Your First Job and Your Favourite Job

[Pretty Boy]

I'm sure there will have been a thread like this before because there has been a thread about almost everything but I can't recall it so.......What was the first job you had and what was the favourite job you have done?

My first was delivering the Herald & Post. Thinking back it was close to slave labour. I had over 300 papers to deliver and 4-5 days to do it in and I think the weekly pay as standard was about £11. You got extra for each leaflet in the paper but the whole lot got dumped on you separately and if there were 4 or 5 leaflets it could take hours to put 1200 leaflets into 300 papers then actually go out and deliver them. The hourly rate couldn't have been more than about £1 an hour.

My first 'proper' job was part time in Tesco on the checkouts whilst still at school. 8-5 on a Sunday and 5-8 on a Wednesday night. Enjoyed that job, good bunch of people to work with and loads of overtime so I was able to buy all my own gear and whatever which was the most important thing in the world at that time.

Favourite job was probably working in the stockroom in Next. The job was mind numbing. All the clothes got delivered in big yellow containers individually wrapped. You had to unwrap them, stick a security tag on them, put them on a hanger then on a rail ready to be either taken to the floor or stored. The social life was great though. There was a cracking pub just round the corner, The Prince of Wales, that had a huge bar and beer selection. It also had a big canteen style dining area that served hearty food in huge portions. The lunchtime script was in, get a pint down, order a 2nd then go get some food and enjoy that with the pint. Out for a smoke then back in for the afternoon. Everyone went out straight after finishing on a Friday, stockroom was only skeleton staff on a Saturday so you had 3 out of 4 Saturdays off and every Sunday off. Nights rarely ended before 1-2am and there were some very hungover shop floor staff on a Saturday. I done that between being 18 and 21 part time whilst at uni and loved it.

[JohnM1875]

Class idea for a thread.

First job was Tesco as well, during sixth year, did a day on trolleys then was 'promoted' to produce. Had a few mates from my year and the year below work at the same store so loved it. Stuff we used to reduce before the end of the shift was criminal.

First actual job after school was James Pringle on Bangor Road, right across the road from my house. Lasted about a month, hated it!

Favourite job to date, by a country mile, was working as a kilt fitter on the Royal Mile. Genuinely loved it. The 14 hour shifts during the festival were brutal but were honestly some of the best shifts you could work. Everyone is buzzing cause they're on holiday, buying 'genuine' cashmere and Barbour jackets for fun. The teams I worked with were unreal as well. Obviously full of foreign students just trying to earn money so the social aspect and nightlife were unmatched. Honestly still think about it all the time to this day.

Monday to Friday boring office job now. Means I get to see all the Hibs games though, hasn't been a blessing the past few years mind you.

[Bridge hibs]

Paper boy, milk delivery boy, juice delivery boy, tattie delivery boy

Then dry stane dyker with my brother, brilliant job and earned a fair bit of money

[Donegal Hibby]

Paper boy, milk delivery boy, juice delivery boy, tattie delivery boy

Then dry stane dyker with my brother, brilliant job and earned a fair bit of money

God , you must be minted now . Any chance of the sub ? 😂

[marinello59]

First job, paper boy. Did that for three years. Rounds back then were much bigger than are legally allowed today and my school bus left at 8am so it meant an early start. That is probably why, several decades on, I still get up early and don’t get the long lie thing. I also had a summer job working in a fish factory over three summers , smelly but great fun. And I got to work alongside my Mum who filleted fish for a living at that time.
My first real job and the best job I ever had was as an engineer in the Merchant Navy. I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of the golden age of the MN where general cargo vessels were the norm which meant we could be in one port for over a week as we loaded or discharged. Had another couple of what might be termed adventurous jobs but nothing topped that.

[Hiber-nation]

First job was helping my cousin with his milk round in the summer of 1975. A pretty brutal introduction to work, 3 months of getting moaned at basically!

First proper job - Clerical Assistant in the Scottish Office in New St Andrews House. Was ok, me being a daft laddie getting told what to do by some nice old wifies (they were probably in their 40s actually!).

Favourite job, well I spent 36 years in the Scottish Office/Executive/Government and about half of it was alright I suppose! Even went back as a p/t temp for 3 years after I retired. Best job was back in the late 70s/early 80s in the Accommodation branch, working with a bunch of radges who's priorities were drinking/women/football/darts/more drinking and skiving off at every opportunity. Happy happy days.

