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What was your first job? How did it change your view of the world? If you haven't worked yet, what do you expect your job to be? What do you hope for it to be?
Mine was at a telemarketing firm for the Republican National Committee's 2006 campaign. We were paid 12$/hr to mass-dial self-identified conservatives. The conditions were alright, and the people we talked to were, for the most part, ok. However, there were always rude people on the other end of the line, and around five or so calls out of every hundred would be to people from the more extreme end of the political spectrum. Those calls were always fun, because you knew that if you just sat through their rant about how Democrats would lead the country to immorality/socialism/fiery pits of Hell, then you could get them to donate, and that would put you one donation closer to winning the weekly prize (usually baseball or NBA tickets).
Near the end of the term, we switched to fundraising for the National Right to Life, whose script included graphic descriptions of cutterage and dilation and used the phrase "our organization only promotes lawful methods to stop these horrific acts of infant murder."
Yeah, but it was 12 an hour, so it was pretty good.
 
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Currently having my first job, been working in a supermarket for 1 year now. I get paid super crappy (5euro/hr, 7$/hr) but hey, im 17 years old so icant get much better lol.
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Dishwashing. Don't know the pay, but learned to appreciate honest work.
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Worked at a post office downtown in a shoppers drugmart. It sucked to say the least. More complicated than you would think and the pay was barely above minimum wage. I got fired after a few months for telling my white trash drug addicted co worker to fuck off after having her boss me around like she was the manager. Th eonly thing that job taught me was it could be a lot worse than the place I'm working at now.
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Canada8036 Posts
McDonald's!
Working there really helps you empathize with other fast food employees since working there kinda sucks. It was hot as hell during the summer, and the lines never seem to get smaller during peak times. I try to be less of a dick to them whenever I go now.
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I'm an Instructor at Kumon. My first job.
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Working in the hay fields. Below minimum wage. No taxes though, it was all shady, so probably a but higher than minimum wage. Still my only job since no one wants me for anything else; degrees and good grades are worthless.
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cheese factory..... didnt eat cheese for a veeeeery long time. (also got an aversion to cheese ingame!)
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On February 22 2011 08:28 Pyrrhuloxia wrote:
Working in the hay fields. Below minimum wage. No taxes though, it was all shady, so probably a but higher than minimum wage. Still my only job since no one wants me for anything else; degrees and good grades are worthless.
I did the same thing picking corn for a local farmer when I was like 12. Made 5 dollars an hour which turns out to be a lot of money for a 12 year old even though I only worked 2 or 3 hours a day.
My first legit job was for min wage (like 6 bucks I think at the time) as a cook and bar back at a bowling alley. It's sad to think I made more per hour after taxes when I was 12 then when I was 18... There was certainly a lot more hours to be had as a cook though.
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Worked at bestbuy for a year. started at $8.50, ended at $10.50 after 11months. sold geeksquad services and service plans to a ton of people. people i worked with were "ok", had 2 good managers, 1 shit manager. 1 lazy ass co-worker who talked all day about how much he "knew". good experience to lead me into a sales career.
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I worked in a department store (Argos) Christmas holiday worker.. I took the order tickets got the item from the warehouse, brought it to the collect desk.. go me!
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@OP:
What are/were your political leanings? Did you believe in what you were doing at the time? You may have talked to my grandparents or other relatives lol...
The first time I was on a payroll and payed taxes was when I worked at the tutoring center at my college. I learned that teaching is the best way to learn, but it takes a lot of patience. I can still do calc/pre-calc/general chem 7 years later.
My first full-time experience: I spent a summer working construction in the cascade mountains in WA. Hated it. I learned what a "run-out-the-clock" scenario was when not referring to sports. I also learned about unions and how hard it is to find people that want to work...
My first 'real' job after graduating was working for a specialty gas fill plant in SoCal. I was a GC chemist, my duties were about half blue collar (wore a uniform and steel toes, used wrenches and pallet jacks etc) and about half white collar (used spreadsheet and database programs to calculate and document results). I learned that I actually do like using my hands to work, but I also need the problem solving/analytical element as well. I also learned a lot about how industry works, from using oracle to business relationships to management styles etc.
