What was your 1st paid job (employment) in life

[Peter B - CV8]

9 years old & I became a paper boy. Pushing the yellow trolley around & blowing my whistle. Spent most of my earnings in the newsagency on model planes.
From age 14 I became a chemist delivery boy. Cool job - just delivering phone ordered medicines on my pushbike. Also had a small lawn mowing run (half a dozen clients)
Left school at age 17 & joined the Commonwealth Bank. Started as an enquiry counter clerk & left as a loans manager after 19 years service. Became a Mortgage Broker for 25 years - but now recently retired.

[Charliewool]

My first job as an 11yr old was selling pencils outside the Hill entrance to Flemington racecourse. It was the most lucrative spot of all the gates at Flemington as most of the “well heeled” used that entrance and tips were abundant.
To secure my spot I used to arrive 3 hrs before the first race as competition was fierce!
One particular Derby Day (the biggest race day of the year) an elderly guy carrying a similar folding pencil case to mine and wearing dark glasses and tapping a cane approached me.
He asked if I would relinquish my spot as he was blind and incapable of walking down to the next course entrance.
I was devastated! My biggest sales day if the entire year!
But compassion and empathy for the poor old guy won over and I moved down the hill, saying to him.. Go for it mate.
2hrs later I’d sold 4/5ths of bugga all, whilst I could see the old bloke doing a roaring trade.
Just before the jump of the first race, he was sold out.
He then proceeded to close his pencil case, remove his dark glasses and fold up his telescopic “cane”.
Then he pulled his form guide out of his back pocket and into the racecourse he strolled!
A valuable life lesson was learnt that day, and one I carried right through my working life, and that is… Never take anyone or anything at face value!

[mondeomatureguy]

Hi Guys,
Happy New year first as i havent been here since last year.
My first job were i got some money i worked for a Chemist in the afternoon a few days a week in Sydney.
I would do deliveries for him and i tell you it kept me fit because it was on my push bike and all over the eastern Suburbs.

i cant remember how much i got paid tell the truth but i stayed doing that job for around 12 months when at School.

[OneMadMan]

Originally Posted by mondeomatureguy

hi guys, happy new year first as i havent been here since last year.my first job were i got some money i worked for a chemist in the afternoon a few days a week in sydney.i would do deliveries for him and i tell you it kept me fit because it was on my push bike and all over the eastern suburbs.i cant remember how much i got paid tell the truth but i stayed doing that job for around 12 months when at school.

and then?

[danzvtil]

First job at 10. Gardener for a rich guy in the waste disposal industry who spent $50k on landscaping in the late 80’s. Lasted 6 months this time, wasn’t physically able to do it all.
Went back at 14 and stayed until 18. Guy had a self propelled kubota mower which was the height of luxury at the time. I wasn’t able to do edges at this stage so we paid my dad $20 a fortnight to whipper the place for me (he was a VIP lawnie at the time.) $8/ hr.
Went and got a full time job by accident so stayed that way for 20years while raising a kid.
The pandemic and oldest finishing high school was the catalyst for finally going out on my own.
Now I’m a gardener to many rich guys.

[BENT_8]

Left home at 15, moved 150km away on the promise of a labouring job bailing hay for export to Japan, made $12.44 between 6 of us for every 20 bales.
Landed a job with a local dairy/cereal Farmer from that.
Moved back to the big smoke, worked in a small caryard, moved up to a Toyota dealer..that explains it they say..lol

Moved to NSW and ran a Jims Mowing franchise, back to SA and worked in my inlaws coffee shop.
Back to Adelaide, another Toyota dealer.
Bought my own Jims franchise, did my back, sold, back to the coffee shop.
Shop got sold, back to Adelaide, enroled in Adult re-entty school while my back healed and completed my SACE. Got my heavy vehicle licence, drove trucks, transitioned to coaches, still doing it.

[Big_Daz]

First job was 14 working for my cousin who owned a Lenards Poultry franchise. Every second weekend I would do a deep clean of the back of house of the shop, incuding the coolroom and all the racking/etc. Was damn tough work but instilled a work ethic that I never lost. Was about $10 an hour from memory.

After year 12 I went and studied International Business. An elective in this got me interested in International Logistics so once I was done, thats where I went. Started from the very bottom as a "Runner" for a company that specialised in Project Cargo/Mining equipment and moved up from there to all aspect of moving very large pieces of equipment from around the world to Australia. I looked after the Used Equipment. Was exciting but draining. Did my course, sat the national exam and became a Licensed Customs Broker and have been doing that in various forms since.

Currently I'm a Senior Lead Broker for one of biggest in the game, about to hit 10 years with them. Lucky enough to love my job, which is great.

[sprintman1]

Raaf 1970 - 1976.

[Adamz Ghia]

My first job was a holiday job working at the vineyards in Mildura, $20 an hour cash in hand as a 15 year old was a pretty sweet deal. At 18 I started my first actual job in a supermarket where I ended up in regional management. I enjoyed that job for 10 years until one day I just woke up thinking there must be more out there.

So I travelled for a bit, came back and worked in freight management for a large auto parts company that isn’t Supercheap. They consolidated their operations too far from home so I took a package.

These days I work in Corrections. It’s an eye opener to say the least. Some days are better than others, but thankfully the good days outnumber the bad.