What jobs have you had?

[Nitrohaulic]

clerk at a White Hen Pantry store...my first paycheck! I exploded the slushy machine

There's another topic all it's own. What's been your biggest disasters at work?

When I was pumping gas it was early 80s and there were still plenty of big cars. We had an air hose around the pumps that'd ring the old bell to let you know you had a customer. That was also our "no smoking" zone. One hot summer day I forgot. The little old lady looked in horror in her rear view mirror to see my face with a lit cigarette hanging from it. Soon as she heard the license plate clang back up she started the old Caddy and squealed tires leaving to pull in front of the office to complain to the manager. It got me the nickname of "Boom-boom" and had all of us watching Exxon videos of gas stations blowing up!

Another good one was my first time on the Greyhound night shift job (Just where you want to be in Knoxville's worst neighborhood. There were two bullet holes in the wall behind the ticket counter). One of my neighbors was the orginal 60s hippy, always in trouble for drugs, etc ( Thanks to him, we often had our own COPS show from our front porch before there ever WAS a COPS show ) . He was doing federal time at the time.

Anyways, my new manager is showing me around the place. During the tour, he points to one corner where prostitutes would congregate, telling me how he never wanted to see me over there. All of a sudden one starts waving and yelling "Hi Ron!" LOL, my hippy neighbor's wife! The boss is looking at me like "The son of a b*tch is on a first name basis with them already!"

 

[paoldtimer]

What I hate is I make good money and am viewed as a company asset. I enjoy my co-workers, vendors and customers, but I don't enjoy my actual 'job'. I hope to go back to college next Semester. I mentioned previously (months ago) that I'd like to pursue PR/Marketing. Is almost 40 too late for a career change?

Never too late, at least that's what everyone tells me. It's time for me to go to college in the spring...

Being in the work force since 1975:
First job - waitress at Pizza Hut
K-Mart - Service Desk (dealing with wackos returning junk )
Excello Shirt Co - shipping dept (business relocated to Seymour, IN)
Water systems accessories company (started in shipping, worked way up to asst buyer - left after 15 years when the owner made the comment, "she'll never leave here", after asking for more money.
Commercial Insurance Agent for 1.5 years - worked for a crazy woman who I swear was bi-polar. She would scream at you if you made a mistake, leave your office, come back 5 minutes later she's as calm as could be...rattled my cage...nope, gotta get outta here!!
Temp for a pharmaceutical company - great $$ and benefits.
Signed on fulltime 5 years ago, and LOVE IT....

 

[Nitrohaulic]

18 - 20 Sales at Feed and Seed stores in Memphis and Knoxville.......24-32 McDonald's (yeah, hamburgers) Management training director for a large market and then Operations Director for Alaska with the #1 and #2 volume stores in the world.

It's interesting that McDonald's number one and two volume stores would be in Alaska. Just not much else there to choose from, or what? Do you know what the reason was (is?)?

I grew up in Maryville, 15 miles south of Knoxville.

 

[The Counterfeiter]

It's interesting that McDonald's number one and two volume stores would be in Alaska. Just not much else there to choose from, or what? Do you know what the reason was (is?)

Ron - there were a number of reasons. #1 was purchasing power and having enough money to cut costs that Burger King and Wendy's just couldn't do. We had a 200,000 square foot warehouse with a 70,000 square foot freezer that was mainly cooled by circulating air though tubes buried in the very cold ground, our own semi rig that delivered to the stores and a combination garbage truck and snowplow for each store. Those trucks saved us $4000 per month, per store in snow and garbage removal!
#2 - the stores were huge! They were completed before I arrived, and I never found out who had the vision to do this. The downtown store on E Street was an incredible earthquake proof building that seated 450 customers and had every high tech feature that McDonald's could thing of.
The Debarr store only seated 400, but was located between the gates of the local Army and Air Force bases.
#3 - our prices were 15% above lower 48 (that's an Alaska reference) and our sales figures were reduced in comparison to assure we were actually the biggest. Burger King and Wendy's prices were double ours - customers really needed to want that Whopper or Wendy's Triple!
And . . . the fresh fruit Ray Kroc story! He got really pi$$ed off when he was charged $7.50 for half a grapefruit when we were having breakfast at the Captain Cook hotel (in 1977). After that, we were the only McDonald's in the world selling exotic fruit from a VERY expensive refrigerated cart that Ray sent to us!
Ron - I have a LOT more Ray stories, if you're interested, call me at the shop 602-438-1621 - Jim

