I'd love to have done journalism and travelled the world but maybe next time roundHow cool Lisa .... funeral arranger and embalmist. That would be a really fascinating job.
Then we moved to Australia and I was a full time mum for several years.
I did a bit of night nursing but hated having to be awake all day with the kids after a night shift.
I also did about 6 weeks of night shift at Tupperware. brain numbingly monotonous
Then I worked at a child care centre as the cook for 5 years. That was good fun I had free range in the kitchen and the kids LOVED my food. The staff even took left overs home.
After that I did data entry and national mailings for a video default company and I did a bit of debt collection but I hated that. For some reason people get irate when you tell them they owe 0 for overdue videos......especially the ones the kids took out without parents permission....
Then the RA hit and the knee replacements and insomnia and restless legs and general yuckiness. That lasted about 3 years.
For the last 3 and a half years I have been a medical receptionist. I love what I do although I am presently looking for a new job. I want more normal hours, I work 1pm til 8 or 9 pm. I would like to be home at dinnertime. I had a job interview yesterday for a receptionist at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Units in the area. There are 3 of them at the 3 local public hospitals and I would fill in for sick days and holidays. Eventually I would like to get permanent part time but casual fill in would suit me at the moment because I am planning a couple of surgeries so I could easily take time off.
[QUOTE=pin cushion]I worked as a funeral arranger and embalmist .
Yuck! I had a friend that was an embalmist and he couldn't handle it. When he described what he had done to those bodies, it just about made me sick.
I worked as a busgirl/waitress at a chinese resturant for 2 years.
Last 10 years been a SAHM.
I wanted to be computer repair, or programming or web designing and maintance. But seems schooling would be too much of a hassle for me to go, and by the time I would be free to go I would be even more crippled up.
So... I am staying as a SAHM, until son goes to preschool, then I will convert to a professional bill runner-upper ala bum LMAO!! Yep... SAHM from 6am-7am and then 4pm-5pm. Then hubby will take over.
RN~This is my 3rd career! I was only a nurse for about 7 mos when I was dx. Still an RN I've been a hairdresser for 18 years (half my life) in addition to being a mom...I'm also an Avon Sales Representative. I've been selling Avon for almost a year now and I love it.
I'm not sure how much longer hairdressing will be my career. It's pretty much all I know. At some point Avon may be a full time career. It's nice because I can pretty much work Avon on my good days.
I have worked as a Unit Clerk in Hospitals for a number of years, then went into Event Planning and Association Management; with the arrival of pcs I became interested in database development and now work for one of the big accounting firms in compliance. I have an AA in Early Childhood Education. Got married and had kids, watched others kids so I could stay home with mine, stuffed envelopes and cleaned an office at nite,then my mom got alzheimers so I took care of her for almost 20 yrs, after she passed people called me asking me to care for their loved ones so I was a caregiver until the NHL struck me. I also did crafts and sold them at craft shows. I loved that. Sold Tupperware once, and sell Home Interiors but don't do home shows. I do wish I had become a nurse. Laura
I started out working retail. Then I moved to the career I loved the most...banking. I was a teller trainer and vault teller for a very large bank. Then I stayed at home and managed hubby's photography business. He did wedding photography and more than supplimented my income. Went overseas with the family and then worked in the schools as a paraprofessional. Came back to the US in 2002 and finished my degree in teaching in 2005 taught for two years, and now I sub when the stars align just right!
I wish I had stayed in Banking!
a hundred years ago I was a waitress too. I LOVED it. its the one job you can almost always find and it means cash money in your apron EVERY night.. and its legal..
after the kids were born I did day care and waited tables on the side part time. I also sold cable tv for a year I liked that too. got to see every kind of house and got 63 free channels when we were poor as churchmice.
when the kids started school I became a teacher's aide. got to keep school kid hours.. the end of that school year I went to work for a newspaper and was an office clerk/manager and writer. I did features, regular news, and the fire and police reports. and little filler stuff. I got laid off there after ayear and decided to go back to college to get my BS, I was in school 5 semesters and got certified as both an elementary teacher and a special ed teacher. I subbed for 3 years, then got hred as an independent living instructor for teens who were in foster care. I worked for the county and LOVED that job, I did that for 6 years til I simply burned out. I didnt work for about 2 years then went back to subbing. I did that for a year then got sick and went on disability.
I would LOVE to be able to teach again, and in the idea world I would teach 3rd grade.