I notice PB didn't mention worst job. Could be a megathread :greengrin

[Bridge hibs]

God , you must be minted now . Any chance of the sub ? 😂

I was back then, then I married 😁

Had a few dykes down towards Flotterstone, some 200 to 400 metres long at if I can remember £20 a metre strip and rebuild then inbetween that jumping over to Rosyth for walling work for the MOD

[J-C]

1st jobs were a paper round and a weekend milk round, my favourite job was working at a pub called The Marr's Bar in Thistle St, busy wee pub with a great jukebox and a great wee guy in Archie Marr (original Bay City Roller) as the boss.

[Sylar]

First job was working for my dad's company - industrial cleaning (anything from specialised semi-conductor fabrication laboratories to office facilities).

First proper job was working for the Royal Bank of Scotland as a branch-teller (full time over the summers and part-time when I was at Uni).

Favourite job is definitely my current one - I'm a lecturer for both a Scottish and Californian University and get to see a lot of both places - teaching, and researching on really interesting areas of science.

[Donegal Hibby]

My first job was working in a fish factory in our local village of Burtonport , it was hard work and extremely cold though the money was good as were the people I worked with who generally had a bit of craic .

When I left there I moved basically next door to a crab factory which was interesting as there was lots of different things getting done to the crabs for selling.

Best job I had was in a factory that made transformers for all manner of things . I worked in the store loading and unloading lorries while also preparing the transformers to be worked on .

It was warm , the work wasn't hard and the wages were decent too . I did enjoyed driving a forklift as well . Its now a whiskey distillery.
https://www.donegaldaily.com/2022/08/09/distillery-tours-get-visitors-into-the-spirit-of-crolly-whiskey/

[Edina Street]

I'm sure there will have been a thread like this before because there has been a thread about almost everything but I can't recall it so.......What was the first job you had and what was the favourite job you have done?

My first was delivering the Herald & Post. Thinking back it was close to slave labour. I had over 300 papers to deliver and 4-5 days to do it in and I think the weekly pay as standard was about £11. You got extra for each leaflet in the paper but the whole lot got dumped on you separately and if there were 4 or 5 leaflets it could take hours to put 1200 leaflets into 300 papers then actually go out and deliver them. The hourly rate couldn't have been more than about £1 an hour.

My first 'proper' job was part time in Tesco on the checkouts whilst still at school. 8-5 on a Sunday and 5-8 on a Wednesday night. Enjoyed that job, good bunch of people to work with and loads of overtime so I was able to buy all my own gear and whatever which was the most important thing in the world at that time.

Favourite job was probably working in the stockroom in Next. The job was mind numbing. All the clothes got delivered in big yellow containers individually wrapped. You had to unwrap them, stick a security tag on them, put them on a hanger then on a rail ready to be either taken to the floor or stored. The social life was great though. There was a cracking pub just round the corner, The Prince of Wales, that had a huge bar and beer selection. It also had a big canteen style dining area that served hearty food in huge portions. The lunchtime script was in, get a pint down, order a 2nd then go get some food and enjoy that with the pint. Out for a smoke then back in for the afternoon. Everyone went out straight after finishing on a Friday, stockroom was only skeleton staff on a Saturday so you had 3 out of 4 Saturdays off and every Sunday off. Nights rarely ended before 1-2am and there were some very hungover shop floor staff on a Saturday. I done that between being 18 and 21 part time whilst at uni and loved it.

Age 12 - Morning paper deliveries for Newsagent near Spey Street.
Work experience Age 14 - Vauxhall Motors Ellesmere Port Assembly Line Worker.

Adult jobs

(1) JJB Sports (Rip off YTS)
(2) Apprentice Roofer (Rip off YTS)
(3) Protective Clothing Factory Worker (Didn't make any commission)
Spell on the dole.
(4) Car Valeter (Hated it)
Spell on the dole.
(5) Mecca Bingo (Hated it)
Spell on the dole.
(6) Fast food delivery driver (Good experience)
Spell on the dole.
(7) Painter and Decorator (Like watching paint dry)
Spell on DLA.
(8) Kitchen Porter (Turned me to drink)
(9) Starter Chef (Turned me to drink and drugs)
(10) Taxi Controller (First job I ever enjoyed and excelled in)
(11) Parcel delivery driver (Good experience)
(12) Taxi Driver (Great experience. Great conversations and tips).
(13) Long Distance Courier (Own Business, best move I ever made)

Favourite jobs

(1) Long Distance Courier. (2 on 7 off)
(2) PHC Owner Driver (Come and go as please)
(3) Taxi Controller (Just like getting paid to play your favourite computer game)
(4) Fast food delivery driver (Joyriding and getting paid for it)
(5) Parcel Delivery Driver (Hard work, but easy)
(6) Vauxhall Motors. (Best two weeks of my High School life)

I would have included the paper round but I hated the early mornings, the bag used to cut into my shoulder, and I got a row for taking the Bingo scratch cards out of the Newspapers.

