Dad: At one time worked as a teacher in the NYC school district, and worked for an insurance company but the last 35 years or so of his working life were spent at a very famous American computer company, first as a programmer then as a systems analyst. He retired about 10 years ago.
Mom: Worked briefly at the same very famous American computer company. Then SAHM, then as the kids got older worked out of the house as an editor of math text books (a sort of fact-checker/error catcher as I remember) then worked at the computer science department of a local college, then came full circle and ended up back at that same famous American computer company as a technical writer. She retired about 5 years ago, for a while she taught some courses part time at a community college.
Ha- some of my dad’s get rich quick schemes: Raise finches, profit! Take truckloads of potatoes from Michigan to North Carolina and sell them on the side of the road, profit! (that was fun :rolleyes: ) Drive mobile homes from Texas to New York, profit! Make wine goblets from Coke bottles, profit! And many, many others.
Father: First known occupation, a labourer in market gardens. He went on to be a travelling salesman, and ultimately a company director, selling cake decorations.
Mother: She worked in a W H Smith bookstall in London, then worked in a dairy (convenience store) here before running another as her own business for a time.
Real fun growing up with a father than gave complete, detailed answers to “Daddy, why is the sky blue?” and “What holds the moon up?”. We got over that “why” phase remarkably fast. A technique that I’ve used on my own children.
Mom got a degree in meteorology that she used even less than I’ve used my environmental science degree.
I got his brains and her drive to excel.
And MadPansy is being modest - she got some brains, but I’m not going to argue about her social skills. Although she can still beat me up. And out shoot me.
Right after WW II my father got a job at the UN as a security guard. He stayed there for about 30 years, and went through a bunch of jobs - being in charge of the flags that flew in front of HQ (he was the first to raise the flag of Israel when it became a member) then working in the department that was in charge of facilities, and finally, after a post in Africa, being in charge of overseas sales of UN stamps.
My mother, when we were old enough, did bookkeeping and then worked for the NY Health and Hospitals Corp. reviewing cases.
Dad: lumberjack in British Columbia; bartender in San Francisco after emigrating; Merchant Marines during WWII; bartender in SF while going to school on the G. I. Bill; insurance agent; VP in his company (Met Life); insurance broker opening his own company.
Mom: SAHM until my younger brother turned 18. Went to work at a recording studio and loved every minute of it. She was waaay cooler than my father.
Mom: Nurse. Not just a nurse, but has been an RN in the same OR in the same hospital for almost 35 years…the only job she’s ever had, and still going strong at it. It boggles my mind to be at the same job basically ones entire adult life, but she loves it there and I don’t know if she’ll ever retire.
Dad: Business…things. The first job I remember him having is doing some kind of business administration for a medical software company out of a small office he rented in Main Street, but most of my life he’s been doing the business administration for school districts. He’s on his fourth (and in theory, final) school district right now. I also know he was an accounting/finance teacher at the local HS for a bit, and a couple other jobs before I was born.
Mom-secretary, bookkeeper/accountant/tax preparer, eventually partner in a medical billing firm from which she retired some years ago.
I didn’t inherit their math skills so I ended up a Medical Technologist.
(My brother did-he was a particle physicist at Fermilab)
Mom - assembly in a blue jeans factory > SAHM > restaurant cook > dietary aide in a retirement facility > assembly worker in an electronics factory > babysitter > retired
Dad - worked in both of the family businesses of farming and well drilling > feed mill worker > foundry worker > sheet metal worker > machinest in the auto industry > ditch digger during a UAW strike in 1972 > machine repairman in the same auto industry plant > side business making wooden framework for the fiberglass industry, wooden orchard crates and wooden toys > retired
My husband’s Mum: she was a nurse in NZ
My husband’s Dad: jack of all trades, mechanic by trade, owned trucks and stuff and later complete factories.
My Dad: the most amazing visionary that I have ever known. I guess the best title is “plastics doctor”
My Mum: SAHM, and CEO of my dad’s business, now she helps to set small business’ up from a financial structure point of view
My husband: is the IT manager of a retail business.
Me: I run the digital arm of an advertising agency.
My dad’s teaching “how not to be a shitty employee” classes for a grocery chain now. He’s mostly worked at book stores and movie rental places in my lifetime, but he used to do something with phones in the White House (got yelled at by Henry Kissinger and then met my mom) and work for the IRS (kicked a family out of a tar paper shack, decided he liked having a soul and quit.)
You know, reading through this thread, it strikes me that most of our parents actually DID something…Accountant, Police Officer, Nurse, Plumber, whatever.
My generation seems to be filled with people who are “mumblemumble Manager of blahblahblah And thingamabob Development” and work in a cubicle. I know, I’m one of them.
It makes me wonder what my kids will say to this type of question when they’re adults. (my fear is that mine will say “he had a job until the 2nd Great Depression hit”)
Was your dad a large black man with a charming smile and a great sense of humor? I think we may have the same dad. My dad sold fruit on the side of the road before too. Sigh. He never tried to make wine goblets from coke bottles, but I could see how that might work! Coke bottles used to be so pretty.
My dad was an accountant for the US Postal Service, first locally and later in the state comptroller’s office. Now happily retired. Do not mention the USPS in his hearing unless you have a few hours Before that he served in the US Navy, which is how he met my mom (I’m a USO Baby!), and continued his service in the Naval Reserves and later the National Guard.
My mom had worked as a secretary at a local department store until she married my dad, then did more secretarial work until my brother was born. Then she was a homemaker for about 20 years. When I was about 10, she returned to the retail world, eventually becoming manager of the children’s departments of another local department store. She is also now retired.
Dad: Veterinarian*, now retired. He was in charge of licensing and examinations in his state for a number of years. The story of how he sold his practice and retired is a real soap opera.
Mom: SAHM. She was a legal secretary to put my dad thru vet school.
Before that he served in the US Navy, which is how he met my mom (I’m a USO Baby!), and continued his service in the Naval Reserves and later the National Guard.