#Age17: Tutoring and guarding malls, Twitter users talk first jobs
Team Careers360 | November 18, 2020 | 11:23 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Tutoring, selling kerosene on the black market, working as a security guard in a mall -- the first jobs were not glamourous and brought a modest income. But first pay-cheques, no matter where they are earned, are always a critical step in one’s professional life. On Wednesday, Twitter users reminisced about their first jobs and pay-cheques on the micro-blogging site, gathering the posts by tagging them with “#Age21” and later, “#Age17”.
In a response to a query posted on Twitter, ostensibly for research, hundreds of Twitter users shared their first salary and when they received it.
For many, it was a private tutoring job which earned them their first salary. Others recounted earning their first pay doing odd jobs at shops and offices. One had worked as a security guard at a mall; another, as a data-entry operator; and a third was a helper at a pharmacy. Many also shared that their first income was from internship opportunities and other jobs they bagged at a young age. Some made decent wages; some earned pitifully small amounts from odd-jobs or as salespersons.
However, very few Twitter users mentioned the year they started working making any analysis of how salaries have changed near-impossible. Also, given how India’s education system is structured, 21 is the age at which many are expected to graduate college. At 17, most students are in high-school, Class 11 or 12.
Here are some of the experiences people tweeted.
Odd jobs
One worked at a pet fish shop at age 14 earning Rs 2 for every four-hour shift -- it is not clear which year this was. Another student worked as an office assistant at 18 and during the Class 12 summer vacation, earning Rs 5,000.
First salary : 5000/-
— ? (@VIKASIISM) November 18, 2020
Age : 18
Source : I used to work as an office assistant during the 12th Class summer vacation.
Please do not go for a call center job, work as an assistant job in the office that you like to do business or high profile job in future.
experience will work. https://t.co/VdzBh6mLDP
Age 14. Worked in a pet fish shop, part time and i packed worms and fish food. Salary was Rs. 2 for every 4 hour shift i worked. https://t.co/znSlX2eRE9
— Muttai Bajji (முட்டை பஜ்ஜி) (@muttabajji) November 17, 2020
750 as Data Entry Operator in 96’ https://t.co/kBgM2ys1eA
— IndianDa - HINDU (@jkgche) November 17, 2020
I started with 350/-pm
— Thakur Anil Singh (@KunwarAneel3) November 17, 2020
as a sales representative for an Interior decorator, I was 21yrs.
I became an Interior decorator
myself after 4 yrs. Started Export
business after 5 years.Stayed
abroad for almost 28 yrs. At present retired from business but teaching English..? https://t.co/AIFmGT3cbL
First income - ₹400
— nilesh kaushik (@Nileshfriendly) November 18, 2020
Source - Security Guard at a mall
Age - 18 https://t.co/tJUNLOpmCw
First salary: 1000
— Zaid Ansari (@TheZaidAnsari) November 17, 2020
Age:20
Source:theatre play assist director https://t.co/7IcAO7jaAw
In 13-14 yr of age earned around Rs. 400/- weekly by selling kerosene in the black market. ?? https://t.co/oJpkGkqhUm
— Bring Back TI (@Luca_Braasi) November 17, 2020
My first salary was 3000, working as a worker in kirana store at the age of 17. https://t.co/xdrL7ZoLyc
— Vikas Nagar (@VikasNishad1422) November 17, 2020
Tutors
A large number said that they began earning by privately tutoring school children. Many recounted their first job as a tutor which began at age 16 for some. Sixteen, incidentally, is when many students graduate Class 10 -- the first major public school exam -- and join the senior secondary level, or Class 11.
Income : 2k per month
— Anjali Lal (@AnjaliLal14) November 17, 2020
Source : Teaching Economics & Maths to school kids as private tutor.
Age : 18 https://t.co/MlwXNNcOQ0
First Salary: Rs. 1100
— Abhay (अभय) Mishra (@AbhayMitrust) November 17, 2020
Source: Tution
Age: 17!! https://t.co/CtmUaMOz4H
First Salary - ₹500
— Priya Dubey (@Priyadubey94) November 17, 2020
Source- Tuition
Age-16 #FirstSalary
Going with trend? https://t.co/i7VreCHl2Z
First Salary : 500/ month.
— codingbitz (@inttam) November 18, 2020
Job: Part time Tutor
Age:21 https://t.co/sbAosNfcem
Stipend
Research fellowship and grants while studying in a university is also a source of first incomes for students.
First Salary : Rs. 12,400
— KITTU (@im_KPS) November 18, 2020
Age : 21
Source : Stipend given by @EduMinOfIndia while studying at @iitmadras :) https://t.co/l8RpVaGUZ8
Rs 5000
— Bhartiya Vaigyanik 2.0 (@Vagyanik2_0) November 17, 2020
Age: 22
Fellowship #JustAskingForReaseachPurpose https://t.co/144RFhUfmO
Internship
Internships are most crucial for learning and gaining experience right at the beginning of one’s career. For many, paid internships fetched them their first salaries.
First Income: 10,000
— pranav (@pranav_72) November 17, 2020
Source: Internship
Age: 23
Felt so good that started going to brewery instead of pubs. ? https://t.co/nFFT0Pxbgl
6000/-
— shawarma (@followkarnare) November 17, 2020
intern
18 yo https://t.co/9gMyP2x4o3
First Income: ₹8000
— Srinath | శ్రీనాథ్ ?? (@SrinathNagella) November 17, 2020
Source: Internship at a start up (Vaagmi Inc.)
Age: 24 https://t.co/81sxY5jvSh
480 Stipend, Circa 1995, Trainee Chef. https://t.co/WRwBmrBPQs
— Bina blue tick wale dusht (@PiousKaffir) November 18, 2020
First Salary(Stipend): Rs.7500
— Sagar Aggarwal (@AggarwalSagar) November 18, 2020
Source: Articleship Training
Age: 20 years https://t.co/E3K7VAyECe
Also read:
- Over 300 offers made in IIT Delhi’s virtual internship hiring season
- Online Placements: How COVID-19 disrupted job drives across campuses
If you want to share your experience at work, write to us at theworkplace@careers360.com . To know more about The Workplace itself, here's a handy note: Let’s talk work…
If you want to share your experience at work, talk about hiring trends or discuss internships, write to us at theworkplace@careers360.com. To know more about The Workplace itself, here's a handy note: Let’s talk work…
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