What was your first job?

Started in 1965 as an apprentice fitter for the NCB at £5.10shillings / week. Wanted to be a leccy but seems I am colour blind between black and purple (makes playing pool a bugger), changed to Brown Bailey Steels in 68, qualified as a fitter but then worked as a blacksmith, steam hammer driver, bouncer, Sapper, press operator, dairy herdsman, welder fabricator,was workshop foreman for a firm making sliding partition wall systems, plater welder, Reiki Master, Spiritual Healer, Spiritual Minister, now registered disabled but still flyin paragliders and hang gliders. Been a good journey. Jenny been with me since I stopped being a Sapper.:D
 
brick picker on demolition site at 16 now im a engineer in a 1000 people factory working with stainless steel all day long
 
Served 1959 t0 1961 with the RAF as an Aircraft fitter. Left and trained another 2 years as a Tool maker. Done a 3 year working holiday all the way from GB to Singapore in my very first Bedford van built into a Campervan. Returned to England in early 1967. Got a job as a tool maker with a Company doing aircraft engine repairs at Croydon Airport. That Company send me to Germany in 1969 to deliver and fit the engine with a couple of extra lads. The lads returned home after the job was done. I stayed with the German Company who offered me a fab: salary. I have been in Germany since 1969 until 2005, when I returned home to retire. Now I am twice a year on the road for 3 months. 3 months in our winter I travel to SE Asia where it is summer and 3 months in Europe, Spain, Portugal or where ever.
 
At 15 I had 4 jobs - Mon - Fri after school, stocking shelves at Grahams in Leyland, Sat Mornings at the stables - mucking out in return for a riding lesson, Sat afternoons in a sandwich shop in Farrington and babysitting on a Friday & Saturday night
At 16 I tried collage but didn't like it (whilst also working at charnock richard services) and then moved to windermere to work at a pony trekking centre whilst also training and completing my nvq 2 in horse care
 
1955 started work in the time office at Cammell Laird shipyard, can't be sure of the wages but 32/6d rings a bell, wages later went up to 42/-, I left there in 56 and joined the RN based initially at Devonport, later on the Ark Royal, it was a good laugh wages weren't great but a pint of scrumpy was only 9d down Union Street, and you didn't drink many of them as a 16/17 year old. happy days :)

Bill
 
started as a commis chef in 1977.....still cheffing but in my own hotel
 
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at 18...a teacher in a secondary modern school in wendesbury...:eek:
same school i went to as a kid... that was weared as 1/2 the staff were still there.:eek:

first wage... 39 sqid a month :(

just 2 years of that before going off to see what the commercial sector was all about...:cool:
... and that's a long...long story

regards ;)
aj
 
Apprentice gas fitter,£4.10 shillings a week. Probably should have stuck it out but?

I wanted to drive, still love wandering.

regards the Burnip.
 
June 1964
Kennings Walsall as apprentice Mechanic £1.9shillings and 6 d a week !!!
Had to pack up when they found out about my bone disease in 1968 [ I dislocated a hip whilst underneath a Wolsely 16/60 tightening propshaft back up.
nono.gif

Ambulance station was next door but still took an hour to get me out :(

When I recovered I went driving for the next 40 years, all over Continent and near east.........longer the run, better for me :)
viannen_12.gif
 
First job

Errand boy while at school.
Cadet Nurse in a psychiatric hospital 1962. £3-2-6d per week with free uniform and on duty meals. I paid 1/- a fortnight in tax.
Now i'm a retired Mental Health Nurse.
 
I get ashamed about it really but when leaving school and studying for 5 years, I worked at McDonalds wed night, fri night, sat day, sun am.

started on £2.65 and hour and finished on £4.10. it was hard work!

I am now a roofer and employ my own young lad of a weekend.


Craig
 
I started with a part time job after school hours and weekends doing car valeting and petrol pump attendant for a local garage, ( anybody remember 5 star petrol? ).

Then I was an apprentice mechanic for three years, then via food factory, sheetmetal works, and gun factory work I ended up in metal machining where I got made redundant from earlier this year.

I'm still looking but there's nothing about, trouble is I'm too young to retire, but too old, ( over 45 ), to retrain for a new career. :( :mad: :( :confused:
 
coventrycraig said:
I get ashamed about it really but when leaving school and studying for 5 years, I worked at McDonalds wed night, fri night, sat day, sun am.

started on £2.65 and hour and finished on £4.10. it was hard work!

I am now a roofer and employ my own young lad of a weekend.


Craig
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No Shame in Maccy D's or KFC...I might even do it for te experience and a few quid..

Honest way of earning a few bob...better than thieving

Channa
 
Randonneur said:
I started with a part time job after school hours and weekends doing car valeting and petrol pump attendant for a local garage, ( anybody remember 5 star petrol? ).

Then I was an apprentice mechanic for three years, then via food factory, sheetmetal works, and gun factory work I ended up in metal machining where I got made redundant from earlier this year.

I'm still looking but there's nothing about, trouble is I'm too young to retire, but too old, ( over 45 ), to retrain for a new career. :( :mad: :( :confused:
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At 46, I understand the gig better than you will ever know.

Good luck

Channa
 
It was long hard hours - but it allowed me to study having no loans or debt, able to run a car and go on holidays....

wished I had worked with a builder or something really and learned something usefull. Thats why I Try and show my youngster everything and I was only self taught!

I still callin for the odd breakfast:)

Craig
 
channa said:
At 46, I understand the gig better than you will ever know.

Good luck

Channa
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Thanks Channa, I'll see if santa brings me something for the new year. Loads of CV's sent out just have to hope something comes back.

Good luck in your endeavours too.

Regards,
Dave.
 
1983 - I spent a mind-numbingly boring year stamping fishing licences and permits for the North West Water Authority for a salary of £3,798.

When I started, I could complete a full week's work in less than a day and colleagues were urging me to slow down because it reflected badly on them. By the time I left a year later (to go to Brighton Uni) it was a struggle to get through the work in a week and very often I didn't. Public sector organisations seemed so over-staffed back then and so much time was wasted on idle chatter - but I think it's very different today.....
 
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Hi All
It's seem's all of us started out with our dream's and in time we got dissillusioned. :eek:---The best laid plans of mice and men:(!!!---My Dad always use to say that he wished he new then what he know's now--very wise word's I think--Of course I did not understand it then when he said it!!;)
Bye for now
Freddie:D
 
There's lots of engineers and technicians across different fields out there which explains why the advice on the forum is usually first rate.
 
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