Friday OT #2 - Something 'bout that work, work, work, work, work, work
- Thread starter Angie
- Start date
Easy to figure out relative ages here by looking at the per-hour rates...
Anyway, first jobs were babysitting, walking beans, detasseling corn. I actually opened my first checking account with my detasseling check (we were paid at the end of the "season") of oh, around $140-some. Babysitting was 50 cents an hour, regardless of number of kids and there was a mom across the street who never rounded up. Once I was there for an hour and a half, and she only had two quarters so sent one of the kids back with the third quarter when she got it.
W-2 worthy was probably nursing assistant at our local nursing home. Worked there spring and summer before I went to college -- ISU. No training needed at the time, and I took mental note of those who worked there. At 18 with no experience, I was more competent and compassionate than many of them. Some stories for another day and another thread, but the closer I get to retirement age, the more I think of that work experience and hope things are much better.
Anyway, first jobs were babysitting, walking beans, detasseling corn. I actually opened my first checking account with my detasseling check (we were paid at the end of the "season") of oh, around $140-some. Babysitting was 50 cents an hour, regardless of number of kids and there was a mom across the street who never rounded up. Once I was there for an hour and a half, and she only had two quarters so sent one of the kids back with the third quarter when she got it.
W-2 worthy was probably nursing assistant at our local nursing home. Worked there spring and summer before I went to college -- ISU. No training needed at the time, and I took mental note of those who worked there. At 18 with no experience, I was more competent and compassionate than many of them. Some stories for another day and another thread, but the closer I get to retirement age, the more I think of that work experience and hope things are much better.
Last edited:
Subbed for friends delivering newspapers and mowing lawns as a kid were my first jobs. First W2 job was detassling corn one summer to make $ to be able to ride my "ten speed" across Iowa. Worked in a hospital kitchen delivering meals to patient floors, washing pots and pans, and being a receiving clerk for food deliveries during HS and summers home from ISU. Loved being around other high schoolers from other schools in the city in that kitchen job. I was one of a few of the school kids who were going to go to college. Plus, many of the adults that worked in the food service loved us young kids and would give us "discounts" for food or just be surrogate moms. (We'd hand a certain cashier $1 for a hamburger and fries - this was long ago - at break time and she'd push the button for change and it would return 4 quarters. What a great deal.) First professional job after ISU was as a business analyst for an insurer.
Being the oldest of 4 kids, I was mom and dad's ***** from 3rd grade on.
"Worked" for grandpa for 3 summers. Some days I was there to work, others, we read the paper and he took a nap.
First official job was a maintenance guy at a local church camp.
"Worked" for grandpa for 3 summers. Some days I was there to work, others, we read the paper and he took a nap.
First official job was a maintenance guy at a local church camp.
Detasseling from when I was 10 to 16 or 17.
First "w2 job" was as a sales associate (aka ran the register) at JC Penney, first in shoes and then in kids. That job sucked something fierce. Did it for two years from soph/jr summer in HS until I left for college, full-time over summer and long school breaks, then weekends during the school year. They did work around basketball and extracurricular schedules, but otherwise it was terrible.
First "w2 job" was as a sales associate (aka ran the register) at JC Penney, first in shoes and then in kids. That job sucked something fierce. Did it for two years from soph/jr summer in HS until I left for college, full-time over summer and long school breaks, then weekends during the school year. They did work around basketball and extracurricular schedules, but otherwise it was terrible.
Hy-Vee.
A new Hy-Vee was built near us and it's so nice that the neighbor ladies have described it as orgasmic. My wife doesn't appreciate it when I point out that, because Hy-Vee is an employee-owned store, I probably brought about all these multiple orgasms among her lady friends.
A new Hy-Vee was built near us and it's so nice that the neighbor ladies have described it as orgasmic. My wife doesn't appreciate it when I point out that, because Hy-Vee is an employee-owned store, I probably brought about all these multiple orgasms among her lady friends.
I did a small amount of babysitting for a couple of families when my sister wasn't able to.
Other than that, I started working at Hy-Vee when I was 14. At the time, the building didn't have a loading dock so we had to unload the stock trucks by passing rolling track up into the trailer through a window sized opening. We unloaded all of the pallets by hand and rolled the boxes down the track into the building. I worked on the "truck" shift every Tuesday and Thursday for a good 2 years until they moved to the new building.
