That first paycheck!

KATHMANDU, June 9: If we asked you, the day you got your first salary is probably a very special day. Many of us are mid career level professionals but we still look back fondly at the day we actually got paid for our efforts. On that nostalgic note, we spoke to a few professionals from various career backgrounds about their first job and the remuneration they received.

Niranjan Shrestha
Photojournalist

First job: He worked in a local magazine taking pictures of concerts and other similar events.
Age: 24
Salary: Rs 4,000

Anil Chitrakar
Social EntrepreneurFirst job: He was the Energy Engineer at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology during the 80s. His job requirement included installing renewable energy gadgets and technologies in remote villages of Nepal.
Age: 26
Salary: Rs 1,600

Ayesha Shakya
South Asian Taekwondo Gold Medalist

First job: She was asked to referee children's taekwondo matches for three successive days after completing her morning games.
Age: 19
Salary: Rs 600

Nisha Sharma
Theater Actor

First job: She was part of the play 'Pratibha Akash Magche' which was a home production. She played the younger sister to the main lead Pratibha.
Age: 10
Salary: Rs 500

Sharada Rijal
Proprietor, Milan Garments

First job: She joined Siddhartha Vanasthali Institute as a primary teacher and remained in the school for 10 years.
Age: 21
Salary: Rs 450

Shailendra Jha
Recruitment and Selection Manager, Teach for Nepal

First job: He was the Program Manager at Microsoft Unlimited, a company which trained Engineering and IT students on computer studies and marketing, among others. His overall responsibility was to supervise the company's operations.
Age: 23
Salary: Rs 10,000

Only 13% of the respondents earned more than Rs 10,000 as their first salary. 62% of male respondents earned this figure compared to just 38% of female respondents.