Forum Topic

Your first job?

What was your very first experience of working? What job was it, how old were you and how much did you earn?  Just curious?

Gerry Tan ● 3835d16 Comments

I agree, Gerry. The Saturday job was an important training for working life.

Susan Kelly ● 3833d

Milk Round in the Gordon Road area in the early sixties then Bentals restaurant (smashing job) followed by Sainsbury in the butchers dept's all Saturday jobs with first full time employment working for the old EBC Treasury dep't in 1968 which if I remember correctly was £48 a month

Simon Swinn ● 3833d

Yes Keith, young people don't seem to take Saturday jobs nowadays - much to their disadvantage.  The experience of this kind of work is invaluabe in later life - such persons are much more "rounded" and savvy for it imo and more valuable to an employer.

Gerry Tan ● 3834d

Very interesting - any more "first job" experiences?

Gerry Tan ● 3834d

First job was a paper round out of the paper shop that was just past the corner of Northfields Ave. and Devonshire Road about 1970-ish. I believe that shop is a mini-mart now. Also delivered the Ealing Gazette every Friday evening. Did various Saturday jobs, Milk round/assisting the milkman from Jobs Dairy on Leighton Road, Petrol Pump attendant at the Esso Garage opposite Trumpers Way on Boston Road and weekday evenings and all day Saturdays in Shellshears (Ironmongers).First "proper" job was as a trainee telex operator in 1975. Wages were £21.59p per week

Paul Stobswell ● 3834d

Hairdresser's, aged 14, Friday night and all day Saturday. Shampooing, sweeping, washing towels. 10p an hour. One of the stylists was a mate of my Mum's.

Susan Kelly ● 3834d

Penny, Keith, Gerry = "first real job - fun days - rent"boy have times changed (mostly fun wise)I worked for Ealing Council & took home £84 a week - WOWThen those immortal words, pay your mum rent!!What?Did some o/t & earnt good money, fair money, well I was happy.Now its all changed. Maybe I should start a new thread under bullying. harassment at work. A class divide.Times, statistics, discipline if you,re late do this or that, Do so much a day, penalise the worker award the boss 10/20/50 % moreDont like it can always leave - for what, the £500 a week & the managers  XXXXXXXXXXXX amount

Peter Yale ● 3834d

I don't envy kids nowadays in the respect that they don't seem to do Saturday and after school jobs anymore. When I left school I was prepared for work and knew what it was about.

Keith Iddon ● 3834d

My first real job was when I did my National Service in the RAF.  Before that I did newspaper sorting and delivery and waiting/clearing tasks at a transport cafe on a Saturday as I was still at school - my pay as I recall was a few quid - that was in the late 40s - happy days!

Gerry Tan ● 3834d

Not sharing Gerry?

Keith Iddon ● 3834d

My first job at 13yrs old (or was it 14yrs?) was a paper boy at a newsagents shop, I think it was called Stanlys, it was next  to the Fish and Chip shop at Greenford RoadI left School at 15yrs old and got a job at S.Davall and SonsWadsworth Road Perivale I was an "odd job"person at first, drilling brass plate for the clockwork s.o.s m/c for ships to alt.send distress signals when in trouble, and finished up assembling oscilloscope cameras, befor leaving and moving to Torquay

John Charles Todd ● 3835d

Saturday girl in the Co-Op on South Ealing Road. 8-4 - £4.86.1st fulltime job was Bank of England - £189 net monthly paid in cash (freshly minted of course) I spent all of it on clothes and my mother was furious. She was waiting for her rent !

Penny Crocker ● 3835d

Did the job have its perks and were you paid in kind?

Keith Iddon ● 3835d

Fluffer

Colin Goodman ● 3835d

What about you Gerry/ What was your first gainful employ?

Keith Iddon ● 3835d

First Saturday job was age 12 working for an old skinflint and his miserly family  who owned 3 Army and Navy stores in Preston. 9 hrs £1.20.Stayed there 12 months. Had other, better Saturday and after school jobs ( filling shelves in a toy shop, Saturday in a 'boutique'( £3.50 plus 1% commission. Also washing up in a hotel kitchen during some of the summer hols 1974 and 75) until I left school.  First full time job age 16 in 1975 in a shipping and transport office on Preston Docks 42 hr week £11 pw.

Keith Iddon ● 3835d