What was your first paid job?

Rosy Posy wrote: »

Me too! We got paid £2.02 an hour!!

Dunnes Stores, packing bags, Eur2.17 an hour. 20 years ago, Jaysus where'd that go?

That was the week I turned 16. Got the job myself, the ma was well confused as I left for work. Graduated to the off-licence a few months later. Sweet job.

Worked Wed, Thur and Fri evenings (6-10) after school (3.30) and then after Art college (9-5) and every sat and Sunday, for 7 years. Didn't miss ONE day.

Been working ever since, thank God.

As for kids nowadays... Lazy ****es! Wouldn't work to warm themselves.

€5 an hour from my local Centra as a 15-year-old!

allibastor wrote: »

Mine was window cleaning when I was 12.
I worked at this nearly every summer then after until I finished college.

To this day it was probably the best job I have had. One I most enjoyed anyway. Pity the money wasn't great

ah, but don't forget all the things that you have seen, when you're cleaning windows!

2.50 sterling an hour, washing dishes and pots in a resturant 2 nights a week in 1992.

William F wrote: »

Its good to see young people had jobs back then. Is it the same with young people nowadays or have they all been replaced by foreigners?

Ew

Oops69 wrote: »

Altar boy !! , got 5 pounds for a wedding around 1982 , handy number for an hour on a Saturday to bang a gong a few times and look angelic.

I didn't know we could mention Altar Boy. I got paid a f'kin Mars Bar at Christmas from the priest. Considering all the money those a-holes have, I could feel pretty hard done by but at the same time, relieved, one of the priests in the Parish got moved due to allegations. Thankfully, I still have a virgin a-hole..teeheehee

Woshy wrote: »

Had great craic working there and loved having some money all for me. Worst thing I ever had to do was the time some disgusting asshole did such a massive turd in the toilets that it blocked the whole thing. I had to break it up with a tongs and fish pieces of it out into a bag - then throw the bag and tongs into the dumpster in the back. I have never seen one solid turd so big. I was retching the whole time I did. God, you can be stupid when you're 16 - I should have told them to feck off when they asked me to deal with it. I can still remember how disgusting it was over 15 years later. Urgh

Good times though!

During my time in a petrol station in a small village. That was a once a week occurence. The public toilets were outside the shop. Travellers that were squatting on land down the town would frequent the toilets because they were the only ones accessible. After the first few times, the boss decided to have a policy of keeping them locked and giving the key.. Then the key got stolen. Changed the locks, kept them locked and started telling unknowns or that family that the toilets were closed. So they just started kicking in the door.

Ended up being an impossible position. Customers constantly complaining about the state of the jacks. And having to keep unclogging the toilets and fixing up the place.

Such a-holes, they were clogging them intentionally..which was strange because they had to use them!!! A golf course opened behind where they were staying. People claimed to find human looking sh1te down the holes...f'kin animals...just thought I'd rant because your post reminded me of it. Awful...threw up more than once

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Worked in a riding school at age 16. Liked it so much better than school, I quit the latter and stuck at the former. The riding school shut down, so I went back to regular, unpaid school. I always liked the riding school the most.

Now that would have been my dream job.

Honestly ...First job I got paid for..
Lookout

My life style till my early 20's are not something I am to proud of.

First job on which I paid tax. (Other measly things like offered guitar lessons, babysat, footed turf, leaflets). :cool:

Quite proud of getting the job in October last year, though it was €8.65/hour. I'd been handing out CV's and all my friends had told me "ahh no point, no one's hiring, recession". True, it was crap work, wages were tiny and boss was a lunatic, but glad I got the experience and worked though my old classmates dropped out and still didn't find work :rolleyes:

Count myself lucky now though especially, it more than likely helped me get my current job (well paid,nice boss, nice company, nice perks).

TheBeardedLady wrote: »

Is it still common for teenagers to get jobs or has the crisis put an end to that?


People here (Spain) think it's bonkers that I was working on a till part-time at 16. Nobody works here 'till their mid to late twenties (sometimes even thirties). I think they pity me when I tell them....so I don't tell them. They also pity me when I tell them I left home in my early 20s.

A lot of my classmates in Transition Year were able to use their work experience weeks to get jobs in retail,afterwards they were offered to stay on.They were all 16. I think the rate for under-18's is €6.60 an hour. Many employers don't realise this, and hire staff with lots of experience at €8.65. These folks, while probably just as desperate for a job are often "overqualified", i.e. the 16 year olds wouldn't have much to learn to do their job.

It's all about having the foot in the door these days, employers are taking people on (contrary to belief), they are just more careful, which in truth is better practice. In the Celtic Tiger days, someone looking for retail staff would pick any one looking to work. Now, with so many people looking for jobs (in the likes of Penny's, Dunnes, etc.) they have too many to choose from.

the first one I ever paid tax on, Elizabeth Ardens in Acton

Working with 100 ladies on the factory floor was an eye opener.