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Yeah, we gotta swap e-mails because this is all VERY interesting to me. I'd be p*ssed if someone tried to charge me $7.50 for half a grapefruit TODAY, much less in 1977 (Geez, twenty years ago when I was hauling produce out of Florida, some loads went to a port in South Carolina to go on container ships to Japan, and they said a WHOLE one was going for 8 bucks due to their own protective tariffs.) Ray Kroc was a business icon. I gotta find out what stories you've got that aren't in the book.

I went to Shoney's yesterday for a breakfast buffet and noticed that their menus don't list any prices for beverages, neither in the breakfast or dinner sections. I asked the waitress why and she said in the two years that she's worked there, nobody's ever asked before (so I guess that makes me the a$$hole, LOL), and that she'd never even noticed it. I've eaten in places a helluva a lot more expensive than that and the menus always had prices for everything.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Hey, they've even got a dollar menu in Alaska, albeit a little smaller than ours, LOL. Yeah, I'd be raising hell for paying $1.50 for a double cheeseburger instead of a buck! Says they've got five value meals under $5. The blue background looks very appropriate. I see the Asian salad hasn't made it up there yet. I also see the Alaska playlands are enclosed, LOL.

http://www.mcdonaldsalaska.com/

OH! I see that I've got something new to raise hell about, now. When I'm in a service area (a rest area with restaurants) in CT, they jack the prices up like they're special. I can't even get the two apple pies for a buck! Wait till I tell them that I can in Alaska! (and they'll probably just suggest that I go there! or at least wish it.)

 

[Larry]

Good deal Ron , I have even more jobs in between jobs most which escape me but I worked two grocery store jobs when first kid was born.
Doc sure has it right that there is no more important job than father and husband both which if done properly require more than the usual paying job.
I wouldn't presume to even guess what the job of wife and mother entails as the former IMO would surely drive most men to distraction and the beginning of the latter would be the end for most men! LOL
Yep the women have my undivided respect in that department and I subscribe to that old addage behind every good man is a good woman.
Hummm maybe thats why I have gone downhill lately [ no woman ] .
Well it's my own falt cause I keep buying faster cars trying to stay ahead of them.

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

. . . Doc sure has it right that there is no more important job than father and husband both which if done properly require more than the usual paying job.
I wouldn't presume to even guess what the job of wife and mother entails as the former IMO would surely drive most men to distraction and the beginning of the latter would be the end for most men! LOL
Yep the women have my undivided respect in that department and I subscribe to that old addage behind every good man is a good woman.

We men stereotypically have the real gravy train. Leaving to go to work while Mama stays home with the 24 hour job of cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, raising kids, etc. All of these have no place to punch out?
We all could learn a valuable lesson following in John Roger's footsteps. Taking the stereotypical "Women's" job over is a giant eye-opener! Two decades ago I got tired of hearing my wife grumble about the thankless job of a wife so I took over all the grocery shopping, much of the house cleaning, all the driving of kids, all field trips-etc. with kids, only a share of the laundry & cooking and I found myself in the most thankless role in the world.
Nothing is ever finished!
Seldom are you graciously thanked!
Often there are remarks about the quality of your performance!
Nobody in the world is more taken for granted.

I'd venture to say 99% of men couldn't hold that thankless job John has assumed and I'll go further to say, all men would be far better for trying it.

I'll take the "dog-eat-dog" corporate world any day over a Mother's job. I'm really lucky however. For the past decade, I've had the luxury of working from my home and daily share in almost everything she has on her plate out of love.

