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How many jobs have you had?

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  • #16
    Re: How many jobs have you had?

    Excluding part-time stuff, just one. Got a teaching job right out of student teaching. Stayed until dd. Now I'm home with her. Maybe that's two jobs . . . Anyway, looks like we teachers stay put!

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    • #17
      Re: How many jobs have you had?

      I have had 12 jobs total, a bunch of them being pt jobs I had while still in high school, in addition to pt jobs I held in addition to my regular ft jobs. I have been with my current employer for 2 + years I plan on staying there, I am very happy.

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      • #18
        Re: How many jobs have you had?

        I've had about 5 real career positions over the past 19 years. Some overlapped with freelance/small business and a regular 40 hour position. Major fields working in retail, graphic design, television production. (About 14 jobs total including part-time/temp work.)

        I grew up watching employers down-size and fire long-term staff. Also experienced many 60-80 hour work weeks. I like to keep my work experience diversified like a portfolio so I can transition easily within a company or out to another if necessary.

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        • #19
          Re: How many jobs have you had?

          Not counting part time jobs or jobs to support college, I've had only one. I've been at the same place for four years. I'm not going to call it a career, though, because it's just a job.

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          • #20
            Re: How many jobs have you had?

            Held the following jobs after college graduation in '95:

            1) Legal Assistant at a law firm. This was a part-time job I had during college, and went full-time after I graduated (while looking for job in my field). Firm laid me off after three months full time, because of budgetary constraints; however, the lawyer recommended me to a position at a real estate firm, which leads to...

            2) Real Estate firm receptionist. Worked here about 3 months, until I found job in my field.

            3) Computer Systems Analyst for a military contractor. Stayed 10 months. Contract ended.

            4) System Engineer for a big military/State government contractor. Stayed with company 8 years (6 years working on military contracts, 2 years on a State contract). Was laid off . Got decent severance package, though, and was out of work for only two months (I was very blessed, for I know people who were out of work for many months, and at least 1 person who was laid off with me is still looking!!!).

            5. Software Engineer with another military contractor. Currently working this job, been here for 7 months.

            Also, I do part-time/freelance work as a church/wedding musician. Been doing this since high school.

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            • #21
              Re: How many jobs have you had?

              1) waitress at 16
              2) operator
              3) framer
              4) banker
              5) secretary
              6) librarian

              Wow. That's a lot.

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              • #22
                Re: How many jobs have you had?

                Well, I worked as a cashier at a grocery store part time (32-35 hours a week) during college (an hour away fulltime). The semester I was to graduate, they offered me a position at the main office as computer specialist (I had moved up to taking care of things at the store already). I took it. Commuted back to finish classes (four hours away) and did graduate, with a B.S. on psychology. LOL! So, I never did do anything with that. I worked for them for more than 10 years. After endless nights and days on the road taking care of all the stores and their computer needs/training. Literally, I was away from home for weeks at a time. I worked routinesly more than 100 hours a week. I was on call 24/7 and my 1/2 year old car had 106,000 miles on it. I had no life. Made some decent money, but had no life and was not happy. I was two hours away from my family and my real "home". I quit and moved home (without a job). I actually did put forth an effort before I quit to find a job. But, two hours away (and frequently quite a bit more when traveling), it was difficult to look for a job. I had a hard time paying my bills on time just because I had to chose 4 hours sleep that night or paying bills. Very irresponsible of me, I should have put my foot down. I can laugh about it now. And I have come a long way to get my credit record back to great but I tried everything I could think of at the time. I called the federal government and inquired about labor laws and did it matter that when I worked that many hours I was making less that minimum wage? And the answer I got was if I did not have three people directly reporting to me, and I worked that many hours, that was between me and my employer. HUH? Okay, my employer says I have to work that many hours, now what? Get fired? Well, I felt a little bit of a smirk inside when they hired two people to replace me because I told it like it was when I left. Not a big stink or anything like that, just told it like it was. They tried to hire me back for over a month but I just wasn't convinced they understood and would change. Anyways, back on track. So, I cashed in stocks to live for about 6 months and find a computer job. Couldn't in my area. And I did want to be in my area, so I took a temp job to pay the bills. Ended up liking it and they liked me and I got hired. Been there almost ten years now, I work in accounting. I love numbers. So it works for me. So I guess the short answer to this rambling mess is two.

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                • #23
                  Re: How many jobs have you had?

                  oh, boy... let's go backwards on this, shall we?

                  currently a tech support administrator/developer for a software company
                  customer service trainer for national phone company (location closed)
                  customer service rep for same phone company
                  shift supervisor for local crisis line (resigned)
                  public relations liason for old country buffet (location closed)
                  contract foxpro (HA) dba for champion aviation
                  barista/waitress at family's coffee shop (location closed)
                  college: director of marketing and public relations for internet startup (bubble burst)
                  college: customer service manager for same internet startup
                  college: customer service rep same internet startup
                  college: resnet computer tech (left school)
                  college: computer lab assistant
                  college: media services and AV tech

                  and that gets us through the past 10 years. bah! granted, i worked in media services, resnet, and for the internet startup at the same time while i was in college fulltime, but still... had my own version of a burnout/breakdown as a result, but i'm much better now *crazy grin*

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                  • #24
                    Re: How many jobs have you had?

