Looking back, my first proper job paid peanuts, but it built character (or at least that’s what we were told!). We certainly worked hard for every penny back then, and some of the tasks we were given would probably shock the youngsters today.
It made me curious—what was the very first job you ever had as a teenager, and what’s the funniest or oddest memory you have from it? @over50schat
My first job was when i left school at 16 years old in the late 70,s it was Inking soles on shoes got piece work, my take home pay was just 25 sterling pounds a week got a massive 2 pounds for the piece work. went from that to spinning cotton on a spinnning mule. my shoe job was paid in a small tin can had to give the can back to get paid the following week,
I had thought my first full time job was going to be in the oil industry - had my engineering degree, came from NE Scotland, new lots of guys who worked off shore. Then oil fell to $10 a barrel, huge lay-offs, freeze on hiring. So I headed south, crashed on the floor of a mate’s room for a week, got myself a job selling small office phone systems. Literally door knocking and cold calling small businesses in north London.
The good bits were developing a brass neck, learning some selling skills, getting a company car, eventually earning decent commission and getting to know north London very, very well. The bad bits were developing a brass neck and getting to know the rubbish parts of north London.
On reflection I might have carved out a great career in telecomms if I’d stayed on. A couple of the guys I worked with moved onto mobile phones sales as the huge £3k Motorola mobile had just come onto the market, then got into the big mobile phone companies and basically rode the rapid growth of the businesses to rise up to senior exec levels.
My first job was as an apprentice electrician back in 1976…can’t remember what the pay was but it was ok…
@Patrick My1st and only civil engineering ‘job’ was also my last, except I had climbed the ladder into dizzy heights by the age of 60 and that was when I threw the towel in and retired to a decent pension + an excellent lump sum. During the next 25+yrs, I really took a different fork in the road and pleased myself what I ‘worked’ at and how those businesses progressed until all were eventually handed over to my family; although that said, I am still consulted when something could be heading towards a possible tits-up status.
EDITED to add 
Would I do it again, yes, but not within the Civil Service as towards the end my time within, rules became far too restrictive for anyone above a principal graded to carry out their duties to an acceptable standard. This was a main factor in my retirement at 60.
My first job was working in the forge shop of a company manufacturing electric engines. The forge produced the casings for which seamless rolled rings weighing up to several metric tonnes were needed. I mainly operated that machine.
Was so utterly boring. I didn’t like it. After three months I was drafted into the army and never returned. Had to buy booze outside of the premisses and smuggled it in.
1976, Telephone Sales, specialist steels, just looked, company was disolved in 2012
Do it again, yes but ignore the wine women and song this time 
