It was suggested I start a thread about job experiences as they are probably a big part of what has formed us as individuals. Many of us started working early - I was 16,5 years old when I was employed as qualified secretary. Let's see if we can share our experiences in this thread.
Let me add, my salary was 600 SEK a month, about 60 USD.
Paper-round stand-in, then started work in retailing which I did for several years in many top UK high street names. This period of my life was unpredictable due to my own irresponsible attitude and somewhat reckless approach to life. I transitioned from working on building sites to warehousing and back into retail. Eventually I matured and went back to college where I did well and finally landed in blue chip pharma sales where I worked hard and excelled. It was a long road though.
I did some work in my fathers market garden since I can remember. Watering plants mainly first then weeding, then actually putting plants in containers. Already at elementary school I was allowed to help in actual gardening projects (carrying plants (the small ones), watering again…
Being a student I had jobs as driver, making brushes, a summer digging out world war ammunition, distributing leaflets.
Since then I work mainly on my job as researcher.
I jumped at the chance to take my brother's job, that he was leaving. It was mostly lawncare but in-house chores as well. The lawns were mostly cut with tractor lawnmower so this was a must have job. $0.75 per hour. Next job was stacking empty beer bottles, at a liquor store, then later, hired in the only fast food restaurant in town.
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13 years old, summer job selling ice cream along the promenade. (Always had a crafty one when I was out of view of the cafe owner). Worked with my cousin packing celery on a farm (Beautiful South blasting out of the radio). First 'real' job when I was 21, working in a rapid response team in Wandsworth, South London. Would assist physiotherapists and district nurses on their community visits. A lot of fun.
@ponderable saidDigging out world war ammunition! wow
I did some work in my fathers market garden since I can remember. Watering plants mainly first then weeding, then actually putting plants in containers. Already at elementary school I was allowed to help in actual gardening projects (carrying plants (the small ones), watering again…
Being a student I had jobs as driver, making brushes, a summer digging out world war ammunition, distributing leaflets.
Since then I work mainly on my job as researcher.
My jobs have been very boring in comparison.
At 11, a paper round it was a short round and I used my bike before school. I liked it. I'd whistle. A few streets of all bungalows, elderly people.
Various seaside restaurants and a local clothing shop while I was in school.
When I went off to study I took silver servicing waitressing and bar work.
Then I was a mum and did some supermarket work till I got divorced and had to find a job as well as be mum, which was very difficult and meant employing a child minder which didn't always go well. I had to take jobs I didn't want and my children were unhappy being sent here and there, it was a difficult time. I worked for a while in a home for adults with autism who could be violent.
Now I have an office job which I love. I work for the 3rd sector and it's a real feel-good job.
@torunn saidHear hear.
I noticed a thumbs-down at one of the posts. Please leave these out of this thread, let us know what you think instead.
(I wonder who that would have been 🙄)
It is not as spectacular as it sounds...one guy is going with a metal detector and the diggers sig out whenever there si a signal. most is just junk.
The place were some barracks which habe been there for a long time and had been bombarded in the war. After the war they just planed everything and the US forces used it. When they wanted t o set up building the German government would finance a search for dangerous remains. I worked for the frim who won the contract.
The most dangerous things we dug out where phosphorous loaded rounds, which tended to burn when exposed to air.
Once we thought that we had found a bomb from the magnetic signature, but it was a horse iron...in about 2,5m depth…
And we found the remains of a "Kübelwagen", which also made quite a signal. but it was only a few inches below the grass.
@ponderable saidStill, exciting job though. You must have wondered if you would find something every day that could have been dangerous.
It is not as spectacular as it sounds...one guy is going with a metal detector and the diggers sig out whenever there si a signal. most is just junk.
The place were some barracks which habe been there for a long time and had been bombarded in the war. After the war they just planed everything and the US forces used it. When they wanted t o set up building the German go ...[text shortened]... ins of a "Kübelwagen", which also made quite a signal. but it was only a few inches below the grass.
There was a bomb in the UK that was detonated recently, left a crater the size of a bus https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-56229045
Somebody else's pools round for them in early teens.
16 hours/week in nights and weekends serving petrol while studying A Levels.
Straight to Medical School. Fruit picking in student holidays. In year out in middle of uni worked 13 day fortnights 8am to 8pm in Asian clothes factory restoring finances.
After Uni 8 years as junior doctor before European Working Time Directive so 72 hours continuous every third weekend, every week day and every third nights as part of 32 hour shift. Those hours are now thankfully illegal. Had to study for membership exams and completed psychotherapy post grad in addition to those hours.
NHS Consultant after that.