[Scouse Hibee]

First job apprenticeship, joinery then more towards billiard table fitting.until moving to Scotland.
Scottish Office Security Branch
Jenners Store Detective/ Security Manager
Caley Hotel Security & Health & Safety Manager
Vittoria Health, Safety & Facilities Manager
Started own business opened a Chippy

Favourite job billiard table fitter, travelled the U.K. & Europe, met the star players and fitted tables in some amazing houses.


Edit:Forgot I was a Christmas temp postie when I first came to Edinburgh.

[Allant1981]

First "job" was a paper run, some of the houses were a fair bit away so my dad used to deliver those ones on his way to work, got £12 per week. 30 years ago I thought I was loaded with that, then had a milk run and got £20 plus tips. Then at 16 got a job sorting vegetables before starting in st johns as a porter. Then left to join the army before getting medically discharged, went back to St johns before leaving to work as security at the gleneagles hotel, was there 2 years and then had a few security managers jobs, 10 years ago went back to the nhs where I'm now a facilities manager and loving it, pay is good so can't see me leaving again

[Hibrandenburg]

First job was working in the Co-op in Musselburgh, some great laughs there but is was only ever a stopgap until I could join the army. Loved the army to start with, pushing myself to the limits in many different environments but the fun stopped once I reached SNCO rank and spent most of my time in an office.

Retrained as a paramedic in Germany after leaving the army, the job was incredibly rewarding but it also came at a price leaving me drained and desensitised on an emotional level. I knew it was time to leave after I couldn't get the job out of my head, even on days off and holidays.

The most fun job was as a cabin manager for an airline, that's where I learned to weaponise friendliness, it's amazing how you getting more friendly to hostile people as they get angry can drive them insane.

During covid I again retrained as a professional driver, Germans love qualifications and apprenticeships so having the correct licences isn't enough, you also have to have a professional driver's qualification to work for most companies over here. Was enjoying the driving until I was offered my current job as transport and logistics manager in Berlin.

I've just passed an interview process for Deutsche Bahn as a train traffic controller and providing I pass the upcoming medical and psychological tests in 2 weeks time, then I'll start my 6 months training in August before starting work at a nearby control station.

All my jobs have had good and bad aspects to them and I've loved them all at some point for different reasons, but if I had to choose one then it would be the army, the first 9 years were what changed me from a angry jailbound youth into a human that has something to offer.

[Bridge hibs]

Its funny to see a lot of paper rounds as first jobs. I think I earned £1.50 a week and 50p of that would get me into Easter Road or if I was clever enough I could save that 50p and get a push through or a lift over

Prior to that when growing up in Leith money was scarce and me and my brother had to “graft” to help mum keep the lights on. I used to go down a basement in Sandport Street and turn over animal skins that were in large salted barrels, probably an hour or so every couple of nights and got a £1 a night

At weekends I would go over to warehouses beside the SS Dolphin and polish antique furniture that would be getting ready to be shipped to another country, that would earn me £1 to £2 a shift

Other “legitimate” means of income were going to the shops for workers at engineering companies around the docks to get the “workies” their filled rolls, very small tips but the money was in the glass cheques, we would go back a week later with a wheel barrow and collect the bottles the workies saved for us and we would cash them in at our local shop called “Leeways”

Older boys taught us the art of “borrowing” lead from the many derelict slum buildings and we used to wheelbarrow our lead to Daltons for cash, often learning the trick to boost our income by wrapping the lead in a block of iron ore which may have earned us an extra 50p or a £1

Reward also in the summer was going to Salvesen warehouses/cold storage where they had barrels of frozen fruit such as strawberries and raspberries etc and the workies would slice off large chunks of fruit flavoured ice for us to suck, messy but ****ing delicious, bigges free ice lollies on the planet

The good old days

[Trinity Hibee]

I'm sure there will have been a thread like this before because there has been a thread about almost everything but I can't recall it so.......What was the first job you had and what was the favourite job you have done?

My first was delivering the Herald & Post. Thinking back it was close to slave labour. I had over 300 papers to deliver and 4-5 days to do it in and I think the weekly pay as standard was about £11. You got extra for each leaflet in the paper but the whole lot got dumped on you separately and if there were 4 or 5 leaflets it could take hours to put 1200 leaflets into 300 papers then actually go out and deliver them. The hourly rate couldn't have been more than about £1 an hour.

My first 'proper' job was part time in Tesco on the checkouts whilst still at school. 8-5 on a Sunday and 5-8 on a Wednesday night. Enjoyed that job, good bunch of people to work with and loads of overtime so I was able to buy all my own gear and whatever which was the most important thing in the world at that time.

