I was reading a post over at Half Changed World that was in response to this post at Bumblebee Sweet Potato regarding waitressing.
This got me thinking about all the jobs I've held over the years. Here's the list:
Babysitter - from the time I was 11 until I was 16, and occasionally beyond that.
Meat Wrapper - my first real job. This was at Stop & Shop, in the room behind the meat cases. The meat cutters would place the cuts of meat on the styrofoam trays, I would wrap them in cellophane. I got paid slightly more than the average starting employee because I was in a dangerous environment (all those saws). I loved the job during the summer - the room was about 35 degrees all year.
Sales Associate - at a factory outlet store. I arranged clothes in size order, buttoned coats in the coat room, helped people with shoes...truly, the most boring job I've ever had. The boss loved me, though, and was really pissed when I quit just before Christmas.
Video Store Clerk - I confess, I loved this job even though there were several negative things about it. The store had 4 owners - 2 silent partners who I never even met, one guy who did not have the risk taking temperament that one needs when one owns a small business; and one who put his money up just so he could preview the porn movies. The nervous nellie boss hired his nephew, who stole money and accused me of being the thief, so I got fired...but I made a big scene first, which felt great.
Camp Counselor - I always wanted to go to camp when I was a kid, so when my friend Julie asked me if I wanted to work at her camp, I jumped at the chance. This was really a life changing job for me, since I was away from my family and for the first time ever, living with some structure. I loved working there.
Waitress/Sandwich Maker - In a little deli/restaurant. The guy who hired me was fun to work with - during slow times, we would sit and do crossword puzzles together. But he sold the business to a bitch on wheels, who fired me after I told her I was pregnant.
Certified Nurse's Aide - I kind of regret this one. I loved the job, and the residents at the nursing home loved me, but I was so sick when I was pregnant with Sio that I couldn't take the smells of the place - as soon as I walked in the door I would start puking. And after I worked so hard to get the certification, it was a disappointment.
Silk Screener - for a printing company. I lasted about a month at this job. A combination of morning sickness (aka progesterone poisoning) and sexual harassment drove me from this job. The bosses younger brother was looking for a green card, and he was constantly pushing me to go out with him - even though I was already married. Jerk.
Cashier - I did this for the remainder of my pregnancy with Sio. I worked during the day, with a bunch of nice older women. The job was easy, and everyone was nice, so I liked it.
Classified Ad Rep - my first job after Sio was born, which I started when she was about a year old. I learned how to type in high school, so when I saw an ad looking for someone with typing skills, I brushed up on them and applied. I got the job and I did great there. I almost immediately became the top salesperson, I got along great with all the people working there, and I enjoyed the work. I did it at one paper for two years, then I moved to a much bigger paper (and much bigger paycheck) doing the same thing. The second paper sucked - I had a horrible boss, and I ended up losing the job after two years there because I had to take a bunch of time off for Sio - she kept having asthma attacks and I kept getting called to pick her up from school.
I was then out of work for about a year, utterly depressed. I did take a few small jobs - stocking shelves at night at a pharmacy, waitressing, delivering the paper - but I quit all of them in short order.
Then a friend of mine from the second paper called and said they were hiring Customer Service Reps at her company. I got a job and started working for the cable company. After working there two months, I won a skills challenge and they sent me to Disneyworld for the semi-finals. The following year, I won the semi-finals and went to Las Vegas. I was promoted to a supervisory position. I got pregnant with Monkey. I stayed home with Monkey for 4 months, then went back. I got promoted again, to a new position (Broadband Coordinator) in a new department. It was stressful, and I worked my ass off, but so rewarding. Got the greatest boss in the history of the world, who I love more than I love my own father. Got my second job, as alto section leader for a church choir somewhere during this time. Of course, life working the way that it does, my job was relocated out of state, and despite the {sarcasm} generous {/sarcasm} relocation allowance of $300, I didn't follow the job.
Because our wonderful boss insisted upon it, we were given a year's notice that our jobs were going out of state, which is why I had time to find another job as a secretary, which is where I am now. I don't love my job, but I have a better attitude now than I did the first two years I worked here. It helps that my perfect boss and I had a confrontation over the fact that she was holding me to impossible standards that no one else in the office had to meet (essentially, she expected me to always be perfect) and since then, she's been mindful that I am a mere human being and cannot always do everything perfectly.
So how about you? What jobs have you held?
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