One of my first jobs was window display for J.C.Pennys. I also did interior displays. Then I waitressed, working my way up from diners to supperclubs, where i hostessed. Then we went into business for ourselves and then I was slave. LOL Dottie

worked for ma bell in the 60's as an information operator then transferred to the plant dept. was there till my water broke in the office (i swear, lol)total was for 7 years...have been a saho mom for most of my life with a couple of years as a school aid, and daycare employee...

dh is, and except for a couple of early years, primary bread winner. he was in the navy when we married, worked pt in a gas station while in college, then full time in the elevator industry. he started making them, advanced (as he got his degree) to estimator, finally sales. we're looking foward to retirement if we can ever afford it...

They say the average baby boomer will have eight *careers* in his life. That's not eight jobs, but eight different careers.

1) mowed grass/babysat - age 11 and up
2) worked at department stores at age 14 (special permit required to work at that age)
3) delivered auto parts for an auto parts store (17 & 18)
4) several odd jobs at little radio stations (weather, news, etc) ages 17 and 18.
5) payroll clerk (when computers were coming into vogue, about 1979). I was 19-years-old and the only one who knew how to run the huge tape-fed computer. Worked at RC Cola and a convalescent home.
6) Realtor (ages 21 to 24)
7) Landlord and property manager (ages 24 and up)
8) Stay at home Mom for a few blissful years
9) worked with my husband in his business (appliance repair) age 31 - 43.

10. freelance writer
11. Newspaper reporter
12. Staff editor
13. Freelance editor
14. product blurb writer (three long years)
15. architectural historian, author, lecturer and preservationist (currently)
16. finishing up new book and hope to start lecturing and traveling again (on a limited scale)

And I'm only 49 years old! No telling what'll be next.

As a teen, I babysat. Then moved up to working in a linen store through college. Taught senior high school a couple of years in an inner city school, quit that when it became too dangerous. Subbed for a year in assorted local schools. Taught another 5 years or so in a jr-sr. high school. Then got the best job of my life--raising my dd fulltime. Since then, I've taught childrens cooking and craft classes in our town summer school, worked in a bakery, run my own cottage industry designing, creating and selling hand-smocked children's dresses, probably the second best 'job' (and best money-maker, bar none) I've been involved in is recipe contesting. Currently, my 'job' is getting the new house set up--decorated, organized, needed repairs made, etc.

Since I devote myself fully to my family, my hobbies, etc, I do consider them 'jobs' because that's how I approach them--whether or not there's a regular paycheck involved.

Susan - I know operators used to have to raise their hands just to get permission to go to the ladies room. How did you indicate to your supervisor your predicament that day? LOL

Keypunch operator
Computer operator
Programmer
Sales support for computer manufacturer
Customer education trainer and course developer for computer manufacturer
Independent education consultant in computer industry
Retired
Then got bored, and took a part-time job in marketing support at a software company, for 3 years.
Retired

I only changed employers 4 times, was never out of work for a day until I retired(twice).

An insurance company (Reliance)
A tire manufacturer(Goodyear)
And, through mergers and acquisitions, 4 different computer companies - my job carried through the mergers.

And worked for myself for 10 years.

I worked at Shakey's Pizza making pizza's
I corn detasseled
Worked as a cocktail waitress at the country club
Worked as a bartender at Chi Chi's
Legal Secretary
Secretary at the FAA and then an air traffic assistant
Police and Fire Dispatcher
Waitressed at a friends restaurant
Back at the country club as accounts receivable

Worked at power/electric co. for 3 yrs, right out of high school. Got married, had kids, didn't work for a while, then worked at a garden center, and lastly at State Farm for a while. I'd rather be home!

Picked berries in the summer when in high school.

Picked oranges and olives, then got a job washing dishes at a restaurant block from our house. That lasted one night as they found out I was underage to be working where liquor was served.

Went to work at state hospital as a Psych. Tech for 12 years.

Went back to college and got my RN and worked at the state hospital again for another 3 years before moving from Ca. to Mo.

Worked as RN for a local hospital then two different county health departments, for total of 23 years before retiring.

As of now I have a small thrift shop I open 4 days a week.

Babysitting, grocery produce clerk, dry cleaner assistant, waitress, then I became a federal givernment employee (Social Security Administration interviewer) for 31 years. I retired in 2005 due to bad health. Thanks for asking a great question!

babysat
hamburger joint
grocery cashier
computer programmer
delivery driver
typed envelopes
press operator
restaurant server
bartender
customs house clearer
bus driver (28 years)
retired
...and I left out a couple of gawd awful jobs which only lasted a day or two.

