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Name a job you used to have and why you quit.

17 years ago

Alisande's 'looking for a job' thread inspired this one.

Describe a job you once had but ended up leaving for one reason or another. Some may know this but mine was a part time pizza delivery job. I was employed full time - still am - but with the overtime tap turned off I earned $10,000 less in '87 than in '86. So I asked a friend who did it to put in a good word for me. I got the job sight unseen. After I learned the ropes I liked it a lot. You really see a cross section of people, though. I've been in houses with a big, wide screen TV and they were sitting on cardboard boxes in front of it! One house was overrun with cats. The smell!!! A guy in an apartment used to answer the door holding an old army blanket around his waist! I don't know what was going on in there, and I didn't WANT to know! LOL!

I quit when I delivered to a dark street and was held up at gunpoint!

So, what's your story?

Comments (28)

  • 17 years ago

    I was a Waitress for 3 whole hours. I spilled a picture of Tea in the lap of a Customer. The Manager tried to make me feel OK about it, but I couldn't go back to that job. I walked out.

    Gayle

  • 17 years ago

    I applied for and got a job working in a warehouse, fulfilling orders. However, when I got there, they put me on a phone, doing phone solicitations. Needless to say, I was not happy. I went to lunch...never went back. I worked, I think, maybe 3 hours.

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  • 17 years ago

    I helped a friend start a temporary employment service and lasted 6 weeks. I had just gotten married a few months before that and my DH worked very odd hours. He missed be being home when he was off. We had no life together as long as I worked. So, it was very easy to turn in my notice and walk away.

  • 17 years ago

    I was a legal secretary when we first got married. I loved my boss and all the girls in the office. Boss owned the house the office was in and had 3 apartments above it. My first apartment was one of those and only paid $65 a month all utilities included. Was great only had to go downstairs to work and went home for lunch.

    I ended up having to leave that job because my husband was relocated and had to move. I then became a SAHM for the rest of my life. I have no regrets of never going back to work.

  • 17 years ago

    Softball - my ex SIL quit her pizza delivery job after a guy answered the door in the nude.

    Gayle - I once spilled a glass of tea in a ladie's purse that was left open on the floor. That was my most uphappy customer in the 7 years I worked as a waitress.

    I've quit a lot of jobs, but none of them were 'good' jobs anyhow.

  • 17 years ago

    I worked for Shoppers Drug Mart, not once. Not twice. But three times! LOL The first time I worked there I was a cashier supervisor. I worked hard and my boss always knew I wanted full time because I had kids and needed the extended benefits (dental and health care). A year into my job, I was told there would be NO more full times jobs for the cashiers. But because I lived so close to work, I never bothered looking for anything else. After almost 8 years I figured it was time. My boss told me I would never find a Monday through Friday job, no evenings no weekends. I did, and for much better pay and with good benefits. I quit that job after 2 1/2 years. It was pure h3ll. Went back to the same Shoppers Drug Mart, but this time as a merchandiser. I stocked the shelves in the OTC section. In the store I worked in, that was a HUGE section. I also helped cover cash breaks up front, and watched over cosmetics while the lone cosmetician took her breaks. I did a few things for my manager that I later learned was part of the assistant front store managers job in other stores, and they got paid $7 an hour more than I was! I ended up quitting almost 2 years ago after exactly 3 years when my manager became unbearable to work for anymore. While she's a very hard worker and does an amazing job, she's not a good employer. (she's been on stress leave for 3 months and the store looks AWFUL!) So, I worked for another company for a few months, but just could not do the job. They politely asked me not to come back. LOL I'm still not over that, but it is funny. Anyways, I went back to another Shoppers Drug Mart but couldn't stand it. Mainly because it was in one of the busiest malls in Calgary and because IMO, it felt like I was going backwards not forwards. They did things so much differntly than I was used to as well, which made it difficult to work there. I was pms-ing really badly and the reciever said three things to me that he thought was funny, but in reality it was super insulting and I walked out 2 hours into my shift. Just grabbed my coat, swiped out my time card and went home. I called the next day to talk to my boss and explained EXACTLY why I quit, and told him if he wanted XXX to be his assistant, he can't say to staff what he was saying to me. The guy couldn't believe what he was hearing. I had already had a job interview for the place I'm at now and started working there less than a week later. I've been at this job for about 13 months now.

