Today's challenge is: A job I wouldn't be good at.
There were a number of jobs I had before becoming a teacher.
I worked at a Taco Bell and A&W Root beer stand over the summers in high school. It paid 75 cents an hour at Taco Bell, but all the food I could eat. I was 16 and had a hollow leg. Everything on the menu was a quarter, got fired for eating too much. A&W was fun for a summer job, paid $1.15/hour, but I found out fast food was not for me.
I was in high school JROTC for two years. Decided the military was not for me. It was the last year of the draft for Vietnam and my lottery number was high enough I didn't get drafted.
Worked at a Skaggs Drug Store and Howard's Department Store and it was better than fast food but pay was low and didn't have benefits.
Going through a divorce I tried to do door to door sales selling fire alarms. Nearly went broke. They sent me all over town to do an hour-long demonstration and sales pitch where I left empty handed but had to pay for all the gas I used, and time wasted.
I worked construction with a high school buddy who had a backhoe service. He worked the backhoe and I drove a dump truck, did a lot of spreading gravel with a rake putting in septic tanks. Did a lot of work and all his checks bounced.
Thought I had a career doing warranty for a Cummins repair shop. The economy went belly up and was laid off, with wife eight months pregnant and lost health insurance.
That's when I finished my methods classes and student teaching to get a career capable of having a family.
14 comments:
You’ve had so many interesting jobs! I’m glad you were able to get in a stable field that could support you and your family.
Divorce can do that, bummed around for five years, but got my act together.
Wow, Patrick you've done all sorts. I certainly don't envy anyone going door to door. One of my brothers did that for a little while and hated it. But you've gotta do what you've gotta do at the time.
You've had some diverse jobs! Was the quality of taco bell better back then? Ever since I found my first 'real' Mexican restaurant, I've only gone there on holidays when restaurants are closed but I have a jones for tacos.
Yes, George, door to door is the pits.
Sadly, the one item I really liked on the menu then was the Bell Beefer, their type of hamburger with red chile. The quality of meat from then today is that today it has hardly any nutritional value.
Annnnd now you're giving me flashbacks to some of the jobs I had in my brilliantly misspent youth. Teacher's Aid at the science museum was fun. Ice Cream store was meh -- not horrible, but not great. Samples Preparation at the chemical analysis lab involved doing some very interesting things with acids. Night shift on the teen boys wing of a drug & alcohol rehab was... very not great.
Lots of diverse stuff, Michael.
Interesting list! I feel like that's how it goes for a Iot of people, they sort of try different things until something sticks or they finally land a position that's got enough job security to last, or that pays well and is a good fit for the family or person in question and it ends up being where they stay.
Stephanie, that was back in the stone age. Today there are few careers left that you can live on or raise a family. Even with a college degree student loans are taking up the living part of the wage.
You tried a lot of things before teaching!! I think the service economy jobs suck. Strange hours and low pay. Son has a degree and has had several "sales associate" jobs in big box stores. Not many hours, no benefits, low pay. So we are trying to get him to get an office job.
Yogi, office jobs are rather scarce now days.
Nice to be able to try lots of different jobs before picking one.
All in the past, Priscilla.
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