when I got home from my mission I started a part-time job at a bank. I became full-time pretty quickly and they liked that I was very good with customers and numbers. I became the Operations Manager after working there for 1.5 years. I started contributing to a 401K. I contributed 7% because the bank matched up to 7%. I left the bank three years later and cashed out the 401K for a down payment on a house. I wasn't fully vested, so I only got to keep 50% of the bank matched portion. I ended up with $11,000+ for the down payment. That was in 2004.
I sometimes wonder how much I'd have in there if I had stayed at that job and continued to progress in my career with them. Oh, the good 'ol days...