Did you have a job as a teenager?

ArnoldJRimmer

Yep, mainly summer jobs which I loved doing. Stacking shelves in a supermarket, worked in a petrol station, gardening(well cutting back a massive amount of ivy and other weeds), was a cleaner for a month or so, basically anything I could find to keep myself active in the summer months.

The first couple of jobs I mentioned really helped me come out of my shell as a painfully shy and awkward teenager, and of course the few quid at the end of the week was great. Which went on tapes, concert tickets, and later on, pints

Jenneke87

I delivered newspapers and was a check out girl in a supermarket

Worked on my uncle's farm as a kid, weekends and school holidays, could drive a tractor at nine years old.

Started giving my dad a hand on building/carpentry jobs at eleven and then started doing security when I was fifteen, but still helped out my dad and uncle as needed.

Really enjoyed all of it, having my own money etc when I was a kid and as decidedly dodgy as it could be at times enjoyed doing security when I did, but ended up in a management position and it wasn't for me due to the company I was working for.

SusieBlue

I got my first job when I was 14, minding three children. I minded them 9-5 Monday to Friday for the whole summer holidays and got paid €80 per week, which felt like a massive amount of money to me. I handed up some to my parents and blew the rest, probably in Penney’s & on dominos.
This was about 15 year’s ago or so and I think the parents got a really good deal :pac:

I did that for two summers before going into the world of retail/bar work. I enjoyed minding the kids a lot more than I liked dealing with the public, though.

jos28

Started work at 14 and I've been working ever since. Worked part-time and summer holidays in a hairdressers from the age of 14. I also did a bit of babysitting to earn money. Had various other part time jobs after that including retail and restaurant work until I started full time work after LC. Certainly didn't do me any harm. Learned the value of money and lots of life skills.
Both of my adult children had part time jobs from the age of 14 and again it has served them well. They're both good with money and managed to buy their own houses by the time they were 30.

RedXIV

I got a job in a chinese restaurant thanks to asking one of the other waiters who was in my year in school and he got me in at 15. Then got into a caravan park as part of childrens entertainment, followed by pub work (lounge boy to the doors) and there was some work in the local tesco there too.

Definitely think it did me the world of good and was able to fund my rather boring lifestyle of books and games (and eventually drink too).

Would love to see my kids do it as well but as mentioned above, it's devilishly hard to get kids work and they don't even get a look in under 16

billyhead

Sold scratch cards at 16. It was a door to door house job. Worked in a deli in a supermarket at 17 and from 18 to 19 worked in a petrol station as a cashier. Prefered earning my own money then getting hands outs from parents.

From 14, I was pumping petrol - My choice as it got me near cars.

Like Beasty above the pay wasn't the best (a flat £2 for a 5 hour shift so 40p an hour when petrol was 32.9p per GALLON for Esso Extra/BP Super or 29.9p for 'Regular'. (Decimal prices so post Feb 1971)

However, it changed my life come the 1973 Oil crisis (And the young 'uns go "Crisis? What crisis...?"). Petrol deliveries were rationed so petrol stations started limiting the amount you could buy and then generally to regular customers only. The queues for petrol were monumental (If anyone is feeling sentimental).

One day one of the teachers in my school rolled up. Yes, there was a story that he desperately needed petrol but I can’t remember what he said now. It didn’t matter, if he was looking he needed; he was that sort of person so the answer was ‘Pull in around the corner of the building, out of sight'.

I went out to the kiosk in the centre of the pump island and slyly pumped 5 gallons into a clean oil drum from the nearest pump. We siphoned the petrol into the car and filled it (Mini, a 5 gallon or so tank).

He was so grateful he was offering me a red folding note but I refused. I can only assume he had an idea of my Maths results so he suggested free grinds - I accepted. He was by far the best regarded teacher in the school but I never had a class with him.

Between then and doing the Leaving Cert a year and a bit later he took my grade from the usual D to a high B and that opened the way to third level for me...

I was sorry to find out a few years ago he passed in 2014 so God Bless, Paul R, most who knew you considered you a gentleman. To me, you're a Saint. RIP.

talla10

I worked in a few places as a teenager

Factory
Dunnes (seasonal)
Argos (seasonal)
McDonalds
Labourer building Site (Summers)

Kinda regretted giving up most of summers to work now I look back but If i wanted money I had to earn it. Didn't do any harm in the long run

Your Face

I parked cars down at the cab-stand.

rickis tache

Worked for my dad in the fruit and veg wholesale trade. Tough tough work. 7 till 6 5 days a week and 5 hours on Saturdays during the summer.
Used to have to unload an artic filled top to bottom with boxes of bananas. 1330 to be exact by hand. Took 3 hours and got 10 pounds. Worst was sorting through 4 ton of bad potatoes to find the best ones. Might of got 1/4ton if lucky.
That smell still haunts me.