Teen Years ...
- Worked with horses at a dude ranch
- Read to the blind
- Worked at a fish and chips shop

20s and 30s ...
- Worked building the first hand-held calculator at HP
- Assembly line for a computer company (got caught drawing cartoons on the line and moved to the Drafting dept.)
- Drafting apprentice and school
- Electro-mechanical drafter and designer for computer company
- Club DJ in the late 70s/disco era (evenings only while I worked full-time as an E/M designer and went to school)

30s ...
- Graphic Designer for computer company

Early 40s ...
- Graphic Designer and Marketing Specialist for construction company

Mid 40s ...
Graphic Designer and owner of own design business (8 years)

Mid-50s (now) ...
Graphic Designer for high-tech company

Jodi-

Wow, I've had lots. I guess I'll strat at the beginning.

Detasseled corn
Neighborhood babysitter
McDonalds
Wild's Shoe Store - associate
Thom McAn Shoe Company - asst. mgr.
Russell's Formal Wear - manager
Mapleview Apartments - book-keeper
Valcom Computer Co - book-keeper
Airforce BX - cashier (Dover Air Force base)
Rainbow Vaccum - office manager
MCI Worldcom - 12 years various positions
Victoria Secret (part time at the holiday season)
Business Strategy (Current) I manage a large utility company's thousands of cell phones and wireless devices.

Mindy

Got my first job when I was 11, babysitting 3 kids for the neighbor across the street. She hired me because my mom was home all the time and figured I could dash home if I had any problems. It was for the whole summer, part time.

Other jobs:
Babysitting 11-17
Corn Detasseler - summers 14-17
Drugstore Cashier 17-18
Pharmaceuticals Inspector, Check Casher, Restaurant Hostess 18-20
Library Research 21-22 (While at college.)
Ophthalmologist office 23-24
College Library Clerk 24-25
Domestic Engineer 25-
Manpower temp jobs 25-27 (Grad. school)
College Library Clerk 27-28
Librarian 28-33
SAHM 33-
Photography lab work 44-46

Clare

beanpicker in teens

Secretary/office clerk 17-20

Copywriter/on-air personality 21-35, weekend horse trainer

SAHM 36-40

Unsuccessful business operator 41-43

Hospital secretary (nursing admin dept..HATED it) 43-44

Dogsbody and primary contact for a radon testing lab 45-65

Office clerk for a radon certification company one day a week, on call at previous job 65 until I can't do it anymore

Babysitter from 11 to about 16.

Drink girl at Arctic Circle for about a month when I was 15. I also had the job of cleaning the bathrooms which I hated.

Busgirl at the Nugget casino/restaurant for about a year 15/16.

Waitress for about 3 weeks at a Country Kitchen restaurant. I was a horrible waitress because I was so shy. Age 17, I think.

Worked with my mom for a few years after that at an onion dehydration plant. It was seasonal so we normally didn't work through the Winter. One of the most miserable/monotonous jobs I've ever had. The commute was an hour one way too. Which tells you how great the job prospects were in my little town.

So, I joined the Air Force because it finally dawned on me that I wasn't going anywhere in the little town I was living in. Was in the Air Force for 7 years before I stupidly left to follow my now ex to AZ.

Worked as an administrative assistant for an employer who retrained groups of people laid off from their jobs in downtown Phoenix. Did very little data entry and tons of copying. Boring, boring, boring.

So, I went to work for Target in Glendale, which was a lot closer to my home. And was pregnant at the time. Didn't stay too long because the ex decided he wanted out of the Air Force and wanted to move back to KY, where he was from. During this time, I also attempted to sell Avon.

Was a SAHM for about for a couple years after that, working a bunch of gardens around the house. Left to move to NV in hopes that the ex would find a better paying job. I also worked as an assistant again for a third party administrator in worker's comp in Reno. That lasted about a year and a half before we decided after the ex started fooling around on me to move back to KY. After we moved back, I decided to try market gardening, did a little bit of that and made some crafts to sell at a local craft shop. Didn't sell much, though. I also tried selling Tupperware.

Before we moved up here, I decided to go back to school to become a nurse so I started taking my prerequisites. Worked for 6 weeks as a SNT during one summer while I was taking 2 classes. Had to quit when a hernia flared up.
Been a nurse for 5 years now. First few months at on a oncology floor in Louisville. Now I work a little closer to home in Lexington on a med-surg floor. I'm now looking for something less mentally stressful in the same hospital system.

Babysitting and corn detasseling as a teen
Waitress (3+ years)
Certified Nurse Aide (nursing home for 3 years, then I did live-in work for 1 year)
Supervisor for a large department store's housekeeping dept. (3+ years)
Walmart (3 years)
Several cashier/retail jobs at a local mall
Most recently I did eBay selling

Started at 14, worked in tobbaco fields.
16-18: Golf Course and Domino's Pizza
19-25: 2 diffrent Video Stores
25: School-BLET
26-36 Police
36-? SAHM to Zachary, hopefully next year will go back to work. Zach starts school.
Susan

softball, we had these green strips, if it was an emergency! lol...you were afraid to move though...this was waaaay before computers. we actually looked up numbers in an oversized phone book(s) with added sections for new numbers. had less than 30 seconds per call...we had these supervisors that would walk up and down the room, and scared me to death (at the tender age of 18)they could listen in at anytime...

