Shortest amount of time you've held a job?

[Squisher]

Worked for about 3 hours on a temp job throwing boulders back on a conveyor belt that was as tall as I was and stretched out as far as you could see. This was on a rainy day where it was 90F.

 

[BurnItDwn]

my very first job I worked at Wendy's from Early March 1996 until Early Sept 1996.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Worked at a walmart(dairy stocker) 2 or three weeks before I started doing substitute teaching, and later worked at a sears(people that got big stuff out of the back area when people ordered it) about the same before I started doing data entry stuff.

 

[Wyndru]

Wendy's - 3 days, I was giving the whole "2 job" thing a go, I was fine making pizza at pizza hut, but I couldn't deal with working at a fast food joint. My sister got me the job there, and she was pissed that I left so quickly.

 

[Possessed Freak]

2 hours. I was applying for an internship during my senior year of college. I was to be the network administrator's lackey. I came back for what I thought was the second interview. Turns out the Admin was moving to another office and needed an immediate replacement. I was offered the job at a whopping $7.00 an hour as the rate of the internship, even though I would be the new administrator. Additionally I was to be on call 24/7. When I mentioned the price discrepancy, the prior admin said he would fight for an extra 50 cents an hour. I asked where the door was and walked out.

This was in 2001, they still were running a 10base2 network...

 

[EagleKeeper]

0

Interviewed on Wed
Filled out paperwork on Thurs to start following Monday
Received call Fri afternoon that they had changed their mind and hired someone else

 

[JulesMaximus]

6 weeks. It was a commission based sales job, I gave it a shot but ultimately it wasn't for me.

 

[KentState]

I applied to Best Buy, but didn't hear anything back. I also went to the Target next door and applied. They interviewed me a couple days later and I was suppose to start on a Monday. In the meantime I found an in with Best Buy, got a job offer on that Monday and never showed up a Target.

 

[shortylickens]

Summer before my senior year. I didnt wanna work full time and go to school. Grocery store said they only need full time (which is stupid cuz they were open 24/7 and obviously most people only wanna do certain times of the day).
They let me go. Only had 3 months there.

 

[xavier es]

10 minutes, it was a machine shop; i dont know what they were making, they had this big drill press thing with a lot of drill bits on it. the guy took me over to watch the guy working it, all was well for a few minutes , then the guy misjudged something and the drill unit closed down on his hand , drilling a group of holes in his hand, blood spurted and ran, and i ran out the door. didnt want that job. iirc it was $3/hr.

 

[Jeffg010]

1 week at a bulk mailing warehouse. I had to run a machine that stuffed envelopes very fast. The machine they gave me would always jammed. Since I was the new guy they gave me the worst one. My job was to keep the bins filled with the letters/advertisements that were going in the envelopes. After the first day my fingers was all cut up from paper cuts.

The second day on the job one of the stock boys dropped off the box with the advertisements and I started stuffing them in the machine. I got a few thousand done and every hour they have a lead come by and shut you down and check everything. They got to me and realized that they were the wrong advertisements. They look like what I been using but there was a code at the bottom that show what region they needed to be shipped to.

Well the horror on their faces when the saw this was bad. They have to report any problems like this to the regional managers. The main manger of the warehouse had to come over and asked all kind of questions. I felt bad and though I was going to get fired. They then moved me with anther coworker for the rest of the week.

The 3rd day I started with this guy and he was ok to with work with but he kept talking like how he caught these kind of problems before, like the one that happen to me, and how he save the company and that is why they have him training. The sad thing was that though he was top dog, how he seemed to think he was going to become some kind of lead or manager. He never came out and said that but that was the impression I would get from him. He said he worked there for 7 years and all I could think was holy shit how anyone could work this place for that long. About half way though the shift my fingers were bleeding badly. I was getting blood all over the advertisements. The guy I was working with saw that and showed me how taped up my fingers. That was god send because I was not sure how I was going to finish the shift.

By the 5th day I was in the break room and people were talking how there was anther major screw up. They were saying that the wrong stuff got into the envelopes and that 14,000 got screwed up. They said each letter had to be open by hand. I was like damn. As I was in the brake room the stock boy’s came in and kept saying it looked like the stuff and his buddies kept joking with him about and all he could say was it looked like the stuff.

After the break we had a team meeting with the head guy the same manager that questioned me. First thing he says is he getting let go, when he says that everyone looks like they just saw someone die. He then leaves and the next manger says it happens and tries to make everyone feel like it was their fault for this happening. I was like fuck this shit and when the weekend came I called them up and said I quite.

The sad thing was the people that work in this place were bunch of losers that thought this was most important job ever. All of these fools were spammers of the mail system. Every envelope they stuffed was more spam being sent to someone’s house, really a sad fact that they though they were doing something important.

 

[waggy]

maybe 2 hours. i was 15 and got on at burger king. they wanted me to come in for training. walked in talked to the manager for 5 minutes. told me he would be right back and ended up walking out and never came back

a manager came from a diffrent store and we talked. he said he had no paperwork on me and i wasn't getting paid for the 2 hours because of it. So while he was talking a buddy who was working filled a bag with whoppers. figured that was fair heh

 

[Cookie]

3 hours at one of those popcorn places in the mall. Left for lunch break, didn't go back.

 

[TheNinja]

I'm surprised how many of you just "walked out" on your job and/or didn't come back. Didn't you think of at least calling or leaving a note or something saying it wasn't working out? I always try to leave with a good impression, you honestly never know who talks to who and who knows who in this world. You could easily gain or lose a future job because of it.

