What Jobs Have You Had?

[Nam]

Paying and/or Volunteer.

Mine: (try to do mine in order)

YMCA (I was an atheist at the time).

I was a Child Counselor/Teacher who was underpaid as many others there were, too. I was supposed to be making $10.50 an hour but they were paying us minimum wage of $4.25 (1994).

I worked for Walt Disney World Resorts off and on for 11 years as an Attraction Host, Entertainment division (parades), sales, custodial (last time I worked there). I mainly worked at Magic Kingdom.

Worked for Universal Studios Orlando as a Ride & Show attendant (Hanna Barbara etc.,) and did security at concerts, and parades during Mardi Gras.

Worked at Sea World Orlando as a beer seller/Cashier.

Worked at a chicken factory called Gold Kist (no longer exists) as a box stacker and processor.

Worked as a detailer for Ford Auto.

Worked at Hardee's, McDonald's, Burger King as a cashier.

Worked at Perkin's Restaurant and Denny's both as a dishwasher.

I did literary research and editing (mainly as a proofreader) for several online literary websites.(volunteer). I also was an administrator at one, and a moderator at a couple. Been a moderator at one atheist website. I was a "teacher" at a literary website. I taught a class on how to properly critique literary works.

I'd find literary works for people that were next to impossible to find. I spent 2 years once on a Dutch aristocrat from the 16th Century, I was able to find one of his works (or at least attribution) costing me $2,000 when I was only paid $500. It was as a loss but it was fun. I usually didn't make money from that. But part of my motto was "you get the credit". Meaning, the person who hired me gets the credit for finding it, and not me.

I only did that for 5 years. Had to stop when the recession hit. But I did some on my own, of "anonymous" authors and someday, when I have time, I may self publish a book on them.

I've been published in several online and offline magazines, anthologies worldwide. I am even in a Hindi book of poetry published in India. One of only three authors in that book not Hindi and probably the only atheist. The editor read my "Ring Around the Moon" poem and loved it. Offered to send me a free copy from India but I don't do that (buy or receive books, magazines etc., I'm published in. I find it to be egotistical, and I therefore don't keep track of such things).

I've self-published 5 books none of which I advertise (ego thing).

I used to buy and sell old books. I'd go to flea markets, thrift stores, etc., buy huge boxes, and weed out the good ones from the bad ones.

I edited half an anti-American nonfiction book an Australian friend wrote. I got half way before I couldn't take anymore of the stereotypes and misconceptions. I don't know if he ever published it.

I can type 120 wpm, and read 450 wpm but have never really had a job in use of either one. (maybe proofreader?)

I now pick my own pecans from my and family property and sell them for some extra money, usually around November.

I think that's about it.

You?

-Nam

[xSilverPhinx]

Well, I've never held a regular job. I dropped out of university twice so most options I would have liked are beyond my reach.

Mostly I've been doing freelance translating stuff, it pays well enough. Also helping out in my mother's school for extra cash. I've funded and collaborated on a facilitated book for English learners (added a glossary) and plan to fund and collaborate on other products for learners and teachers in the near future.

I went back to University in 2012 and am now a part-time intern in a neuroscience (psychobiology of learning and memory) lab. It isn't a regular job (no benefits) and it's a government scholarship which means that it's very little money (about $120). I will be coauthoring 2 or 3 papers and if all goes well I will be the main author of another paper which should be completed by next year, which I'm really excited about. 

   

[Nam]

Well, I've never held a regular job. I dropped out of university twice so most options I would have liked are beyond my reach.

Mostly I've been doing freelance translating stuff, it pays well enough. Also helping out in my mother's school for extra cash. I've funded and collaborated on a facilitated book for English learners (added a glossary) and plan to fund and collaborate on other products for learners and teachers in the near future.

I went back to University in 2012 and am now a part-time intern in a neuroscience (psychobiology of learning and memory) lab. It isn't a regular job (no benefits) and it's a government scholarship which means that it's very little money (about $120). I will be coauthoring 2 or 3 papers and if all goes well I will be the main author of another paper which should be completed by next year, which I'm really excited about. 

   

I've done some translating. Mainly Dutch, German, and Chinese Calligraphy.  Poemhunter has spydered a lot of my translations (without crediting me) and I hate that website but not just for that but the fact they mainly spyder websites in general. We do all the work, and they do little to none of it.  I even got spydered by a Catholic website on priests (I wrote a bio on John Banister Tabb). No credit. If I were an egoist I would say something.

-Nam

[xSilverPhinx]

If I were an egoist I would say something.

I would. 

[Buddy]

Mostly farm jobs. Worked in a cornfield for a summer, which sucked. Worked a a military academy horse barn for a year. That was fun and I actually miss it quite a bit. Worked at a truck stop for a week before I quit after a truck driver tried to get me to be a prostitute. That job sucked even worse than the cornfield job. Now I am working at a small private horse barn.

One of these days I'll get a real job.

[Sandra Craft]

Let's see if I can ever remember them:

First job was on what used to be called the graveyard shift at the local Jack-in-the-Box. 

Then I worked for a plastics molding company, on one of the molding machines -- lost a chunk of hair to a machine one day.  Also night shift.

This was followed by a year at a florist's nursery, taking care of their green plants.  It did not help that I have a brown thumb -- plants tend to do best when they're far away from me.

