What was your shortest employment?

[02SE]

Haha, I'm sure I did, hopefully not repeating myself on this thread.

Scott

You mentioned your stint at McDonalds, earlier in this thread. But that's okay.

I too had my shortest job duration at a McDonalds at 16. I put in my first shift of about 3 hours, realized it wasn't for me. Told them so, I was given the option of walking away no harm, no foul, and went and got another min. wage job at a Round Table Pizza. That job was on school nights, and I kept it until school let out for the summer.

Then I went back to being an apprentice mechanic every day, instead of just on Saturdays.

 

[slo town]

You mentioned your stint at McDonalds, earlier in this thread. But that's okay.

I too had my shortest job duration at a McDonalds at 16. I put in my first shift of about 3 hours, realized it wasn't for me. Told them so, I was given the option of walking away no harm, no foul, and went and got another min. wage job at a Round Table Pizza. That job was on school nights, and I kept it until school let out for the summer.

Then I went back to being an apprentice mechanic every day, instead of just on Saturdays.

I'm probably repeating myself - ONCE AGAIN - but after leaving McDonalds I went to work pumping gas at a Texaco station. That was much more my style. I met some good guys while working there.

I remember one time a guy came in to fuel up his gorgeous E-Type Jag. This was late '60s so it was probably almost new. The Texaco station was a full service one where we pumped the gas, washed the windshield, rear window, side mirrrors, checked the oil, and if they asked we checked tire pressures.

Anyway, the guy in the E-Type hopped out because he wanted to pump his own gas. I approached and told him he had ZERO worries about me spilling fuel on his gorgeous machine. Well, what did I do? I spilled fuel on his rear fender. I was MORTIFIED! I remember running over and immediately getting some paper towels, wetting them and gently dabbing off the fuel. He could tell I felt really bad about it and because I so quickly leaped into action it kept him from getting angry. He probably felt kind of sorry for me. I'll never forget that.

Scott

 

[BrianF]

During my tech school days, I did an 8 month work term for a civil engineering company. The next year, I worked with them for another couple of months between semesters.

Two months after graduation, I took a job that I am still at, coming up 18 years. It was completely different from what my post secondary education was steering me to.

In middle and high school I worked for somw farmers and stayed for several years. Even after that I was a reservist for 5 years. I tended to stick around.

 

[John105]

I'm probably repeating myself - ONCE AGAIN - but after leaving McDonalds I went to work pumping gas at a Texaco station. That was much more my style. I met some good guys while working there.

I remember one time a guy came in to fuel up his gorgeous E-Type Jag. This was late '60s so it was probably almost new. The Texaco station was a full service one where we pumped the gas, washed the windshield, rear window, side mirrrors, checked the oil, and if they asked we checked tire pressures.

Anyway, the guy in the E-Type hopped out because he wanted to pump his own gas. I approached and told him he had ZERO worries about me spilling fuel on his gorgeous machine. Well, what did I do? I spilled fuel on his rear fender. I was MORTIFIED! I remember running over and immediately getting some paper towels, wetting them and gently dabbing off the fuel. He could tell I felt really bad about it and because I so quickly leaped into action it kept him from getting angry. He probably felt kind of sorry for me. I'll never forget that.

Scott

I worked at a Cadillac Olds for minimum wage. I was bummed about minimum wage and I found out the car washers made $0.75 more. I got my courage up and asked to be paid the same. Boss man said no can do (equivalent of $2.25 today). I stayed cuz I liked being in the dealer and I was allowed to use the lifts (single post back then) and there was a cool white 4-4-2 ragtop in the showroom (maybe a 1970).

 

[MVAR]

I'm probably repeating myself - ONCE AGAIN - but after leaving McDonalds I went to work pumping gas at a Texaco station. That was much more my style. I met some good guys while working there.

I remember one time a guy came in to fuel up his gorgeous E-Type Jag. This was late '60s so it was probably almost new. The Texaco station was a full service one where we pumped the gas, washed the windshield, rear window, side mirrrors, checked the oil, and if they asked we checked tire pressures.

Anyway, the guy in the E-Type hopped out because he wanted to pump his own gas. I approached and told him he had ZERO worries about me spilling fuel on his gorgeous machine. Well, what did I do? I spilled fuel on his rear fender. I was MORTIFIED! I remember running over and immediately getting some paper towels, wetting them and gently dabbing off the fuel. He could tell I felt really bad about it and because I so quickly leaped into action it kept him from getting angry. He probably felt kind of sorry for me. I'll never forget that.

