What was your first-ever paycheck?

How did you all earn your first actual paycheck? I’m not talking about the stuff we did as kids, like renting out bikes to the neighborhood brats or picking up pocket money. I want to know when you landed your first real job and what it was.

I made my first real money working at an electronics plant, assembling circuit boards. I was pulling three different shifts just trying to stay afloat during my freshman year of college. I didn't have the guts to hunt for anything "classier" back then because my English wasn't great yet, so they stuck me in production. I still remember feeling so bitter watching everyone get ready for a night out while my shift started at 10 PM, staring down those loud machines, drills, adhesives, and boards... I grinded it out for two months and made decent cash, but after that, I told myself: thanks but no thanks, you won't see me back in this factory.

What was your start like?

Back when I was in college, I worked full-time selling parking permits... absolute bliss—just me, the scorching Los Angeles heat, and endless asphalt🙄

The second summer, I moved on to selling sandwiches at the local pool.

By the third summer, I’d worked my way up to a boutique, and by the fourth, I was at a travel agency.

Every gig lasted about two months—I'd knock out my finals, work through the break, and then have just enough left in September to blow all my cash on a trip.🙂

I used to work through a campus job agency as a cleaner for a government agency—the shift usually lasted about 2 or 3 hours, and they’d pay us $8 an hour.
Plus, I could actually get some studying done while I was there, so it was honestly a pretty sweet deal.

On the flip side, I worked as a hostess at a major trade show once, and I have to say, it was easily my absolute worst job experience, ever. You have to dress up all fancy—mini skirts, thongs, low-cut tops, stuff like that—and then you just stand there all day staring at crowds of people passing by, smiling and acting all ditzy... it was miserable for me. I guess my personality just isn't built for that kind of thing, so it felt incredibly awkward, even if the money was really good.

If I had to choose between Job 1 and Job 2, I would pick Job 1 every single time.

And then, eventually, I started working on campus...

In the National Guard.......🙄...an absolute fool..why on earth wouldn't he just go around the pond...🙄 😕

Mina said:How did you guys earn your very first real paycheck? I’m not counting kid stuff like renting out bikes to the neighborhood kids or getting an allowance. I want to know when you landed your first actual job and how it went.

And don't even ask me how I blew it all😉

As a fresh engineer with 24 years under my belt at a firm that actually gave me a scholarship... looking over some technical docs, wouldn't a patent for some engineering innovation just fall into my lap? 😛
As for the money, I headed straight to a boutique in Chicago and blew the whole thing on boots and a designer bag😛.. oh, and I picked up an old gold ring too... don't tell anyone.

My first job was being a trade show hostess for the same company where I'm now the CEO's secretary. The pay was actually great, and the crew—who are my coworkers now—were awesome. Plus, the outfits, like the suits and everything, didn't bother me at all since that's just how I dress anyway.

first gig—lifeguard at the local pool. super boring and scorching hot, plus zero actual emergencies in like a month and a half—as if anyone’s actually gonna drown in a pool... but hey, the pay is solid and you get a killer tan...

Stole some tires off a wrecked police Ford Crown Victoria. My first paycheck was fifty bucks, and my second was a serious beating from my old man.

I worked stocking shelves at a local grocery store, selling produce. Later, I moved up to the register. It started back in high school and kept going through college, where I pulled shifts as a teaching assistant. Most of my money went toward traveling with my partner or picking up high-end components for my setup—I was already an audiophile by then.

Paul Williams said:My first job was working a trade show booth as a hostess for the very same company where I now serve as the CEO's executive assistant. The pay was excellent, and the crew—my current colleagues—was great. As for the uniform, the suits and business attire didn't bother me at all since that’s exactly how I dress in my personal life anyway.

I have to admit, I definitely have a weakness for women who dress like that.

And just so nobody accuses me of spamming, my very first paycheck actually came at age 16 from the exact same industry I work in today—serving as a skipper for my brothers' yacht charter business.

At sixteen, I built this little website filled with love poems. I slapped an ad on it for one of those old-school dating sites that paid $2 for every free sign-up through their link... then I promoted the site on some Russian forums and ended up making $800. 😁 😁

A few people have actually told me I’m destined to be wealthy. Is it a talent? Maybe. 😁

Nowadays, the competition in that industry is just too cutthroat to pull off a stunt like that again. But I still have most of that cash sitting in my savings account—not to mention how much value I've lost to inflation... it just reminds me of being young and naive. 😁

Afterward, I spent my time tutoring English to hopeless kids. Now I'm in college, receiving a government grant because of a few bright moments in my past. I'm constantly looking for work, but nothing interesting ever seems to come along.

Warehouse worker at the university bookstore. It was quite an experience. You spend all day hauling 15 kg boxes and counting textbooks, pulling 12-hour shifts during the peak season. For three months, you see nothing but stacks of books. Then, suddenly, everything changes and $3333🙂
shows up in Jonathan Palmer's bank account.

Back when I worked as a waitress...😁
I remember just waiting impatiently to get paid, and once I did, I immediately sat down to make a list of everything I wanted to buy...
But honestly, once the money was actually in my hands, I felt so guilty even thinking about spending it. I just kept staring at the bills and counting them over and over again....
I ended up making $1,800... though goodness knows I certainly worked my tail off to earn it!

My first real paycheck came from an internship at a lighting manufacturer. I used it to treat my friends and my girlfriend to a nice night out.
The second was blood, sweat, and tears earned working construction sites all over white-picket-fence Washington, D.C.—slinging bricks and mud with the crews.
Third was my military pay ($100 a month).
Fourth is what I’m pulling now at my current job.

Looking back on all those different ways I made money, I'm honestly glad I went through it. It taught me exactly how hard you have to grind to get a buck, so I don't just throw cash around recklessly today.

I really think everyone should experience that struggle early on—it gives you a much better appreciation for what you actually have later in life.😁

Finally landed my first actual job during my senior year of college through Student Services. I ended up working for this small startup that specialized in banking information systems. I also did some work as a product demonstrator, though it was only a few hours a week and the pay wasn't exactly anything to write home about.

I was making money non-stop from middle school through high school, flipping software for the ancient Commodore 64. Those were the glory days of piracy, truly. 😁
My first real paycheck came during my sophomore year of high school after spending the summer working as a groundskeeper at a local park—you know the drill, mowing the grass, raking leaves, maintaining tennis courts... It continued again the following summer, but then I headed over to the USA for an IT competition. That trip landed me a scholarship, and I've had a steady stream of income ever since.

Went in for an interview, nailed it, and landed the gig.
Within two days, I had a full pilot project ready to go. The company ended up pulling the plug, but they were super professional about it—they covered all my expenses, travel, and paid me out for the hours I put into the pilot.

I’m honestly almost too embarrassed to say how much I made, because I know there are people out there grinding from dawn till dusk for months just to see a fraction of that kind of cash 😢

gaan78 said:So I started out as a janitor at the local convention center from 6 to 9 AM.
then I was cleaning up offices.
after that, I moved on to a factory job.
now I’m working as a waiter making $12 an hour.
and honestly, I'm loving life!!!!!!!

Wait a second: you mean you're pulling in maybe $2,100 a month,$296.😲 Look, sorry, but that just doesn't add up for me—unless you live in some country sitting on a massive oil reserve or something.😲

Gluizing some boxes... making about 70 cents a pop
then I landed a gig as a quality inspector for those same boxes
sold ice cream
moved furniture
and now, two years in, I'm finally working as an accountant