January 2026: What was your first paying job? How old were you and what are some things you learned there? Do you have a favorite memory of that job?
Contributor of the prompt: *Cindy Rose Ferguson

At 15 years old I decided that the ‘pocket money’ or allowance I got from my parents wasn’t enough. 😊 So, I looked for a part time student job and lied about my age telling them I was 16. Eureka, I got a job! I’m sure most of you remember Sears and catalogue shopping with pick up counters and deliveries of anything from clothing and small items to furniture and appliances, the works.

I got a job in the complaints department! It was an evening shift from 4 – 8pm plus Saturdays. There we were, a group of about 20 students in cubicles armed with phones and complaint forms. When we answered the phone, we would get angry customers with a delivered fridge that was faulty for example. Then we were told to ‘shove it where the sun doesn’t shine’ quite often. I learned to de-escalate or tell them if they continue to be rude I would have to hang up – back in the day when you could hear the click. 😊

I also learned how to ‘pay my way’ as my allowance turned into me paying my parents 10% of my wages. (Thanks Mom and Dad. Now I get it.😊)

The next big learning was when the shift manager, a 26 year old man with a wife and newborn baby at home, promoted me to supervisor – learning I was capable of management. 😊Then one evening he offered me a ride home. On the drive home he pulled one of those moves that became a ‘me too’ moment. He placed his hand on my thigh. I removed it and he did it again. So I said stop the car! I rebuked him by voicing my being appalled by a ‘come-on’ from a married man – and with a newborn baby at home! He then stopped and I got out and went the rest of the way by bus. I wasn’t upset. I had handled it thanks to being raised as an equal to men by wonderful parents.

The next shift I was told I had been demoted and was no longer shift supervisor. I marched to HR and reported the incident. The next shift I was re-instated as supervisor and he was long gone. 😊

I sure learned a lot on my first job! Thanks Sears and Mom and Dad.