Number of different jobs you've had, type of jobs/positions

[shootingstar]

One of the reasons why I have to work until retirement is that I haven't had a career so far where I've worked several decades with 1 large employer.

Now to answer the above question, is to exclude jobs you've before you finished highh school. No doubt, those who are consultants, would answer "job" differently, but the job was /is a consultant.

I've had 12 different jobs for nearly the past 30 yrs. (:eek:) My resume is a challenge to compress. Most jobs I applied for, do point to 80% of previous work experience.
3 were part-time while I was looking for full-time work. 1 was at a bookstore (just after I finished university), 2 were in electronic document management, 1 is part-time blogmaster and remaining in specialized libraries.


No I haven't interupted my career, with full-time studies --yet. I'm not sure if I ever will. I haven't got any ideas about this. :confused:
But I've survived 2 major moves across Canada, have worked in 3 different provinces and that has affected my work history. The present employer does consider it an advantage that I had worked in different areas of Canada, as well as different industry sectors.

[Crankin]

My resume looks quite different from others who were career educators. My first job was in a private special needs school for boys and then I worked in 7 different school districts, in 2 states. In my second to last district, I had 3 different jobs, one in a middle school, and one in an elementary school, where I was able to make the transition from special ed to teaching Language Arts. I was in my last district for 8 years, my longest employment, ever. It actually was 8.5, since I went back for half a year, as a long term sub after I quit.
I am now in my first job in my new career as a therapist. I didn't count my 2 clinical internships, which, although they were not paid, they felt like real jobs, especially last year. I also didn't count my student teaching or my master's internship for my first grad. degree.
Only one of these job changes was because I was laid off (I was hired back, but already had another job). They were all because I had gone back to school, moved, or wanted a job closer to home/better in terms of support.
I also was a group exercise instructor at 3 different places in 2 states between 1986 and 1996, and I've been a bike trip leader (volunteer) for AMC since 2005.

[westtexas]

If we exclude college and high school... I'm in my first job ever. So far being a veterinarian is pretty awesome and I like my job. Not always so keen on the town I live in and I miss my family terribly. But every day is different and interesting.

However, in college I worked for the university newspaper and when I was in veterinary school I worked as a tour guide for the college, a food sales rep for a major pet food company and as a research assistant/animal caretaker at our aviary on campus.

What I have found over the years is I actually love to work. Weekends when I don't do anything are nice every now and then, but after a few days of nothingness I go crazy.

[indysteel]

Minus several retail jobs I had in college, I'm on job number three post-law school. My first job was inherently temporary (I had a clerkship with a state appellate judge). I was at my second job--at a large law firm--for two years before I couldn't take it anymore. I've been at my current job with the federal government for 11. My boss retires in less than three years. It will be up to his replacement whether I get to stay on. So, I may be in job number four before I know it.

[jessmarimba]

I worked at Ruby Tuesday through college, pretty much every position they had.

After college, I worked in archaeology for two years - inherently temporary, but I only worked for two companies and had a few longer-term sites.

Since then I've been with the same company. I don't particularly like what I do but I don't really know what else I'd do either. I guess a lot of people end up in jobs like that, hmm?

(And then I've taught with about 10 different music organizations. Or something like that.)

[Pax]

Hmmm, real jobs... Police officer, Firefighter/Medic, Pro Lifeguard, Social Work, and now I work in a library.

So five total "careers", but within those I've changed jobs a time or two. As a LEO I worked in both IL and NM, as a pro lifeguard I worked two different places in FL, in social work I worked for three agencies in two states.

Also, when single I routinely worked additional part-time jobs to make ends meet. When I was a FF I drove trucks, did phlebotomy and autopsies at the hospital, summers I'd drive for local seed corn companies, in Fall I'd drive harvest trucks for friends who farmed.

[goldfinch]

I had two entirely separate careers. I first got a master's degree in psychology and worked in neuroscience research through a university.

I then decided that I did not want to finish my doctorate and spend my life chasing funding.

I entirely changed my direction and became a lawyer. I did that for 20 years, primarily working in intellectual property, and then I retired.

For a couple of years after I retired I worked hard to lobby and write on health care reform issues. I got sick of politics and extremely burnt out. Now I bike, chase birds, and hang out on internet message boards.

[bmccasland]

Post college:
VISTA volunteer (home-bound Peace Corps, now called AmeriCorps)
EMT / Fire Dispatcher / Firefighter
Medical Secretary/Admitting Clerk - 1 Doctor's office, 2 hospitals
Girl Friday
Park Ranger (non-enforcement)
Wildlife Biologist
Fisheries Technician
Fisheries Lab Tech (2 different labs)
Biologist (2 offices)

In the above I've been fired once, laid off twice, juggled two jobs at the same time to make a living wage or to get a toehold with the agency I preferred working for at the particular time, and moved 6 times because the next job was in a different town (more than 100 miles) than where I lived at the time.

[limewave]

I'm a designer for a publishing house. Every time I've thought about getting a different job, I find I'm just not as excited about other companies. I love books, so its a good fit.