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I was a bagger boy at a local grocery store. Was decent for being 15 years old since I got minimum wage+some tips when I'd carry old peoples' stuff to their car.
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Worked as a stock guy / general store clerk for a small cornershop during a summer earning a mean £5 per hour (less than min wage  ), wasn't bad as I had a huge amount of control over my working hours.
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Movie theater for 1 day; then I broke my leg playing basketball for my high school the next day. It was fun, and I wish I would've been able to do it for longer.
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Dishawasher right now, 8$ an hour minimum wage. It sucks, im 16 been here a year
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On February 22 2011 08:28 Blisse wrote:
I'm an Instructor at Kumon. My first job.
HAHA me too! I get paid 9.50$/hour. Pretty decent for easy work.
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My first job was at the age of 14 working as an actor for the Haunted houses near my parents house. The pay was decent, but since I was considered a child actor the houses were allowed to work me hours that typically they couldn't make kids work. This meant some 8:00 pm -> 2:00 am shifts on weekends sometimes which sucked. Scaring people at that age was really, really fun though. Definitely worth it.
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On February 22 2011 08:22 Spazer wrote:
McDonald's!
Working there really helps you empathize with other fast food employees since working there kinda sucks. It was hot as hell during the summer, and the lines never seem to get smaller during peak times. I try to be less of a dick to them whenever I go now.
I work at Mcdonalds, I kind of like it. Work is good, manual labour is better, manual labour in close proximity to people you have a laugh with is great. Shame about the pay, the hats, and the generally awful way managers treat employees (cutting your hours to save labour costs when you have rent to pay, putting you on unpaid 'permanent breaks' until they need you to save on labour costs, getting you to stay until 1am then come back again at 7am, taking out their bad moods on employees, etc).
My first job was on tills at IKEA. Helped me grow into an even more calm, patient person than I already was. When you've got literally a hundred people queuing for your till alone you soon realise there's nothing for it other than just dealing with it and not getting stressed. Also the breaks helped me learn to appreciate the little things; my ipod with funny radio podcasts, a crunchie bar, a coffee and a view from the top floor crew restaurant were all I needed to be happy all day.
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My first job was working at the music library at my university for like $7 an hour or something ridiculously low like that. Now I work as a paramedic for more than double that.
For the next four years I'll be in massive debt and hopefully after that I'll be a doctor :-D making a lot more to climb back out of the hole.
BTW, maybe I'm overly anal but it just kept on bothering me, it's "dilation and curettage" in that order, not "cutterage and dilation". Just thought you should know.
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The day I turned 14 I started working at McDonalds for $5.25 an hour. Amazing how much money I saved and blew on shit making so little just working saturday and sunday. Wasn't a great job, almost all people that work at McDonalds that are older then 16 are fucking nutcases. But that made it more fun.
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United States473 Posts
I worked at Sonic's (hamburger fast food joint). I worked there for a summer for minimum wage when I was 16 to pay for a computer that could play Diablo 2. Stupid best friend getting me into Diablo 2.
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$8.25 /hour at Blockbuster. I learned how shitty working 40 hours a week and not even breaking $500 every 2 weeks was  . Retail jobs just suck so much. It didn't help that I had a manager that worked us like slaves either. =/
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When I was in elementary I ran a beverage business and traded Pokemon cards. I made $1,000 dollar in a few months and got lazy. Kept going with the card trading, but gave up on the drinks after summer.
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I pumped gas, and I was damn good at it
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My dentist hired me to learn and use an AutoCAD program called OrthoCAD to measure 3D models of Jaws for braces. Pay was damn good. I got paid per case and it was pretty damn easy. I easily pulled in $50 an hour. I went through the 200 odd cases so fast that I was soon let go after about a month of work.
