Throwback of the Day: My First Paycheck Job

Throwback of the Day, where I post some old random picture from the past and share a story about it.

Pictured: Tabletop flyer ad for California Raisin Figures from Hardee’s.

I recently got hired to take calls for a new start-up called Happy (the app). I’m so excited to be joining this new venture as a “Happy Giver” and truly excited to be joining a company that is bringing hope and positivity to the community. I haven’t been this excited about starting a new job, since my first real paying gig, where I was going to get a real paycheck.

Hardee’s was the first job I ever had where I actually got a paycheck. I don’t know if they exist, but I, unfortunately, don’t have any photos of me wearing my nifty maroon and grey uniform. So, instead, I chose a photo of a flyer that was prevalent in my early days on the job. I loved the California Raisins, when I was a kid. I managed to collect all the Raisins before I finally quit that job.

My first job, like many females, stereo-typically, was babysitting. I babysat my siblings, my cousins, and my neighbors.

My second job was bagging groceries, for tips, in an Air Force commissary. That was a lot of fun, but it was highly competitive and it sucked stale beans in the winter.

But, my first real paycheck was working for Hardee’s (in Bellevue, NE). I was about 16 or 17. I loved that job, save for one old guy who used to come in, every morning, complaining that his coffee was never hot enough, and “gosh-darn-it”, his biscuits and gravy had better be fresh. Even over time, that guy warmed up to me.

I did that job for about three years, making my way up to supervisor, when I finally quit, for a job with regular 9-5 hours, since I was a single mother, by then, who needed a day job. I really did not want to quit that job. I was good at it. I loved interacting, daily, with all the customers. I loved my managers and most of my co-workers. But, like most fast-food jobs, the hours were crappy and if I wanted a regular schedule, I had to work the night-shift. I tried it for a few months, but I couldn’t make it work, so I had to move on.

I will always remember working at Hardee’s with fondness. It wasn’t just my first “real” job, it was, probably, my favorite job.