one of only a few, 9-5 jobs was making digital art for a software developer on Acorn Archimedes. Lasted a couple weeks, turned out my boss' husband was colour-blind. We got into fights over what colour the sky should be. I also forgot to negotiate wages in advance so when I saw my first miniscule paycheck I walked out.
Typesetting for a design agency was much worse - they had me typing up statutory lawbooks and entering all the tiny numbers into train timetables; think I managed a month of that.
One-hour-photo guy at a busy tourist shop in Trafalgar Square; I was there for the perks which included unlimited large-scale photoprints of my personal artwork, free food and coffee and dispensing unlicensed pharmaceuticals like Valium & Viagra. My eccentric boss let me work in my wolf-eared hoodie and drink alcopops on the job.
I can't really recommend employment, except as a brief learning experience; then again my life is less than "rich and glamourous" now.
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Sep 28, 2010 | 7:23 pm |
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Such an interesting thread!
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Sep 28, 2010 | 7:33 pm |
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My first actual paying job...
Hmmm I was in the Fur Dressing and Dying plant, using fleshing machines and other industrial equipment.
What a glamorous dirty job!!!!!! |
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Sep 28, 2010 | 9:37 pm |
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My first job was in the summer of '74 (like lilmom I needed a SS card) as a counselor in a day camp ... that financed my darkroom as a kid (had aspirations of becoming a photographer) ... summers of '76 and '77, counselor in a day camp again which financed my first 2 bass guitars ... first REAL job from '78 to '81 in a bank as an audit clerk |
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Sep 28, 2010 | 10:44 pm |
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In law school I did some work as a ghostwriter while in uni for the chancellor of our university. & did editing work for a book being published by our country's president at that time, Corazon C. Aquino. |
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Sep 29, 2010 | 1:48 am |
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Artist
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My first job, when I was 14 years old was working for an indoor Paintball site called Zap. I used to work weekends and school holidays and stayed there until it closed when I was 19 years old. I used to Marshall the paintball games and laser-tag games, as well as all the other activities we used to have like Bungey Running, BB Shooting Range, Barfly Jumping, Bouncy Boxing and much much more... It was probably the funnest job I have ever worked! |
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Sep 29, 2010 | 5:05 am |
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