Favourite job was probably working in the stockroom in Next. The job was mind numbing. All the clothes got delivered in big yellow containers individually wrapped. You had to unwrap them, stick a security tag on them, put them on a hanger then on a rail ready to be either taken to the floor or stored. The social life was great though. There was a cracking pub just round the corner, The Prince of Wales, that had a huge bar and beer selection. It also had a big canteen style dining area that served hearty food in huge portions. The lunchtime script was in, get a pint down, order a 2nd then go get some food and enjoy that with the pint. Out for a smoke then back in for the afternoon. Everyone went out straight after finishing on a Friday, stockroom was only skeleton staff on a Saturday so you had 3 out of 4 Saturdays off and every Sunday off. Nights rarely ended before 1-2am and there were some very hungover shop floor staff on a Saturday. I done that between being 18 and 21 part time whilst at uni and loved it.

Herald & Post was my first job too and I had just over 300 papers also. As you say the delivering of the papers wasn’t bad it was the hours of stuffing envelopes was the worst bit and humphing the boxes up the stairs in my building. Did mean we got to take some of the free samples though. Best one probably being wrigleys extra mint tongue strips.

[Jones28]

First job was in the Ocean Spice doing the chipping, sometimes 2 bags, 3 bags or you know they’d had a good week if it was a 6 bag day.

I got paid cash and it was £7.50 per shift - regardless of time taken 😂

Did a few shifts in the Chain Pier in the kitchen, a couple of guys from school worked there and asked if I wanted a shift. I was last in so I was first out when the owners changed. It wasn’t busy in those days, but it did feature on Location Location Location a few months ago so must still be going.

Worked in a pub in Berwickshire called the Allanton in for a few years, started as kitchen porter and was de facto manager by the time I left. Also met my wife there and have some friends for life. It’s for sale if anyone’s interested!

Been involved in agriculture in various guises for 10 or so years now, mostly in the production supply side but there’s nothing like knowing you’ve got a full day in a tractor ahead of you. Put the radio on and just go. An easy way to make 20 fags disappear.

Favourite job by far though was working with a cousin of mine the year I left school. I went up to Shetland on my annual holiday - exotic eh - to stay with the grandparents and go to the tall ships festival, and get some fishing in as well. 2 weeks turned in to 3 months of cutting grass in gardens. Jump in the van, all the gardens were on a spreadsheet the boss printed off and left in the van for us. Go to Tesco to get some lunch and get cracked on.

Fresh air all day, and fresh air in Shetland is different gravy to here, usually get 10-12 hours in, pick up some cans on the way home to some of grannies home cooking. Fantastic summer.

If I could live that summer again I’d do it in a heartbeat.

[Bridge hibs]

I remember at school those who didnt get o grade maths or arithmetic were selected to go on work experience for a month, I went to Serck Car Radiators at Fishwives Causeway and absolutely loved it, got to build car radiators and make number plates. Great guys who had a whip round for me when I left

One of my mates went to McGregors animal feeds in Leith as a trainee sales rep, he got all suited and booted, suit, tie, hair gelled etc. He went up to the office and said the fat lardy arsed boss asked him what the **** is he wearing, my mate said he was here to learn about being a trainee sales rep

He said lardy ass laughed and chucked him a pair of stinky overalls, oversized welly boots, goggles, gloves and a shovel. He took my mate into the gunnels of the maize chutes and told him to get shovelling, no sales rep stuff, just pure sweaty back breaking lacky work. He lasted a week

He became a painter and decorator and ran his own business after leaving school

Its not funny the way he was exploited and treated by the fat prick but because it was my mate I found it hilarious and still rip him to this day about it 🤣

[DH1875]

Had a paper round but first proper job would have been installing seats in football stadiums when they were getting redeveloped back in the mid 90s.
Best job I've had was working as a supervisor in a COVID centre during the pandemic.
Favourite job was running the bars in Spain. Hard hard work with long hours and little time off plus having to deal with all sorts of dodgy people and problems but amazing experience and best time of my life.

[Alfiembra]

Had the obligatory paper rounds and milk rounds as a teenager but my first proper job was as an apprentice draughtsman for a well known architectural company (RMJM) spent a little over 4 years there till my time was out, then spent the rest of my working life in the same profession as a contract draughtsman working in lots of different places around Scotland.
Best job was my last one for Shell in Aberdeen spent best part of 20 years commuting there every week met lots of great people and made many friends. Spent many years working on the decommissioning of the Brent platforms. Went offshore for a couple of short trips my only experience of flying in a helicopter.
All brought to an abrupt end by COVID and have been retired ever since..

