How old were you when you first started working and what was your first job?

1. 84

   stayingalivemomaposted 12 years ago

   How old were you when you first started working and what was your first job?
   
   For me, it was 2 weeks before my 16th birthday when I started working. I was a waitress at Bakers Square in Michigan.

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2. 77

   Billy Hicksposted 12 years ago

   My first job was running one of the Ice Cream carts Walt Disney World, specifically at MGM Studios (as it was known back then).
   
   To this day I still get itchy just thinking about those @%$&*# uniforms, lol.

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3. 74

   WryLiltposted 12 years ago

   I was 17, in highschool and it was working at Subway. They fired me after 3 months because, they said, I was good at the job but the fact I was a vegetarian meant I couldn't differentiate between all the meats.

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   1. 84

      stayingalivemomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      omg...that is hilarious!

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4. 78

   bankscottageposted 12 years ago

   I had a paper route when I was 11 and have been working ever since.

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5. 59

   Dee aka Nonnaposted 12 years ago

   I think I've worked all my life....helping neigbors do yard work, etc and I would earn 50 cent or something.   But, my first "real" job was the summer before entering college I worked for a small boutique.   At the end of the day I would go in and help the owner put away items or restock, etc and then I would vacuum.

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6. 71

   lburmasterposted 12 years ago

   I was 16 and working at the YMCA as a swim instructor.

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   1. 84

      stayingalivemomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      very cool, maybe you can teach me how to swim...lol, I'd have to get over my fear of water first, though!

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   2. 71

      lburmasterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I've taught adults before. An entire family from Florida actually. The grandmother, both her daughters, and their children. None knew how to swim in the beginning, but after a summer, the daughters and grandchildren could swim. Not the grandmother.

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7. 0

   Garifaliaposted 12 years ago

   You just sent me 34 years back to Target Stores on the Southwest Freeway, Houston Texas. It was a hot summer and I was sweet sixteen. I began as a cashier and went on to customer service. I still have pictures from there because I continued working there till I left the US at age 21. Targé, as we called it back then, became my second home.

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8. 71

   teaches12345posted 12 years ago

   My first job was babysitting for my older sister.  It was good for me because it taught me responsibility and commitment.

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9. 82

   Credence2posted 12 years ago

   Just past 16, sanitary engineer-janitor for an Airport concession stand.-Denver

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10. 41

    heartexpressionsposted 12 years ago

    I was 16 years old, and I was a cashier at the now defunt Grand Union grocery store.  I have lots of great memories from that job.

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11. 56

    BeatsMeposted 12 years ago

    At 12, first year high school. As a saleslady in our family business. It was compulsory. lol.

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    1. 0

       Garifaliaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Were you in High school at 12? Really? You must be very clever and lucky.

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    2. 56

       BeatsMeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Hello Garifalia, I don't know the standard in the US, but in most private schools in the Philippines, 12 yrs old in first year HS is quite the standard age.

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    3. 0

       Garifaliaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Wow, I'm impressed. At what age do you start primary school? or is it that from 7th grade up it's considered high school?

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    4. 96

       Cardisaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       We have 10 and 11 year olds entering high school here in Jamaica as well. The US system is different in that there is a junior high then the "high". In some other countries it's just one high school.

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    5. 56

       BeatsMeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Hi Garifalia, in most schools, there are no 7th grade. We start HS after grade 6. But exclusive schools does have grade 7, then they start HS after that.

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12. 71

    Mazzy Boleroposted 12 years ago

    I was 16 and I got a part-time job in a local convenience store. One of the other employees told me he'd heard we could have 10% off things bought in the store, so we both asked the owner if that was the case. He was very angry and told us no, we had to pay full price.  A few months later it became clear that someone was stealing from the cash register, and the owner decided to lay off the two of us who had asked about the discount. 
    
    The irony of that was that we were the only two who were not stealing from him! All the others were taking Cokes, candy, cakes, even toiletries, without paying a cent! They were getting 100% discount already, so they didn't need any more. But this idiot got rid of his only two honest employees and gave one of the thieves a raise!  Later I heard he had caught the store Manager red-handed stealing money from the register.  I never got an apology, though.

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    1. 81

       Magdeleneposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       It's nice that the store manager finally got caught, you feel somewhat vindicated but, an apology would have been nice. But I think you used the right terminology towards the owner 'But this idiot got rid of his only two honest employees'

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13. 60

    melbelleposted 12 years ago

    At the young age of around 10, I worked for people in the neigborhood providing manure for their garden beds (I owned horses).  From 13 to 15 I was babysitting a lot.  By 16, when I could drive, I first started working at a place that made false teeth (dentures).

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14. 0

    Casimiroposted 12 years ago

    I actually started working with my dad building single-family homes when I was about 14. I was paid 75 cents an hour. Obviously, it was mostly a summer job, but some weekends, too. By the time I was out of high school I was working for him as an independent contractor (better tax treatment that way) for about 5 bucks an hour. I always had spare cash in my pocket, believe it or not. I also did my own contracting of jobs, which, if I didn't screw it up, LOL, I could make pretty good money for back then.

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15. 85

    jansharesposted 12 years ago

    14, receptionist/office assistant at my church in Buffalo, New York

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16. 96

    Cardisaposted 12 years ago

    My first paying job, I was about 15/16 and my mom worked in the Cayman Islands. I did summers there and I earned a lot of cash by working US$25 per day cleaning houses.
    
    My first real job was as a data entry clerk after high school at age 18.

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17. 76

    tsmogposted 12 years ago

    Washing cows at a Dairy around 15. I didn't have a drivers license and walked there. I think it was $1.45 an hour. I was cool wearing wader boots and got a discount at the store there. I laugh real loud thinking of my dad saying he walked five miles to go to school. Now, listen to me
    
    Officially I had a paper route in the 5th grade. Lived in Barstow, CA so no lawns to mow only dirt, rocks, sand and sand fish (lizards)

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18. 0

    GoldenThreadPressposted 12 years ago

    I have been working since I was 13 years old. I started out in the YCC, Youth Conservation Corps, similar to the CCC, Civilian Conservation Corps, established back in the 1930's to help get the unemployed working. It was a job run by both my state's Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. We created trails, dams, cleared brush, painted picnic tables, counted waterfowl--basically, whatever needed to be done!

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19. 70

    puregraceposted 12 years ago

    I started working at 12, in a raspberry patch, picking flats of raspberries. My younger sister and I biked about five or six miles to get there and back each day. I made $48 for the season!

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20. 61

    cpengeposted 12 years ago

    I started working as soon as I could get my working papers which was 14 years old.  My parents wanted me to learn responsibility and taking pride in what I do.  I initially started where my father worked part time, as I did not drive which made it easy.  I worked at a ski and sport shop.  It was nice earning money and being able to see my dad.  I had fun and learned about responsibility within a position.

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21. 69

    TeachableMomentsposted 12 years ago

    I did some babysitting when I turned 15. The kids walked all over me, but I loved every minute.

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22. 81

    Magdeleneposted 12 years ago

    I was 15 and I washed dishes at a busy restaurant. A few Months down the road I progressed to other jobs like waiting tables and room cleaning.

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23. 69

    flimposted 12 years ago

    I was 18 years old when I did my first job as a kindergarten teacher.
    
    I had a good 6 months vacation before university admission and thought of using the time to fulfil my childhood dream of being a kindergarten teacher.
    
    It was good fun until I have to spend too much energy coaxing the kids to sit down and listen to me, to get sore throat every other day for having to speak loudly consecutively for few hours etc. But i still smile looking back at that part of my memory!

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