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When I saw Young and Thrifty’s post on her worst jobs held as a teenager, I couldn’t help by smile and think back to own horror stories learning experiences.
When I turned 16, I desperately wanted to work part-time to supplement my meager $5 a week allowance. I wanted to make extra money for 2 reasons: (i) to save for my education (ii) to buy clothes. My parents were adamant and refused to let me take on a part-time job during the school year for fear it would interfere with my studies; however, they were open to me working during the summer break.
During the summer of grade 11, I started my first job ever.
1. Pantry Staff
I worked at a summer camp in Orillia as a “pantry staff”. We stayed in the (nasty) cabins onsite and were responsible for all the cleaning/preparation of the dining hall and serving meals for the campers. This included preparing the dining area (setting tables, chairs, utensils), cleaning of dining hall, cleaning of dishes – for all meals.
The work week was 6 days a week, but since Orillia is a 3-hour drive from Toronto (aka out in the middle of nowhere to a city girl, like myself), we had to accumulate our “days off”, thus most of the staff worked 7 days a week. The days were long, started around 6:30 – 7:00am in the morning with a very short break between meals (usually 30min), and ending between 11:00pm and midnight.
I was exhausted every day. The last straw was when my acne flared right back up, due to all the stress and lack of sleep. And I lasted about 2 weeks before I quit.
There was a “completion bonus” of about $2,000 in my contract. Which is the sneakiest thing ever – if you ever see something like that in a contract – RUN! When I told the director I was quitting, he reminded me of the completion bonus and told me that I could expect a cheque for no more than about $60 if I decided to leave. I left anyway, and I got a cheque for $300 a couple weeks later.
Worst job ever.
2. Donut maker
After my failed attempt at my first summer job, I sent out my application everywhere. I was hopeful – I now had some “experience” even if it was only 2 weeks.
I got a job at a local amusement park making donuts.
It paid minimum wage, but I was over the moon. I only had to work 6 to 8 hour shifts and I easily made way more money while working less than I had at my previous job!
Bonus: I got a free season’s pass to the amusement park.
3. McDonald’s
I worked as a cashier full-time during the summer and then convinced my parents to let me work part-time during the school year if I kept my grades up.
Even though many people came out of McDonald’s with horror stories, I come out of my 1 year stint relatively unscathed. The work schedule was extremely flexible, and I mostly worked on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. Often times, I’d work 6:00am to 2:00pm on Saturday and Sundays, and still had lots of time to homework/group projects, while still making about $200 per pay cheque during the school year.
Bonus: The McDonald’s I worked at was out in the middle of nowhere, and so I wasn’t able to blow my paycheques at the mall.
4. Ride Operator
During my last summer before entering university, I decided the leave the glamorous world of the fast food industry and move onto amusement park rides. The ride operator position paid more than minimum wage (what I was getting in the fast food industry), and I was rolling in the dough making $9 an hour in the summer of 2003.
Turns out that the summer of 2003 was when the tourism industry was really slow – it was the SARS scare, and instead of having 5 – 7 shifts a week, I was only getting about 3 – 4. But, I had a great summer hanging out in the sun, making new friends, and enjoying my season pass on my days off with my friends.
5. Math & Science Tutor
Since math was a strong suit of mine, my high school teachers encouraged me to tutor fellow classmates and lower grade students.
I learned that a lot of people who don’t “get” math, are simply missing a lot of fundamentals, but expect a “quick fix” from a tutor. I usually go over class notes and examples with my students, and try to take them through the steps, at a slower pace. We’d also go over assignments or past tests and I’d go over where and how they lost marks, and how to improve their future scores.
This was my most lucrative gig at $15 – $20 per hour cash. But I also only worked 1 to 2 hours at a time.
Summary
There you have it! All the jobs I held as a teenager.
Growing in a poor family, I always had a fear that I would not be able to afford attending university, which was the main motivation for me to work. Even though these jobs aren’t super high paying, I manager to scrounge together about $8,000 in the 3 years I worked prior to entering university.
I think it’s really important to work part-time, or know (some) hardship, so one can truly appreciate the value of a dollar. And I hope it’s a lesson I am able to pass on to my kids someday.
Readers, what kind of jobs did you hold during your teenage years and what did you learn? What was your motivation for working at a young age?
Cheers,
I know the time apart will be tough, but our relationship is strong, and I hope to build upon it and make it even stronger. And one day, when we are both ready, we can tie the knot – but it won’t be a race for us to the alter. I guess, it will be like taking the scenic route.