I've been at the same company for going on 13 years. I'm a lifer, as long as they'll have me. Not too many jobs out there where I get to work from home 90% of the time. I also have decent benefits and 6 weeks vacation. The pay isn't the greatest, but I love the flexibility.

However, I would like to get into more fine-arts again. I'm hoping to take some metal working classes this winter or next. I want to start making custom head badges for bikes, jewelry, sculpture, etc. Of course, this would be more of a hobby and for fun money--not a career. :)

[Pax]

Post college:
VISTA volunteer (home-bound Peace Corps, now called AmeriCorps)
EMT / Fire Dispatcher / Firefighter
Medical Secretary/Admitting Clerk - 1 Doctor's office, 2 hospitals
Girl Friday
Park Ranger (non-enforcement)
Wildlife Biologist
Fisheries Technician
Fisheries Lab Tech (2 different labs)
Biologist (2 offices)

In the above I've been fired once, laid off twice, juggled two jobs at the same time to make a living wage or to get a toehold with the agency I preferred working for at the particular time, and moved 6 times because the next job was in a different town (more than 100 miles) than where I lived at the time.
Beth - were you a wildland or structural FF?

[bmccasland]

Beth - were you a wildland or structural FF?

Yes. Both. Part-time.
Smoke jumpers are my heros. ;)

[spokewench]

Stall cleaner, groomer, stable help
Carhop
Waitress
worked in science lab
Worked as administrator for a trucking company
Taught horseback riding lessons
worked as a wrangler, cook, bottle washer at a dude ranch, waitress
worked on Thoroughbred Race track, started as a hotwalker, groom, ended up as an exercise girl
Ran a brood mare farm
receptionist in a law firm
cocktail waitress
taught horseback riding lessons
paralegal for about 20 years or so
League Coordinator for Northern Arizona tennis association

[ny biker]

In marketing, I worked at 4 different jobs over 11 years, with a break for grad school.

In software development, it's more complicated.

- First job was for a little more than a year.
- Second job was for a few months before being laid off.
- Then I started working on the project where I am now, and I've been here for 11 years. But during that time, I've had 5 different employers. The first one hired me, then lost the contract and laid us all off, but the company that won the contract hired us all immediately. That company has since been bought out 4 times.

I hate the current owner -- they're really cheap and they claim their compensation policies are designed to reward the best workers, but in reality they're encouraging the best workers to leave. I can't figure out if they're just lying to us and hoping we don't notice that no one will ever get a raise, or if they're too stupid to figure out that their policies will never accomplish their goals. Anyway I like the project I work on so I'm hoping we get sold again soon.

BTW on my resume, I leave out most of the marketing stuff and just condense it into a couple of bullet points that highlight things most relevant to software development (data processing and analysis). It's not necessary to include details that aren't related to whatever you're applying for.

[Pax]

Yes. Both. Part-time.
Smoke jumpers are my heros. ;)

Same here, those are some amazing people. I only got to do a little wildland stuff, it was GREAT!! Not being inside a burning structure is way more fun. :p

[VeganBikeChick]

I've had the same career since college - but have worked at 10 or so places, due to my inherent gypsy nature.

My dream job is a far cry from what I'm currently doing, but not possible at present.

[GLC1968]

How many jobs or how many careers? ;)

Let's see...since I completed my first college degree:

Retail - department manager Jordan Marsh
Retail - assistant buyer Bradlee's
Retail - various store management positions including general manager for Gap, Old Navy and then Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Stores
Bartending - at a Joe's Crab Shack
Retail - sales associate & stock manager while in school again Ann Taylor Loft
Engineering - engineering intern at a hospital supply company
Engineering - lab instructor at my university
Engineering - Systems Engineer for Raytheon
Engineering - Product Engineer for RFMicroDevices (or RFMD as they are called now)
Engineering - Product Engineer for my current company
HR - College Program Manager and technical recruiter for my current company

What's next? I still haven't ruled out Vet school, but I'm also considering an MBA and recognizing that I might be getting a little old to be making sweeping career changes again. But, never say never...

[OakLeaf]

Since college, or since high school? Not too many since college, and most of them were short-term and/or part-time.

Resident staff at natural living workshop center
Clerk at natural food store
Dishwasher at Chinese restaurant
Legal secretary
Legal intern
Staff attorney, Legal Services
Solo practice attorney
Legal writing instructor at community college
Group fitness instructor

And if we're counting barter work, I've done a good bit of typing and transcription.

[Koronin]

Here we go:
in college:
worked at a movie theater (box office, concessions, and )
worked several football games including one playoff game for ESPN and two for NCAA
did a sports segment for the college radio station (unpaid)
operated a camera for the coaches show (also unpaid)
after college:
K-Mart (cashier until I moved)
Cracker Barrel (cashier, shop)
O'Charlies (server, hostess)
AT&T (ran machines that send out bills)
Family Dollar (what didn't I do there?)
Roadhouse Bar and Grill (server, hostess and kitchen)
since then have worked for several merchandising companies.
Currently work for about 8-10 merchandising companies (one of which actually does offer a pension). Yes to make decent money doing this you do need to work for several companies.