  • 17 years ago

    I trained all summer back in 1973 to drive a 3-axel school bus. I was 20 years old. It was so large I had to lift out of my seat to shift into last gear. I learned how to do safety checks, drive, park using only the mirrors, light maintenance and first aide. The failure rate for taking the four tests required was 70%. I passed no problem.

    Because I was technically an apprentice I went on my first run with kids aboard with another driver at the wheel. 50+ yelling, screaming, paper tossing kids of elementary school age. It was a school for gifted children and it became all too obvious that I would be dealing on a daily basis with some brilliant minds, capable of dismantling a bus on their lunch break ... so I quit ... the first day. LOL

    Jodi-

  • 17 years ago

    It was fun reading about the different jobs. Jodi, don't school bus drivers have to get up at 4:00 a.m.? Around here they have to drive on ice and snow, and still get there on time. I am not tempted!

    Quite a few years ago I answered an ad seeking someone knowledgeable about classical music. It turned out to be the local philharmonic orchestra, needing people to sell subscription tickets over the phone. I really, really dislike anyone trying to sell me anything, and had no desire to do any selling myself. But I used to work for the New York Philharmonic (not in sales!) and I liked the idea of talking about music, so I took the job.

    I was soooo bad at the selling part. My supervisor monitored the calls, and told me I was good at engaging the people in conversation, but I needed to work on the "closing." That's putting it mildly. I didn't want to work on it; I wanted to chat with all those nice music lovers. So it wasn't long before I realized I was not at all suited for the job, and quit.

    Susan

  • 17 years ago

    Here's my story:

    1) worked in a place that sold eyeglasses; quit to go to college
    2) worked for a friend as a graphic artist; quit after two years to get a job closer to home
    3) worked as a sales rep at a printing company for 7 years; quit to get a job closer to home (again) and to work as a realtor instead
    4) worked as a drafter for 4 years; then moved out of state
    5) worked as a drafter/graphic artist for 3 years; got a new job before I got laid off (career change)
    6) worked as a proposal coordinator for a few months; quit because my supervisor was a beast (he got fired the day before I quit)
    7) worked as a proposal coordinator for almost two years; quit to go to college full time
    8) worked as a technical editor for a year after graduating college, then retired and moved to another area

  • 17 years ago

    We were in need of some extra money (who isn't) so when a friend said they needed a cocktail waitress at the local Moose Lodge, I thought, why not.
    I went for the interview and got hired on the spot. I served two drinks and walke out. Not my kind of place, not my kind of work. What was I thinking!!??

  • 17 years ago

    I had a great job with the Social Security Administration. I got to interview (talk to) people who were applying for Social Security Retirement or Disability. I typed their information onto a computer, so it was like getting paid to talk to people and play on the computer all day. No homework and they paid me. I lost my job in 2005 when my kidney failure got so bad I couldn't work any longer. I was taking too many sick days. Even when I was at work I felt sick. I'm getting dialysis now, hopefully a transplant some day.

  • 17 years ago

    Telemarketer back in the 60's selling magazines. ALL you had to pay was the postage, so they said. Once I broke down the costs, I felt like I was cheating people, so I quit. Think I was there less than 2 weeks.
    Kathy G in MI

  • 17 years ago

    I got a part time job at a local paper. Hours were perfect for a mom with small children to earn a little extra money... 6pm to 10pm on Monday, and 11pm to 7am on Tuesday. Part time, yeh right. I worked 39.5 hours the very first week and never less than 37 for the remaining 8 wks I worked there. Hours were 'all over the place' so that my husband couldn't rely on me to be there for the kids when he had to go to work. Plus, once a month, a long-houred night shift was required.....that was when they printed their once a month, kept highly secret, pornographic publication.

  • 17 years ago

    I worked as an Optometric Assistant for years and just loved it...It was just the doctor and myself and as he grew older, he sold out to a chain...That's when I quit, things just weren't the same...I then worked for a Chiropractor for a very short time and when I saw how some of "these" doctors pad the exams etc., I quit there....Haven't worked or wanted to since....Besides, at 71, I'm retired....