 

[Sephire]

Never walk out of a job. Especially when they already got your SSN.

 

[Sixguns]

Got a job, did the drug test and video crap. Should of started next day, over slept. When boss called I was pissed because he woke me up. Told him off and than snapped to what was going on. Another time at Denny's, worked three weeks as a dishwasher. Never did all the stuff I was supposed to. Just couldnt stand the retard manager. Called it quits and walked out. Was very weird picking up my last paycheck.

 

[Alienwho]

Got a job, did the drug test and video crap. Should of started next day, over slept. When boss called I was pissed because he woke me up. Told him off and than snapped to what was going on. Another time at Denny's, worked three weeks as a dishwasher. Never did all the stuff I was supposed to. Just couldnt stand the retard manager. Called it quits and walked out. Was very weird picking up my last paycheck.

You sound like a real winner. How's your moms basement working out for you?

 

[SunnyD]

~Three days I think? But in all actuality, I didn't actually think I was working. I applied at a local OfficeMax that was opening up in my town when I went to college. I was working another job at that point, but figured I'd try it out and see how it went. I went to the first day for interviews, and two follow up days which were training. I got paid for them, which was unexpected, so I guess I technically was employed for that time. I decided to pass on the job and stick with my other full time job.

 

[olds]

For me, 8 hours.

Back in 2007, my girlfriend at the time thought it would be cool for us to live in Boston for the summer. I had some friends there who had a spare room for the summer, so we decided to sublet it. We didn't really have anything lined up for jobs, and since we were only going to be there from late May to mid/late August, we figured we'd wing it, and just find something when we got settled in.

We checked Craigslist daily, and applied all over. I responded to an ad on Craigslist for a firm that was hiring a web/graphic designer for a summer internship. I sent over my resume and portfolio, and landed an interview the next week. Went to the interview, showed some work samples, shook some hands, and went on my way. I thought it went well, but I knew there must have been tons of people that had applied, so I knew there was a good amount of competition out there.

Next couple days pass, and no word from them. A week and a day passes, and nothing still. "Oh well" I think to myself, and continue the job search. I respond to another ad on Craigslist for some lawn furniture company looking for a warehouse worker. I call up, and the lady pretty much hires me over the phone. She says she can't find anybody that wants to actually work, and if I'd like, come down the following day to get started. There were some red flags going up, but I needed some money, so I figured I'd at least go check it out.

I get there, and it's this big outdoor/patio furniture company. I was to be working in their warehouse, which was basically a green house, only with stacks and stacks of outdoor furniture in it. It was all plexiglass walls, and not a single bit of protection from the sun. Hot is an understatement. There was no air circulation, no fans, just working inside of a blistering hot glass box, lugging furniture around. It was fucking miserable.

Right around lunch time, my phone starts ringing. I can tell right away that it's not friends or family (Maine only has one area code). I pick it up, and come to find out, it's the design firm that wants a 2nd interview -- with the owner. Despite my new found employment, I tell them I'll be there tomorrow.

After I get off the phone, I try to figure out how to tell them that I'm not going to be back tomorrow, but will be back the next day. I tell them I just received a call from my doctor, and have to head back to Maine for the day for some medical stuff, but assure them I'll be back the following day (assuming the design firm would still take a bit longer, regardless of how well the interview went). They seem a bit wary, but, seem convinced that I'll be back. During my phone call with them, I was hoping they'd make an offer right over the phone. If they did, I was going to drop everything I was doing and leave.

The following day I meet the boss, and see some more of the designer I'd be working under, and the HR lady. The interview goes very smooth, and I leave with even higher hopes than before. As I'm walking back to the green line, I get a call from the design firm offering me the position. I accept, and then breath a deep sigh knowing I won't have to go back to that fucking nightmare of a job in the sun-baked glass box from hell.

So for my shortest job stint, 8 hours. Didn't even collect the pay for it.

cliffs:
1) Started working a shitty job doing manual labor inside a lawn furniture filled greenhouse type thing.
2) Got a 2nd interview at design firm while working shitty job.
3) Went to interview the next day, and got the job.
4) Never spoke to shitty lawn furniture company again.

tb:dr

 

[amdhunter]

3 hours. It was an independent studio I just landed a job at, when I got the call from Viacom to work for MTV networks. I quit at lunch, and started a desk job researching newspapers and magazines for upcoming shows.

It was my first time using a Windows machine too, back in 1995.

 

[Via]

I once delivered pizza for an evening. Total 3 hours.

This is mine, but it was more like 10 hours.

I applied at Domino's, got the job and started work the next day. The owner seemed like a nice guy (even though he made me cut my hair, which wasn't that long), and while he was around his No. 2 was decent as well.

When I got back from my last delivery, though, the other shoe dropped. I was told by No. 2 to grab a mop and start cleaning; all the while he sat in the office with his feet on the desk watching videos. I was NOT told at the interview that this was part of the job.

I cleaned like a dog for at least 2 fucking hours before I was allowed to go home. I knew leaving that place I would never step foot in it again.

 

[lord_emperor]

2 weeks, collection agent.

Absolutely fucking sucked so I quit.

 

[Krynj]

2 weeks, collection agent.

Absolutely fucking sucked so I quit.

Couple of my friends did that for Bank of America. One of them actually stuck with it for maybe a year or more. He said it was as demoralizing as you'd imagine.

 

[Krynj]

tb:dr

Reading's tough, I know.

 

[mrjminer]

I was hired on the spot and the guy wanted me to start training immediately (ie: right then) for some answering service position. After one call, I knew it wasn't something I was interested in, so I just left. So, somewhere between five and ten minutes.