First Job Benefits 6PR 882AM Radio Perth with Jamie Burnett

By Sue Ellson

Topic: First Job Benefits

Date: 19 August 2026

Media Outlet: 6PR 882AM Perth https://www.6pr.com.au

Broadcaster / Interviewer: Jamie Burnett

Producer: Robert Beaver

Time Stamp: 01:47:56 – 01:52:09

Duration Total: 00:04:13

Time of show: 5:43pm

Audio Recording:

First Job Benefits on 6PR 882AM Radio Perth Afternoons Jamie Burnett and Sue Ellson

Video Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc96bOfjmic

Transcript

and have some fun. First jobs. Pretty good fun, aren’t they? They get you out there, you learn some stuff, pick up a few skills, meet some people. Pretty important in shaping who we are. First job for me, I I remember I think you had to be 14 and nine months, I reckon. Bang, there I was. Woollie’s Deli Boy. Ham at order. I still have fond memories of the crew there, too. Um, Sue Ellson is career expert and author as well. Gidday, Sue.

Hi, Jamie.

Uh what was your first job?

Well, if you don’t count babysitting for the local kids.

I started work full-time in a bank um and studying part-time six days after my last year 12 exam.

Nice.

So, a bit of a baptism of fire.

Yeah, there you go. No gap year for you, Sue.

Uh no, none whatsoever, no.

There you go. Why Why do you think it’s important?

Look, I think you learn so many things from your first job. A bit like your first car. Everybody remembers their first car. Everybody remembers their first job. And it’s things like having clothes for the week, getting to and from without relying on Mum and Dad. Um making sure that you manage your money and you pay your bills. I mean, uh you’re not being supervised by a teacher. Uh yeah, there’s so many things. Time management. I remember running to the train with my hair still wet and half-dressed. Uh you know, it took me a little while to even just get on time for things. So yeah, I think there’s heaps of things you learn from your first job.

Yeah, I I always felt uh a little bit jealous. I I feel like I just kind of rushed into it. Now, don’t get me wrong.

Mmm.

I love the I love the Woolworth’s Deli.

Yep.

Where there was a lot of cleaning and it was a bit smelly. And then I had my mate at the local video store and I thought, why didn’t I think of that?

Yes. Oh, video stores were great places and u yeah, a lot cleaner than than cleaning up. But we all have to start somewhere. And I think you’ve hit on a really important point and that’s enjoying who you work with. And yeah, I think that makes a huge difference and having that right cultural fit. You get to learn very quickly what you do and you don’t want in your future career quite often based on on who you end up working with.

Yeah, that’s it. You know, build a build a bit of a work ethic and all that kind of thing.

Mmm.

So then later in life uh with whatever you do that that carries through, I reckon to a degree. Do you think there’s a lesson for parents?

You know, and particularly.

Mmm,

You know, every every kid is different, but particularly around later high school, you know, some parents can think, you know what, I don’t want you to get a job, kids. Uh, I want you to concentrate on studying and acing those exams and all that kind of thing.

Mmm.

Is there a bit of a lesson for parents in that space?

Oh, absolutely. And I’ve been in recruitment for the bank as well and with our graduate program, we had a little matrix where we marked people off. Did they do voluntary work? Were they involved in sports? Was it a team sport? Had they had a part-time job. And they actually the grades were not the most important thing. That was only part of it. And if you only actually had to have a pass, that was all you had to have to get into the graduate program at the time. So yeah, there’s huge lessons. And for me, I lived a very very sheltered life and didn’t really engage apart from playing sport uh with other people. And so I really had to learn how to get on with people outside of my own family network.

Yep.

Having been brought up in Adelaide. It was yeah I had a huge family. I was the eldest of 27 grandchildren. So you know there was already a lot of people in my circle but outside of that people were very different and I think yeah it’s it’s tremendous learning.

The only thing is just not be exploited. And my children when they had their first opportunity to work, they were asked to work for cash and they would be paid more than if they were paid on the books. And I said, “You’re absolutely not to accept that job.” Because if something had happened to them in the workplace.

Mmm.

They wouldn’t have been covered by WorkCover or, you know, any of those other insurances. They wouldn’t have had their super or you know, all those kind of things. So uh yeah, that that was the big thing I made sure that they didn’t do that.

That’s such a good point. Be gung ho, but those things to look out for so that you’re looked after.

Yeah.

And it’s all done right. Yeah, good point.

Yeah.

So, hey, um, good to chat to you today. Appreciate it.

Yeah, thanks Jamie.

Uh, Sue Ellson there, Career Expert and Author as well. Um, there was this list.

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FIRST JOB BENEFITS // What benefits did you receive from your first job? 🤔 In this interview with Jamie Burnett on Tapt Media‘s 6PR 882AM Radio Perth Afternoon Program, we discussed:

✅ remembering your first job just you remember your first car
✅ learning to have clothes ready for the week
✅ getting to and from work without relying on your parents
✅ managing your money and paying your bills
✅ not being supervised by a teacher
✅ learning time management and arriving on time
✅ having to start somewhere even if doing tasks you don’t like
✅ good to have a good cultural fit with the people you work with
✅ lessons for parents – value of a first job
✅ employers look for more than grades
✅ not be exploited or accept work where you are paid in cash and not covered by insurance or benefits

Thanks to Producer Robert Beaver for the invitation to contribute!

➡️ What benefits did you gain from your first job?

#firstjob #6PRPerth #SueEllson