I got a paper route right after my 12th birthday, and held it till my 18th birthday, about a week before I went off to college. It was a great job. I built it up to 180 customers, and eventually it was all in three buildings of a senior citizen housing complex. I made over $50 a week, which was great money for a kid in the early-mid 70's - heck, I wish I had $50 a week I could spend freely right now!
The disadvantage of the job was not being able to participate in after school activities. The advantage was developing a work ethic, gaining the respect of my customers for good service, and the relationships I had with them. For many of them, especially those who were shut in, getting the newspaper was one of the high points of their day. Another perk was all the treats they baked for me, along with knitted hats, mittens, and scarves (some of them were quite 'interesting'
). It was always a bummer when someone would be sent to a nursing home, or get cancer, or die, or lose a spouse. But I really enjoyed talking with them ( or just listening to them, they had some great stories). To this day, I feel fortunate to have known so many nice friends through it.