gotcha!
The funniest job I had was as a bra tester.
er…what is this? I have tried to decode this for two days. None of those words seem to go together! What pray tell is a turker and why is it mechanical and what does amazon have to do with it?
By the way–lots of cool jobs in here. Just supports that I have had a simple career path, but luckily I enjoy my job. But some of you have had an amazing variety of jobs over the years.
pre-career:
Paperboy
Stocker (2 different businesses)
Cafeteria help in college
fast food worker
college bookstore gopher
career:
Electrical engineer (6 different employers, covering 25 years)
career era side jobs:
Tech school instructor
Volunteer fireman
Emergency med tech/rescue tech
computer programmer
computer lecturer
ran national chess federation 
chess, computer games and roleplaying teacher :eek:
Listing only jobs I got paid for:
Picking up tobacco ground leaves
Spraying insecticide
Fruit picker
Walnut huller
Chicken thief
Selling fake roach killer
Selling biblical wall mottos
Selling fake cure it all cream
Janitor
Brush cutter
Lawn care
Tobacco hanger
Tobacco Cutter and spearer
Tobacco sorting and tieing
Hay thrower
Janitor again
Circus roustabout
Night time computer operator
Accountant
Soldier
Microwave systems operator
Military Joint Exercise Planner
Help desk supervisor
Graphics Artist
Programmer
System Analyst
IT Team manager
Lotus Notes Programmer
Martial Arts Instructor
Systems Engineer
Delivered papers
Worked at a gas station
Worked at/ran a deli/pizzeria when I was in college
Ran a Quiznos
Ran a few Little Caesar restaurants
Managed Housekeeping and Laundry at a nursing home
Financial Advisor
Worked on a presidential campaign in two states
Organizing for environmental efforts
In chronological order
High School & College
Paper boy
Leaf raker
Carpet cleaner
Car wash
Survey crew
Dish washer
Short order cook
Military
Electrician
Squad leader
Platoon leader
Rifleman
Crew leader
Project planner
Project manager
Security systems installer
Security surveillance
Electronic counter-intelligence
Post Military
Electrician
Crew leader
Facilities maintenance specialist
Construction contract administrator
Deputy department director
Construction department director
Chief operating officer
Facilities manager
Quality control manager
Retiree
Which campaign? I’ve volunteered for every Dem presidential campaign since 1984, and was on the Dukakis national field staff in 1987-88.
Assistant martial arts instructor
Collector for a bookie
High value courier
Bodyguard
Small engine mechanic
Census enumerator
Telemarketer
In home salesperson
Security worker
Factory worker
University public relations writer
Reporter
Self employed marketing & PR consultant
Corporate writer
Warehouse manager
Marketing specialist/manager/director
Cab driver
Bouncer
Personal protection seminar instructor
Legislative researcher for a PAC
Our current President’s.
Some appear a couple of times under different categories, I just liked breaking them down, and some jobs were held simultaneously.
Driving:
personal driver/childcare (coolest gig ever: get paid to go to the beach every day in the summer! That was 3 years…)
pizza delivery
messenger
taxi driver
Office:
Data entry
receptionist
secretary/office manager
bookkeeper/account manager, entertainment business management
Phones:
Answering service operator
phone sex actress (only from home)
Phone Sales Inbound:
inbound calls:
for a voice powered remote control,
Hooked On Phonics
Phone Sales Outbound:
TV advertising for PI attorneys
B movies to video stores
In Home Sales by appointment
water softeners
kitchen cabinets
encyclopedias and educational stuff
Retail:
Movie concessions
Movie cashier
Restaurant Takeout
Computer Geekitude:
macintosh computer consultant and tutor
Filemaker database designer
Miscellaneous:
residential property manager
chemical hardwood floor restoration
bid jobs for a full-service hardwood floor contractor.
Sex-related:
adult magazine editor
sex toy copywriter
phone sex actress
Creative:
sex toy copywriter
stand up comic
writer
voiceover artist
All but one of those jobs were before I was 36.
After which everything I learned and then some got rolled together and I became:
Owner/manager of the world’s oldest and largest vintage erotica website (affiliate relations, publicity, accounts, content acquisition, project management, sales, porn, copywriting, etc.)
Did I mention I have ADD?
I really do not want to follow Stoid’s interesting list… but here goes,
Paper Boy
Lawn Care
BusBoy
Cook
Sailboat Race Official
Meter Reader
Linecrew (refuel airplanes)
School Bus driver
Lube Jockey
Warehouse order-puller
Ambulance Driver
UPS Sorter
UPS Driver
Crane Operator
Semi-submersible driver (offshore oilpatch)
Flight Instructor
Computer sales
Airplane Deliverer (OK, only a few times, but still…)
Avionics Software (various airliners, fighters)
Stories requested.
Fixed.
[Moderator note]
This is just a reminder that it is against the rules to modify a quote within quote tags while leaving the original attribution. I have fixed it for you.
Colibri
Moderator
Unpaid during childhood/teenage years: babysitter, specializing in 22-boys birthday parties and too-many-kids-at-the-pool.
During college: one summer job as a receptionist; one as a lab tech.
Grad school: teaching assistant and research assistant. Lots of translating and interpreting (it was in Miami, me speakee Spanish well señor and a bit of English 
).
Post-grad-school: research lab tech, quality lab tech; a short tutoring job; some translation jobs; short AA-type jobs.
Total time spent in lab jobs, around 7 years.
For the last 7 years: consulting (SAP QM, PM, PP).
Going back to university come September to get a degree in translation. No idea what career change I’ll be handling 7 years from now
Middle school: Newspaper carrier, grass cutter
High school: Newspaper carrier, grass cutter, cashier, butcher shop counterperson in a farmer’s market (hot and sweaty), dry cleaning shop cleaner
College: Dining hall slave, copier technician, newspaper pasteup person
Post-college: Reporter for small-town newspaper
Editor for small-town newspaper
Designer/editor/writer for small-city newspaper
Designer/editor/writer for medium-city newspaper
And now …
Designer/editor/writer for large-city newspaper
Free-lance writer for newspaper that rhymes with Lou Pork Grimes.
Free-lance web designer.
Petsitter. (Helping the family get this business started.)
So I realize I’ve developed a talent for a dying industry where I have little chance of keeping my standard of living alive. Sooooo…
Someday I hope to add …
Interior renovations.
Author.
Voice-over talent.
Keep dreaming!
Babysitter
Save-A-Lot Cashier
Student Secretary at Office of Admissions (worst job to date)
English Tutor in Japan (best job to date)
Computer Lab Assistant
English Tutor in Sacramento (second best job to date)
I left out my short stint as an RV salesman.