[Donna54]

A penny candy/coin shop sounds like such a fun place to work! Did you end up collecting a lot of coins over the years?

I did, but grew up with 5 brothers, hummm they seemed to have disappeared lol can only imagine what they would be worth now!

 

[buttercup914]

Besides babysitting, I started in retail running the register and helping customers. I believe I made $2.90 per hour
Loved it

 

[Kathleen Talay]

I did, but grew up with 5 brothers, hummm they seemed to have disappeared lol can only imagine what they would be worth now!

Haha classic sibling move! I bet those coins mysteriously "walked away" over time. Still, what a cool memory—do you ever think about starting a collection again?

 

[Donna54]

Haha classic sibling move! I bet those coins mysteriously "walked away" over time. Still, what a cool memory—do you ever think about starting a collection again?

Nah not at 71, have neck and back surgery coming up, got to get back into my Miata

 

[TriciaR]

My first job, other than babysitting, was working in the change of address department of a magazine. This was before computers, so it was a bit more complicated than it would be today. I think I made $1.20 per hour, which was good pay for a teen in those days. Thanks for inviting me to remember!

Thanks so much for sharing that @Kit ! It’s fascinating to think about how tasks like updating addresses were handled before computers—definitely required a lot more patience and attention to detail. $1.20 an hour sounds modest now, but I bet it felt pretty exciting at the time! Do you remember what you spent that first paycheck on? Or was it straight into savings?

 

[TriciaR]

I delivered a neighborhood newspaper for a percentage of the paper's cost.

Thanks for sharing @PhilBurns ! A neighborhood paper route sounds like a classic first job—early mornings and lots of walking, I imagine! Do you remember how much you made from a full week’s delivery? And did you treat yourself to anything with your earnings, or tuck it away?

 

[TriciaR]

I had a lady accountant teach me the absolute basics of accounting. In 1960, I made a whopping $1, which I used to buy all my own clothes.

What a wonderful memory @jerlynns — that must have been quite the learning experience at a young age! It’s amazing that you were able to buy all your own clothes with what you earned. That first taste of independence must have felt so empowering. Did you enjoy the accounting work, or was it just a stepping stone to something else later on?

 

[TriciaR]

My very first real job was a Car Hop at the age of 13, at the "Dog & Suds", loved it!!

That sounds like such a fun first job—thank you for taking us back with that memory @Old ! "Dog & Suds" has such a classic vibe too. Did you wear a uniform or use roller skates like in the movies? And was there a favorite order that customers always asked for?

 

[TriciaR]

My first job was the summer I graduated from high school. I was earning money towards my college expenses. I worked in a Styrofoam factory. There were four of us girls working there during the day shift. We would collect various size cups on our fingers as they came down the conveyor belt. The young man running the machine was a year older than me and had graduated from the same high school. Sometimes, just to be funny, he would speed up the machine so that the cups would come flying down the belt (brings to mind the scene from the Lucy show where Lucy and Ethel were trying to eat the candy as it came flying down the belt - lol). There was a large box at the end of the conveyor belt that would collect all the cups that we did not put on our fingers and package. The nightshift crew would have to go through that box and place them in plastic bags. Needless to say, after that summer I swore I would wash floors before I did that type of job ever again. Today, whenever I pick up a Styrofoam cup, I always look at the bottom to make sure there are no holes as I know there were in some of the cups we packaged!

What a fantastic story—thank you for painting such a clear picture of that summer job @grayhair76 ! I could just imagine the chaos on the conveyor belt—very Lucy and Ethel indeed! It sounds like hard, fast-paced work, but also the kind that sticks with you for a lifetime. Did that experience shape the kind of work you chose to do later on? And do you ever catch yourself smiling when you see a Styrofoam cup these days?

 

[TriciaR]

My first job was stuffing envelopes for a neighbor. So boring. Got paid in cash of course

That definitely sounds like a monotonous job—but a bit of cash in hand made it worthwhile, I’m sure! Thanks for sharing that memory @sudy . Did you stick with similar small jobs after that, or did you find something a bit more exciting next? It’s funny how those first gigs really stick with us, even if they were a bit dull at the time!

 

[TriciaR]

Although I began working in my dad's dry cleaners at age 5, my first "real" job was in the USAF, as a secretary and a member of the Battle Staff during Vietnam.

Wow, what an incredible first “real” job—thank you for sharing that @jerry , and for your service. Working on the Battle Staff during Vietnam must have come with real pressure and responsibility. Did your early experience in your dad’s dry cleaners help shape your work ethic in the military? And were there any moments from your time in the USAF that still stand out strongly today?