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NeverGG
United Kingdom5399 Posts
I worked in a 'bargain' store. (Kind of like Dollar Tree or Poundland.) It made me hate (certain) people, but it was so grueling that I got used to hard work. I didn't even need to have the job since I was living at home, but I wanted some extra cash and work experience. I actually went to work for another branch of the company during Uni, but quit once I got my second comic shop job (which I stayed in for the rest of my two years at uni.)
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On February 22 2011 09:47 Sigh wrote:Show nested quote +On February 22 2011 08:28 Blisse wrote:
I'm an Instructor at Kumon. My first job. HAHA me too! I get paid 9.50$/hour. Pretty decent for easy work.
High-five! Where do you work?
My place is pretty busy on the days I'm on, but I usually work with the same kids, so it's really nice. I've heard some centers are terrible though.
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I had a paper round when I was like 16. First actual job was working in a supermarket.
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My first job was a Lifeguard at the New York Sports Club.
Pay went from $8.00 as starter to $8.50 after like 6 momnths and then got a pay raise to $8.80.
Twas good 
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3rd shift at wal mart
stocking
i actually enjoyed it
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
Reserach Intern at a Fortune 100 company.
How did my outlook change? It affirmed to me that I'm not cut out to be a top flight engineer.
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intern at Ersnt & Young, one of the accounting firms ...
im working full time there atm (at least for the next couple of months)
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2nd Worst City in CA8938 Posts
I was pretty lucky with my first part-time job.
Worked at Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego Chargers stadium) on event days. Made commission which averaged $250 an event. I worked once every two weeks, 10-12 hours an event, so $500 a month before taxes off two days.
Working there I learned (or rather, it reaffirmed a generalization for me) that drunk people are either really fun or really, really hard to deal with.
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On February 22 2011 16:34 nayumi wrote:
intern at Ersnt & Young, one of the accounting firms ...
im working full time there atm (at least for the next couple of months)
Audit or accounting? If it's audit, bro I feel for you
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Working as a tutor at my university, where I basically lead extra discussion sessions for chemistry classes. Pay is good, but a lot of talking :<
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Doing construction back when I was a Junior in high school. I got like $60 cash a day + breakfast/lunch/dinner, which is ironically the most consistent and was the most money I've ever earned even after I graduated college (working at a non-paying internship atm lol)
It was hard work, and I basically put in at least 8-10 hours a day, 6-7 days a week. I think during those two months was the only time in my life where I didn't have access to a computer/tv/electronics and I didn't even miss it :o
Honestly it help me put things in perspective in terms of jobs. I hate hearing people bitch and moan about their jobs all the time when they're working a standard 9-5 job with great pay and they get to sit at their desk and browse the web for half the day when it can be MUCH worse. You can be stuck in a dead end job, working your ass off in the sun for 8 hours a day and be paid shit wages.
I mean it's ridiculous, my sister who makes $100k a year and just bitch and moan all day about how "little" she makes. I mean I understand people venting/complaining about their job once in a while but honestly people really shouldn't complain how "little" they make to people who are basically making 1/3rd of their wages and expect a pity party thrown for them. ("but my friends make more than me..." FML). I think the worst job she ever had was working at a school lab making $10-15 an hour, playing minesweeper for half the time.
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I forget what it was to be perfectly honest. I had lots of oddjobs and contract things for companies and people. Like I stayed with my uncle for a few weeks and I was sweeping and cleaning up their shop for like 6.25$/hr in '99/'00 CA when I was 15/16. My first serious job though was a lane porter at my dad's bowling alley, I think the pay was the same.
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On February 22 2011 08:11 ScrubS wrote:
Currently having my first job, been working in a supermarket for 1 year now. I get paid super crappy (5euro/hr, 7$/hr) but hey, im 17 years old so icant get much better lol.
gouh gouh, my employee working part time per hour, gets 6/hour and is a saleswoman in my shop. I think getting 5e/h is good for being 17.
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I was a Baseball/Softball umpire at 15; quickly learned how much it sucks to get yelled at and how to stand up for myself. It's pretty amazing how worked up parents get over their kids sporting event.