Scott

Worked at gas stations while in college in SLO. First one was a full service Chevron in Los Osos. Also have a few good memories of those places & a few awesome customers

 

[slo town]

Worked at gas stations while in college in SLO. First one was a full service Chevron in Los Osos. Also have a few good memories of those places & a few awesome customers

Nice! We feel very fortunate to live here. I hope we never have to leave it.

Scott

 

[pvs2487]

I worked two summers after high school at an old school Chrysler- Plymouth dealer in Newtown CT.
The boss was a self made Portuguese immigrant who started as a chauffeur to the richest lady in town and got himself in the automobile business. I was paid $2/hour (in 1973/74), which worked out to about $66.28 after taxes for a 48 hour week. Everyone else got paid in cash but I got a check, as he 'didn't trust the kid with that much cash'.
Of course being the 'kid', I got to take out overheating radiators, change Kelsey Hayes split rims on a school bus and other pleasant jobs. They also saved the parts cleaning tank for me for its annual clean out. There was also the time I did a brake job while sitting on the brake drum, No need to get into that one!
That said, I learned one heck of a lot about life, working hard and taking care of customers. Always grateful to him for that.

 

[MVAR]

Nice! We feel very fortunate to live here. I hope we never have to leave it.

Scott

My job disappeared there so we were forced to move back in 2016. In-laws recently sold their place in 3F Meadows & followed us up near Sacramento. They’re around the corner from us.

I do miss it there. Used to have a little bungalow in MB & a victorian on Vine St. in Paso.

Now I just count the days to when I can leave this hole that is Sacramento. Unfortunately it’ll still be a few more years.

 

[cb_13]

I worked at a Cadillac Olds for minimum wage. I was bummed about minimum wage and I found out the car washers made $0.75 more. I got my courage up and asked to be paid the same. Boss man said no can do (equivalent of $2.25 today). I stayed cuz I liked being in the dealer and I was allowed to use the lifts (single post back then) and there was a cool white 4-4-2 ragtop in the showroom (maybe a 1970).

I took a pay cut from carrying out groceries when I started wrenching at a dealership after high school. It was the first of many disappointments in the auto industry. Maybe when I die I can get a group of dealership management to be my pall bearers so they can let me down one last time

 

[Starman2112]

My first job was my shortest at 7 years.

 

[GMBoy]

As a teen I took a job at a Jiffy lube in 1987. The first week I was assigned the upper bay tech role where you added the oil and did the checks etc. The following week I was sent down below to be the lower bay tech draining the oil. The 3rd day the manager came to me and said if I see any vehicles with JL filters already on to just grab the bottle of spray cleaner and wipe the filter down to look new. It was at that moment I quit and walked out - so I lasted a week and a half.

The blessing was that 3 weeks later I got hired on at GM as a temp line worker and the rest was history as I made my way up the ladder and into upper mgt and engineering until retiring in late 2022 to focus on my car shop that has been running for 25+yrs.

 

[Turbo Actual]

2 days at Winn Dixie in 2023. I had worked there for 3 years previously during my high school years. Everyone I knew then was gone. The whole store was rearranged. I was also working full time at a golf course as an assistant mechanic during the PGA tour. I’d get up a 3 am work till 5-6. Then head to Winn Dixie. It wasnt worth it…

 

[Toy4x4]

Less than a month. It was a Perkins restaurant and I was a dishwasher while I was in HS. I had a very limited schedule in which I could work due to school and they knew it when I applied. A couple weeks in I was put on the graveyard shift. Nope. Bye.

 

[Urshurak776]

About 2 months. Worked for AMSEC (Northrup Grumman) while I was on terminal leave, retiring from the Navy (23 years.) They were going to offer me a postion at the Subbase leading maintenance operations once I retired and it never materialized. The guy I worked for was a bu!!sh$%ter I found out pretty quick, so I took another job working as a PM for Suez Environment. I liked that job, but they project wound up closing down to move to another area...Canada. My wife was like "NOPE." That was like an 8 month job. So, was unemployed for the first time in my life for about 6 weeks. Took a job with a large HVAC Company as a Service Supervisor and moved to Charlotte, NC. Been with them for 12 years now in a couple different postions.