 

[Larry]

I guess getting fired for programing Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers on a FM station devoted to Bach and Wagner type music [ coincidentally all music and commercials have to correspond to the log] should be about the top of my FU's
.
My programing efforts could have landed my butt in jail or at least fined along with the station manager and owner.
I learned a valuable lesson or two about that!
1. aluminum cans can be sold for gas money. Yep better gathered and crushed rather than thrown on the roof to be found by station employees .
2. You can't always just do what you feel like doing cause it feels right.
Humm seems like conservatives are always telling liberals that same thing.

 

[Alan]

During High School -- Various gas stations in Southern Oregon (thank god for no self serve!!)

Dishwasher/prep cook at a restaurant

After High School -- various positions at a Jeld-Wen door/fiber plant.

Moved to Cal --- last 11 years at a tire/auto shop, now the General Manager....

 

[BF]

Age 10-18 paper boy.
Age 16-18 I also was a "pin chaser" at a bowling alley.
Age 18 to now, land/river surveyor. (28 years)
Short list compared to most.

 

[Mr. Jean]

Oh man, I'm to old to remember all this stuff. I'll give it a try.

Let's see, goes something like this. Paper route, box boy, stock boy, car wash, picker/packer, gas station gopher, gas station clerk/cashier, Shop helper, B&S screw machine operater, cam grinder.

Somewhere in here, I started working on other peoples cars, at night and weekends to earn extra money to build my racecars.

Lumber & brick yard helper, Truck driver, Whse. order filler, shipping & rec. clerk, Whse. Supervisor, Whse asst. mgr., Beauty Supply store mgr.

Then went to work for the meanest boss alive.(Me) Bought a Texaco Station, then partners in a Construction co. and partners in a Tan & tub business. Now have a small service business and thinking about retirement soon.

I've probably missed a few, but that's most of them. Tired from just typing them.

 

[willy]

Hmmm..

1st job was a paper route..saved $29 and got a gold Schwinn Sting-Ray..banana seat and 5 speed stick..hehe

Mid to late 60's helped Dad at the go-kart track he ran..(raced from 11-13 yrs of age..Hornet kart that had a McCullough 90 with 2 carbs running alcohol..went 98 mph at an enduro track at age 12)

Then Dad ran a Phillips 66 station where we checked your tires/oil, etc..he got out of that when self serve came along. Great memories..during the muscle car era.

Navy..

Amana refrig for 5 yrs after.

VA in Knoxville, IA from '78-'98

Divorce went back to school and spent the next 6 yrs doing tech support for a software company in W. DesMoines..Mac based.

They downsized and elimininated everyone except the programmer.

Back at the VA..now in Iowa City..got my 20 yrs back and it's a cool place. We're right next door to the University of Iowa..and it's a good group of people doing good things for the vets (not enough)..but they're working on it.

 

[yoda]

Ow... my head hurts just trying to remember back that far...

Some highlights:

Pin setter at bowling alley
Custom built model cars (If I still owe you money, PM me... )
Illustrator/ Race car Lettering (Thanks, Circus Bob, for the BEST day!!!)
Bicycle/Skateboard retail sales
Professional Skateboarder (LOOONGGG before there was any money in it..)
Tire wiper/ parts washer for a bunch of great teams
Record store retail sales
Roadie
Mechanical Draftsman for a screw machine company
Roadie with gear
Roadie with money (sold the gear)
Entertainment Lighting technician
Entertainment Lighting programmer
Entertainment Lighting designer
(BTW- the CORRECT sequence that you should do the above 3..)

Currently: Someone with over 100K miles annually on at least 5 different airlines, and looking for the first company that offers points for tour bus miles.. .

 

[Joker]

Ow... my head hurts just trying to remember back that far...