  • 17 years ago

    I left the last job I had because I had my son. It was California Site Manager (3 libraries, supervised 8 people - 4 librarians with Masters degrees) for the libraries at Intel. They gave me a year off, unpaid, for maternity leave but I couldn't go back. I felt it was too soon to leave him. I was going to go back after 2 years, but by then we found out he had several physical and mental problems so I am stayed home. I am still home after 24 years taking care of him because of his Autism.
    Clare

  • 17 years ago

    Worked at a shoe store---it went out of business
    Worked at Montgomery Wards---it went out of business
    Worked at a cabinet store---it went out of business
    Worked at an oil company---it went out of business
    Worked at an insurance company---it went out of business

    Worked 14 years at Lewis University. Left when decided to move to a small town. (At least I didn't put that out of business)

    SamKaren
    your resident DJ

  • 17 years ago

    Karen, perhaps a university is a wise choice for you (and the majority of businesses out there). I've never heard of a university go out of business. :-)

    Jodi-

  • 17 years ago

    I'm not really sure if this is "quitting" lol.

    I worked as an I.D. checker in the NCO club for about a month when the cashier job for the lunch line came open so I quit doing I.D.'s and worked as a cashier for about three months when a cashier job came open in the money pit (cashier's cage lol) and worked there for about two months until the Manager's secretary quit. I finished out my "career" as a secretary when my nice boss retired and I got a nasty boss in exchange - he was the PITS to work for so I gave him notice and except for a brief stint as a medical transcriptionist here at our local hospital I pretty much became a SAHM&W and like Nita never regretted it or looked back ;o).

  • 17 years ago

    Late 50's i lived in N.J. and went to work in a GE factory,they made tubes for tv's.Anyone else remember those.It was the middle of winter and it was hotter than he** in that place,They didn't open any windows,turn on any air or anything to cool it down.So when lunch time came on my first day,i clocked out and never went back.
    Kathi

  • 17 years ago

    The only job I didn't stick with for a while was one summer between college semesters.

    I worked as a waitress at a resort in the Catskills - think Dirty Dancing only smaller. They expected me to work 6 1/2 days a week - only 1/2 day off. And live there in these horrible rooming conditions.

    Lasted about a day and a half. Promptly quit!

  • 17 years ago

    I worked in the central office for our school district. I enjoyed my job and all that I worked with. The Asst. Superintendent and I got along great. She pretty much let me be my own boss and was super good to me. But, something happened at school regarding my youngest son, who was a Senior. I didn't think he was being treated right at all so I went up the chain to complain and finally went before the school board. The Asst Superintendent soon became the Superintendent and she held it against me that I didn't just sit and let them do what they wanted to with my son. She told me they were moving me to the Special Ed dept. I didn't want that change so I quit and have never regretted it for a minute!

  • 17 years ago

    For about 6 months I was an Occular Procurement Technician. This is a fancy name for the person that harvests eyes from donors. I learned 2 procedures. If the eyes were to be used for research I would do an enucleation. This meant removing the entire globe. If they were suitable for transplanting I would remove just the corneas. The job involved being on call for 12 hour shifts and having to leave home at a moments notice. Going to the hospital morgue at 2 A.M. is a little freaky. I saw some stuff that would score about a 9.2 on the weird-sh*t-o-meter. I quit because it was too difficult to work my regular job and still be on call day or night.

    Ron

  • 17 years ago

    I worked for eleven years at a convalescent hospital. Other than the pay, it was a DREAM job. I absolutely loved my supervisor (son-in-law of the owner, and about 10 years younger than I). I worked in administration, not nursing, but had many opportunities to interact with the residents, whom I also cared for a great deal. I might still be there if their pay raises had been realistic, but the bottom line was that I had to make a living. And after my supervisor was diagnosed in his early 30's with Multiple Sclerosis, and it very quickly progressed to the point that he felt the need to resign, the owner's son was his replacement. He was not a nice man to work for, but I still loved the other people I worked with. I did give them the opportunity to entice me to stay, but 12 cents an hour raise was entirely laughable! After 11 years there, I was making $11.10 an hour. And so I moved on. It was absolutely the right choice for me.