8-20 woodworking shop
14 - 35 gave piano lessons
16 forward - church music director/musician
24 - 35 small appliance repair and child raising
35 - 42 Controller for chenille letter manufacturer
42 - 62 CT manager for a large international company

I've worked for several Ministries and Non-Profit Orgs for most of my Employment.

College Advisor (In my 40's)
Executive Assistant (In my 30's)
Aerobic's Instructor (In my 20's)
Worked at a Pharmacy & Babysat in my Teens

Gayle

Worked in a fabric store (16-18)
Hostess at restaurant (18-20)
Legal secretary for one attorney (20-42) when he retired
Legal secretary (42-44 current)

As a teenager I worked as a babysitter
worked in a corner store as a teenager
Then I worked at KMart
Then I worked as a counsellor for the developmentally handicapped.
Then I worked at two different agencies that help abused women.
Worked as a receptionist for a real estate company. This was during my "burned out" phase.
Worked as a cake decorator in a specialty shop.
Worked in a bakery in a specialty shop.
Drove a small bus to transport women to a "mom" support group.
Worked for the last 16 years administering social assistance.

Worked doing desktop publishing for several years after graduating college.
DH started two business, I managed both - did the accounting as well as pitched in doing tech support for customers.
Sold one business & closed the other, I continued my job with the new owner.
Worked for several months doing accounting in a manufacturing facility.
Went to work for my current company doing accounting & a little IT stuff.
Left there after 15 months to become controller at a company closer to home.
Left there after 6 months when my previous employer asked me to come back in 2006. I'm still there, doing both IT & accounting.

Worked doing secretarial, AR/AP for four small businesses - 2years

College student - 2 years

One girl office secretary for an insurance agent - 1 year

College student - 2 years

third grade teacher - 11 years

G/T teacher - 18 years

mystery shopper - off and on for years

temporary merchandiser - "

Medicare data clerk for inpatient rehab at the hospital - 2 1/2 years

Retired! 2 1/2 years

Babysitter from 5 to 14 ( my parents would go to jail for that now )
15 years Cashier and stock work at a Five and Dime Store
17 Years, babysitting and cleaning house
18 - Grocery Store Clerk
21 - Assembled tvs for RCA
22 Babysat in my home when RCA closed up.
23 - went to work for Kellogg and stayed there for 37 years.
Some of the jobs I had at Kellogg:
Coupon inspector
Bottom Maker
Raisin Counter
Handy Pak packer
Individual Packer
Hand Stacker
Tail Off Driver
Box Car Loader
Truck Loader
Electrician
Corn Mill Operator
Rice Mill Operator
Additive/Blender Operator on the Just Right Line
Corn Cooker
Rice Cooker

I'm 52 and today is the first time in my life I've ever heard of the job of:
Corn Detassler.....3 times no less!!!! I must live a sheltered life. Would that be known as a corn husker elsewhere???? If not, is there ever a need to retassle the detassled corn?

As for me:
Babysitter
chairside dental assistant (for father)
waitress in large department store restaurant
waitress in donut shop
store detective/ loss prevention (that was fun!)
then I got my degree
RN for years
Pharma sales
healthcare sales
no retirement plans yet, I love my job!

LOL Acey! Detasseling is done for seed corn out in the fields. It's done mostly in the midwest. Not the same as a corn husker and no, we wouldn't want to re-tassle the corn. :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Detassling Corn

Babysat in my teens
Bookeeping for a Local Bakery
Liquor Control Board of Ontario
Medical Secretary - Hospital Care at Home
Supply Secretary - Catholic School Board

Acey, I have been thinking the same thing!!!! i thought I counted four but it must have been three, LOL

Pre- real life
11-adulthood? babysat
16-18 icecream scooper (DON'T let your kids do this, I ruined my wrist!)
18-21 Childcare provider (LOVED the infant room0
21-22 Student assistant

Real world
22 2 weeks as a warehouse employee, not sure I HAD a title, LOL
22-25 domestic violence shelter manager
25-26 admin assistant in GSU student health clinic (continued this job part-time from 26-34, except when in New Orleans)
26 6 months as admissions specialist at GSU School of Educ.
26-27 Grants manager at GSU School of Nursing
27-28 months as a grants manager at LSU School of Nursing
28-29 admin assistant for AREF (non-profit arm of VA Hospital)
29-32 Project coordinator for HRSA grant project (also went to school for my MPH)
32 Seven LONG months as grants manager/business manager at Emory School of Nursing
32-33 worked in the GSU student health clinic again but as an employee of Tenet-Atl Med Center
33-35 (now) Graduate Research Assistant and ful-time PhD student

Future
Researcher and probably a faculty member somewhere

Teenage babysitter
Worked at an ice cream stand in high school
After college subsitute teacher
Bank teller
Secretary
For the last 20+ years - preschool teacher
For even more years than that - church choir director

I hadn't heard of a corn detasseler either until I moved to Iowa.

