What was your first job?

burlington6

Pot wash, at 14. £2.20 an hour. Taught me more than I ever thought

Mrs_Soup

My first job like almost everyone back then (the 80s) was in a shop on saturdays. Mine was a bookshop though which was a lovely place to work. Worked one week for £6 then said I was leaving because got offered £8 a day to work in Boots so they accelerated the payrise they said they had been planning anyway. Turned out well as I ended up working there full time when I failed my A levels two years later and worked on and off in bookshops for about 12 years through my eventual years at university..

jaylee3

I worked in the local flower shop as a teen.

Lillie_Munchkin

in 1970 I was 13yrs old, my mum took me to see the woman who did her hair, Mrs Mackay, who turned out to be a proper tyrant. I worked from 8 till 6 every Saturday, washing hair, sweeping floors etc, for the grand sum of 15 shillings. When I left 3 years later I was on £1.30, decimilization had occurred. Forever after I saved up money for clothes, pocket money and holiday spending.

Of course these days it wouldn't be allowed ........

ACG

Data entry for royal mail.
It involved drawing boxes and typing the address the computer could not read itself - my god that was a boring job!

But it paid £8.50(ish) an hour on a saturday and £12 an hour on a sunday so for 2 days work I was earning £165 a week, that was in 2002-2003.

My mum took about £50 a month off me, so I had £600 a month to spend on beer - and there were many places that did pound a pint so they were happy days. Although sunday I usually went in after about 3-4 hours sleep.

bexster1975

I worked in the local newsagents at 15 for £1.90 an hour ( early 90s) for a couple if years. Worked a couple of evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday am.


Whilst it wasn't well paid, I have done worse jobs since. I'm afraid not all parents could/can pay children an allowance, and I'm afraid I feel it is the over indulgence of some parents that encourages the sense of entitlement seen in many youngsters today. Maybe working to earn the money to pay for the electronic "toys" they want will encourage them to take better care of them/think carefully about whether they are good value for the number of hours work needed to earn them.

I think few of us would consider our first jobs as " ideal" but I hope no one died from working hard in a retail outlet!

Bexster

Lei_Chat

When I was 13 my mum took me to work at the company she was temping at during my school summer holidays. I was paid £2 an hour, initially doing data entry, by the end of my six weeks there I was doing the mail franking, taking sales calls, etc. My mum said they took on two full time adult temps to cover what I was doing when I went back to school.

brizesaver

1973, secretary in a car repair workshop £12 a week. But hey, a crusty cheese roll for lunch was only 8p and a packet of cigarettes was 23p, so it was fine.

Starrystarrynight1

I went on to a YTS scheme after leaving school, and this included a placement in an office, but my first proper job, when I was 17, was in the Treasury department of my local county council. Annual salary was £3500!

struckbyastar

I got my first job in the local library system, working on Saturdays and in school holidays, when I was 16. Because Saturdays were deemed unsociable hours, I was on time and a half so approx £9 an hour! My friends found the thought of me in a library hilarious, but I really enjoyed it and I became much more money-wise. I loved not having to ask my parents for money when I went out with my friends, and to be able to save something more than just pocket money! It taught me how to act professionally and maturely in a work environment, something that has benefitted me ever since.

I was well looked after, became a Union member with a state pension, and had access to all my school, then college then university books without forking out to buy them all!

I would definitely recommend anyone at that age, that was doing well enough in their education, to take on a Saturday job.