# Who has the most varied/extensive job history? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 26, 2000, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-varied-extensive-job-history/30860 "2000-08-26T19:41:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Catrandom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Catrandom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catrandom)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-varied-extensive-job-history/30860/21 "2000-08-27T06:34:40Z")
My checkered history… Seller of silverware in a department store Kitchen store salesperson Restaurant hostess Hospital messenger Data entry clerk Editor of insurance reports (plane crashes, mostly) Graveyard shift phone answerer in a law office Video store clerk Legal secretary for a pretty good lawyer Medical transcriber Legal secretary again, for a really bad lawyer Secretary for a couple of accountants Secretary for a couple of other accountants Back to data entry clerk Production manager/copy editor for a tiny publisher Copy editor for a weekly trade paper And countless office temp jobs in between all those. Which averages out to about .85 jobs a year over my whole working life. So I have a short attention span 🙂 Catrandom ---
**Author:** ![dewt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@dewt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dewt)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-varied-extensive-job-history/30860/22 "2000-08-27T13:29:01Z")
Hey Beatle, what the heck is a ‘shade tree auto mechanic’? I’m trying to picture it. Where did you keep your tools? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-varied-extensive-job-history/30860/23 "2000-08-27T13:42:50Z")
I guess that once common phraseology has passed from the general vernacular. It means I worked as a free lance auto mechanic, without an established shop. Have tools, will travel, so to speak. Not how I’d get my automotive work done today, although I’ll say I always did a good job. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-varied-extensive-job-history/30860/24 "2000-08-27T13:48:17Z")
After reading some of these lists, I’m feeling a bit inferior. OK, here goes. 1)Factory worker 2)Fund raiser for an environmental protection organization (4 days) 3)Usher/concession stand worker in a movie theater 4)Telemarketer (2 months. It was a fly-by-night outfit and it flew one night) 5)Data entry clerk 6)Market research survey technician 7)Packer, then order checker in a music store warehouse 8)Exotic dancer (part time. I still had my day job) 9)Telephone psychic (three weeks, then God let me know in no uncertain terms that He wanted me to be Catholic) 10)Tuxedo rental associate (I dressed men for a living. It was fun, but didn’t pay much) 11)Convenience store clerk (1 day) 12)Craps dealer. (I also know blackjack, but I hate dealing it) ---
**Author:** ![cblackhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@cblackhand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cblackhand)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-varied-extensive-job-history/30860/25 "2000-08-27T13:48:50Z")
Started at 14 and am about to turn 23. 1. Mowing lawns 2. Fast food cook 3. College bookstore shipping and receiving clerk 4. College bookstore cashier 5. College bookstore accountant 6. College bookstore text manager (ordered all the textbooks) 7. Temp work for admissions dept. of community college 8. Gas station cashier 9. Work study in library, processing books and monitoring the back door. 10. Disc Jockey at small cable fm station 11. Tournament coordinator 12. Waiter at country club 13. Tech support on PBX’s (Phone systems) And if all goes well, in a few weeks when the paperwork goes through 1. Engineer supporting voicemail systems That is a pretty varied list for someone my age. ---
**Author:** ![dewt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@dewt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dewt)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-varied-extensive-job-history/30860/26 "2000-08-27T14:10:38Z")
I forgot one: Typist for a court stenographer. That one was short lived. The guy mumbled. He’d give me a tape of him repeating everything that transpired in the court room and I’d have to type it out. He mumbled so badly that I’d have to try to ignore him and pick out what the people were saying directly. Oh yeah, I’m thirty. I’ve been working for about 15yrs. So thats about 2 career changes/year. But then again, many of them overlapped and since my actual career is “Jack of all trades” (Master of 2 or 3)I’ve been pretty stable. ---
**Author:** ![dewt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@dewt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dewt)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-varied-extensive-job-history/30860/27 "2000-08-27T14:17:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beatle \* > \*\*It means I worked as a free lance auto mechanic, without an established shop. Have tools, will travel, so to speak. \*\* Now _there’s_ a good idea. I mean, how many times does one’s car break down at the mechanics shop? House calls; I love it. 😃 One of my ‘jobs’ that didn’t make my list is what you’d call a ‘shade tree’ recording studio. We’d bring our small four track and other equiptment to the bands local. It didn’t make the list because it falls into the category of ‘things you decided to do but never got around to it.’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-the-most-varied-extensive-job-history/30860.md?page=1)