I grew up on a dairy farm so as a teenager my jobs were all right here on the farm.
In college (for horticulture) I tutored chemistry and genetics.
I also got paid to write a computer program for scheduling greenhouse crops.
9 years in a garden center.
16 years in grounds maintenance in New Mexico.
During that time I started my own landscape maintenance business and continue with it today back here in Minn.
During the off season up here I've done many different things. They include working at my brothers greenhouse, soil sampling, occular procurement technician, and most recently substitute teacher.

Ron

Educator for 30 1/2 years

16-17 till graduated from High School JCPenneys
18-20 War Dept, Quartermaster Corps, DC. Burroughs Posting machine operator.
20-Left to marry my GI
20½-22 Back with War Dept, AGO, IBM operator
23-33 SAHM
33-43 School cafeteria
45-49 Nurse's Aide
65-66 Volunteered as Receptionist at a Family Counseling Service
67-75 Secretary for Family Counseling Service

Haven't worked (for pay) any where since then.

Sue

Teen years:
waitress, short order cook

early 20's:
***********
Sales: Sarah Coventry
waitress & cook

Mid 20's-age 34:
***************
Nightclub owner/cook
Bridal consultant
Cake decorator

late 30's - mid 40's:
*****************
Restaurant owner/cook
Hostess & Hotel bookkeeper
Events Planner
Sales: International Decor
Cake decorator

late 40's-age 55:
*****************
On air Radio news Director
Sales: Radio
Sales: Newspaper
Sales: Telecom
Supervisor: Telecom

55 to present (retired at 62, now 64):
**************
Social Club Entertainment & Events Chairman
Occasional cake decorating
Home Decor for fun, for neighbors & friends..(complete room makeovers)

Baby sat

supermarket cashier: high school & college

reference librarian: age 22 - 28, quit to raise my family

volunteer at children's schools: 32 - 55

Presently: trying to enjoy life

Office Order Clerk

Accts Payable Clerk

Manager & Hostess Restaurant

Unit Secterary Maternity Floor

Welcome Desk Associate.

Many years ago
i worked as a waitress at a really popular resturant
i worked for a dry cleaners
i was a nanny to 2 little boys
I help with hubbys construction companies

4yrs-farmhand on hog farm
1summer-corn detasseling
1yr-clothes hanger at Von Maur distribution center
6yrs-home health & living assistant to disabled

Babysitting - 8th to 10th grade

Real estate (land) secretary part-time - 17-20

Secretary to Chief of Engineering, Grumman Corporation (they built the F-14 Tomcat) - summer before my senior year in college

HS Business teacher - 22-55

Retired June 2007 at 55 years old! Love being retired!

~Carol~

Waddles. ..Shakey's pizza? I think you lived in Tulsa? That is where I lived and grew up, just moved to Owasso, just north of Tulsa a few years ago. I was wondering how long ago you were a dispatcher? My son has been one in Tulsa for 14 years. My husband retired from the Tulsa Fire Dept. Do you still live in Tulsa?. .Debbie

Babysat in my teens
Worked Saturdays at a bakery in my teens
Worked in a day care home in my teens
Worked in a pharmacy in my teens
Worked for my father's business in my first year of college
Worked at a bookstore during vacations while in college
Worked at the campus day care center while in college
Worked in retail after college
Worked for my FIL when my children were babies and I could take them with me.
Worked shortly for Albertsons while their workers were on strike.

Finally, FINALLY, I found my calling when youngest child was 3. I applied for a teaching position at her preschool and, almost 10 years later, I'm still there. I love my job!

I also work a couple of nights a week in retail.

Sheryl

lydia1959

Thanks for the lesson. I guess when I moved to Ohio during my high school years (from N.J.), I didn't pick up much agricultural knowledge. I musta been too busy looking at the boys!!!
Now that I'm all educated on things requiring detasslement, I will hope to find the term in my crossword puzzle books! I'll be ready!!!

Back-up paper girl for a friend who had a route
Baby-sitter
waitress (catering hall)
work study in remedial English department
two summers working in a book warehouse
file clerk for large surgical practice
part-time retail clerk - The Limited
bookkeeper and surgical coder for large surgical practice (and some personnel work)
insurance adjuster (worker's comp)
part-time retail clerk - The Bon-Ton (worst job ever!)
part-time front desk at the YMCA
computer programmer