Had summer time jobs or worked after school at 14. I had saved up some money and bought a racecar and had to have the money to fund it. I used to hate working during spring break and during the summer when all my buddies were at the beach partying but I had an expensive hobby and had to have the money for it instead of partying. I can say it kept me out of trouble and knew if I wanted something I had to have money to get it.

A real job at age 12. I started cropping tobacco for a couple of the local farmers where I lived at 12. I would hit the dirt roads on my dirt bike to get to and from work.

As far a working and daily responsibilities. My Dad turned over feeding the chickens, turkeys, hogs, and milking of the cow to me when I was in the 3rd grade. Got up early every morning before school to do these daily chores. Because I was so small at the time I had to stand on a bucket so I was tall enough to reach into the feed barrel to get feed for the milk cow, of course I would have to repeat this every afternoon as well. My two sisters would stand on chairs at the kitchen sink and wash dishes by hand. They also did all the house cleaning starting at a very young age. Both of my parents worked very hard and wanted us to learn the same work ethic at a young age. I will also add that both of my sisters worked the tobacco fields as well...I can't hardly ever remember not having to work to some degree...My job these days is pretty easy but I have done my share of hard work in my life and can say that hard work has never hurt anyone.

First job that paid money was at a little family ran convenience store.. no gas.
I worked after school for an hour or two and the old gentleman would give me a dollar. I was probably 13.
I worked on the farmers market off of Finley in Birmingham unloading and loading trucks. I could throw watermelons and cantaloupes with the best of them...14 /15.
My dad ran his own heating and air business, so I always had something I could do to help him out. and my Grandfather had a moving company that all of the grandkids worked and helped out.
I have done a lot of different things to earn a buck to pay my bills and do things that I wanted to do.

I've had a lot in my time,started out bagging ice and loading the trucks for an ice company when I was 12,we would work for one of our teachers in the afternoons bailing and stacking hay,worked at a local supermarket for a while,worked at movie gallery for a while,started working at a hardware/building supply store my Junior year in high school and worked there until I started college,the store closed and I worked Christmas help with UPs for a few weeks,then me and a buddy got jobs at a furniture store as the Repo men for them,that was prolly the most dangerous job I've had,we stayed in the hood repoing stuff,then I worked for a lawn service company cutting grass for about a year then I quit that job and at 19 years old started working at Vanity Fair which was a textile mill here,I worked full time and went to trade school during that time,after I finished school I left and went to a particle board mill,I worked there for 8 1/2 years with 6 of those being an electrician/mechanic,I left that job in 2012 for my current job at a pulp mill,been on the production side of things since I started working there but I'm moving back over to the mechanical maintenance side in a few months,I'm about to be 37 years old and I've always had a part time job while in high school and A full time ever since with no gaps in between,I've done all these jobs in this small town I live in so I don't feel sorry for folks that claim they can't find a job,it may not be the job you want but there are plenty of things for people to do

Started cutting grass and doing odd stuff for people around 14-15. Got a "real" job where I received a paycheck at 16. Been working ever since. That was 27 years ago. If the good Lord is willing, I plan on putting in another 17 then enjoy what time I have left. Heck, I'll probably start cutting grass again. Ha!

When I was 11 years old I had a mowing business. I did that for two years. Ages 14 to 16 I had a paper route. Sometime in year 16 I took a job as a janitor in a manufacturing plant and worked that for a year. Ages 17 and 18 I worked at a Photo Key shop, a book store, and Walgreens. I worked Walgreens plus a pet shop plus I had a 75 mile paper route my first year of college. My 2nd year of college I worked as an engineering co-op. 3rd year of college and all co-ops were layed off, they hired me on as a job shopper at engineers pay. I worked the engineering for 3 years, going to school at night, until I graduated.

First real job at 18 when I joined the Air Force. Prior to that I work in the summer when I was out of school at a saw mill one summer and a couple summers bailing hay.

Got my first actual paycheck when I was 16. Before that me and my brother always had to mow and do work around the house. I believe we started moving furniture for a moving company when we were 15(got paid cash)

Was always made to do chores around the house at a young age (every family member contributes). Mowed yards when I was 14 & 15. First real paying gig was full time/40 hrs a week and started the day before I turned 16 with the City Of Decatur during the summer when I was out of high school. Liked that job and did it three consecutive summers

I started going along with my father every morning to feed the cows when I was 5-6 and I've got up every workday since and either gone to school when I was a kid, work as an adult or hunting.