  • 17 years ago

    Worked A/R and A/P in an office that housed four small companies: a tire store, a home supply store, an insurance office and a farm implement company - all owned by the same family. Quit to relocate when my then DH was transferred.

    Worked as a one-girl office secretary to an insurance agent when we moved here. Went to work one January and quit in October when my DD was born.

    Taught school 28 years and then retired! LOL

    Worked as a data entry clerk for the rehab dept. of the local office. Quit when I was given waaay too many responsibilities than what I wanted. I'm retired - I couldn't go into work every morning and worry about it every night!!! LOL

    Might still like to work parttime, as long a it didn't turn into full time.

  • 17 years ago

    Went to college right out of high school. Completed a two year program in one year. Graduated as a Medical Secretary. Began the job from hell at a hospital care at home agency. Had a female boss who was a "bully". Took this for 12 years. In the meantime got married and 3 years later had my son. Was so happy to be able to tell boss I would not be back. Of course I told her this the day my maternity leave was up. I was devasted when my son started school. I missed him like crazy. Volunteered at his school faithfully. Finally his principal suggested I go on the secretarial supply list for the school board. Did that and am proud to say I have been on the list for the past 11 years. Not looking for full time employment. I have two favourite schools I go to and the school board office. That keeps me busy and I enjoy it. My son is now in his third year of University and I still miss him!

  • 17 years ago

    I worked in a bank. It was too boring.

  • 17 years ago

    Most jobs I left because I was moving on, leaving home for college or married and relocating. But one in college I quit just b/c I hated it. I worked at McDonalds' for 3 months, the morning shift. All my classes that semester ended up later in the day, 1:00 pm was the earliest. So I would go in (walked about 12 blocks) at 5am and work til noon, go home shower and then to classes. Those were long days! It was OSU in Columbus, Ohio.

    I never felt hated in my life until I met that supervisor. I never understood why, but I felt the whole time that she really just hated me at first sight. I had no training, she just put me on a register. I think she wanted me to fail and would give me tasks that seemed made for that purpose. But I figured it out (it's not rocket science) and she said "Oh, I was told you worked at McD's before." Nope, read my application! But, a cash register is a cash register. I thought I'd just need to prove myself to her, but the better I did the job the more she seemed to hate me. Then after 2 weeks she asked me to cover a birthday party for her. I said whatever, I like kids, I think I can handle that. She told me to "make up some games," so I did. She failed to tell me the party was for a physically disabled child and that all the other child guests were also physically disabled. My games required on-the-spot modifications. I was an education major, I could handle that. I made sure the kids had fun. The mother of the child was very pleased and tipped me $20 (a lot of money to a college student)! When the supervisor asked with a smirk how it went, naive me, I told her how well it went. She told me to turn the $20 in and told me I wouldn't be doing any more parties. I was very upset over that situation, she knew the child was disabled and just didn't want to work with different kids. Even though she didn't want to do it, she didn't want me to do it well and like it. I felt like she tried again to set me up for failure, it didn't work, and after that she was really pissed at me. Every time I asked for a weekend off to go home, it was denied ("home" was 2 hours away). I worked every weekend for 3 months.

    When I asked for Thanksgiving weekend off and it was denied, I quit. I cried when I told my dad, he instilled such a work ethic into me I felt like I let him down to quit a job. I knew it was hard for them to put me through college, and a job was part of my end of the deal. I had already put in applications elsewhere, so I did find another one almost immediately which I kept for 3 years until I graduated from college, married and moved away. It was fun and I was treated very well.

  • 17 years ago

    In the 1950s, after school and on Saturdays, I worked at a service station as the "grease monkey" and did minor repairs.

    I then took a job as a carry-out and bag boy for one summer at a grocer. Also, stocked shelves on Thursday mornings. It was much cleaner job and paid a bit more. I quit in the fall to enter an engineering training and work program(and never looked back).

    That was a long time ago. I sold a lot of gasoline at 22 to 25 cents per gallon, and cigarettes were a penny each, or 20 cents per pack plus tax. The Greyhond Bus line served many small towns. The service station sold kerosene at 15 cents per gallon. You could buy a barbecue sandwich and a bowl of chili for about $1.

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