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small burger chain called Ward's Burgers. One was being built and I applied before it was open. Got the job. Business was good until management started pinching pennies and cutting corners with the food. They added water to the chili, they ordered cheaper and lower quality meat, and they jumped on our case if they thought we added what they thought was too much fixings for the burger. The last straw was when they made employees pay full price for their meal and began charging us for the cup and straw if we decided to drink water instead. Took about a year before the burger smell would finally get out of my car.
My first job was a housekeeper at a hotel (that was hard work). what was your first job?
Well, when I was about 10 or 11, I picked walnuts in California for $5 a sack. My first job was attending two year olds at a nursery school, but that only lasted one day. I enlisted in the army very shortly afterward, so I guess that was my first "real job".
First real job 1977, building computer printed circuit cards, soldering, wirewrapping, cable building. I earned $3.30/hour; minimum wage at the time was $2.65. These were both summer jobs while in high school. This was for Teradyne in Chatsworth, CA.
I worked with mostly middle aged housewives (they loved a spunky 16 year old guy hanging around). One thing I distinctly remember was the day Elvis died. Elvis was their guy. I remember one woman bending down and whispering the news to another woman. Soon one lady was crying. Another thing, all of these women were addicted to soap operas and they all owned these special radios that allowed them to listen to TV shows - so every day they all were each with their own radio tuned in to a soap opera.
Back then, people could smoke cigarettes at their desks. Imagine that.
I still have a Sony Walkman AM/FM/VHF radio with cassette player. With it, I could do my walking while listening to the local tv news. If available, it could get TV channels 2-13. Can't use it for TV anymore. I had it for during hurricanes. Loose power, could still listen to the local TV broadcast for road closures, utility service updates, ice pick-up locations, etc. If those women were here working today,...they'd be watching their soaps online.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles
First real job 1977, building computer printed circuit cards, soldering, wirewrapping, cable building. I earned $3.30/hour; minimum wage at the time was $2.65. These were both summer jobs while in high school. This was for Teradyne in Chatsworth, CA.
I worked with mostly middle aged housewives (they loved a spunky 16 year old guy hanging around). One thing I distinctly remember was the day Elvis died. Elvis was their guy. I remember one woman bending down and whispering the news to another woman. Soon one lady was crying. Another thing, all of these women were addicted to soap operas and they all owned these special radios that allowed them to listen to TV shows - so every day they all were each with their own radio tuned in to a soap opera.
Back then, people could smoke cigarettes at their desks. Imagine that.
I was a camp counselor at a water sports camp during the summers I was 16, 17, and 18.
By day, I ran after kids while getting a really good tan.
By night, I partied with co-workers.
And after 3 years of it, I got skin cancer and lost my innocence. Partying with college kids while you are still in high school and perverted bosses will do that to ya. Luckily, the cancer was removed without needing anything additional treatments.
Do I count mowing lawns in the late 50's before I was a teenager? General pay was a quarter but the good neighbors would pay me fifty cents.
We lived in Santa Clara and in 1961 and while it may will be hard for some younger bay area readers to comprehend most of the area shown on this map was was orchards and bean fields. In the summer I would peddle my bike towards the airport to pick string beans for two cents a pound. I would work eight hours and pick 200 to 250 pounds of beans for $4 to $5 for the day. Might not sound like a lot now but factoring for inflation what cost $5.00 in 1961 would cost $35.61 in 2008.
For a 12 year old boy that was pretty good money.
My first hourly job was working the concession stand at the Moonlite drive in that was located behind the moonlite shopping center at the corner of El Camino and Bowers Avenue. Yep, tis true... there was a large drive in theatre there at one time. I think I got $0.85 an hour which was good pay.
If you don't count mowing lawns or helping the carnie's run games when they were in town for fairs and festivals. My first hourly job was washing dishes at a country club when I was 13/14 which was the late 80's so the place was breaking child labor laws by even having me work. Much less work until 12am or so.
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