Tell us of your working life.

First job, I was hired in a large travel agency. At first, I was the girl Friday. They moved me from one department to another until I was trained in every facet of the industry. After a few years, I was assisting my manager in the Tours Dept.
I left them to go to work for an airline. I loved that job. I left it to come to the USA.
In the USA, I first worked as the receptionist for the County Human Resources Office while my husband was finishing school.
Once he graduated, we decided to come to Florida.
Here, I worked as a travel agent until I was pregnant. Then, I stayed home with our child. My husband advanced quickly in his career. His job demanded long hours and lots of travelling.
 
First job was after school at small country grocery store and gas station my parents owned
In college, part time stockman at local grocery store
Broadcasting reel to reel TV shows on local cable network channel at night
Production in a lawn mower manufacturing plant
Sample dept in hard candy factory ... sent samples to salesmen across the U.S.
Cement (Concrete) truck driver. Drove a dump truck when not busy delivering concrete
Over-Night shift cashier at convenience story and gas station
Drove around stocking vending machines at several garment factories
Production line for furniture manufacturer
Underpinning mobile homes ... put skirting around the outside
Sanding and masking prep line for auto body shop
Dry wall construction crew for new apartment complex
Parts salesman for heavy equipment dealer
Construction on General Electric plant going up the next county over
Draftsman ... found I hated sitting at a desk under fluorescent lights and drawing all day
Machinist for industrial pump manufacturer
20yr military career U.S. Navy
Retired when I was 53 and haven't worked for anyone since. Been 20yrs this year.

I think that's about all the jobs I had.
Had so many different and varied ones, had to think about it and most were long ago.
 
@CaliS

I learned a LOT by learning how to play music using the computer as an instrument. I had over 150 instruments. Most all of them that sound like real instruments. I loved to have the computers instruments to make original music.

I am no artist, but I love art and photography. AI, now, can do amazing things with graphics. I try to not make many images because of the energy use to make the image. So that is it.... :)
 
OneEyedDiva said:
In 1993 I became first line supervisor for two years when we did a study for CDC and had to double our staff. It was intense and I felt I was actually doing the job of two people. I hated it so much that when the opportunity to take a solo assignment with an office a couple of counties away presented itself (after the study ended), I jumped at the chance. Besides field work, that assignment involved covering two early morning clinics at a hospital in Elizabeth and one night clinic at the Plainfield health department. After an additional 14 years with the state, I retired. Blessedly, the city and state were under the same pension plan.
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It sounds like you had an interesting career. Moreover, it sounds like you were a quality employee. People with your determination and work ethic are difficult to find.
 
Discounting the early high school jobs pumping gas and bagging groceries, I spent 2 years doing electrical work. I left the construction field when things slowed down and I was laid off. I had no desire at all to work in a field that was unreliable.

After a couple of years of training and a certification exam, I earned my license as a Radiologic Technologist, back when we were simply called X‑ray Techs. Following that, the majority of my career was spent in medical imaging. After a couple of years of training and a certification exam, I earned my license as a Radiologic Technologist, back when we were simply called X‑ray Techs. It didn’t take long, however, for me to realize that this wasn’t going to be my long‑term home. The work felt uncomfortably close to assembly line work.

Within a few months of starting, I began attending night classes in electronics with the goal of moving into the technical side of imaging equipment. There were two paths into that world: the independent service companies, which I considered the less desirable route, and the OEMs, (original equipment manufacturers) such as Philips, Picker International, GE, Siemens, Fuji, and Toshiba.

I began with one of the independents, but moved to an OEM as soon as the opportunity arose. Over the years I worked for four of them, each move bringing a more desirable position. Altogether, I spent 42 years in the imaging business. For the last 34 of those, I served as district service manager overseeing field service teams. I was responsible for contract sales, customer satisfaction, scheduling, test‑equipment certification, system documentation, coordinating training, and hiring/firing. It was critical that could forge solid working relationships with the sales team. We often did joint customer visits and it was important to keep sales informed of any potential or active trouble situations.

I worked from home beginning in 1989 and continued that way until my retirement in 2020, a welcome escape from office politics. I enjoyed the work, I had considerable control over my schedule, traveled often (mostly driving, which suited me fine), and stayed engaged with both technology and people. The one significant drawback was the expectation of near‑constant availability. radiologists and cardiologists could become remarkably testy when their equipment wasn’t functioning properly.
 
mine started as a waitress earning $2.25 an hr at a local diner. i then tried working at the pizza place in the next town. then i started my food service career by working in the nursing home kitchen. from there i went from n. homes to hospitals. i did a brief stint in a motel restaurant then i was a maid there. i moved to where i am now and spent a few months in the zoo restaurant.

from there i went to work in the hospital kitchen here. five years of a toxic environment with all the other cooks nit picking to death and being hateful. i finally had enough when the boss got nasty with me. i spent 36 yrs in food service. i just didn't wanna do it anymore. i then became a housekeeper here. i had subbed as a janitor one summer back home at the school and i liked it. this is equally as rewarding as far as being a peaceful job. the pay sucks but money isn't everything. i was forced to take a pay cut while a coworker who'd come to work in housekeeping got to keep his pay since he'd been here for almost 20 yrs.

the only bad thing is the backstabbing at all these places. the gossiping and those who love to spend all their time throwing others under the bus. we have one gal that if i had spent the last 60 yrs with her and got a buck for every time she used the f word i could be going into early retirement.
 
MarciKS said:
the only bad thing is the backstabbing at all these places. the gossiping and those who love to spend all their time throwing others under the bus.
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At one point in my career I was asked to interview for a different position in the company I worked for. It would have meant a move from Florida to Atlanta, which probably would have been okay, until I found it was an office job. After 20 some years (at that point) of working from home there was no way I was going to take an office job.
 
1) First job was cleaning peoples homes at 16 yrs old
2) Second job was as a waitress for a year (1971-72)
3) Third job was as a nursing assistant in a nursing home for a year (1972-73)
4) Fourth job was as a unit secretary at a hospital (1973-1985)
5) USAFR medic (1975-80)
6) USAR medic 1983-90)
7) LPN at a hospital and a couple of nursing homes (1985-2023)
8) Retired in 1923
Although not glamorous, I enjoyed all of my jobs. Be careful what you wish for though. I told my husband I would like to retire at 70 yrs old. He said I wouldn't enjoy it because I was so used to working. Well...my husband got ill, I got cancer and I ended up retiring at 70 anyway. I have no desire to go back to work but I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. So far volunteering has helped fill the gap.
 
TeePee said:
1) First job was cleaning peoples homes at 16 yrs old
2) Second job was as a waitress for a year (1971-72)
3) Third job was as a nursing assistant in a nursing home for a year (1972-73)
4) Fourth job was as a unit secretary at a hospital (1973-1985)
5) USAFR medic (1975-80)
6) USAR medic 1983-90)
7) LPN at a hospital and a couple of nursing homes (1985-2023)
8) Retired in 1923
Although not glamorous, I enjoyed all of my jobs. Be careful what you wish for though. I told my husband I would like to retire at 70 yrs old. He said I wouldn't enjoy it because I was so used to working. Well...my husband got ill, I got cancer and I ended up retiring at 70 anyway. I have no desire to go back to work but I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. So far volunteering has helped fill the gap.
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Are you sure you retired in 1923? 🤔
 
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