First Paying Job

[TerryKing]

Hi, I Noticed a couple Ham Radio people here. I went from Ham to studying the Thick book commercial Radio License manual all through one summer and my study hall in sophomore year of high school. Took and passed the 3rd and 2nd class commercial radiotelephone licenses. Study hall monitor thought I was weird, drawing schematic diagrams in my notebook.

5 days after my 16th (1956) birthday I went to work at WELI in New Haven, CT as "Transmitter Engineer". $1.50 an hour while friends were making 50 cents at the hamburger drivein. Every job I have had since has "Engineer" in the title. I had a big battle with IBM who tried to stick me with "Advisory Systems Analyst" because I was writing software. For Hardware I designed! I won. So 66 years later I run a small company designing and selling educational electronics kits and robots. I gave myself the job title "Chief Engineer" :-)

Kinda Survival Of The Nerds...

Regards, Terry King
...In The Woods In Vermont
The one who dies with the most Parts LOSES! WHAT DO YOU NEED??

[corn18]

Originally Posted by doneitall72

Grew up on a dairy farm. At 8yo, I was helping with both the morning & evening milkings. 25¢ / week IIRC. By the time I was in high school, graduated to something much higher...maybe $10 / week + room & board as my Mom used to remind me. First 'real' paying job was as an Ensign in the US Navy.

I did about the same thing. Always working at home helping with the dog grooming/boarding/breeding business. Cutting wood, trapping and hunting to make extra money for the family. Never had a paid job.

First paycheck was when I went to the Naval Academy in 1984. $30/mo. When I graduated in 1988, it was up to $90/mo. I damn near crapped my pants when I picked up my first Ensign paycheck. $765. I had no idea what I was going to do with all that money. And then they gave me another one 2 weeks later. When I retired last year, that's what I was making an hour.

[Donskiman]

I did the grass mowing thing for my elderly neighbors starting when I was 10. Once a week during the mowing season until I was 16, then I gave the job to my best friend's little brother. My friend across the street had the newspaper gig locked up. He delivered 2 different morning papers and 2 different afternoon papers. Chicago had lots of papers in the 60s. I did his route a few times when he went on vacation. I helped him fold and rubber band papers many times.

First "real" job was a dishwasher at a local Italian restaurant for $1.00/hour. It was washing dishes by hand, no machines. After a couple weeks my hands were raw and I quit. Got a new job at a Bonanza steak house. Started as a dishwasher and within 2 years was assistant manager and then eventually manager. Liked the job, but hated the long hours as I worked 9 AM - 11 PM 5 days, half a day on another day and 1 day off. That was between 70-80 hours a week.

[dniebel67]

In the early 60s I worked at an amusement park in Baltimore, MD for no pay just got to take the small rental power boats out for some joy riding Later on I got a job at a car dealership as a lot boy (gopher) doing everything and anything they asked me to do. I was 16 at the time and had my driver's license so I got to drive some of the new cars around (and some were Lincoln Continentals). I started out at a whole .70 an hour and thought I was in hog heaven when they gave me a .10 raise. I think the .10 raise meant more to me because not so much in the amount but because they thought I was doing a good job.

[matcoman]

I retired last year after working full time for 52 years with only 3 jobs in my career. (Well, other than working at cutting a few neighbors yards for spending money when I was really young)
Retail department store - 4 years
Paint Store / Paint outside sales - 11 years
Small Business Owner - 37 years.



Now, I volunteer one day a week with Habitat for Humanity and one day a week at the local county recycling center. (Only 5 hour days though).

[Sokcap48]

My first summer job at age 12 was hoeing sugar beets for a farmer down the road a mile or so. Five cents a row and the rows were a quarter mile long. Next year I graduated to bucking hay bales for $1 an hour-I was in the money then :-)- that helped me buy my first car. A 1955 Chevy.

[Holiday1]

Setting pins in a bowling alley. $0.55 per hour plus tips.

HR Endeavor
Doug & Pam

[Arch Hoagland]

Originally Posted by Holiday1

Setting pins in a bowling alley. $0.55 per hour plus tips.

HR Endeavor
Doug & Pam

That was my first job too at age 13 in 1958. 10 cents a game.

There was a treadle you pressed with your foot and steel spikes would pop up which you then placed the bowling pins on.

Good money when you set two adjacent lines at a time.

[baraff]

I was a stockboy part time at Woolworth's, pay was $1.60/hr. It had some "benefits", in that the lunch counter lady liked me and would cook me up anything I wanted for free. Also, the Woolworth's was across the street from the high school so sometimes we'd ditch a class and go sit at the counter, smoke cigs and drink coffee. One time I saw the Dean of Students heading our way so I grabbed all my friends and we hid in the stockroom until he left. Good times!

[Marshalone]

I pumped gas at a B/A station in Unionville, Ontario, Saturdays and Sundays for 50 cents. That paid for a frozen fudge bar ( 5 cents) every day on my walk home from school, way back in the mid 60s.

[Bobby F]

In 1970 - I was 13 - I talked my way into a job at a local boat/motorcycle store assembling new Hondas out of their crates on weekends and a few evenings every week.

I really hope the buyers during my first few weeks checked all of their fasteners. I really had no idea what I was doing.

[Lowdie24]

13 years old, worked weekends, holidays and everyday possible on residential construction site. Started at $1.50 and hour; when working a Saturday got a cheque at end of shift. During school holidays got paid every two weeks like everyone else. After a couple of years got a boost to $1.75. Grade 12 found me moving to full labourer on framing crew ($4.00 per hour - REAL Money).
Left there when started apprenticeship at $3.16 per hour as Electronic Technician
Left there 42 years later and went back into working construction for a friend building custom residential houses and renos.
So, Full Circle..

Fully retired now though.

[bizzerbiz]

At 15 took a summer job as a carpet cleaner assistant through a friend whose dad knew the owner. Worked weekends during school. Did the same @16,17 and then after graduating high school, full timed it until finally starting my own business. 42 years total, retired at 57. No regrets!

[fuelish]

I had the usual jobs before 16 and could apply for a corporate job. I cleaned houses, mowed lawns and babysat from 10 to 16. My first job with a paycheck was for Dairy Queen. I still judge kids behind the counter on their curlycue.

I found my favorite job to date when I was 16 going on 17, I parked cars for upper crust parties. The people giving the party didn't want their guests parking down the road and walking to the house. It was a a blast. I've driven most every marque and very rare examples of them.

Looking back it is kind of funny to think I peaked jobwise at 18 years old.

Mike