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Was asked by the principal of my school if I wanted to start tutoring the other pupils. So I started this homework cafe thing where people could drop by with whatever homework they had and I would help them with it/teach them what they needed to learn. I think my biggest achievement was the girl whom I managed to not only get to pass math but actually get what would be equal to an A. We had to start with real basic stuff like how a coordinate system works and by the end should could actually integrate.
As far as I know it is still running now 7 years later.
Got paid 100 DKR/hour or @ 18 dollars/hour.
And I'm pretty sure that the work I did there factored in to why I when I graduated got a grant from the school.
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Worked for my general contractor neighbor doing all sorts of random construction crap.
Paid under the table for a little while. Did this starting at age 14 in the summer, making ~$2-300 a week. Pretty baller for 14. Also learned how to fix/build just about anything in a house. I did drywall, tile, masonry, roofing, cement, framing, plumbing, electrical work.........basically everything. Invaluable experience that i never ever want to do again, lol.
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My first job was cashier at a gas station.
I was paid around 10 € / hour, which was totally okay as a student.
What i learned: Wayyyyy to many people in Germany drive under the influence of alcohol and refill at gas stations (fuel and booze :-/)
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Probably either delivering some local newsletter for a few bucks, or working at the big annual Auto Expo in NJ. I got like 15 or 18 an hour to dress up in giant mascot costumes as Chucky and Tommy from the rugrats, spongebob... fun stuff.
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On February 22 2011 17:03 crazeman wrote:
Doing construction back when I was a Junior in high school. I got like $60 cash a day + breakfast/lunch/dinner, which is ironically the most consistent and was the most money I've ever earned even after I graduated college (working at a non-paying internship atm lol)
It was hard work, and I basically put in at least 8-10 hours a day, 6-7 days a week. I think during those two months was the only time in my life where I didn't have access to a computer/tv/electronics and I didn't even miss it :o
Honestly it help me put things in perspective in terms of jobs. I hate hearing people bitch and moan about their jobs all the time when they're working a standard 9-5 job with great pay and they get to sit at their desk and browse the web for half the day when it can be MUCH worse. You can be stuck in a dead end job, working your ass off in the sun for 8 hours a day and be paid shit wages.
I mean it's ridiculous, my sister who makes $100k a year and just bitch and moan all day about how "little" she makes. I mean I understand people venting/complaining about their job once in a while but honestly people really shouldn't complain how "little" they make to people who are basically making 1/3rd of their wages and expect a pity party thrown for them. ("but my friends make more than me..." FML). I think the worst job she ever had was working at a school lab making $10-15 an hour, playing minesweeper for half the time.
I feel you there man. My father is one of those people and he annoys me so much. My father used to work in construction doing manual labor and he would never complain. Since then, he's moved up the ladder and now operates machinery and drives trucks. He sits on his ass w/ a fully air conditioned cabin or heated cabin for 8 hours a day and gets paid really well, but he's always complaining about how he works too much. Almost all of the time, it's just ridiculous and unwarranted complaining -.-. I couldn't imagine him working in an office setting. He would probably bitch and moan all day.
You should smack some reality into your sister  . $100k /year isn't enough for her? O_o Like you said, I bet you half the time she's just sitting around doing nothing. I can't believe people can complain about sitting in an office, on a computer browsing the internet and getting paid. If I made that much, my life would be set. A decent house and 2 nice cars is all I want to be happy item wise (not counting family, other things, etc...). I already have one of the cars. I just need the house and 1 more car... And to graduate college .
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Worked as a pizza delivery driver back when you could do that at 16. Learned that just because your at work doesn't mean its work. Learned that you dont have to be rich to enjoy your life and learned that sometimes less work for less money means you have more time to enjoy what money you've made and the life you have to live.
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Cashier at a candy store in a pretty busy mall. Had to stand for 11 hours straight smiling mechanically and making sure none of the dozens of ne'er do good kids don't make off with the candy. Made me hate work more than I already did.
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