Except when I was in full rut before I got married. Not gonna lie and say I got out of bed every morning.

As a kid growing up on the farm in MS, Around age 8-9 my first jobs that actually paid me cash money were:

*Killing rats around the grain bins, feed & seed barn, and around the hog houses. $2 bill for every 10 rats.
*Spot spraying Johnson grass in the crops. Tank in holder on my saddle so I rode my horse down the rows. We had 500 acres of crop land but also leased a good bit more down the road.
*Helped adjacent neighbor on his Herford ranch at times rounding up and cutting cattle and helping sheer sheep.

Moved off of farm and into town at age 14 so I added cutting yards and weed eating for neighbors. Then First "real jobs" with a paycheck started at age 15 in high school:

*Summers: Lifeguard and swimming instructor (Tallaha Boy Scout Camp and Holmes County State Park)
*Worked for local Newspaper 2 days a week after school (inserts, paper machines, sweep floors, etc...)
*Still Cut grass for 3 or 4 neighbors, raked leaves in fall-cash money

I basically put myself through college at Ole Miss...my parents had no extra income to help out. So I took out loans for tuition and books and dorm, but paid for everything else myself. Age 18-23.

*Lifeguard and Pool Manager and Swim Team Coach for City of Oxford.
*Lifeguarding/CPR/First Aid instructor (my own side business)
*Waited tables & bartending for 5 years (Larry's, Oxford Alley, Sid & Harry's)
*Wrote papers for those who could help me in math for trade.


As a newlywed with a professional job, I still had to work a 2nd job for a few years to make ends meet and payback my loans. Waited tables and lifeguarded some for some extra cash.

I picked corn, picked up potatoes, and worked in a little operation that sorted and bagged potatoes on Sand Mountain when I was 14 and 15 (under the table...for cash). I was mowing yards for cash for a few years before that. Have had some type of official, tax paying job almost non-stop since I was 16 including all the way through college where I worked 30 hours a week, went to school full-time, and paid for as much of my tuition as I could afford to avoid student loans. Also worked during the college summers full-time in a manufacturing facility where it was hot as 3 hells, working 12 hour night shifts...also to help pay for college expenses since we were too "rich" to qualify for any grants, my parents couldn't afford to offer much help, and my scholarships had been used up.

Just like I did...these Barney Sanders supporters need an arse whipping and a job.

Worked for a construction company part time during the summer at 13 for cash....then worked in a small steel company business for the summers when i was 14 and 15 sorting steel and sweeping floors....then worked at Kmart and lifeguarded when I turned 16 until I graduated HS....didnt work my first 2 years of college except the summers at a paper plant working 12hr swing shift (my favorite work hrs)....then co-oped while in school at Alabama for a supplier to Mercedes....

My grandfather was the ran construction job sites I started at age 12 spending most of the summer with him picking up and cleaning up around the job. First real job was working at the feed store in the warehouse at 15 then onto Walmart at 16. My grandfather told me every summer to get a education and work smart so I became a career firefighter and have my own lawn care business now. I have pretty much had two jobs since 18.

My oldest is 16 and decided to quit football and we told him if he's not playing anymore it's time to get to work so he works at a local pizza joint.

My youngest turns 11 next week and can't wait until summer gets here so he can start making money cutting grass with me.

I started "paying taxes" at 15, but way before that, mowed yards, trimmed fences, put up hay.

Started about 14 loading hay, clearing land, and odd jobs for local farmers/land owners. In high school I worked remodeling houses after school, on the weekends, along with other odd jobs. Graduated at 17 and was at Ft. Benning two weeks later. Turned 18 the day we finished basic training and started AIT.

I worked summers and weekends at Cahaba Valley Golf course from 13 until I graduated high school. Worked around football, basketball and baseball.

It's still fun to me

cutting grass - 13
Real job working @ commercial printing company - 15

First job aside from grass cutting in the neighborhood was at the Texaco full service across the skreet from Egg-a-day in Eastlake.I was 14 then and made well on tips from the old timers that came through.They loved to talk while you were servicing their vehicle and would tip well when they left.I only ever received one tip from a person of color the whole time I worked there.