Saturday, November 12, 2005

TWQ: Work

The Weekend Question (TWQ) this week looks at employment:

What was the very first job that you ever had? Did you ever have an unusual occupation?

My answer is:

Just after I left school, I joined the gas industry as a temporary clerk in the Conversion Stores. At the time, all the country was being converted from town gas to North Sea Gas and required the engineers to change parts. This procedure was just coming to an end when I applied as a permanant clerk in the same company. I have been with them since then, doing different roles.

For a short time in the 1980's, my parents owned a newspaper shop, which I used to help out in on Saturday. This gave me immense job satisfaction, as I helped in the family business.

Now it's over to you...

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Important: * Next Thursday Alert*

Next Thursday, I will be posting details about how YOU can be involved in the Enterprise Christmas Party.

Be sure to look in!

32 comments:

craziequeen said...

Morning Jean-Luc [yawn]

MSM

My first job on leaving school was a nanny and homehelp to a family with four children in an enormous farmhouse - very EE Nesbit!

My mum said I couldn't leave school without a job, so I found that one in about 36hrs, interview and everything. Ad came out on the Friday, I started on the Monday.
Bye bye school!

And although I am now a civil servant, I have spent the majority of my life looking after children or advising parents.

cq

Anonymous said...

My first job was at a dept store in the US my senior year as an X-student (not X-rated, just exchange !). I pasted price tags on products, those where the times without a laser reader. The most boring job was in grad school gathering data for a professor. Now I perform multiple tasks :D.
Getting excited about your Xmas party!

The Mistress of the Dark said...

My first job was library clerk in my college library. Not the most exciting thing to do, but I'm thinking I'd rather be doing that now that what I am doing.

Here via Michele's.

yellojkt said...

My first job was at Wendy's. I eventually worked my way up to Salad Bar Superstar. I still have the pin somewhere.

michele's is nuts this morning (afternoon to you across the pond). I posted further down earlier (see Broadway shows post) but don't want you to feel skipped.

Running2Ks said...

OK, the strangest jobs I ever has was being a Jewish girl, working as a DJ at a Christian radio station; working the games at a carnival; and getting paid to drink on the Cuervo Party Bus.

loelsh said...

Never had any unusual jobs, but my first job was bagging groceries at a grocery store. I quickly got promoted to cashier. Whoo Hoo!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

kenju said...

I used to babysit, of course, but my first real job was in high school, selling hotdogs and cokes at lunchtime in a diner (to make cigarette money). Then I was a "mail clerk" for the telephone company; having to sort and deliver mail to people on 7 floors of a building.

kenju said...

Oops, Michele sent me.

Ciera said...

my first real job was parking cars at the Troy Fair. Did this about 3 years in a row in high school. Basically this was just directing traffic. It got quite busy on concert nights and the rodeo nights.

I think this also qualifies as my strangest job.

dddragon said...

I got a job as library page at a public library when I was 15. I shelved books, "read" shelves to make sure that the books were in the correct order, and checked out books. Once the basement flooded and I helped bail out.

Can't say that I've ever had an unusual job.

ribbiticus said...

am still at the job i started in right after college. funny that i ended up in banking when i had a degree in communication arts. just one of those things that make you go hmmm, i guess...

michele sent me today.

Jen said...

My first job was going door to door soliciting donations for an environmental group. That was not at all pleasant.

I also worked at a police helmet factory for a short period of time. I hope the police have a contract with someone else now, because we put out very shoddy product.

Trinity13 said...

My first job was at a second-run movie theater. I started at concession, then ushier, then box officer worker, and then projectionist. It was a blast...especially since I was able to do my homework while working (and I got to see any movie I wanted for free!).

Lori said...

I babysitted a lot growing up...But my real first job would be....Bingo checker....they had a huge forum in the town I grew up in....and the jackpot would get up to about a million....So that brought a lot of people in from different states.

Have a great day!!!!

Helen Louise said...

