The #firstsevenjobs of two of LaBarge Weinstein’s co-founding partners

If you’ve spent any time on Twitter lately, you may have noticed people, from astronauts to Pulitzer Prize winners, have been recounting their younger days through the hashtag #firstsevenjobs (or #first7jobs if the extra characters are needed.) It’s not been limited to those with celebrity status; a variety of people from all across the globe have weighed in, sharing what takes up the first slots on their resumes.

It’s a fascinating look back at the paths people take and how they ended up where they did. Did childhood dreams of being a doctor pan out? Did a career path inspired by Indiana Jones transpire into a life of archaeological digs?

When LaBarge Weinstein LLP began in 1997, its founders had great experience in the legal field. But what did they do before then? Two of the co-founding partners – Paul LaBarge and Debbie Weinstein– take a look back with their own #firstsevenjobs memories.

Paul LaBarge

1. The Gazette newspaper – newspaper delivery boy (age: 12 to 15)

2. Knippel Nursery – landscaping labourer (age: 16 to 18, in the summers)

3. Iron Ore Company of Canada – construction (age: 19, summer)

4. Dofasco Steel Company of Canada – economic analyst (age: 20, summer)

5. McDonald Connolly – barristers and solicitors – Law student (age: 21 to 22)

6. Honeywell Wotherspoon – articling student and lawyer (age: 23 to 28)

7. Esso Resources Canada Limited – corporate counsel (age: 28 to 31)

Debbie Weinstein

1. I filled in OHIP payment invoices by hand for a medical lab in Toronto each summer. (It was my uncle’s medical lab.) I loved making money to go to the diner on Bloor and Spadina every lunch and eat at the counter. I was also on the track team so I would go to the UofT track field on Bloor Street and work out during some lunch breaks or after school. I took the subway and bus each way and loved the freedom and independence. (Age: 13 to 15)

2. I was a summer car courier for a company that had silent shoppers to ensure no theft by the cashiers or returned goods. (Age: 16)

3. During a Canada Postal strike and Ontario teachers’ strike one fall, I was a courier for a number of my friends’ parents’ companies including a radiator company. I delivered bills and picked up cheques. (Age: 16)

4. I worked at the Canadian National Exhibition evening shift in a Beasley under over betting game. (Age: 17)

5. I was a car courier in Toronto. I made great money then. (Age: 17 to 20)

6. Summer law student at Blake Cassels. (Age: 21)

7. Prosecutor at Old City Hall in Toronto in the summers. I prosecuted moving vehicle violations: e. – traffic ticket Crown!

Bonus: Best job: A courier in my mom’s 1975 Pontiac Astre, with a small TV to watch soap operas when I wasn’t picking up deliveries, and eating McDonalds and getting lots of yellow parking tickets. The worst part of that job: no receptionist would ever look me in the eye and make real contact. Lesson learned: every job has a person behind the service. Be nice to all workers regardless of how menial it may seem.

Wondering about those first jobs of astronauts and award winners?

Buzz Aldrin:

Lin-Manuel Miranda, award-winning creator of the Broadway sensation Hamilton:

 

What were your #firstsevenjobs? Post your list below.

Start typing and press Enter to search

What is a CCPC?Industry News, Insights
Two LaBarge Weinstein lawyers included in 11th Edition of The Best Lawyers in CanadaIndustry News