[easty]

First job was in Accounts Payable in the Royal Bank of Scotland and I was sacked along with about 20 other folk. It made the Daily Record. Seemed funny at the time, being an immature 18 year old eejit.

My favourite job is probably my current one, but at the same time my work currently isn’t a great place to work for a few different reasons.

[.Sean.]

First ‘job’ was a paper round. About 11 quid a week and I hated every minute, especially a Saturday when the papers were full of magazines; must have weighed half a tonne

I’ve only ever done one job, left school at 16 at the end of 5th year and started my apprenticeship. Still a sparky.

[Allant1981]

Had a paper round but first proper job would have been installing seats in football stadiums when they were getting redeveloped back in the mid 90s.
Best job I've had was working as a supervisor in a COVID centre during the pandemic.
Favourite job was running the bars in Spain. Hard hard work with long hours and little time off plus having to deal with all sorts of dodgy people and problems but amazing experience and best time of my life.

Was the covid sites in lothian?

[Jones28]

First ‘job’ was a paper round. About 11 quid a week and I hated every minute, especially a Saturday when the papers were full of magazines; must have weighed half a tonne

I’ve only ever done one job, left school at 16 at the end of 5th year and started my apprenticeship. Still a sparky.

If I could give my 16 year old self one recommendation it would be to go in to a trade. I love watching Artisan Electrics on YouTube.

[Trinity Hibee]

If I could give my 16 year old self one recommendation it would be to go in to a trade. I love watching Artisan Electrics on YouTube.

Absolutely. Wish I’d gone down that route now

[DH1875]

Was the covid sites in lothian?

Nah, in Glasgow.

[USA_Hibee]

First job was Argos stock room at Straiton.

Best job was working for an amazing non profit in Boston called Partners In Health.

[O'Rourke3]

First job. Helping out in my dad's baker shop in Porty without pay.
My only paper round earned me 10p per day. The "real money" came delivering flowers at Christmas (during the 3 day week) so an alternative to school. Probably my favourite despite wandering though notorious housing schemes carrying bunches of flowers. I must have been on every Edinburgh bus route(including the 13) and visited every hospital in Edinburgh(although never made it to the terminus at Torphin on the 10).
Been very lucky with F/T employment, mainly due to the people I worked beside but being sent into Europe to attend 2 specific IT conferences a year in most Member States allowed me to make some great friends all over Europe.

Sent from my SM-G990B using Tapatalk

[overdrive]

First job - Herald and Post too. As others mentioned, the leaflets were a nightmare. Also, nearly all my route were stairs with buzzers. Since nobody was specifically organising a H&P delivery unlike a normal paper round, you had to just go through the buzzers until someone let you in. I’d say it was a 50/50 success rate whether someone let you in or not. Lots of getting told to eff off and so forth. Lots of folk that thought you were using it as an excuse to break into the stair and get up to no good.

First proper part time job - worked in a cinema. Some questionable management and a zero hours contract but great fun and some brilliant stories. “Johnny English Man” and “Bulletproof *****” (rhymes with Bulletproof Monk) being two of my favourite work related stories of all time.

First temporary full time job - worked in the finance office of an online travel booking company one summer during uni. Was good experience and ultimately the profession I got into.

First permanent full time job - accounting graduate. Not much to say about that.

My favourite job was probably the cinema.

Least favourite job was probably Woolworths/Big W. Literally got shoved on the shop floor without any training or instruction so when customers asked you a question they got quite pissed off that you didn’t know or needed to ask someone. Absolute welt of a guy in management there too who has to be the nastiest piece of work I’ve encountered in a work situation.

[speedy_gonzales]

First job, like many others, was paperboy.
Started of doing Sundays for John Menzies at Colinton then moved on to the Evening News.
The Sundays were very fruitful for me, I had to deliver papers within Redford Barracks. Back then in the mid/late 80's my bags had to be thoroughly checked at the gatehouses and sometimes the squaddies would try and sneak a paper out for themselves. Considering most of the papers were Observers or Sunday Times, they weren't exactly in high demand so we came to an arrangement where I'd bring some extra Sunday Sports/Mirrors/Mail and they'd pay a handsome premium to buy them.
I made more money from the soldiers than I did from John Menzies 🤭.
When I turned 16 I spent a couple of years at Makro, part-time, running their fresh food section on a Saturday. It paid well but I got a lot of harassment from "small local convenience store" owners, haggling with me to reduce the prices on things like boxes of bananas.
They knew I had a code (000333) followed by a price of my choosing that I could use to shift spoilt goods. It got to the point I'd rather take the hit on shrinkage and bin the stuff rather than give it to them discounted.
Clearly I was not made for a career in retail/sales.
Leaving school I was accepted on to a course at Napier for a degree in Physics with applied Mathematics, but at the 11th hour I fell in to a job with the railway.
Started as an apprentice within their Telecoms department and 32 years later I'm still here practising my craft.
Worked with and met loads of great guys, even made friends for life and fortunate enough to work in a few different places throughout the UK, travelled abroad on occasion for training courses and lucky enough that neither my family or I have had to pay for a train ticket.
Reckon I might give it a couple of more years to see if I like it enough to stick it out 🤣

