OT: What was your first job as a teenager?

[Phorcys]

I was a minimum-wage laboratory test subject participating in a massive, global acne experiment ... in other words I worked the fryers at a McDonald’s.

 

[HooperScooper]

There is one on Hartford Road. I worked at a different one over near the Parkade. I'm not sure there was one on Hartford Road back then.

The Hartford Road one was there all during my time living in CT. Between late 1960s and 1996. I think it's still there. I can't remember going to the one near the Parkade but we must have since I was definitely around that area a lot as a kid. I'll have to ask my parents.

 

[bendm]

Custodial services

 

[storrsroars]

If you were liberal with the scoops in the Reese's Pieces sundae, I salute you.

I was there six years before Reese's Pieces were even invented.

Sad thing about that job is that it was a pay cut from caddying on weekends. I think minimum wage was $1.60 back in 1972.

 

[SoFla Steve]

Early on, New Britain Herald and Sunday Hartford Times (remember them?) routes.

In high school, I worked weekends at a seafood restaurant which killed my social life. I lived in a town of predominantly Catholics so Friday was fish day. Even if I got out of work early, I smelled like fish. It was like wearing "cute girl repellant".

Later, I gave up football to deliver TVs and big appliances like washers, dryers, ranges and refrigerators. At least the football weightlifting made some money for me . . . even if it was for minimum wage.

 

[M.S.G.]

I took / printed license pictures at the Norwich DMV the summer of ‘96, cool experience.

I left a drawer open and a woman, in my defense she was pushing 4 bills, like turned into it and wrenched her back, workers comp out for 6 months. My bad.

 

[UConnRock]

Working nights stocking shelves and doing night work at an A&P grocery store. Made $4.25 and hour, learned how to properly mop floors.

 

[boog204]

Hallmarks Ice Cream in Old Lyme. Probably the most fun and miserable job I’ve ever had.

 

[jimva]

I was an indentured servant for my dad’s plumbing company. But for real first job it was picking tobacco.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I forgot I also did a stint at Roy Rogers while in HS.

I was great at making biscuits and eventually worked my way up to the sandwich line.

 

[Peacefrog]

Babysitting in middle school and spanning into high school refereed soccer in the town league. Turned 16, got a driver’s license and delivered Domino’s.

 

[zymurg]

caddy at manchester country club starting the summer after sixth grade. I caddied in what was the ICO, Insurance City Open, several times. I continued to caddy through high school. I worked in custodial services at Manchester Memorial Hospital, later I assisted in the lab. I'm surprised at how many yarders began their work experiences as caddies.
Recently Ihad an extensive discussion with my sister just abut this issue. We worry that it is much harder for kids to find jobs these days.

 

[TerryBoyz]

Bristol Community Organization summer job. Cleaned one of the schools to get ready for the coming year. I graduated to working at the Forestville Boys Club. Basically summer day care. Kept everyone busy with activities like softball and archery and such. Malcolm Huckabee (BCU guard) was about 7 then. Really good kid. His older brother was more of a handful.

Radar O’Riley’s stomping grounds. Spent a lot of time there as well and played baseball with Malcolm. Carey Edwards, who also played at Manhattan and I went to the same grammar school. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

 

[TerryBoyz]

Spent a few summers working at Lake Compounce during the Hershey ownership. Specifically the skill games.
Had to explain hundred of times that the bottles need to be knocked down AND off the platform.
Good times though.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Peanut Buster Parfait was my go to back in the day.

That was my favorite thing to make, along with chili dogs.

yep there was one on Broad St
as a Burger King on Main St

I can't remember the address but I think it was roughly where the Wendy's is now, looking at Google Maps. We used to go to the Burger King on Main for lunch when in HS. Open campus and several free periods next to lunch.

 

[borninansonia]

Paper boy for Bridgeport Post; cut lawns; shoveled snow,
Looking back, delivering papers by bicycle was a great job for me.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Lawn work for a man who owned the largest furrier in CT at the time.

Used to have to edge with a hand tool. Imagine that going around all the landscaping with a half moon shaped spade and making an edge.

These landscapers don’t know how good they have it

 

[Hunt for 7]

Paper boy for Bridgeport Post; cut lawns; shoveled snow,
Looking back, delivering papers by bicycle was a great job for me.

I was never lucky enough to get our local paper route, it was handed down between brothers. But I filled in for him whenever he was on vacation or sick.

I agree I loved that job when I got to do it. Getting that bundle of papers and scanning the sports section before anyone else in the neighborhood had the news.

Always made me feel like I was a step ahead. Then racing through the route on my bike, I was like work ain’t so bad….man the innocence of being a 14yr old kid back then.

 

[temery]

I shoveled snow in the winter, dug out crawlspaces in houses to make a bigger basement and for the most part, I was just waiting for the Internet to be invented.

Oh, I worked at McDonald's for four hours.

 

[uchusky32]

Serving you knuckle heads Carvel Ice cream. Hated having to decorate cakes. Hand writing terrible.

 

[87Xfer]

Starting when I was 12 or 13 we got 2 weeks off from school each fall to pick potatoes for something like 35 cents a barrel. This was in "The County" in northern Maine. After a couple years picking, I got "promoted" to working on one of the trucks using a crane to lift barrels onto the flatbed.

In high school, first real job was a drafting job for a small engineering firm in West Hartford Center. Then spent an entire hot, grueling summer working for an architect, measuring and drawing every inch of the inside of the Goodwin Building in Hartford. Never forget how hot and dusty that job was.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

Age 15. Two jobs that summer.
1. Washing dishes in the kitchen at Hartford Hospital.
2. Lifeguard at Avon Country Club

 

[husky429]

Age 15. Two jobs that summer.
1. Washing dishes in the kitchen at Hartford Hospital.
2. Lifeguard at Avon Country Club

Lifeguarding is a sweet gig as a teenager. Easy all things considered, get outside and everyone is attractive. My brother was a lifeguard. I got the course done with him but kept doing home reno stuff instead until I became a camp counselor.

He married his coworker from lifeguarding. Mine was a 45 year old man named Manuel. The man can frame a load bearing wall like no ones business but he's not cute

 

[Travelman6]

16 years old, Pumping gas. Gas station I worked at closed a few years later after a tragedy.

Next was at the town pharmacy when I was 17 and 18. Later that year doughnut shop (18 and summers when I was 19/20.)

In hindsight 16 is too young to work and I hope if my child has the option not to, and if they don't want to they won't so they can focus on academics, extracurriculars activities and friendships.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Serving you knuckle heads Carvel Ice cream. Hated having to decorate cakes. Hand writing terrible.

Fudgy the Whale!!!