I teach middle school science. I love it-but I am done by the end of the week. Each year the group gets more and more challenging. We are a Title 1 school so most of our kids have been labeled "At Risk". I am always trying to find new ways to engage them in the subject matter.
I have been at this job since I graduated from college. While in school I worked as a riding instructor at an overnight camp during the summers. Awesome time.
BeckyI have a degree in Art Education. I have been teaching since college, but it is becoming difficult this year. Last year I was ok, didn't have any problems. This year I am also coaching cheerleading so I think the physical activity is getting to me. Dancing and lifting girls into stunts is not easy on my body or hands anymore! I was a stay-at-home mom till a couple of years ago when my boys went off on their own and my girl was about 12. Now I am the animal keeper for my brother's business, taking care of exotic animals. It's only a few hours in the morning so I'm still always here when my daughter leaves for school and when she gets home, so I really like that.
Before I was married I worked in a bakery, a pizza place, and a nursing home. My husband's family owned the NH, and that's where we met. Yup. I married the bosses son.
RN - surgical nurse, specializing in neurosurgery, a very long time ago.
Vice President of Managed Healthcare for a self funded employer group (9,000 employees) - retired from this position.
Advocate for senior citizens. County and state level. - Retired again due to RA and PA.
Am now traveling fulltime with my spouse and living life to the fullest and this is my new job. I'm living my dream and achieved my goal of traveling in retirement.
Lin B, I need to live vicariously and would love to hear about your travels!!
Seems like we have lots of nurses & teachers here.
RA mom... ohhh did you find relay work interesting? I use the relay ops!
and i think they would get to listen in, on some great convos.. tho they change ops
every 20 mins or so, lol.. i guess to keep some of it private .. lol.
ohh i'm also partially deaf.. over 50 %, so the relay ops are a lifesaver, for me!
did you guys have automatic buttons to push, for certain questions, that would normally be asked?
Whispered2008-02-06 09:10:14Hmm, jobs we have had.....
I have worked as a 'gopher' in an emergency room (I was 16), a receptionist, a nurse's aid, a central supply clerk, a sandwich maker, a cashier, a home health aide, a dishwasher, medical records director, a fast food cook, a janitor, a staff scheduler for on call nurses, a companion for the elderly, a personal assistant to a woman that I swear is Satan's sister, and a Pampered Chef consultant. Currently I work part time as a caregiver for two elderly women--mostly I take them shopping or out to lunch or to the beauty shop or to the doctor, and part time as a secretary/bookkeeper/chef/etc. at a college campus ministry. But I have to say that the absolute best time I have ever had was as a full time stay at home mom with my kids from the time the oldest was born until the youngest turned 12. And even now, my hours are tailored so that I am home when they leave for school, I am home when they return, and if they ever need me any time during the day--both of my current employers hired me knowing that my children will take precedence over anything else in life. I will work hard and to the very best of my ability while I am at work, but if they call, I leave without any hesitation--and everyone is happy with this set up. I think that I am one of the few lucky ones. And with the RA thing--they are understanding and supportive. I feel truly blessed.
As far as the number of jobs...I can't figure out what I want to be when I grow up....
Andrea
I always wanted to be a writer, but my OCD started to interfere with that by the time I was 17. I started work in a couple of administrative assistant positions, then worked as an office manager, and was lucky enough to work my way into database programming where I worked on a cool business simulation program. When that ended (the company sorta imploded), I went back to an administrative role in a technical training center where I have been working for the last 5 years.
Besides the database programming, one of the best "jobs" I had was as a volunteer. As a member (and sometimes chairperson) of my Unitarian Univeralist congregation's program committee, I developed and delivered some Sunday morning programs, which I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to keep up with that as I moved further away and my health declined.
Before I got sick, i ran a series of websites, worked web design etc. Since I got sick, my husband had to learn and take over the business.
Before that I was an assistant at the pizza place my husband ran.
Before that I was a manager of a video store.
I hope to get full control of my hands again to work long on the websites. I have RA in my middle finger, left wrist and both thumbs, so when they act up, i can't do anything.
Lets see, first job was at than local whippy dip, an ice cream place, making an hour! Than a Hallmark store, than a Dunkin Donuts, than I worked in a pharmacy as a tech for a couple of years, actually liked that job. Than, I got into optical. First with an ophthalmologist who was an evil, mean, little man, than a corporate chain, now private practice.
