From a Wall Street Journal story by Demetria Gallegos headlined “Remembering Your Best and Worst Summer Jobs”:

A teen might think the best summer job is one that is fun or easy or glamorous. An adult remembers those early jobs differently, through a filter of time and experience. Turns out, the best job was often the one that had the most lessons to teach, even if some of those lessons were painful.

We asked Wall Street Journal readers to share their memories of best and worst summer jobs. Sometimes these jobs affirmed a calling, or sparked a lifelong course correction. In all cases, they were an awakening to the world of work and making a contribution.