After this was an auditing company -- we'd go into stores and count up all their inventory.  Also at night.

Then there was a low period in my employment record that was filled with minimum-wage assembly line work.  Three or four jobs that I've done my best to forget about.

Finally, my brother's new mother-in-law sent me a notice about testing for placement in a Federal civil service job, and that resulted in a job with the Dept. of Defense for 30 years, first as a mail clerk and eventually as a contract specialist.  Retired from that going on 4 years now.

Currently looking, tho not very energetically, for work I can do from home.

[Nam]

Mostly farm jobs. Worked in a cornfield for a summer, which sucked. Worked a a military academy horse barn for a year. That was fun and I actually miss it quite a bit. Worked at a truck stop for a week before I quit after a truck driver tried to get me to be a prostitute. That job sucked even worse than the cornfield job. Now I am working at a small private horse barn.

One of these days I'll get a real job.

In the summer times when I visited my grandparents I'd pick cotton (my hands bled from them not telling me how to do it), shuck corn, shovel corn feed, build polebarns, feed cows, mow with a tractor etc., even worked at their auto part store. I didn't list it above because I neither got paid nor volunteered to do it.

I even delivered a calf once. Most disgusting thing I've ever had done and if I had nightmares, that be at the forefront.  My grandfather said, "You got some long arms..." (I'm 6'4") "...reach in that heifer and pull that calf out.". I didn't eat beef for almost five years after that. (shivers)

-Nam

[Nam]

Currently looking, tho not every energetically, for work I can do from home.

Me, too...on both counts.

-Nam

[Siz]

Shop assistant / plant care at a Garden Centre - Saturday job.

Various landscape gardening summer jobs.

Cinema usher.

Various temp work after college including packing plates, building tampax vending machines, road sweeping, event seating demounting, cleaning, warehouse work... Enjoyed most of that, oddly.

Setting-out engineer's chainboy for my uni year out.

Contract setting-out engineer around London - great money for a uni-leaver. Happy days!

Draughtsman for a swimming pool design-and-build company. I loved this work - spending all day at my drawing board (I was always good at technical drawing). It was a sad day when we hung up the set squares in favour of computers. I still miss the artistic outlet. Still have my drawing board and stuff - can't bare to chuck it.

Some freelance draughting work.

I designed and had manufactured a chain guide for mountain bikes and sold them from my website (now offline). This was an item that I'd wanted for myself that I couldn't find anywhere (it's a fairly specific, niche product), so decided to make it myself. CAD designed, high-grade aluminium, laser cut, powder coated and laser etched with my 'Raiduim' branding. They came in 'weenie-weight' 25g and 'trail-weight' 43g versions. I had a couple of write-ups in specialist magazines and websites. It's long since been overtaken by larger manufacturers who are able to produce my product much cheaper. I also had some ideas for other complementary products but never had the wherewithall to see them through - my technical knowledge was lacking. No regrets. I still use a weenie-weight on my most used mountain bike.


Measured building surveyor for a large survey outfit. Left there because the director was a knob and set up with two colleagues to become my own knob.

Currently director, senior surveyor, office bitch and gimp for my own survey firm - seventeen years and counting. Built this up to 9 surveyors strong by 2008 when it all went pear-shaped. Back up now to 6 surveyors.

Always playing about with low level property deals - flat purchases and rental (ongoing), some flat development to turn a profit. Biggest deal was buying a piece of land with outline planning permission for a three-bed house and flipped it with full planning for a 4-bed house.

[Tank]

Petrol pump attendant (remember those).
Draughtsman.
Electronics technician.
Product support and applications engineer, Intel processors and EPROM memories.
Field sales engineer, no I didn't sell fields.
Product manager, computers, tools and all kinds of stuff.
Project manager.
Data analyst marketing and sales.
Systems/business integrator UK/USA/Europe.
Business analyst employed and then self-employed.
Volunteer in a local charity shop.
Currently a 'data wrangler'.

[Nam]

Petrol pump attendant (remember those).

No.

Yer olde. ←←← see what I did there?

Draughtsman.

That's so hawt. (get it? get it? never miiiind)

Field sales engineer, no I didn't sell fields.

Did you kill them? (see what I did there?)

Volunteer in a local charity shop.

Sounds redundant. (get it? get it? sooooo easy!)

I'd like to say I'm drunk and/or high right now but I'm not.

-Nam

[Tank]

^^^ 

[chimp3]

Counselor at a Boy's Club , worked a jack hammer for one summer , hung sheet rock , convenience store clerk , courier , cook , landscaper , registered nurse.

[Claireliontamer]

Whilst at school:

Newspaper delivery
Supermarket checkouts
Supermarket finance department

Whilst at University:
Teaching first aid in schools
Phlebotomist
Volunteer medical assistant in UK and Uganda
Supermarket work

Postgraduate:
Secondary School Teacher
Nature Reserve Teacher / Volunteer
Examiner
Childminder
Child Protection Officer
Mental Health Service Improvement

[Bad Penny]

Golf ball retrieval and sale
Golf caddy
Accounts clerk
Stocks and shares clerk
Milk Vendor
Accountant
Accountant
Sailor of the darkened seas
On a great big clipper ship
Going from this land here to that
No, sorry, that should have been accountant.
Gentlemen