Duke of Url

Worked in McDonalds as a teen in the mid 90s

Meat factory and picking trees. Like every job I’ve ever had in the following 20 or so years, they were sh1te.





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Larbre34

Lounge boy, lifeguard, hardware store skivvy.

Discovered more about life at those gigs than any school or college after. Good times.

6541

Chimney sweep in london at about 13 also did a bit of pickpocketing..

worked summers in local restaurant as kitchen porter from 12-16

fitted kitchens a summer after that, then worked chipper jobs, supermarket jobs, factory job, call centre jobs evenings/weekends through college- even did a stint on a trawler one summer

first real job was after college, bar the very odd event/overtime ive never done evenings or weekends since thank god

Laszlo Cravensworth

Worked delivering fruit and vegetables at age 14 to 17. Travelled around with the delivery lads in the trucks from 6am to 12pm each day during the summers. Monday to Saturday. Went straight to the pitch and putt course after finishing and spent the day there until 8pm. To this day, it was one of my favourite jobs.

Age 17 to 20 worked weekends and summers in a builders providers yard. Every Saturday and then summers. Boss was a bit of a dcik. Also worked Saturday nights in a nightclub behind the bar, used to also do the bottles on a Sunday morning.

After that I worked in bars and supermarkets through college.

Spent 10 years working in Web site design for various companies but hours were crazy and far too much pressure for comparatively little reward. Currently working in a very steady civil service job with a brilliant work life balance. Been here for 7 years and Wouldn't change it for the world.

pgj2015

I footed turf and worked on building sites as a teenager.

r93kaey5p2izun

Yes, min 25 hours a week from 15 onwards. Care assistant in a nursing home and shop assistant. A serious struggle in college where weeks of full time placement during holidays was required and the course was 40 hours a week. My experience is that the people who never had a job but could afford and had the connections for good unpaid internships have done the best.

ilovesmybrick

Good few from about 13/14 on. Doing the bottles in a bar, delivery assistant for a driver, waiter, stocking shelves in a supermarket, working the bar. During the early 2000's it was fairly handy picking up bits of work and there was rarely an issue. After years of that environment 2007/2008 was a shock coming out of college!

beauf

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

Coal mine at 13 and I was damn glad for it.

Its been done better...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6QLMUwVBeY

yerwanthere123

Nope, didn't get my first job until after I finished college at 22. I'd have been much better working, would've given me a lot more confidence, social skills and of course money. Instead I spent the school holidays/college summers at home miserable and lonely.

Foweva Awone

I was babysitting loads from my early teens onwards. Got in with some very wealthy families and made anywhere from €50-€100+ a night, kids usually in bed for most of it. Big money 20 years ago (damn, I'm really that old?!)

Then started working in cafes/restaurants from around 16 onwards. I hated that sort of work, but it was definitely character-building. I got a weekend job in a clothes shop when I started college, and worked there (and babysitting) all through college.

Actually when I was around 19 I also got a summer contract with the local county council, it was a very decent job for a teenager (good money and interesting work) but I wouldn't have gotten it unless I'd already filled up my CV with other jobs, and has good references from them. Hard work usually pays off eventually, in my experience.

maebee

StevieHardesty wrote: »

From 14, I was pumping petrol - My choice as it got me near cars.

Like Beasty above the pay wasn't the best (a flat £2 for a 5 hour shift so 40p an hour when petrol was 32.9p per GALLON for Esso Extra/BP Super or 29.9p for 'Regular'. (Decimal prices so post Feb 1971)

However, it changed my life come the 1973 Oil crisis (And the young 'uns go "Crisis? What crisis...?"). Petrol deliveries were rationed so petrol stations started limiting the amount you could buy and then generally to regular customers only. The queues for petrol were monumental (If anyone is feeling sentimental).

One day one of the teachers in my school rolled up. Yes, there was a story that he desperately needed petrol but I can’t remember what he said now. It didn’t matter, if he was looking he needed; he was that sort of person so the answer was ‘Pull in around the corner of the building, out of sight'.

I went out to the kiosk in the centre of the pump island and slyly pumped 5 gallons into a clean oil drum from the nearest pump. We siphoned the petrol into the car and filled it (Mini, a 5 gallon or so tank).

He was so grateful he was offering me a red folding note but I refused. I can only assume he had an idea of my Maths results so he suggested free grinds - I accepted. He was by far the best regarded teacher in the school but I never had a class with him.

