The first job(s) of your life, and how they impacted your work ethic! (credit, teenager)

[branh0913]

So what lessons did you take from your first jobs in your life?


I'll start. My first job was as my father's apprentice. He was an electrician, and I was going to be his apprentice. So when I turned 15 years old I really wanted to work to buy things I wanted. I went to my hometown of Kansas City,MO to work a job, and eventually my father and uncle were happy to oblige. My father had me work with my uncle (who owned a roofing company) where I had to strip roofs, and dispose of the old shingles. That's hard work considering how HOT it could get in Missouri. A roofing job would take about 2 weeks. My father paid me $50 for every roofing job. Little did I know my uncle was paying him $300! My uncle was basically giving him his cut and mine! the expectation was that my father would give me my cut. When I asked my father he said "you're not working hard enough, so $50 is all you deserve!". I was basically used as cheap labor.


My father is also the most offensive person on the planet who will work you like a slave. He had me clean up non working toilets with waste on in them. He had my shovel a ton of dirt. He had me run and get his tools. He had me follow him and be a hand on every odd job he had in the city of Kansas City. I would work my ass off, and he would pay me a whopping $20 a week, because in his mind I never worked hard enough. On top of that pretty much berating me the entire time.

The impact?


I NEVER EVER HAD a worse boss than my father. It has literally gone up hill from that point forward. I had the cheapest, most verbally abusive father, who had me do every filthy job in the world for what is basically peanuts! I even tried to fight him, but 15 year old scrawny teenager vs a street smart life long manual labor electrician?


As a result I now have VERY thick skin in corporate America. Very little gets to me, and I always keep a relaxed attitude. Never really over stress and worry, just do the job, and do it as right as possible. Generally not intimidated by management and upper management, but I respect their position and authority. For the most part, my father being such a horrible boss pretty much made me a VERY professional worker down the line.

[Three Wolves In Snow]

My first "real" job was the military. Should pretty much answer the rest of that question. I guess it's also why I get so fricken annoyed when people are LAZY at their jobs. I can't stand laziness.

[BlackGoldPride]

My first job was at my dad's company, but not in his department since that wasn't allowed. Instead, I got placed in credit and collections, calling people about their overdue bills and reminding them to pay up. I also had to issue termination notices for their utilities. That definitely taught me a lot about dealing with difficult people and handling stress.

[chef.sunny22]

I worked every summer/break from the summer after college through college at the same company as my dad, as well as some of you other posters.

He was 100x more strict and difficult with me. Did it teach me anything? Well, not really. At 18-21 I think you just go to work and not think about it. I used to feel I would just get my degree and work in something more interesting.


Years later, I remember we had some good times back then in the 80s. You could get a leg up as a young adult and work in an office for experience and money (unlike now).