 

[TriciaR]

I worked as a swim teacher. My 1st check was for 1 hour of work. Check was for $.72 with .03 taken out for as it stated for old age.

That’s such a great first job—teaching swimming is a real skill! And that first paycheque… 72 cents with 3 cents taken out “for old age”—what a gem of a detail! Thanks for sharing that little slice of history @jacnat . Did you keep teaching after that, or was it just a summer gig? And do you still enjoy swimming now?

 

[TriciaR]

My first job was girl Friday for JTPA. When I received my first check. I went to the bank and opened up my checking account. I took out $20. And kept the rest in my account. I was so excited to write my first check to the donate to my Church on Sunday.

What a lovely first job memory—thank you for sharing @Dhutch7391862 ! Starting out as a girl Friday with JTPA sounds like a great way to learn a little bit of everything. And how special that your first cheque went toward opening a bank account and giving back to your church. That’s such a meaningful way to begin your working life. Do you still remember what that first cheque to the church felt like to write?

 

[TriciaR]

My first job was with my parents who ran a meat market during rationing our job was to seperate the coupons and then count the tokens ten to a stack

Thank you for sharing that @Ned K — what an incredible glimpse into a different time. Working in your parents' meat market during rationing must’ve given you a real sense of responsibility early on. Those coupons and tokens were such an important part of daily life then! Do you remember if it felt like a game at first, or did you see it as serious work right from the start? And did you ever get rewarded with a little treat from the shop?

 

[TriciaR]

I had a paper route when I was 11 years old. Delivered rain, snow, heat...on my gold metal flake Huffy Stingray bike. The route was miles long around my neighborhood and around Winona Lake, and took me almost 4 hours. The papers were dropped off in bundles in my driveway and had to each be taken down and tri-folded for delivery. Most had to be delivered to the door which meant I had to park my bike and go up to the house. Had to "collect" once a week. A dime from every customer. After I paid for the papers, there wasn't a whole lot left....sigh.

What a fantastic snapshot of your early working life—thank you for sharing it @GaryBlake ! That gold metal flake Huffy Stingray sounds like a beauty, and I can just picture you making your way around Winona Lake in all weather. Four hours is a serious route, especially for an 11-year-old! Did you ever treat yourself to anything special with what was left after paying for the papers? Or maybe just a well-earned nap?

 

[TriciaR]

My first job was at Sonic Drive-in, I was the evening car hop. First check was 11.00

Thanks for sharing @Florence ! Being an evening car hop at Sonic must’ve been a fun and lively first job—lots of characters coming through, I imagine! Do you remember what you spent that first $11 on? And did you ever master carrying everything on a tray with one hand?

 

[That old man!]

My first job was pumping gas at a "full service" station, checking oil, cleaning windows, etc, for $1.25 an hr, which was decent money in the late 60's!

 

[TriciaR]

My first job was at WT Grant. I remember having to clean the bulk candy/nut containers and little worms in the nuts. Made .75 an hour

Oh wow—thank you for sharing that vivid memory @bsa1944 ! Cleaning out bulk candy and nut containers sounds like a unique first-job duty… and discovering little worms? That must’ve left an impression! Did it put you off nuts for a while? And did you stay at WT Grant long, or were you quick to move on to something a bit less wriggly?

 

[TriciaR]

My first job was a file clerk at Sears Saving Bank. I started two months after my graduated from High School. My Pop’s was a Korean War Vet so there was no lying around the house till I figured out what I wanted to do. No clue how much my first check was though.

Thanks for sharing that @CejaeRee ! Sounds like your Pop had a strong sense of discipline—and passed it right along. Starting out as a file clerk at Sears Savings Bank must’ve been a great way to get your foot in the door and learn how a workplace runs. Do you remember if you enjoyed the structure of it, or were you itching to move on to something more exciting? And did that job influence where your career ended up going?

 

[TriciaR]

I was 15 years old when I was hired as a messenger boy for a type-setting firm and I delivered negatives and printer proofs to the entire Philadelphia region including where the old TV Guide building once stood near Radnor, PA.
My salary was a whopping $617 for the year in 1964 and I did it all after getting the so-called "working papers." For more details, see my Blog post here: https://contoveros.com/2024/02/03/my-social-security-all-of-your-earnings/#more-22444

What an incredible first job—thank you for sharing that @Michael J Contos ! Being a messenger boy at 15 and covering such a wide area sounds like quite the responsibility, especially back in 1964. $617 for the year was no small feat for a teen! And I love that you mentioned the old TV Guide building—what a bit of history. I’ll definitely have a look at your blog post—did that job spark an interest in publishing or writing that stuck with you later on?