Between then and doing the Leaving Cert a year and a bit later he took my grade from the usual D to a high B and that opened the way to third level for me...

I was sorry to find out a few years ago he passed in 2014 so God Bless, Paul R, most who knew you considered you a gentleman. To me, you're a Saint. RIP.

Great post Stevie

1800_Ladladlad

In the summers we always went around with a lawnmower and bucket/sponge to wash cars. When I was 15 I had two jobs. I worked in my local newsagents when I was and I did my paper round too. Then when I was 16 I got a decent job in retail parttime /fulltime in the summers. Still was able to keep the paper+ leaflet round. When I was 17 I started collecting glasses in the local pub. I was able to buy my school books and uniform after working all summer.

Tell me how

Yes. First job at 13 was general dogsbody in a mechanics garage.

Am 41 now and still see some of the attitudes, work situations which I first saw back then but didn't really pay any attention to.

saabsaab

Mainly working on land, digging planting fencing etc etc. no money usually. Got a few jobs, in a shop factory and pub short term helping out etc learned a lot from it couldn't believe the money I took home at first thought it was a fortune!

L1011

Various IT nixers from 14-15 onwards, my brother who works on the programming side would deflect any queries to me; and my brother in law had friends with businesses that I still do the IT for two decades on.

In laws (other side) had a TV shop so I did satellite/aerial installation from 17-19 or so, once I could drive a ladder van.

Did some pub DJing and bar work from 18 on.

I wouldn't let my own potentia/future kids do the same tbh. Didn't need to do any of it as I have fairly well off parents but it allowed me to spend money on stuff they wouldn't have paid for - dearer clothes, a car, music etc

beauf

L1011 wrote: »

...
I wouldn't let my own potentia/future kids do the same tbh....

Why not?

I have always worked from a young age. My only regret it that I would have done more sports if I hadn't been working.

Tell me how

L1011 wrote: »

Various IT nixers from 14-15 onwards, my brother who works on the programming side would deflect any queries to me; and my brother in law had friends with businesses that I still do the IT for two decades on.

In laws (other side) had a TV shop so I did satellite/aerial installation from 17-19 or so, once I could drive a ladder van.

Did some pub DJing and bar work from 18 on.

I wouldn't let my own potentia/future kids do the same tbh. Didn't need to do any of it as I have fairly well off parents but it allowed me to spend money on stuff they wouldn't have paid for - dearer clothes, a car, music etc

Why would you stop your future kids from doing the same thing?

Aside from the money, did you not learn life skills, make friends, learn different technologies etc which you have benefited from.

L1011

Tell me how wrote: »

Why would you stop your future kids from doing the same thing?

Aside from the money, did you not learn life skills, make friends, learn different technologies etc which you have benefited from.

It had an obvious negative effect on academic achievement. That that wasn't relevant to me was purely down to timing - I got a decent job with a crap leaving cert, and got a degree at night afterwards; but a few years earlier or later it would never have ended up that way.

If you're going to do similar, a full driving licence is the most valuable thing you can have to get a better paying job - not sure why so many people don't realise this.

Laszlo Cravensworth

I think working during your teenage years is a great way to develop a huge amount of life skills which will help set you apart from the pack. Particularly in the very early twenties, at least. The ability to hold down a job throughout your teens highlights work ethic, discipline and commitment. Not to mention, getting your hard earned few quid each week was always a great feeling and gave you a real understanding of how much work it takes to get the material things you want.

I know some people pay their kids a few quid to do jobs around the home like painting, gardening, cleaning etc... This is a good thing also, but working for a proper employer is very different. Its a fantastic experience that imo every teenager should be exposed to in some capacity.

rusty the athlete

About 60 years ago I had a morning paper round in the UK when I was 13 at a starting salary of 16/- per week. I started at 5am, long before the schools inspector woke up because we were not supposed to start until 7 and he would patrol the streets seeking miscreants who started fifteen minutes before the appointed hour. I would be done by 0645 meaning I could pick up an extra round when one of the other lads failed to turn up for their round. Later I graduated to collecting bills on Friday nights, thereby increasing my weekly salary by a massive 25/-. I never forget the evening when I knocked on the door and a shocked customer informed me JFK had been assassinated. I remember to this day the house I was at.

silvervixen84

Trained greyhounds after school for my neighbour from 14-15, and then got a part-time job at a petrol station at 16. Worked there after school and college, and pretty much full time during the summer until I finished college and got an office job.