Other than that, I started working at Hy-Vee when I was 14. At the time, the building didn't have a loading dock so we had to unload the stock trucks by passing rolling track up into the trailer through a window sized opening. We unloaded all of the pallets by hand and rolled the boxes down the track into the building. I worked on the "truck" shift every Tuesday and Thursday for a good 2 years until they moved to the new building.
I enjoy seeing how many people worked at Hy-Vee at some point. It is a great company to work for and I doubt I'd have the job got after college without the experience I got from 2 summer internships with their corporate office.
I worked at a Hy-Vee store my senior year in HS, actually worked the 1st day the store right across from the Des Moines Golf & Country Club first opened. I was really just looking for a better paying job for the summer than what I was making at the grocery store in Adel but they talked me into starting right away. They were great about holding my spot while I was in college and allowing me to work 40 hours during the holiday and spring breaks as well as the summers. It also helped me land 2 summer internships with their IT department in the corporate office which paid really well for the time $13/hr + OT in 2001 & 02. Worked a semester my senior year at the East Ames store but they couldn't give me enough hours even with my super light 12 credit schedule where I had 2 days a week without any classes so the department I interned with at the corporate office had some extra work and had me come in at least twice a week at my internship pay rate for about 10+ hours a week on top of what I was making at the store. After graduating ISU I was still looking for a job so they put me on a project and gave me 40+ hours a week on a part time role for about 4 months till I found the job I have been in now for almost 14 years. Really wish I had a chance to work there full time out of college but they just didn't have any full time openings at the time. So yeah I really am grateful the experience and opportunities I got working for that company and still keep in touch with some of the full time people I worked with in the store as I shop there on my way home from work about once a week. Some of those guys made a career out of working there and I know their profit sharing and benefits are really good if you stick it out with them for the long haul.
I worked at a Hy-Vee store my senior year in HS, actually worked the 1st day the store right across from the Des Moines Golf & Country Club first opened. I was really just looking for a better paying job for the summer than what I was making at the grocery store in Adel but they talked me into starting right away. They were great about holding my spot while I was in college and allowing me to work 40 hours during the holiday and spring breaks as well as the summers. It also helped me land 2 summer internships with their IT department in the corporate office which paid really well for the time $13/hr + OT in 2001 & 02. Worked a semester my senior year at the East Ames store but they couldn't give me enough hours even with my super light 12 credit schedule where I had 2 days a week without any classes so the department I interned with at the corporate office had some extra work and had me come in at least twice a week at my internship pay rate for about 10+ hours a week on top of what I was making at the store. After graduating ISU I was still looking for a job so they put me on a project and gave me 40+ hours a week on a part time role for about 4 months till I found the job I have been in now for almost 14 years. Really wish I had a chance to work there full time out of college but they just didn't have any full time openings at the time. So yeah I really am grateful the experience and opportunities I got working for that company and still keep in touch with some of the full time people I worked with in the store as I shop there on my way home from work about once a week. Some of those guys made a career out of working there and I know their profit sharing and benefits are really good if you stick it out with them for the long haul.
Worked on the family farm from age 4 til 14, which made me want to be a gentleman farmer when I'm old, and not actually do anything. Growing up on a farm that was built circa 1870 and nothing being updated ever makes for a lot dumb physical labor.
Moved to town and then worked at the local grocery store. My first paycheck was for $20.67 at $3.65/hour. I thought is was rich.
Moved to town and then worked at the local grocery store. My first paycheck was for $20.67 at $3.65/hour. I thought is was rich.
Lemonade stand selling to fans walking to/from ISU football games.
I was dying to this, and Janny looked over and did a whole "WTF are you watching?!" thing. I love it.
That song was in my head all day.
Angie, you failed to tell these people how close Ferg's is to Caseys in Grand Junction. Poor Angie was almost next door to the "Sin Den of Greene County".
We actually got four! channels out of Des Moines over the air. And then my dad bought a rotor so we could turn the antenna and get channels out of Waterloo as well!
Worked on the farm growing up. Worst jobs as a kid were power washing the hog building and picking up rock in the field. I still hate powerwashing to this day but now I enjoy picking up rocks - it's great excercise, I put on a good playlist, take the gator out and kind of forget about everything else I have going on.
First W2 job was landscaping and snow pushing. I liked this job quite a bit in high school and college. Made good money - $12-$18/HR when the minimum wage $5 something and then moved to $7.25.
First W2 job was landscaping and snow pushing. I liked this job quite a bit in high school and college. Made good money - $12-$18/HR when the minimum wage $5 something and then moved to $7.25.
It's the bar right out on Hwy 30. Next to a car lot if I remember right.