[Itsnoteasy]

I'm sure there will have been a thread like this before because there has been a thread about almost everything but I can't recall it so.......What was the first job you had and what was the favourite job you have done?

My first was delivering the Herald & Post. Thinking back it was close to slave labour. I had over 300 papers to deliver and 4-5 days to do it in and I think the weekly pay as standard was about £11. You got extra for each leaflet in the paper but the whole lot got dumped on you separately and if there were 4 or 5 leaflets it could take hours to put 1200 leaflets into 300 papers then actually go out and deliver them. The hourly rate couldn't have been more than about £1 an hour.

My first 'proper' job was part time in Tesco on the checkouts whilst still at school. 8-5 on a Sunday and 5-8 on a Wednesday night. Enjoyed that job, good bunch of people to work with and loads of overtime so I was able to buy all my own gear and whatever which was the most important thing in the world at that time.

Favourite job was probably working in the stockroom in Next. The job was mind numbing. All the clothes got delivered in big yellow containers individually wrapped. You had to unwrap them, stick a security tag on them, put them on a hanger then on a rail ready to be either taken to the floor or stored. The social life was great though. There was a cracking pub just round the corner, The Prince of Wales, that had a huge bar and beer selection. It also had a big canteen style dining area that served hearty food in huge portions. The lunchtime script was in, get a pint down, order a 2nd then go get some food and enjoy that with the pint. Out for a smoke then back in for the afternoon. Everyone went out straight after finishing on a Friday, stockroom was only skeleton staff on a Saturday so you had 3 out of 4 Saturdays off and every Sunday off. Nights rarely ended before 1-2am and there were some very hungover shop floor staff on a Saturday. I done that between being 18 and 21 part time whilst at uni and loved it.

You got a decent pay rise on the Herald & Post. I delivered them mid 80s. My run was a thousand & I got £10. They had to be delivered on a Thusday & Friday 🙄 1p per paper 😪

[Onceinawhile]

First job was paper boy, but first real job was in the leisure centre cafe in linlithgow. That was grand. Cheap chips and cheese constantly and cause I knew all the leisure staff, free swimming and sauna/steam any time I wanted. Magic.

[AltheHibby]

First job: milk boy

First real job: apprentice telephone engineer.

Best job: accountant on an MOD study team.i got to go to North and South America and Africa

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

Entrepreneur at school selling cigarettes and playing pitchie

Started off at the bottom of the paper boy ladder with the Lothian Times. Delivering what felt like ten thousand papers with inserts for about a tenner a week before finally getting that promotion to the holy grail of paper jobs - Sunday morning run and collecting monies midweek - I lived in a village though where some rogue characters would, on occasion, visit my "customers" to claim the paper money so when I reached the house there was confusion when I'd request my money 🙈 loved that job because I'd frequent the local butchers and take breakfast stuff down to my gran and grandad and stay there for a couple hours which looking back with my grandad no longer here, and gran aging, was such precious time with my grandparents

First actual job was Sainsbury's at Cameron toll on the checkouts before I had to leave as my football team games moved to Saturdays.

Best or favourite job is probably my current one. I've only been in the role for a month or 2 but the togetherness and work life balance they offer is giving me major enthusiasm for turning up each day. Long may it continue

[Bridge hibs]

What I always found was that when delivering milk and newspapers around Mountcastle and “Little Italy” the Durhams most of them were tight *******s and never forthcoming with tips, however when delivering milk to Bingham, tatties and Alpine juice around Granton and Leith Fort tips were aplenty 👌

[Keith_M]

13 years old, spent the summer holidays picking potatoes in a field near Haddington with my uncle's troop of ne'er do wells. Yes, I was under age, but it paid for my first full season of watching Hibs, so I was delighted.

Then I did a part-time, weekend window cleaning job between the ages of 14-16... which paid for my next two seasons of watching Hibs.

After leaving school at 16, I was a (mostly self-employed) Window Cleaner & Stair Cleaner for around 14 years.


