What Was Your First Job?

Whether you're young or old, you've probably had more than one job.

Even if you have your dream job now, you probably didn't start off that way.

With these things in mind, we set out to ask some of Natick's town officials and a few of the people well-known in town what their first job was.

Natick Police Chief James Hicks oversees a department of 54 officers who keep the town safe by preventing crime and catching the people who commit crimes. But did you know he once managed a cookie store in Downtown Crossing?

"Not a fun experience," he said.

Dr. Peter Sanchioni, the Superintendent of the Natick Public Schools, worked for the Parks Department in his hometown when he was in high school. Some of his job responsibilites included lining fields, raking up parks, emptying trash and fixing bleachers, which he called "a coveted job for a high school kid."

Paul Joseph, the Chairperson of the Board of Selectmen, had two paper routes between the ages of 9-14. He then worked a local department store.

"I was always mowing lawns and shoveling driveways too, so 'revenue enhancement' has always been a hot topic for me," Joseph said, adding that for his first "real job" out of college he was self-employed, co-founding and running a bartending and TIPS training course program.

Natick High School principal Rose Bertucci hasn't been far from books since she started working.

"My first job was stacking books at the renovated Somerville Library on Highland street," Bertucci said. "I was 15-years-old with a work permit. I then was hired to work in the Reference Department and stayed there for 2 years."

Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick) had a paper route starting when he was in the sixth grade, delivering the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe. After that "I washed dishes and cleaned up at the Wethersfield Deli while I was a student at Wilson Jr. High."

Speaking of Wilson Middle School, principal Anna Nolin might've had the most distinctive first job out of anyone we asked.

"My first job was at Storyland in Glenn, NH. I was Cinderella for half the day and then drove the 'weenie cart' (yes, a big hot dog bicycle) and sold hot dogs to park visitors. Glamourous, huh?"

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We also asked readers on our Facebook Page about their first job. Here's what some of them had to say:

"Maria's Sub Shop!! Best place to eat and work back in the 80's." wrote Yvette Saulnier Taylor, who was 16 when she worked there.

"Outside of a paper route at 11, I bagged groceries at Roche Bros. when I was 13." wrote Joe Kiggen

"Barber Bros. florist making flower arrangements... age 15." wrote Martha Pierce Ghilani

"Waitress @ the Rainbow Restaurant ......age 15." wrote Susanne Forest Beatty

Andrea Kowalski and Dianne R. Christino both wrote Jones Drug Store.

These are just some of the responses we received. Now we want to know what your first job was. Tell us in the comments.