Chanel Preston Preston is one of the industry's hottest up-and-comers — and vaulted onto our dirty dozen list this year. Before joining the industry, she was an adult dancer in Hawaii, but long before that, her first job was housekeeping. "My dad got me a job with a friend to be a house cleaner, but it ended up that I just ironed all of his work shirts," she says. "To this day, I hate ironing."

Stoya Beyond her on-camera work, Stoya is a woman of many talents. She's a writer, and reportedly dabbles in clothing design. But when it came to her first job, her diversity fell short. "I worked at a Subway for six days,” she says. “And on the sixth day, the owner, who was Pakastani, called me into the kitchen, sat me down and said 'Jessica… this is not for you.’”

Bibi Jones Jones is the youngest star to ever be signed to a contract at Digital Playground, and earned a little mainstream attention last year when a Twitter photo of her and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski went viral. Her first job was a good deal more sedate than her current profession, though. "I worked at a law office as a receptionist," she says.

Allie Haze This Vivid Pictures contract girl followed a path that should sound familiar to a lot of people. It wasn't glamorous, but it's one of the most common ways teens enter the workforce. "I worked at a burger joint called Baker's Burgers," she says

Charmane Star With nearly 300 films to her credit, Star has been a fixture in the adult industry for almost 14 years. But before she was taking her clothes off, she was helping other people pick out what to wear. "My very first job was at Nordstrom's," she says. "I was in clerical and an assistant buyer for four years."

Sunny Leone Leone's not only a favorite among porn fans, but she also has a big following in India, where she was a contestant on "Big Boss" (that country's version of the CBS show "Big Brother"). She will begin filming the lead role in an upcoming major Bollywood film in March. Before the Porn Valley and India called, though, another country held her attention. "I worked at a little German bakery," she remembers. "I ate everything."

Lisa Ann Long before she was governor of Alaska and a force on the American political scene, Sarah Palin had her first job as a waitress. Long before she was a porn star – and became famous for her porn portrayal of Palin - Lisa Ann held a similar position. "I was a hostess at a diner that is still open and thriving in my hometown of Easton, Pa," she says.

Asa Akira Akira was born in New York, but lived in Japan for a stint until the age of 13. When she made it back to Manhattan, she found her first job. "I was a cashier at Barnes & Noble when I was 14 years old at Union Square in New York City," she says.

Charley Chase Like a lot of actresses in the adult industry, Chase is enviably thin. And given the skills she learned in her first job, that's particularly admirable. "I was a bakery girl," she says. "I worked at Plane's Bakery in Louisville, Ky., making $8 an hour. And let me tell you, it was a fantastic job. Through that I learned how to hand make things like ice cream, cakes [and] butter nuts."

Jesse Jane Jane is probably the only star we spoke to whose first job helped prepare her for the industry where she would find fame. "I was a Hooters' girl," she says.