Then I went to night classes, spent 4 years at Stirling University as a (fairly) mature student, got a 1st class Honours degree in Computing Science and have worked in that field ever since.


I really miss the Window Cleaning.

[Bridge hibs]

13 years old, spent the summer holidays picking potatoes in a field near Haddington with my uncle's troop of ne'er do wells. Yes, I was under age, but it paid for my first full season of watching Hibs, so I was delighted.

Then I did a part-time, weekend window cleaning job between the ages of 14-16... which paid for my next two seasons of watching Hibs.

After leaving school at 16, I was a (mostly self-employed) Window Cleaner & Stair Cleaner for around 14 years.


Then I went to night classes, spent 4 years at Stirling University as a (fairly) mature student, got a 1st class Honours degree in Computing Science and have worked in that field ever since.


I really miss the Window Cleaning.So you worked in a field picking up tatties and now you work in the computing science field, so you have transitioned from potatoes to chips ? 🫢

Sorry 😬

[Hiber-nation]

What I always found was that when delivering milk and newspapers around Mountcastle and “Little Italy” the Durhams most of them were tight *******s and never forthcoming with tips, however when delivering milk to Bingham, tatties and Alpine juice around Granton and Leith Fort tips were aplenty 👌

Yep I had exactly the same experience. Comely Bank and Learmonth - nowt other than a derisory glare. Broomhoose and Clerie - tips galore and genuine appreciation.

[Keith_M]

So you worked in a field picking up tatties and now you work in the computing science field, so you have transitioned from potatoes to chips ? 🫢

Sorry 😬


:faf:

[AFKA5814_Hibs]

First job was working in the Reprographics Dept of S&N at Holyrood. Split between the Mailroom and Printing.

Favourite job was at the Rodos News, tourist newspaper in Rhodes. Was there from April October, early 90s. My memories of that one are a bit hazy. 🤣

[Bostonhibby]

First job as a teenager, sitting in a booth at a filling station on seafield road collecting petrol money, mostly late night and overnight shifts. Would never have studied anywhere else so it was a great help[emoji16] Had a few bar jobs shortly after which were enjoyable.

Best job was running liability investigation teams in the insurance industry, wasn't the best paid one I had but happy days.

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[Bostonhibby]

What I always found was that when delivering milk and newspapers around Mountcastle and “Little Italy” the Durhams most of them were tight *******s and never forthcoming with tips, however when delivering milk to Bingham, tatties and Alpine juice around Granton and Leith Fort tips were aplenty [emoji108]

We had similar experiences of milk rounds in that very area. Used to do the juice lorries as well, magdalene, Bingham, Niddrie Mill. Used to cut grass with a petrol mower in the same areas, inside 4 washing poles 50p[emoji16]

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[Keith_M]

First job was working in the Reprographics Dept of S&N at Holyrood. Split between the Mailroom and Printing.

Favourite job was at the Rodos News, tourist newspaper in Rhodes. Was there from April October, early 90s. My memories of that one are a bit hazy. 🤣


Am I the only one that misread that as 'was working in the Reprobrate Dept of S&N'?


:greengrin

[Pretty Boy]

Yep I had exactly the same experience. Comely Bank and Learmonth - nowt other than a derisory glare. Broomhoose and Clerie - tips galore and genuine appreciation.

I done take away deliveries a few years back and found the same. The area I was in covered Marchmont and the Grange at one end of the spectrum and Niddrie, Craigmillar and Hyvots at the other. Tips were always more plentiful in the latter areas, a few of the former a thank you or an acknowledgement was often a shock. Going way back the Herald & Post deliveries were the same. My route covered both Colinton and Oxgangs. At Christmas etc you always got a few old ladies waiting to give you a couple of pound in Oxgangs, nowt from the former.

I suppose it stands to reason that if you have never been in a position of having to deliver pizzas or papers you might not appreciate how much better a thank you or a couple of pound can make the job seem.

[Hiber-nation]

I suppose it stands to reason that if you have never been in a position of having to deliver pizzas or papers you might not appreciate how much better a thank you or a couple of pound can make the job seem.

Yeah this is so true. Buckingham Terrace and Belgrave Crescent were something else, all snooty barstewards bar none. Lovely houses though.

[Bishop Hibee]

First job was delivering the Edinburgh Advertiser, the precursor to the H&P, round Magdalene. The more pages and leaflets the more money you got. Killer in winter but I never wanted a Saturday job as it clashed with Hibs games.

First full-time permanent job was working in the Highways Dept of Lothian Regional Council crunching accident statistics. Promoted into doing road safety audits which was great as you were out on site a lot not just in the office. Social life was second to none with Friday lunchtime drinking virtually compulsory. Still pals with quite a few of my colleagues from there.

