My first job was at Bambi's, (used to be Chips, where Phillips gas station is now). I worked there and lived with my sister who lived on Clark Street, I walked to and from work every day. Geez, that's hard to think about now! I also remember yelling the order back and lots and lots of grumpy customers!!

My first non-babysitting job (which was a real job with real pay, btw) was at the King's Pub. I was a bus girl - also the actual title.

I learned not to try and carry more than you really can and that being nice pays. I no longer get tips, but being nice still pays.

I too had the pleasure of stuffing newspapers on weekends for the gazette as my first job. Very long nights when the press broke down and all that newspaer ink. Had to make sure you wore old clothes or good ones would get ruined fast. Christmastime became a nightmare, but hey it paid me well (or so I thought at the time)It was a good job, but my back sure could not handle it long due to medical issues.

My first job as a grocery store cashier lasted four years.
I learned that if you make eye contact and greet every customer as if you'd been waiting all day for them to show up, certain customers will pick your check out lane... even if they have to wait in a little longer line.

I also learned that if you greet retired teachers in the same manner, they will try to remember having you in class... even if you never were.

Dusting cans and shelves at the Roosevelt Avenue Grocery in Beloit at age 12 shortly after my father died. Tony Ferrera knew we needed the money and offered me the job. The lesson? .... Try to help out those who are less fortunate. Sure wish the Republicans in Congress would adopt that policy once in a while.

My first real job at 15 was working third shift unloading box cars containing empty ink bottles for the Parker Quink factory here in Janesville,

My first job was working in a canning factory. What did I learn? Go to college so you don't have to work in a canning factory.

my first job (besides babysitting) was at age 14, cleaning out the kennel at a local vet clinic, and feeding the dogs and cats. i worked alone, after they had closed the clinic for the day. just me, the animals, and their smelly cages!

Does booking sports bets in high school count as a "real" job? hmmmmm
It sure paid like a real job!

My first real job was working in the kitchen of a local restaurant. Started out as dishwasher, then moved up to busboy. Eventually, I worked just about every position in the joint in both the fine dining restaurant and the attached bowling alley. What was supposed to be just a way to earn some quick cash turned into an eight year "career." Lots of great memories of that place and the people I worked with there.

1985 - Babysitting at the Athletic Club for WAY LESS than minimum. Sang LITTLE RABBIT FOOFOO like a billion times a night to keep the kids from crying. Before that - babysitting etc... Jobs for teens are important and it's too bad that in our current economy there are not enough jobs to go around and adults are left w/out any choice but to take the jobs that teens normally would fill.

I wanted to work at Burger King. I tried on the uniform and said NO WAY!

Karmelkorn- $2.35 per hour. They got away with paying less than minimum wage because they were a "small" business or something like that. Ever smell burned popcorn. It was me. Security guys would come and say "burned it again huh?" It was dangerous popping the popcorn for the Carmel corn. If you didn't shut off the fire in there just at the right time the stuff would go up like paper. If you mixed the Carmel corn and had to wait on a customer it would burn in the kettle. You only had a few moments to stir it and get it out of the pot. I was awesome at making cotton candy. It was best when fresh. BIG, I made them big. They would never fit in the bag. It was fun.

Before my "real job" I also mowed lawns. I had four total. Sometimes I would wait until Saturday to do all 4. UGH! Didn't like the babysitting thing. Only did that once or twice.
Steve- did you use you mowing as referrals on you job app? I did and I was hired out of 60 people.

Callitasiseeit- pig crap over burned popcorn- which one? Still popcorn I think.

My hubby detasseled- He was a row supervisor or something like that. He said it sucked. Very hard work for little pay.

Steve I am surprized they didn't fire you for putting on extra frosting! I always wanted extra frosting. Belly ache when done with one of those with extra frosting!

I always thought it was interesting to let a 15 year old lock up the store alone and hide the money.

Stuffing inserts into the Saturday and Sunday Gazettes by hand...no automated machines in those days! Worked about 9PM to 5AM on Friday and Saturday nights and came home with black hands and black clothes from the newsprint. And while waiting for the press to start, we got to watch the downtown circuit off the loading dock...

De-tassling corn. It was the coolest job to have when I was a kid.

What I learned was it's not such a smart idea to tromp through the fields all summer if you are allergic to field corn and mosquitos! Plus, bus drivers can be put over the edge. Just takes one too many mud fights!

Making Burgers "your way" at Burger King, when you had to yell your orders over a microphone and hope the crew in the back got it right, or your customer or boss would yell at you. Smelling like greasy frys after your shift! yuck that sticks with you too. I learned to keep smiling when I would think how rude some people really are!

Shoveling out pig crap. You think the Cinnabon smell stays with you. Hah!