What was your first job as a teenager and what did you learn from it?
A first job is a person's entry into the labor market. While many first jobs require few, if any, skills and frequently don't teach the employee new technical skills, the employee can learn important soft skills like responsibility, customer service, teamwork, etc. which are useful for future career success.
My first job was as a dishwasher at a restaurant. I think it was a Ponderosa. I was a bit young to learn any valuable lessons. I was only 15. Not sure you can even work that young anymore. The only things I remember is how good the little chicken wings were when they were free leftovers at the end of the night, and to never pour grease into a plastic trash can when it is hot enough to melt through the bottom (boy, was that a mess).
My first job was working at Target. I just left that job about 2 weeks ago because I got a part time job related to my major. Anyway, I learned that working for Target is like being a slave. I worked there for 2 years, my starting pay was $8 and my ending pay was $8.12, I got a 6 cent raise each year. The reason you ask? Because I didn't communicate the benefits of opening a Target credit card...I WORKED IN THE FREEZER SECTION. Besides that, they throw out a TON of food every day, like this one time I was FORCED to throw out 200 bananas because they had a little bit of brown, oh and if you think your being a good citizen by going to Target and recycling your plastics, glass and cans, you should think again, Target throws those recyclables right in the trash after they empty them! On top of all that, the managers were (and probably still are) disrespectful to all the employees. Overall, I learned to never let my future kids work in retail!
Besides babysitting, my first real job was as a sales clerk making $1.00 an hour in the notions department. I think most of the younger people have never seen a notions department but were popular in the 60's. I learned to save money.
My first job was being a worker for local environmentalists - we would cut the grass at the places under enviromental protection (usually because there had been some special plants, insects or animals living there), and then spend ages by raking the dried grass, either burning it somewhere or loading it to someone who would use the drie grass to feed his cattle. If I learnt anything, it was mostly just about what lives where, how to hold the rakes properly without breaking them, how to move huge amounts of it on pitchforks, how to burn the grass in a fireplace and not to burn the whole locality instead, and how some people wouldn't get good joke even if it bit them in the nose.
I spent several summers on this work - they pay was good, but in the end, I obviously wasn't bootlicking the newest boss enough (didn't bring him snacks, wasn't flirting with him and also wasn't his girlfriend), so I wasn't called for more work, and didn't earn as much as I would like, so I quit. Which I think is quite a pity - I think I was quite capable in what I was doing, and earned my pay honestly.
At age 15 I painted my parents house under the supervision of a Master Painter, wherein I learned never never never work for your father. At 16 I went to work in a grocery store and worked my way through college with that job. There I learned how to smile and be polite to complete morons (customers) even though it was extremely painful to do so.
My first job was actually 3 jobs, working on a strawberry farm picking strawberries by hand from 3pm until dark. I learned that a strawberry pickin would have went a lot faster if I hadn't been eating more than I was picking... I also worked on a ranch training horses which taught me a lot about myself and that I could work as one with the horse, and my 3rd job was working at the family pet store and that taught me all my people skills which I'm very grateful for today.
My first job was weed pulling. My father has his own lawn cutting service and I would help him with it. (Oh, and I love the picture of the dog. So cute!)
My first job was as a babysitter for staff members at summer camp. I learned a few valuable lessons: 1. don't tell the mom that she's missed her child's first steps; 2. I learned that it's best to make a big joke out of the rumors you're the subject of...it makes them go away MUCH faster; 3. I learned that hormonal boys will say ANYTHING to justify their infidelity; and 4. to determine a person's sincerity one needs to go deaf and just watch the person's actions.
Too bad I forgot a few of these lessons along the way...lol.
I started off babysitting as a young teenager. My first real job was a cashier. It taught be a lot about responsibility and customer service. It also taught me that I liked earning money lol..
I was raised in Brooklyn. When I was 15, we were told we would be moving to Florida in a year. Having parents with strong work ethic already put me ahead of the game. I wanted a car and knew I'd have to earn it myself.
Figuring Florida had cheaper vehicles, my plan was to work that entire year and save every penny I made so when we moved, I'd have enough for my first car.
I was 15 and had 2 jobs. My very first job was a receptionist at a hair salon, where I only worked weekends. I answered phones, greeted customers, set appointments and cleaned up after close. It wasn't enough money so I looked around and found a cashier job working right after school Mon-Fri. I held these 2 jobs for almost a year and as soon as we moved to Florida, I had enough money to buy my first car; 1967 Chevy Impala, just like the Winchesters on Supernatural. It wasn't the Corvette I always wanted but it was all mine, paid with my own cash and without help from anyone. I even paid for my own insurance.
What I learned from my first job wasn't really anything I didn't already learn from my parents but I did learn how to manage and budget my money in order to obtain something I wanted. I also learned to deal with a diversity of personalities who wanted money as much as I did and lastly, to be financially aggressive and very frugal.
My first job was as a student gardener and I was paid horribly, so the major lesson was to charge what you are worth for things.
I have been in international online business industry ever since I graduated from my college. My first job was sales assistant in a export company and I had the opportunity to contact people all over the world. It is a great and pleasant job experience.
My first job was working as a service crew in one of the leading food outlet chains in our country. Not only have I earned quite a lot of money to support my studies but I have learned the basics when it comes to customer service, time management and the importance of team effort with other colleagues.
I guess I was one of the lucky one who didn't have to work at a young age! I went straight from my grad school to my professional job in my field. Never had any problems
I worked at a golf course, picking up range balls and washing carts. I learned that just because someone can afford to be part of a fancy country club, doesn't always mean that they are necessarily happier than others. Most times I'd rather be in the dingy hole they had us wash carts in, where the employees had a sense of humor and a positive outlook, then up with the cranky members.
My first job ever was as a typewriter. Yes, it may sound hilarious but I made pretty good money for a thirteen year old. My neighbor was a translator, a pretty good one at that, too, but she was not very computer savvy. So whenever she had to translate documents, she would have me type them out as she would dictate them. It was a humdrum job, but it was pretty easy and as I was helping her, I was also helping myself become more efficient on the keyboard, which as we all know is a very useful skill in today's world, whether it be for leisurely communication, or productive endeavors.
by Truckstop Sally 13 years ago
What was your first job? Did it impact your current job and/or teach you a life lesson? How?
by ptosis 12 years ago
What was your very first job as a teenager?
by Sherri 12 years ago
What was your first paid job?How old were you? How much did it pay? What did you learn from it?
by JP Carlos 4 years ago
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