                    I had a million, billion jobs in high school and college--everything from McD's, to secretarial work, to working as a travel agent.

                    I got my first "real" job after I graduated and I'm still with the company, though now as a consultant instead of an employee. I'm a little surprised I'm still there 6 years later, but it's working out.

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                    • #25
                      Re: How many jobs have you had?

                      I started work at 12. I was supposed to just unpack clothes boxes at this dress store, but I ended up running the register and doing the books. I was there many years.
                      I worked part time at a jewelry store, a wal mart type store, and as cashier at a restaurant while going to college. (the restaurant was 40 hrs. a week)
                      I then did book work in a laboratory for a large company that made disposable needles.
                      My next job was bookkeeping at an orange packing plant. (built in 1898)(Only heat was an old fireplace)
                      Next I sold tupperwear for several years. (I was a manager and got a free car)
                      I worked, doing bookkeeping in a large carpet place.
                      I was then hostess at a fancy eating club, called the Halifax.
                      I got my favorite job when I got remarried, bookeeping at a small savings and loan that was started in 1912.
                      I left there to help my husband run a testing lab. (soil and concrete)
                      I worked for a short time at a loan company, making collections. (hated it)
                      I then did bookkeeping at a restaurant, but did not like the way they ran things.
                      All this bookkeeping was done at places with no computers, so I never learned to use one.
                      When we moved to the mountains, I first went to work at McDonald's
                      Then I became a waitress and worked there many years.
                      I have worked part time for the small water dept in a tiny town(less than 500) helping to get the water bills out every month. I also worked on the census.
                      Now I just work on the $20 challenge!!

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                      • #26
                        Re: How many jobs have you had?

                        Hmmm, I'll work forward in time, starting in Junior High

                        Babysitter
                        Tutor
                        Ice Crem Scooper
                        Golf Course Attendant
                        Hotel Housekeeper
                        Chemistry Lab Assistant
                        Biochemistry Lab assistant
                        Day Care worker
                        Camp Counselor
                        Commercial Bakery (I sliced fancy cakes for hours on end)
                        Office Assistant for local governement organizing tax bills and dog records (!)
                        Office Assistant at Medical Employment Placement Office
                        Dietetic Intern (quasi-school/ job position required to become an RD)
                        Nutritionist / RD
                        Nutrition Software Consultant
                        Gradaute Research Assistant
                        Personal Chef
                        Babysitter

                        Some of the jobs have been simulataneous and / or short-term. It's interesting how I'm back to babysitting. Things go full circle, I guess.

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                        • #27
                          Re: How many jobs have you had?

                          A few years ago, I had to fill out some paperwork and list EVERY job I 've ever had. It took a lot of time finding all those W-2s stored in the attic. I had at least 35 entries. Some of them I didn't even remember.

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                          • #28
                            Re: How many jobs have you had?

                            I vote 5, and I count aLL my jobs - they were all very unique rather they funded university or not. I don't count them as any less jobs.

                            I forgot babysitting and house sitting though - I did a lot of that as a teen. I lived rent-free for 6 months housesitting which was really key in getting through college in a high COL area.

                            16/17 - Amusement Park - foods and retail
                            18 - Amusement Park - Cash Control (I loved this job - night shift)
                            16-21-Piano Teacher
                            19-21-BookKeeper
                            (Those were my 3 worthless PT university jobs - LOL).
                            21-23-Auditor for large international firm
                            23-24-Tax Accountant for large international firm
                            25-Present-CPA for a small firm (auditing, taxes, consulting, bookeeping, and more)

                            I enjoy having a completely different skill (piano) and knowing how to make money from it if I ever needed to again. THough I prefer to work in accounting/bookkeeping overall.

                            Unpaid, I was actually getting into wildlife rehabilitation, though I loved the idea of the job, not my cup of tea. Glad I ventured into that through volunteering. But just throwing that out as another angle I did aim for career-wise once...

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                            • #29
                              Re: How many jobs have you had?

                              Originally posted by PennyPincher
                              What happened to the days of 30+ years at ONE company?!?!? Wow.

                              I was at one company (a big box store) 6 years, and they kicked me out because they were paying me too much. They cut my hours down to 2 a week so that they could find someone cheaper.

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                              • #30
                                Re: How many jobs have you had?

                                Wow, it told me I already responded to this post - must have been several years ago!
                                High school: McDonalds, Ben & Jerry's, H & R Block (filing, data entry), babysitting for my math teacher's kids before school Senior year I worked all four of these.
                                College: Hostess/waitress, research assistant, Discovery Zone (kid's play place) doing everything: check-in, birthday parties, kitchen work, cleaning
                                Post-college: Children's advocate (aka babysitter) in a shelter for victims of domestic violence, case manager in a shelter for runaway/homeless teens, real estate agent, service coordinator for developmentally disabled, and the only one I truly enjoyed going to every day - working in my cousin's greenhouse for $5/hour!

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