Saturday, October 24, 2009

J.O.B.

When I tell my kids that I used to work, it's almost like they can't believe I did anything BUT be a stay at home mom!

It really does seem like ages ago that I had to get up early in the morning because I HAD to be at work at a certain time. I did work up until Isaiah was 2, and Miranda was 1 year old.

I thought it would be fun to look back and reminisce about the jobs I did have!

I had my first job "illegally", meaning I was still underage. You had to be 16 years old to get a work permit from school, but I just delayed in getting one so I could work longer. I was only 15, and I really liked working here because one of my good friends worked there too. I only worked there a few months, but this was not my last gig at the food industry.

My next stop at 16 years old would be Pioneer Chicken. The owners loved me! At $3.50 an hour, I was a quarter ABOVE minimum wage!! I thought I was livin' large! Remember friends, this was in 1986. I actually couldn't stand working here after awhile. The brown & orange uniform was 100% polyester and very uncomfortable. I would go home smelling like fried liver and gizzards. I knew that after this job, I had to try something different!

I don't recall the name of the next company I worked for, but I was only there for a couple of months, at the most! I was a telemarketer, and my job was to call random people from a phone book to try to book appointments for solar energy! Now, doesn't that sound FUN??? NOT!!

The next job I got was through my good friend. It was at a trendy, teenage/young adult clothing store called Merry-Go-Round. Any of you remember the brand I.O.U.? And this was when Guess jeans came out. This was the "cool" place to work, and I met a lot of people. But, this place had it's downfalls too. The pay was minimum wage (three & a quarter), or commission, whichever was more. So, we couldn't just stand there and socialize with customers. I mean, we could, but only to a point. But, the biggest upside to working there was the 40% discount on the clothes!!

After I was done with retail, I moved on to bigger and better things (chuckle)! I was a bank teller at Wells Fargo Bank. By far, this was my favorite job, ever! I worked for WF for a few years, and at two different locations. If there was one job I could imagine myself going back to, that would definitely be it.

Finally, I moved into credit reporting. For the next few years, I worked as a Customer Service Rep. for a company who put together credit reports for mortgage companies. It had it's stressful moments, but it had it's perks too. From my customers, I received cards, gifts when I had my two older kids, flowers, and free lunches! I've also been able to stay in touch with my ex co-workers through Facebook!

It's been 12 years since I've worked. It feels like a lifetime ago.

It was fun while it lasted.

What was your favorite job?

25 comments:

Liz Mays said...

Well, you know it wasn't Ponderosa. I think I made that clear!

Meeya Cruz said...

I started working also when I was 16. I used to think that I my childhood was taken from me, too early. I cannot do what others, same age as mine then, used to do becuase I had to work. But then, as I reach the maturity level, I realized my experience as an underage employee helped me a lot to improve my personality.

*sigh* Good old days! ^_^

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

I do love my patients as a dental hygienist...and others jobs along the way. But... have to say...I LOVE being a stay at home mom! and I LOVE doing the Personalized Sketches artwork that I have done for almost 25 yrs. (Ooh, that sounds ancient!)

Blessings & Aloha!

Just wanted to let you know I have 2 awards (aka blog hugs) for you at my place. Thanks for following and for your comments!

Pilar said...

WE share the clothing store job :) Well I worked for Sears for the summer while I was teaching spanish for the high schoolers :) This was a cool post :)!

Pilar said...

WE share the clothing store job :) Well I worked for Sears for the summer while I was teaching spanish for the high schoolers :) This was a cool post :)!

Stephanie said...

Wow! 3.25....isn't it insane that they ever expected anyone to live off of that kind of money?

Love your look back...my favorite was the job where I met my hubby at. I worked for a Hvac company and was actually hired as a dispatcher but did everything possible in the office and ended up taking on 3 peoples workloads...still miss it though!

Kimberly said...

Oh my goodness! I thought you were like 25, late 20's at the most, but you're older than I am. You're aging beautifully my dear!

I worked retail too, and that definitely wasn't my cup of tea. My favorite job hands down would have to be the one I have now. SAHM. ;)

jen@odbt said...

Fun post - never did the food thing. It'll be 9 years since I stopped working...hard to believe for me too. My favorite job was my summer internship at an ad agency in NYC. I don't know if it was so much the job as it was living in NYC.

Parsley said...

Well, my favorite job IS pet sitting. I worked at an electric company and insurance company before. Boring.

He & Me + 3 said...

I haven't worked in 9 years and I don't ever want to work again. lOL I work enough around the house. :)

Stacy said...

I know my kids are like "you use to work"? Isn't it funny how our kids think we never have did anything but be mommies?


Great walk down memory lane!

Kathy C. said...

Somehow I just can't imagine you smelling like friez gizzard, LOL...
That's quite an extensive list...mine is something like this...Babysitting, Peter Piper Pizza, USAF, Fitness Center, "Waitress", Nanny, Waitress, Asst. Manager at Sandwich shop, Receptionist, Sec. to Pres., Asst. to CFO, Secretary at State Farm, Homeschool Mom! :)

annies home said...

daughter have worked at fast foods and it was my responsible to clean those uniforms i was tired of caring for them after a while myself

Daphine said...

What a neat post! Loved this!
Hmmmmm...3.25 an hour though? Girl...I can't even get my teenager to work at home for that much now! lol!

I do love my job! It's in the import/export business. I've been there for 15 years and love it just the same as the first day I started. Trust me.....it's a blessing to be able to actually say that and truly feel it!

Happy Saturday friend!

Kristin said...

Great Post!
I always loved working and did a lot of it!....I often held several jobs at once and finishing college on top and it was great....
and now I can honestly say it is harder work "not working" !!

Susie said...

What a neat walk down memory lane:-)

Beth Herring said...

My favorite job by far, was being a mom - staying home and raising my 3 precious girls. Now that they are grown, I am blessed that they too, can stay home and raise their own children in the Lord.

Muthering Heights said...

I used to work at the Police Department..oh my, that was quite the job!!

jules said...

I've only had a couple jobs myself. A Sears catalog store when I was 16, a grocery store checkout, and in an office at a frozen pizza factory. I've been home for about 17 years. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Jennifer said...

Aaaah, working. I miss it. Well, of course, that depends on what kind of work! LOL! My acting work, I miss, but 'regular' jobs? Nope! :-)

louann said...

Wow, you were a bank teller? I think that's really cool!
I've been working for the past 5 years. I've tried a call center and now I'm with a bank - both with the human resources department. I've been enjoying the bank more =)

Denise said...

I enjoyed this post.

Unknown said...

How fun to see your careers thru the years : )

My favorite job was teaching Kindergarten and first grade. Although, I LOVE this job I have now best of all : )

really.truly said...

I remember Merry-Go-Round!! That was a very hip place to work ;)

Did you have Airport?? It looked like the inside of an airplane...very trendy too.

Laura said...

Kyle doesn't understand why some of his friend's mommmy's go to work. I think he thinks all Mom's stay home, lol.

I've only had 2 jobs.. one was at a daycare center and the other was at a tanning salon. I worked both, at the same time, for 2 yrs. The tanning salon was so much fun! I miss it!