Some of my friends worked at the petrol station too so it was actually a good laugh. Used the money for nights out and clothes - got a few pairs of cool wide-leg skater pants back then! :pac:

L1011

silvervixen84 wrote: »

got a few pairs of cool wide-leg skater pants back then! :pac:

I also mis-spent on this

whoopsadaisy

I got a fairly comfortable job in the local pharmacy aged 16 - 8 hours each Saturday, just above min wage at the time which I was chuffed with, five mins around the corner from home.

The customers in there weren't as bat**** as some of the ones I'd encountered later in retail and hospitality, but I was fairly socially awkward as a teenager and working there, getting to meet all kinds of people, dealing with different challenges and situations - It really did do wonders for my confidence.

I loved college - school less so, but I'd still to this day believe I grew up a lot more working in those jobs than I ever would have had I just studied without working

Funnily enough a lot of my friends throughout school and college had never worked until their first job graduating - so I was always delighted with myself, feeling so independent in comparison!

corner of hells

Myself and a pal cut grass and delivered leaflets for two consecutive summers , I also got an electrical apprenticeship at 16 , not a chance my father would let me leave school.

That same pal and me then got two jobs collecting trolleys and cleaning our local shopping centre carpark.
Had a great summer until some fruitcake accused us of hitting her car with a trolley, swung a punch a my pal and he gave her a shove and knocked her over.
Her rat faced husband tried his luck and my pal head butted him.
Both of us were sacked , him for the physical stuff and me for pissing myself laughing.
She threatened the manager the following day but he just called the Gardai.

The Cool

Worked in a kebab van from 15, weekends and summers right up until I went to college. One of those summers I also had a job waitressing, the next summer I had also worked in a cafe making sandwiches etc. Babysat lots as well, was well used to helping mind my sister who was born when I was 14, so I was very popular with my mum's friends with babies the same age. I think it matured me a lot, besides earning some of my own money, there's a lot of graft and less pleasant jobs involved in those hospitality sector jobs so you learn to get over yourself and get stuck in. I wouldn't be a fan of kids graduating from college (I sound ancient, I'm only 30) looking for their grown up jobs without ever having put in a day's work before, I think it stands to you!

Rubberchikken

Have worked since I was 13.
One thing I've learned is I hate dealing with the public.
Most are grand but it only takes the 'one'.

Where I work now is medical/health based, not such a great place during a pandemic but I'd still take it over interacting with Joe/Mary public:)

ChikiChiki

1st job when I was 13 delivering leaflets after school and some Saturdays in the pissing rain.

Used to look forward to spending my 60 euro a week (a fortune to me at the time) on cookies and some other sweets after work. Also worked in Supermarket, on building sites with relatives during summer, Arnotts and then into the bank when I was 19 started me on the path to where I am today.

Jesus I lived a wild 20s for the most part as I've sweet feck all to show for it!

saabsaab

Rubberchikken wrote: »

Have worked since I was 13.
One thing I've learned is I hate dealing with the public.
Most are grand but it only takes the 'one'.

Where I work now is medical/health based, not such a great place during a pandemic but I'd still take it over interacting with Joe/Mary public:)

So true and there is always one.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I worked in a slaughter house, we killed cattle in the morning and sheep in the afternoon. It was hard, bloody and smelly work.

36 years ago I joined the army when I was 18 and have been doing that since, and still proudly serving.

Temptamperu

I collected milk money and did deliveries at the weekend. All for drinkin money. those were the days.

gogo

School job in local video store (feel really old writing that sentence), spent most of my wages on sweets they had for sale before I was even paid, used to owe the shop money from my wages on a Friday, don’t think I was eating that much but the wages were a pittance, cheap labour.

Got a part time job in supermacs during college, first week in and they asked me to pluck the stray feathers out of what seemed like a gazillion chicken breasts.... threw up in my mouth and promptly strolled out the door... this was back when I had, what I felt were strong codes of behavior regarding menial tasks I shouldn’t have to do... I can still see my mother rolling her eyes and muttering Jesus Christ when I told her 😂

Relikk

At 14 I had my first weekend job in a video game rental shop. Needless to say it was heaven to someone who was already a video game junkie at the height of the 16-bit wars, as I had access to absolutely everything on the market at the time including imports from Japan, where games and hardware were nearly always released at least 6 months (and even up to a year) before they reached Europe.

Homelander

Worked one day a week for the summer when I was 14, got a 'proper' part time job the following summer that had full hours when off school and weekends when I was in school.

Generally enjoyed it. It paid me the full minimum wage (think it was €7 at the time) as well even though I was only 15, compared to friends the same age only getting around €4.50 per hour in the local supermarket.

Was great having tons of money relatively speaking and the job itself and conditions were fairly decent.