We all have memories of our first jobs. Some are good, and some are NOT so good!

This week, Brain and I got to talking about our first “real” jobs. You know, the first job where you got a physical paycheck and had to fill out tax forms. The conversation started because Brain’s first real job was at McOtto’s Family Restaurant in Anamosa, and it was revealed this week that the restaurant has closed. Such a bummer!

My first job ever was babysitting when I was 11. I had to take a class with the Red Cross before my mom let me start passing out flyers at my church. My babysitting career was short-lived, though. I had a string of horrible children followed by an attempted break-in, so I decided to quit. Shortly after, I got a job at our local baseball diamond in the concession stand. All I remember was that it was always HOT and I ate a ton of nachos. I think I was making like, $3.75 an hour.

I was thrilled to be able to get a real job when I turned 16. My friend and I drove all over town in her car applying for jobs. Somehow, we ended up at a group “audition” for Cold Stone Creamery. And when I say audition, I mean it! We all had to go up and do a talent in front of everyone in the room. I chose to sing a song from Grease, as I had just starred as Sandy in my high school’s musical. It was enough to get me hired!

This is a photo of the actual Cold Stone that I worked at. It’s still open today!

I only worked at Cold Stone for about a year (mainly because a terrible store manager drove me out), but the main thing I remember is how I smelled after every shift. My apron reeked of sugar and waffle cones, no matter how much I washed it! It certainly wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but I still remember that very specific smell. After that year of eating ice cream non-stop, I hardly ever eat ice cream now! Oh, and I still remember the lyrics to EVERY song we had to sing. Those are embedded into my brain forever.

What was your first “real” job? We want to hear about it! Tell us about a memory from your first job below:

Here are some of the experiences that Eastern Iowans shared with us on Facebook: