In many ways I learned more from that first job than any job since. It taught me the importance of being punctual, working well with people, and that a sense of humor goes a long way when things get busy. I will always be grateful to the manager who gave me my first shot.
What Was Your First Job?
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Burkholder Farms, Acme Michigan.
1977
Cherry shaker crew, asparagus picker and general farm hand.
$5-$6 an hour… my best guess.(I don’t remember.)
Driving a 67′ Chevrolet three on a tree manual transmission pick up truck… that, I do remember.
Some of the other workers took out a red colored cigarette, lit it and while coughing asked me if I wanted any. What is it?… I asked. Then they laughed while coughing.
Pumping gas. 1976. I think around $4 and hour. I remember working July 4th, 1976. Got off on time to have barbecue with the family and watch fireworks.
My first job was babysitting for which I was paid .50 per hour. At my job as a lifeguard and swimming instructor I was paid $2.90 the minimum wage.
I got around $8 an hour as a secretary back in 1994 or so.
Assuming Cecil was making $14.50 an hour and was full time, that was $28,600 for the year. Not bad wages for 1993 as I recall. I would guess he had an engineering degree in a high demand field.
For some reason, I’m thinking that fellow is mis-remembering what his compensation was.
My first paying job in 1971-72 was bagger/stock boy/checker at a local grocery store for about $1:50 and hour. Before that I feed the pigs, baled hay and picked strawberries on my Dad’s farm.
After-school janitor in the late 90’s. $5.75 an hour. Prepped me well in being able to work within a crew and how to deal with personalities.
Paper boy. Mainly tips. You don’t get to choose the weather.
Hotel housekeeper in Yellowstone NP, 7.25/hr in 2012 if I remember right.
After deductions for room and board, and tjps, I think I managed to put away nearly a 1000 a month into savings.
Dirtiest and hardest job I ever had, but in a lot of ways the most fun.
Stockroom clerk at the Chemistry Department of the University of San Francisco, beginning May 1977 at $2.50/hr. Washed up, worked the window, helped with stocking and ordering and later lab prep. Learned a lot of stuff useful for running my high school lab and department years later.
Sophomore year of high school, so 1969-70. Worked in the cafeteria kitchen of the local small college, mostly washing dishes and cleaning up after meals. I was saving for a drum set that I finally got in my junior year. Learned to hate smoking by seeing cigarette butts that had been extinguished in mashed potatoes. I had to pull them out before rinsing the leftovers into the grinder. Eeuw.
Delivering papers around 1974 … I don’t recall the compensation, but it wasn’t enough to ride my bike through a second Michigan winter doing it, I remember that much. My first hourly job was pot washer at Morrisson’s Cafeteria (1977-ish) for $1.85/hr.
I guess when I was about 12 or 13. Working on a dry cleaning delivery truck which also delivered furniture. Before that I had mowed lawns and shoveled snow …back in the 1930’s that would have been $1 for a 200 ft lawn. What I remember about the delivery truck job is that the driver didn’t like Jews and kept making nasty remarks about them. I kept my mouth shut.
Admirable restraint Bob! I recall the comment of Saint Ignatius Loyola when told that one of his novices had Jewish ancestry: “How wonderful to have a blood tie to Our Lord and Our Lady!”
First job (excluding babysitting from 8th grade) was in 1972 as a grocery clerk. Min wage was $1.60. Worked for same store for 4 years, till I went away to college. Was great prep for real world – many graduating friends had never had a job!!
One was during early teens carrying old cast iron stoves down from second and third floors when the world first discovered white shiny stoves. I think the pay was 25 cents an hour, but then gas was only nineteen cents a gallon.
Living close to Wshington DC my first summer job was as an admin dept clerk (GS 1) in a secure DOD facility. Before my clearance came in I had to be escorted to the restroom, mail room water fountain and cafeteria.
Next summer job was as clerk/typost (GS 2) in HUD ‘s Flood Insurance Dept. I hated typing letters with 4 or 5 colored carbons. The female supervisor realized I had a brain and transferred me to work with the engineers. They had me working on 100 year flood plain graphs, etc. I was doing the work of a GS 11 but wasn’t paid as such. The engineers were happy they didn’t have to do a boring task and I enjoyed the assignments.
Last summer job was in the front office of the Fleet Weather Facility in Suitland (GS 3-4). I was tasked with all sorts of admin jobs for the CO and XO. I really enjoyed the espirit d’corps and decided to visit a Navy recruiter after college graduation. October I was headed to Newport RI for Women’s Officer Candidate School. I was commissioned in FEB 1972. In those days we were called WAVES.
I don’t remember the pay for the federal summer jobs. However I was a saver being able to buy a sewing machine with my first pay check My brother and I split the cost of a 1962 TR3. We took turns taking it to college. He ended up selling it when he graduated. Still have my ensign car a 1972 metallic burnt orange MGB with spoke wheels.