In my younger, thinner days, I worked in New York City as a print and runway model. To this day I wonder if all those hours of pounding the pavement, often with a heavy portfolio and/or tote bag filled with shoes, wigs, makeup and accessories are part of the reason I have problems with my left side now. Guess I'll never know.
After my children were born I limited myself to a few local shows, then left the business completely to pursue daytime work that would allow me to be home when the kids were. I worked as a teachers' aid for a while, then started part-time work as a legal assistant after taking a few courses. Went full time when the kids got older and then retired a few years ago at age 51. I'm lucky that I'm doing just what I want to now. If I had to keep working the way I feel some days, it would be really rough. Stress makes me much worse and the legal field (even as an assistant) is extremely stressful work.
Great topic!
I started out teaching preschool for 5 years while going to college after H.S. Then I became an EMT and hated it- long hours and the pay sucked, so I became a police officer and did that until married and children came along, then I did licensed home daycare for 10 years. I have been a stay at home mom for the last 8 years. I worked retail over Christmas and loved it!!! Now I am working for a florist.
My first job was at a ice-cream shop I think I was maybe 15 or 16, then I tried working in a laundry but could not stand the heat, I've worked as a keypunch operator and presently I work for the federal goverment (27 years) as a compliance specialist. (3 years to retirement
MaeMae2008-02-06 16:59:39I worked in various hotel management positions. My final job was as Director of Revenue Management. My office was repsonsible for up to 20 hotels in a 3 state area. We are the people who you are complaining about when you are upset at the cost of a hotel room I work at a health club doing a variety of things. I teach strong women stay slim classes, train new clients on use of weight machines and various workouts, and also teach a workout express class. I love, love, love my job! The people are great and I'm doing what I love...fitness.
Lori
i started out in an ice cream shop as well when i was 15 working for 2.00 an hour then
then i was a night manager at a grocery store for 3 years and for the last 15 years i worked
as a manager at a distributing company importing and selling electronic equipment all over the country until this last year. thank you for posting this great topic.
This is so interesting! What a great topic!
Let's see... Of course I was a member of the Golden Arches Crew. If you never worked at McDonalds, you're missing out. (Not! LOL) I was a Department Manager for a retail store and I loved everything about that job except the pay. Next I was a Service Associate who handled tax exempt accounts and accounts receiveable for another retail store. Then I was a Technical Analyst for a major insurance company - worked there for almost 10yrs and I made some really great friends whom I miss. Currently I'm a stay at home Mom and I love it. I'm coming up on a year of being home. It took some major adjusting, but in hindsight it was the best thing to happen since all this RA stuff came into play. Everything happens for a reason even if you can't see it right away.
Okay..lets see..I worked at a place that does company picnics when I was in high school doing face painting on kids, then I waitressed at a couple of pool halls for a few years (great money!). I coached gymnastics and cheerleading somewhere in there once when I was 19 and then later on after I had my daughter. Over the years I worked off and on for my mom and dad's engineering firm first just answering phones and then later editing technical publications and doing marketing. I did that untill I was 25 and decided I wanted to be a nurse.
Now I am an ER nurse and have been for 6 years. I sort of have a love hate relationship with it. I will piss and moan about it sometimes..but I just cant stay away. Even after going on medical leave last year, I swore I would go back and do something a bit more tame than ER. But when I called to tell them I was ready to come back, the first thing they said was did I want to work in the ER...and of course I said "uhhhh....sure!"
I have been back since June....I am glad to be back.
Next on the horizen..back to school to further my degree..I really want to be a nurse anesthetist...because damn it..I want to live Lindy's retirement!!Well, I started out many years ago working at a local drug store in the Pharmacy. I worked there for 2 1/2 yrs and then went to work for the phone company as an Operator. I then worked at a day care center and loved working with the kids. I than got a job as the Bookkeeper of an auto repair shop. I started taking Accounting classes and it all started there. I realized that I absolutely love Accounting!!!! I have worked with many large corporate companies in their Accounting departments and loved it so much. Now that I have been diagnosed recently with R/A getting up everyday is sometimes hard. The pain varies by the day. I decided to apply with a company that lets you work from home and choose whatever hours you want. I just love the job and flexibility. If anyone is interested in finding out more about them or apply the link is
http://www.westathome.com/ if you have any questions let me know. It is so nice to go to work in your jammies!!!
Angie
I started off as a tennis teaching pro from high school thru grad school. Then I worked as a petroleum geologist for several years after graduation. Now I'm a partner in an environmental lab.
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