Best job was the two years I worked in the Scottish Parliament. Business Bureau, Public Petitions Committee and then the Standards Committee. Fascinating, often long hours and pressure but I loved it.

Toughest job was my 5 years in a council nursery in Niddrie. Kids were great but due to a combination of material and/or spiritual poverty of those who looked after them, an impossible administrative workload from Waverley Court and above plus crap pay I was happy to leave. Incredibly dedicated colleagues though.

[Northernhibee]

Worked in a fast food restaurant as a student. Tough, tough graft. Unsociable hours, hot, unpleasant customers, but my mates worked there and that got you through.

Best was hosting gin tastings and experiences. Unfortunately the pandemic ****ed that for me, but joined the same day as a guy who became my best mate. Got to travel around the country entertaining people, got to go to dinners and award ceremonies in the industry, spend each day making people happy, and even got to join the judging panel for an industry award. It made me an incredibly happy person in and out of work.

[The Modfather]

I'm sure there will have been a thread like this before because there has been a thread about almost everything but I can't recall it so.......What was the first job you had and what was the favourite job you have done?

My first was delivering the Herald & Post. Thinking back it was close to slave labour. I had over 300 papers to deliver and 4-5 days to do it in and I think the weekly pay as standard was about £11. You got extra for each leaflet in the paper but the whole lot got dumped on you separately and if there were 4 or 5 leaflets it could take hours to put 1200 leaflets into 300 papers then actually go out and deliver them. The hourly rate couldn't have been more than about £1 an hour.

My first 'proper' job was part time in Tesco on the checkouts whilst still at school. 8-5 on a Sunday and 5-8 on a Wednesday night. Enjoyed that job, good bunch of people to work with and loads of overtime so I was able to buy all my own gear and whatever which was the most important thing in the world at that time.

Favourite job was probably working in the stockroom in Next. The job was mind numbing. All the clothes got delivered in big yellow containers individually wrapped. You had to unwrap them, stick a security tag on them, put them on a hanger then on a rail ready to be either taken to the floor or stored. The social life was great though. There was a cracking pub just round the corner, The Prince of Wales, that had a huge bar and beer selection. It also had a big canteen style dining area that served hearty food in huge portions. The lunchtime script was in, get a pint down, order a 2nd then go get some food and enjoy that with the pint. Out for a smoke then back in for the afternoon. Everyone went out straight after finishing on a Friday, stockroom was only skeleton staff on a Saturday so you had 3 out of 4 Saturdays off and every Sunday off. Nights rarely ended before 1-2am and there were some very hungover shop floor staff on a Saturday. I done that between being 18 and 21 part time whilst at uni and loved it.

Ah, the Herald & Post, that takes me back. The endless leaflets, dragging the Granny trolley through the streets and your fingers black from all the ink by the end of it.

[Pedantic_Hibee]

Favourite job was working at the Returned Goods counter at La Senza.

Actually I just made that up but it would have been nice.

[O'Rourke3]

Ah, the Herald & Post, that takes me back. The endless leaflets, dragging the Granny trolley through the streets and your fingers black from all the ink by the end of it.Herald and Post was edited and printed in Bonnigton in a unit next to the one my sister and brother in law had their business. My home phone no was similar to their's ( H &P) and we had literally hundreds of wrong numbers to our phone for the sales side. In the end I pretended to take details.Telling folk they had the wrong number didn't seem to work.

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[Smartie]

Can't quite remember what came first - whether it was the summer picking berries at Channel Farm near Kinross or the Herald and Post round.

I then also worked in Presto - initially "through the back" where we would split the load as it came in to the supermarket into the cages for each aisle for the shelf fillers to stack onto the shelves. That job was brilliant, plenty of high jinks through the back, including getting locked in a walk in freezer for what was definitely a dangerously and uncomfortably long time.

When I was at uni I was never the best student and had a lot of resits (enjoyed the partying a bit too much during term time until I screwed the nut later on in my course). During the holidays I'd work answering the phones and doing reception for a doctor on call service and in one of the jobs I had to go and man the A+E desk from midnight through to the morning. For that one I had to make sure they knew I "couldn't work Friday or Saturday nights" - which were absolutely mental. The rest of the time it was quite a peaceful job though, I could sit and study whilst being paid. A highlight there was when I had to learn fairly early on life to keep a degree of professionalism about my reaction when a gentleman shuffles in at 4am to report that he has a pencil stuck up his "rhymes with Mark Venus".

The job I do now would probably have been my dream job back then - but then it's never quite what you expect it to be when you get there, is it?