[azfiddle]

After college-
2 temporary jobs for Calif Dept of Fish and Game -bird research
1 1/2 years censusing vertebrates on the lower Colorado River
2 seasons censusing vertebrates in N. California plus misc temporary jobs and assistantships during grad school
1 year substitute teaching
2 years working for a former professor who had a little software company
20+ years now teaching mostly middle school science, 2 years high school middle school combo in 4 different districts- 6 year were on an Indian reservation (tough!), 2 one year positions, and then the last 13 in the same district.

[maillotpois]

I worked full time as a paralegal through law school. Then I worked as a litigation attorney for 3 different civil litigation law firms over 15 + years. Two years ago, I left my firm and am now self employed as a private judge and mediator and will, I hope, continue to work until "post retirement age" - this is the sort of job I can do 2 - 3 days a week, as long as I still enjoy it, for another 20+ years.

This is really liked:


Now I bike, chase birds, and hang out on internet message boards.

[Melalvai]

This is an interesting topic. It's really cool to learn a little more about what our fellow TE'ers do in their day job. Why did you ask the question? Have you learned what you hoped to?

Through college & a little after I played french horn in the Army National Guard band. That meant combat boots and boot camp, as well as dress blues and concerts. I loved it for 11 of the 12 years I was in. That was part-time and overlaps several of these:


Part-time as a receptionist at a drug abuse treatment center for a few months after college.
Temp doing data entry in a contract lab.
Grad school
Postdoc...depending on how you count them, about 5 postdoc positions. :eek:
Research assistant professor. (Is it worth grad school & postdoc servitude? Well, I like my job now, but NO. It is not worth the previous 12 years.)

[NbyNW]

Jobs during college:

fast food - cashier, cook
bibliographer's assistant at library
GED tutor


Jobs after college:

paralegal
year abroad to study Mandarin

english tutor
SAT prep teacher
retail sales associate (clothing)
temp legal secretary
receptionist --> account coordinator --> asst. acct. exec., public relations


During and after grad school:

landscape designer


I've only listed paid work. Have had a few meaningful volunteer gigs over the years.

[Crankin]

Wow, I realized that compared to some, I've had very few jobs, besides my "professional" ones (but a lot of those). I was a nanny in high school and college, and then worked in the school of business at FIU and the School of Education at ASU, as a work study student, for my last 2 years. Oh, and I was a Grad Assistant in a preschool program for severely handicapped kids at ASU, during my brief foray as a doctoral student. That's it, besides my fitness instructor stuff, everything I've done was a professional teaching position, or my new career as a therapist. When I was younger, I swore there were 2 things I'd never do: learn to type well or be a waitress, mostly because I would suck at both and I was afraid I'd just get pissed at people and get fired for being mean!. Thankfully, there were plenty of people willing to pay me good $ to watch their kids.

[shootingstar]

Cool work backgrounds. We could create our own town....and run it par excellence with all our skill sets and knowledge.


I want to start making custom head badges for bikes, jewelry, sculpture, etc. Of course, this would be more of a hobby and for fun money--not a career.

Let us know limewave of your creations. :)

I probably sound like a dilettante / gypsy with 12 different jobs across 3 provinces. I was with 1 provincial government employer where I spent a total of 12 years, longest ever for 1 employer but total of 2 different jobs where I took a lateral transfer.

Otherwise I would look like a job butterfly. I've worked in engineering, legal, government and health care sectors, in public and private sectors. Yes, absolutely there are related overlaps/synergies for these disciplines which I have found helpful for my line of work.

[Brandi]

Trader Joe's (2 months)
Vet's office (1 year)
Shoe sales (2 years)
custome stationary (1 year)
electronic shop (1 year)
book store (6 months)
nanny (1 month) :) didn't like it
decorative painter (3 years)
sand sculptor (25 years) also the accountant for our business which I HATE!
In between the shoes sales and the painting I was sand sculpting on paid jobs. Which is probably why I didn't keep a lot of the jobs I had. Some where flexable with me leaving other's not so much.

[Pax]

Brandi - I'd say of everyone on TE. you have the absolute coolest job.

[Brandi]

Brandi - I'd say of everyone on TE. you have the absolute coolest job.
Aww thanks but it is still a job. It has it's pressure and deadlines as well as blunder's and what not's. I do feel blessed though. More so when I am home and get so much good time off. But when I work I have to work my A*s off every single day till the job is done. It balance's itself out in the end.

[shootingstar]

Very cool Syndrielah!

[bmccasland]

Now I'm in the military, active duty as a military musician. I play in a concert band and small ensemble at military ceremonies on base and travel around our local region performing. Not sure how much longer my job will last with the upcoming budget cuts (actually it's not looking good), so I may try to be an officer since I already have my master's degree. Or I may use my GI bill and go back to school for something else... but we'll have to wait and see.

Jen

Aw man don't cut the band! I have great memories of the military bands that I've heard over the years. First on base as a kid - remote locations means the military jazz band is the only "Pop" music you get to hear live - then as an adult. I really appreciated that my office commander could get the Army jazz group to come over and cheer us up in the post-Katrina first couple of years.
OK, I admit, I'm a band geek. :o