First Job?

Worked when I was really young in a hotel, but first job out of school was in a brush factory in Cork.

I lasted like 2 days, it was miserable, the staff and even one of the managers basically told me to get out while I could and do something else instead.

...packing bags for shoppers as well as some storeroom work in a retail environment in Dublin airport.

I was 13, spent the summer working in a hairdressers on Grafton St for the princely sum of 45p an hour. I was on my feet literally all day - which was 8am to 6pm - and I can honestly say that I've never worked as hard in my life.

Newsagents when I was 14, around 2004. Treated like dirt by the manager but the pay was the adult minimum wage as opposed to the child's minimum wage so I couldn't complain too much

Filling station attendant in 1984 - £1 an hour for a 59 hour week. I thought I was loaded as I didn't really get any time to spend the money. Loved that job and still love the smell of petrol. It was in an era when motorists got proper service - we were expected to wash a dirty windscreen and it was perfectly normal to check oil, top up oil if required, inflate tyres and fill battery water. My biggest sale was £800 into a truck - a lot of money in 1984. The downside was when there was a power cut as the fuel had to be pumped with a crank handle which could be attached to the pump. I often think it would be a nice job in retirement but those old style filling stations are long gone.

Funny how you remember little things like that. In my first job it was "Shaggy - It wasn't me" that was always on the radio. Another thing I remember vividly was people smoking in the canteen, back when it was allowed indoors. It used to irritate me so much I'd nearly look forward to going back onto the factory floor.

2004 i was 16, €5 an hour petrol pump attendant. Tips were handy enough though

1995, stacking shelves in a supermarket while listening to Atlantic 252. I was on a tenner a day for 9 hours work, so the money wasn't great. And the owner was an ignorant auld @rsehole who would also let his sons use me for whatever work they needed done (one ran a chicken house and a piggery). But I enjoyed it all the same, and had a decent wedge of money by the end of the summer.

A flower shop. 3o quid for a days work or so, and free flowers.

I used to get a bunch made and bring them to my Granny every week, she was delighted with them. It was great seeing her reaction to getting a bunch.

I miss those days.

Benjys sandwich shop in London in 1998 making sandwiches non stop from 3am to 3pm Mon to Fri with timed 20min break, loads of shouting and abuse from the lady owner, all for £160 pw (2.67 per hour). I lasted about 2 months)).

16 driving for a silage contractor. Money was OK but the hours were scandalous at times, there were a few 70-80 hour weeks.

Does making the tea/coffee and sitting outside the Junior Cert Exam count?

Aged 13 I started working in family business in school summers. Went to university and continued summer work. Graduated and worked in 4 financial services jobs and did a stint in a self employed role. 25 years later I'm back where I started as general manager of family business and planning a management buyout from older generation. Full circle.

Lasted one 12 hour night shift scrubbing airplanes with their innards stripped out with a brush and suds in Shannon Aerospace as an 18yo back in 1998 during my college summer holidays. One night of that filthy work was enough for me, especially considering I was only paid £50 for the night 🥵😅

He wasn't a busy contractor if he only gave you 70 hours a week.

We would have easily put I'm 100 hours a week if weather was good

£3 an hour. Minted

Hated meeting lads like you on the country roads. Me and 2 kids were almost drive over by little feckers like you. Great craic going flat out but try stopping when you meet traffic.

27 years ago since I last did it. Different machinery on the road back then.

I don't disagree, there are machines that weigh 20 times that of a car and can be driven by a child that's spending half their time making **** tictok videos while they're driving

Indeed he was plenty busy but had enough gear and drivers so having one lad on a 100 hour week wasn't necessary.

Was never a problem.

Some 17 18 year olds now haven't done a tap of work. When they eventually start working its a bit of a shock to them

Not sure but we always worked, nothing wrong with it

Only there was a convenient gap to dive into it would have been so so bad. I can still remember the look of terror on his face. Madness putting young lads into those machines and told to do it fast.