Some highlights:

Pin setter at bowling alley
Custom built model cars (If I still owe you money, PM me... )
Illustrator/ Race car Lettering (Thanks, Circus Bob, for the BEST day!!!)
Bicycle/Skateboard retail sales
Professional Skateboarder (LOOONGGG before there was any money in it..)
Tire wiper/ parts washer for a bunch of great teams
Record store retail sales
Roadie
Mechanical Draftsman for a screw machine company
Roadie with gear
Roadie with money (sold the gear)
Entertainment Lighting technician
Entertainment Lighting programmer
Entertainment Lighting designer
(BTW- the CORRECT sequence that you should do the above 3..)

Currently: Someone with over 100K miles annually on at least 5 different airlines, and looking for the first company that offers points for tour bus miles.. .

Martin, who do you tour with? Or do you work for whoever needs you at the time?

 

[BrettV]

Here's my boring list:

11-18
Odd jobs (gardening, painting, mixing fertilizer, etc.) for a man who hired kids to help with his HUGE garden - he sold to friends with restaurants and gave to elderly shut-ins.

Vegetable packing plant - packing, roasting and salting peanuts, delivery truck driver

Stacking hay bales, driving tractor, etc.

18-23 (the college years)
Laborer in a rebar bending plant

Installing buried cable TV trunk lines (and working the jack hammer when we busted water lines under driveways )

Campus library - microforms

Odd jobs for apartment owner (painting, cleaning, etc.)

Post college
Tool crib manager for an electrical contractor

Aerospace engineer for a NASA contractor (14+ years)

Part-time at a video rental store (I'm sorry kid, you must be 18 to rent the "training" films )

Aerospace engineer for NASA (7+ years) (yes, I AM a rocket scientist )

Father, foster father, old house renovator (so what's wrong with plywood floors? I'll get the tile down someday), part time manure scooper, barn builder, hay stacker, tractor driver - 9 horses and I don't ride - but I get to drive the tractor and buy tools (but we NEED that miter saw...).

Brett

 

[Nitrohaulic]

During High School -- Various gas stations in Southern Oregon (thank god for no self serve!!)

Are/were they like Jersey and self serve isn't legal, or they just didn't have it?

Two pin setters on one page. What are the odds?

 

[force fan]

I once ran a muck for a mucking company

That's funny.........

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Here's my boring list:

11-18
Odd jobs (gardening, painting, mixing fertilizer, etc.) for a man who hired kids to help with his HUGE garden - he sold to friends with restaurants and gave to elderly shut-ins.croforms

Just outside of Kinston, NC there's a farm with a roadside produce shed. From the looks of him, the tourists probably think they're making their purchase from a man of modest means.

If you look nextdoor to the shed, you'll see a trucking company. Those of you in the southeast may be familiar with dry bulk and liquid tankers with the initials TWT on them, and the company name Tidewater Transit on the trucks (a company I was contracted to). If you look to the other side of the trucking company, you'll see a convenience store on the corner. Go closer into town and you'll see a farm implement company. The last I heard he was considering opening his own chain of banks.

The produce shed is his wife's pet peeve, because the guy works his a$$ off in it, and won't buy her so much as an earring. Every dime of it's profits goes to children's charities.

Okay, looks like Felix did open his banks after all. http://www.businessnc.com/archives/2003/10/harvey_enterprises.html According to that 2003 article, his companies brought in $201 million in the previous year. That's who you want to buy your tomatoes from! LOL, don't pay attention to the "young" guy with the hair in the pics. Look for the older, unassuming looking guy with the straw hat in the backgrounds.

He was eating lunch with us at a picnic table in the trucking company shop one day when he was paged with "Jim is on line so and so." After he walked away, one of the managers told me "Jim is the Governor."

 

[Nitrohaulic]

There's some very interesting stuff on that page if you bother to read it.

"McNairy is deliberate, analytical and soft-spoken — a business lawyer. “When he first came, everything was black and white with very little gray, “ Harvey says. The older man, on the other hand, flies by the seat of his pants, often shooting from the hip."

"He says he was determined to avoid the frequent fate of family businesses: “The first generation makes the money, the second enjoys the money, and the third generation throws it away.”