Jobs as a Kid

[Conor Dary]

My brother and I worked in the Paul Butler's stables, here in town where the present MacDonald's Campus is now. Then on Sundays we were the flag boys for Butler's polo games.

[Pego]

one summer in a cartography institute.

Tell us more. I love maps.

This is what I recall. Where I worked, they were making survey (cadastral) maps of villages, small towns including countryside (fields, forests, streams, ponds). We were given a blueprint of the aerial photograph. With a ruler and a metal point, we would cut the surface of the paper alongside roads (even paths through the fields), the width being determined by the type of the road. This would then be fed into a manually operated printing machine for copies. It was fun. Daytime shifts I'd be working with mostly young women, doing the markings, night shift would be with one other guy printing. IIRC, it was the summer of either 1953 or 54. I guess I lied that it was still a junior high, it would be a high school already. I stayed in the same buiding from the sixth grade on.

[no one]

Cleaned Chicken coups and and poops- tried to do that Clinton thing - not inhale. But it was a big place. Also paper route (back when you had to do the collections as well - guys would come to the door jingling coin in their front pockets - then magically not have any money to pay), delivering 'flyers', mow lawns.

First semi-real summer job was driving a small truck in/around LA picking up and delivering various tools and other stuff. Worked for a small company where all were (recovering - for the most part) alcoholics. They were quite open about it - even went to some meetings with them - eye opener for a 16 yr old kid.

One guy started there (an alch) and he drove around with me one day - telling me drinking stories - he worked for a company in LA with a generous expense acct - told me he knew every street in LA - he had fallen off the wagon once and woke up 5 days later in Chicago - not knowing how he got there and broke. First thing he did was scam some after shave and drank it - even though his mouth was hamburger from his bender. He lasted 2 weeks on the job -

[polevaultpower]

I did birthday parties at my gymnastics club. The parents usually gave us the leftover cake, and I now hate most cakes!

[SQUACKEE]

Worked with a guy who told me he was an alchee, i asked how do you know and he said if he had one drink the next thing he would know is waking up in a ditch, broke. The last time he got arrested he was helping his attempt to parallel park by using his car to push the car that was already parked out of the way, not allowed!

[Jon]

I worked for a year as a silver service waiter here, followed by a year as a waiter here, and then a year as a barman here.

[mojo]

Every single job I have ever had has involved children.

I worked every summer from the age of 16 as a playground leader. I don't think they have this postion anymore in Vancouver. It involved planning daily activites for kids at a playground, taking care of the grounds and equipment etc. (in case the job title was too confusing). I loved working in the poorer areas of towns where both the kids and their parents appreciated even the smallest thing I did for them.
I also babysat my way through high school and university.
Got a teaching degree and was a stay at home mum for years.

Now I want the job of grandmother but I don't know when or even if that will ever happen.

Please don't make me have to settle to working here for the rest of my life......

[scottmitchell74]

Fascinating thread!

Lonewolf - You deserve any rest and peace you can get!

First paying job = Dairy farm (mostly bailing hay)

High School Job = The Big Wheel (stock boy/cashier/janitor)

Summer Job = Mascotech Forming Technologies (sounds fancy, but was simply a cold forge press operator. Made me appreciate going back to college each Fall)

[tandfman]

Messenger/delivery boy for a paper company (stationery) after school in high school. Nothing interesting at all, but it was a good experience, the first of many in my working life.

[Helen S]

Maybe first job was shining my dad's shoes for $.05 a pair- I could make almost a half dollar!
Before turning 16 was able to make money cutting lawns and shovelling snow- my older brother an I made $50 each during on e big storm.
Lifeguarded summers in HS, work study in college , usually dining hall or night desk phone operator, where I got paid to answer at the central switchboard, but in reality slept from about midnight to 7 am. Summers worked factory jobs.
Since then it has been an interestng life, more often than not doing things for money that were fun, educational, interesting.

[STL_Runner]

My first job was working the cash register at Hardees for $4.25/hour. The next summer I chopped burdock at a buffalo farm for $5/hour. The bison were pretty scary, but so was my machete.

[scottmitchell74]

Hardees!

In my small home town, Hardees was on the main "drag" and thus, THE place to see and be seen.

Woo!