My first job was at Pizza Hut... I was actually on the payroll longer than I have been for any other job, although for some of that time I was away at university. The job was rubbish because I'm not really a natural waitressing type and so they conveniently 'forgot' to train me, meaning that I was put on setting tables, delivering food, and the salad bar (and occasionally the job of welcoming, which is rubbish when there's a queue and all the serving staff are stressed, because everyone hates you - seat people and the staff hate you, don't seat them and the customers hate you). It actually did help my confidence but I didn't miss it at all when I left.
By the way, I'm very excited as to how I can be involved in the Enterprise Christmas Party :D

M. C. Pearson said...

My first job was cleaning toilets in a Montessori Preschool when I was 13 years old. Yea...not a great memory...thank you so much for forcing this out into my thoughts again. Lets see...I've had a two really strange jobs: Cottage Parent~ me, my hubby, and our kids actually lived with 6-9 (it varied)'at-risk' youth ages 4-18 for 5 years. My other one was being an artist in the US Army. They called it a Multimedia Illustrator/Graphics Documentation Specialist...glorified terms for artist/gopher.

xtessa said...

my first job ever was my mom's maid. LOL! but i never got paid...

kidding aside, my first job ever was a "service crew" in a famous fast food joint. i wasn't great with the frying and stuff so the manager put me front and center with the cash register... also because i was the best in pasting a great big smile on my face and yelling, "Welcome to *&$!" as soon as customers stepped inside our joint!;)

oh, i'll be waiting for my invitation! LOL!

Empress Maruja said...

greetings! michele sent me

my first job was a production coordinator for a hair polish product launch. i got to tour on several cities for that.

kenju said...

Back with another job; Michele said I should!

I was a personal shopper for a large department store one year at Christmas. I got to shop for people who either could not come to the store or didn't know what they wanted. It was great funto spend other people's money!

Jean-Luc Picard said...

You've sent in some great entries so far. Often, one's first job is the one we remember with the most detail.

As to those who have asked, look in on Thursday, and I'll be printing details of how you can feature on my blog as a guest at the party. You will have to do some writing!

Valerie said...

Hi there Michele sent me......

One if my first jobs was at a 7-11 store. I worked the 6 to 2 shift and loved it. THe people were always so nice to me and when I decided to move back to Boston from California a bunch of my customers bought me going away presents

Kim said...

Hi, I'm here via Michele. My first job was picking blueberries when I was 12 years old. I had a wicked tan...which looked great with blue hands.

Anonymous said...

My first job was a papergirl and I ended up doing it for far longer than I should have (but it gave me some pocketmoney... and Christmas tips were good!).

Thanks for dropping by!

Le laquet said...

I worked on the checkout in Tesco ... I was 16, in the sixth form at school and I was so proud of my £23 per week!

The Mistress of the Dark said...

Just stopping by again via Michele's. I told you my first job...my second was working as a file clerk for a law firm. Again, not very fun or exciting. :(

Le laquet said...

*blushes* Ooops ... hello from Michele!

dena said...

My first real job, one that I received an actual paycheck for was during the summer months when I was in high school. I worked at a souvenier shop on the oceanfront, and imprinted iron-on decals on t-shirts. It was fun actually a fun job for a kid.

The next summer, I turned 18 and worked in a head shop. I did piercings and sold bongs. I had a very interesting group of clients in this shop. This shop was also on the oceanfront.

I am visiting from michele's today

Marcia said...

My first job was at a 50's themed diner, as a "Shake Girl" (get your mind out of the gutter! I made the milk shakes and other desserts!)... the food was disgusting and greasy, and I'll never work in food service again!

Here via Michele

craziequeen said...

Hi Jean-Luc :-)

my unusual occupation was at the grand old age of fourteen, I was a lifeguard in a children's pool. The law said there had to be two guards at all time.

I was responsible for swinging my whistle, looking officious and hauling them out, the first aid trained guard did everything else! :-)

cq

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Great answers, as always; it amazed me how varied those first jobs actually were!

Raehan said...

First job I ever had: busgirl at a pizza place.

Oddest Job: Chamber Maid at a hotel in Scotland.

Heather said...

My first job was as a lifeguard. It was very cool ;-)