September 01, 2003

Working

The usual question one gets when meeting someone for the first time is "What do you do?" At various times in my life, here's how I could have answered the question.

  • Newspaper delivery (weekly): Westwood, Ca. age 10-12
  • Newspaper delivery (daily): Annandale, Va. age 13-15
  • Janitor (thrice weekly): Jefferson HS, Alexandria, Va. age 16
  • Navy Commissary grocery stock clerk, Guam, Marianas Islands age 18
  • Gas station attendant (thrice weekly): Phoenix, Az. age 19
  • Construction gopher (daily): Honolulu, Hi. age 20
  • Woolco stock clerk (daily): Tucson, Az age 20
  • US Navy Radioman: San Diego, Ca./Yokosuka, Japan age 21-24
  • DOD contract teletype operator: Kwajalein, Marshall Islands age 24-27
  • Registrar's assistant, Hawaii Pacific Univ., Honolulu, Hi. age 28-29
  • Data Processing Mgr., Honolulu, Hi. age 29-38
  • Data Processing Mgr., Honolulu, Hi. age 39-40
  • Ass't. Info Sys. Mgr., Honolulu, Hi. age 40-42
  • Accountant, Honolulu, Hi. age 44-48
  • Consultant/researcher, Honolulu, Hi. age 49-current

Who's next?

Posted by Linkmeister at September 1, 2003 01:18 PM
Comments

A lot of mine overlap -- Up until about 5 years ago, I've generally worked two to three jobs at a time. In Hawaii, when I first moved there, I actually had 4 jobs for about the first six months. And I had no social life for those six months, either. Heh. Anyway...:

  • Babysitter (weekly): Riverside, CA. age 10-25
  • Retail Clerk (weekends, summers, holiday breaks): Riverside, CA. age 15-16, 19-20
  • Housecleaner (weekly in the teens, 3x week post-teen): Riverside, CA. age 16, age 24-26, age 29-31
  • Sandwich shop employee (nightly and weekends): Riverside, CA. age 17-19
  • Waitress/Bartender/Hostess (daily, often double shifts): Riverside, CA; San Bernardino, CA; Lihue and Kapaa, HI; Lynchburg, VA. age 24 - 34
  • High School and Junior High School Substitute Teacher (daily - all courses): Riverside, CA and County of Kaua'i, HI, age 25-27, and age 29-30.
  • Tutor (3 times a week): Riverside, CA. Age 27.
  • Administrative Assistant/Executive Secretary (daily, often including moonlighting as same on a freelance basis): Riverside, CA; Lihue, HI; Lynchburg, VA, Boston, MA. Age 20-22, 28-29, and 32-37.
  • Summer School Teacher, Chapter 1 Reading, 3rd and 4th grades (daily): Kapaa, HI, age 28.
  • Tax Compliance Scheduler (daily): Boston, MA. Age 37 to present.
Posted by: Jen at September 1, 2003 03:12 PM

Oh, and I only listed my housecleaning as Riverside, CA. Should also be San Bernardino, CA and Kapaa, HI.

Posted by: Jen at September 1, 2003 03:13 PM

I am ashamed to admit that for a while one summer I worked as a scab. My uncle hired me to come in after hours in his factory and work for above minimum wage so he could avoid having to pay his employees overtime.

Hangs head

Posted by: Scott Rogers at September 1, 2003 08:21 PM

Scott, if you'd admitted that in the Joe Hill thread...

Posted by: Linkmeister at September 1, 2003 08:34 PM

*Babysitter - Various places in Wisconsin - 12-16
*Cashier at movie theater - Wausuau, WI 16-17
*Retail clerk at gourmet coffee shop - Wausau, WI 17-21
*Retail person at Gap and TCBY Yogurt - Tulsa, OK 21-22 (yes, two jobs to pay rent and bills)!
*Six months (at age 21) - left retailhood to be a ticket checker at the Sun Valley, Ski Resort in Idaho - Returned to Tulsa and my jobs were still waiting for me at Gap and TCBY!
*Office Assistant at Veternary Clinic - Tulsa, OK 22-23
*Receptionist, then promoted to on-air promotions manager at FOX/UPN TV Station - Tulsa, OK 23-26
*Various Jobs at (unnamed) cable station - Tulsa, OK 26-present - various jobs include advertising coordinator, promotions and traffic planner and production assistant (which is what I am currently named)

And as heard in the movie Chicken Run: "My life flashed before me eyes - it was really boring!"

:-P

Posted by: JeanNINE at September 2, 2003 09:48 AM

Boring? I have boring covered:

- Babysitter (10-20)
- Volunteer cashier, Waikiki Aquarium (12-15)
- Travel Agency file clerk (16-17)
- Food service, college (17-19)
- Retail clerk, Sears, (17-19)
- Geology library assistant, college (19-21)
- Data Entry clerk (21-22)
- Intern, NMAH (22)
- Temp for USDJ, USDE, USCEA (22)
- Administrative Assistant, NMAH (22-24)
- Retail cashier, The Wiz, evenings/weekends (23)
- Assistant Collections Manager, NMAH (24-25)
- Museum Technician, NMAH (25-27)
- Museum Specialist, NMAH (27 to present)

I think those are the only jobs for which I was paid.

Posted by: bunny at September 3, 2003 03:24 AM

i have Bunny beat:

babysitter: (12-16) in Orange, CA.

savings & loan flunky: (17-33) in Costa Mesa, CA, Van Nuys, CA, Houston, TX and San Antonio, TX.
(loan doc typist, credit report clerk, receptionist, doc prep clerk, funding clerk, quality control clerk, loan processor, appraisal dept. admin, loan processor (again) and loan undewriter)

customer service flunky at Mervyns: (27-28) in Houston, TX.
(started part-time for Christmas, stayed a year. did cc payments, wrapped gifts, lay-away)

bank flunky: (34) in Seattle, WA.
(loan doc prep for commercial loans)

temp: (35-36) in BC.
(commercial appraisal typist, mail room clerk, envelope stuffer & general admin, receptionist, water co. invoice inputter)

i can't convey how hopeful i am that i never have to take a desk job again. i absolutely hate it.

Posted by: deborah at September 4, 2003 12:20 PM