# Jobs I have had along the way **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 24, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746 "2011-06-24T18:49:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/21 "2011-06-25T00:14:00Z")
I have been (semi-)gainfully employed over the years as: Yard Care Fast Food Flunky (window, taco line, grill) PI (A _very_ brief stint with Pinkerton’s) Semi-truck cleaner Camper shell construction and sales Retail photo (think the Photo Hut in _That 70s Show_.)(We owned and operated out own chain of shops like that, which we also built.) Photographer Retail music sales Owned and operated and maintained a courier service Bartender Recreational items sales Teacher Home brewing supplies, sales and instruction ---
**Author:** ![YaraMateo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/58f4c7/32.png) [@YaraMateo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaraMateo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/22 "2011-06-25T01:21:55Z")
I had a lot of internships. Mostly turned out to be personal assistant type stuff, despite the description being other wise. One summer, I signed on for an internship and wound up in a tent selling bbq sauce at the county fare. Don’t know how that happened all these year later. Just know the person above me hated the owner. So, I go to paid to basically walk around the county fare one summer. When I wasn’t doing that I was eating the bbq sauce on chips. No one seemed to care we literally sold nothing. Other than that, I worked in retail at the mall for a few months in high school. My mom’s former friend had a daycare. I worked until lunch and never came back. I never worked much as a teen. I tutored some elementary age kids during the summer one year when I was in college. That worked out okish, but I don’t think I’ll ever work with kids again. I had a data entry job my senior year. I don’t remember much about it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/23 "2011-06-25T01:30:26Z")
Pump Gas. And also: Convenience store clerk Person who ironed on stupid T-Shirt stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Roseanne\_Rosannadanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@Roseanne\_Rosannadanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roseanne_Rosannadanna)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/24 "2011-06-25T01:45:19Z")
Babysitter Fast food worker Candy Girl (movie theater concessions sales) Box office sales (moved up at the theater) Video store clerk Day care assistant and teacher Video transcription Substitute Teacher Temp office worker Waitress Bartender ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/25 "2011-06-25T01:53:48Z")
Hospital orderly Office clerk House painter Call center drone ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/26 "2011-06-25T02:05:06Z")
What’s so odd about being a radio announcer? It’s what I do **now**. Heck, it’s what I went to college for. And when I say now I meant _right now_ as I’m currently producing the Pirates/Red Sox game. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/27 "2011-06-25T02:14:20Z")
Other: [ul] [li]Collection driver for Olan Mills portraits (people would by photo packages from telephone sales crew, I would drive out to collect before they changed their minds).[/li] [li]Bus boy at JC Penney’s cafeteria and an amusement park saloon (Frontier Village).[/li] [li]Mailing Warehouse–shipped catalogs and merchandise for customers like National Semiconductor and GRT Records.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Jagwasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@Jagwasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagwasher)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/28 "2011-06-25T02:15:40Z")
-Kirby Vacuum Sales (door-to-door) -ADT Sales (also door-to-door) -Burger King (never-ending work and greasy) -Car wash (summer in Florida) -Several “day labor” assignments (tough manual labor for minimum wage) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/29 "2011-06-25T02:19:16Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > What’s so odd about being a radio announcer? It’s what I do **now**. Heck, it’s what I went to college for. And when I say now I meant _right now_ as I’m currently producing the Pirates/Red Sox game. Not “odd” in the sense of peculiar, strange, weird, geeky or deplorable, just “odd” in the sense of a fill-in or temp job as opposed to a career profession. My first “real job” out of college was as combo salesman/announcer for a one-lung FM station. Later I worked as full-time announcer at an AM station. In addition to those stints, I also did some weekend work and covering for other announcers while they were on vacation or sick or whatever. I think it’s neat how some of the other “odd jobs” mentioned border on grad school prepared careers. It would be cool if some folks have had part time, temp, or “second job” tours as: brain surgeon astronaut NFL player member of congress movie star despot assassin cult leader Hey, I’m not one to judge! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/30 "2011-06-25T02:45:55Z")
Maths tutoring ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/31 "2011-06-25T02:58:46Z")
Of those listed, I ticked “grass cutting,” “fast-food prep,” “retail sales” and “phone sales,” although that last one may be a stretch, because it was for an environmental group in New Mexico, calling members who had lapsed or were about to do so about reupping. Although not a paper route, I did deliver _TV Guide_ once a week to subscribers. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/32 "2011-06-25T02:59:11Z")
Others- DUI school instructor outside retail (nursery) Bowling center cook/counter help medical billing short order cook/dishwasher ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/33 "2011-06-25T03:09:55Z")
Camp counselor Landscaping (which meant raking rocks out of the top inch or two of soil before the hydroseed truck came through) Manual labor on construction sites Food handler at college cafeteria Night manager at college bowling alley Painted dorms Pumped gas Groundskeeper, porter (baggage handler), dishwasher-loader, etc. at ski resort one off-season Security guard ---
**Author:** ![davey77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/34 "2011-06-25T03:15:56Z")
Hey, Hari Seldon, I was a soda jerk, too. It wasn’t in a drug store, but that was my “title.” This was in 1992. Also, I was an actor on a Showboat. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/35 "2011-06-25T06:29:55Z")
One of these jobs is not like the others… Since when is “programmer” in the same general category as “paper route” or “checkout chick”? ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/36 "2011-06-25T06:50:25Z")
fitness equipment delivery and installation, prep crew for painting contractor, water damage and mold clean up ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/37 "2011-06-25T07:06:08Z")
Many “other” jobs over the years: Operator of a die-casting machine that made aluminum bases for bronzed baby shoes Women’s shoe salesman in a department store Operator of a roll-making machine in a bakery (think Lucy and Ethel making candy) Door-to-door encyclopedia salesman Department store loading dock worker Garden supplies salesman Operator of blueprint machine in architects’ office File clerk in medical school library Designer of sample books for paints, fabrics and carpeting Operator of machine that printed things inside bottle caps Department store display window assistant Bus boy Waiter Supermarket inventory clerk Set-up assistant for fashion shows and luncheons Baby sitter Proofreader . . . and those are just the ones I remember. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/38 "2011-06-25T07:57:32Z")
Bucked hay bales (14, 15) Popcorn pusher, movie theatre Movie theater manager (college) Oversee tree planting with convicts Engineer timber sales ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/39 "2011-06-25T08:19:58Z")
I worked as a “tray boy” at festival hall. That is going around with trays of ice creams and drinks and selling them. I saw acts like Bill Cosby and Jose Feliciano… woot ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746/40 "2011-06-25T08:20:58Z")
Sold nails, paint and lawnmowers at a hardware store. Warehouse work: picking stock, stacking stock, unloading trucks. Wrote TV ads, been in a couple of them, and did voiceover for another. Notably, though (I know I’ve posted this before but I can’t find it) my coworkers and I were once in the pub having a “what’s the weirdest job you ever had?” conversation. I once got paid to play mandolin at a museum in Japan. One guy had been a turkey raper. The winner: roofer. “Roofer?” we said. “That’s not weird.” He added two words and won the competition. “…at Belsen.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-i-have-had-along-the-way/586746.md?page=3)