Jobs - Family Connections Experiment
My work history has been all over the place because I've had the girls to take care of and I could never have made enough money working to cover the cost of childcare, we moved every few years, I don't have a degree so the jobs I want I'm not qualified for, and financially we've usually been okay without that second income. I have almost always done a few things here or there to bring in a little extra money, but it's rarely been full-time work or much of anything that one could consider a career. Here we go, from my very first job to my most recent work experience!
Taco Bell, 1993-1995 (I think?) - My older brother and sister also worked here so it was kind of the family tradition to work at Taco Bell during high school. I lived for the bottomless sodas and half-price Choco Tacos.
Geoffrey Beene, 1994-1995 - Yes, for a period of time in high school I had two jobs. My older sister's friend's mom was the store manager and so I think being hired was almost nepotism? I liked folding shirts using the folding guide and the smell of the Grey Flannel cologne. As a bonus, Sheetz was basically next door and MTOs were life back then.
LDS Employment Services, 1995-1996 - This was another nepotism situation. My Aunt Gail worked in the office and I was living with her family. She got me the job as a receptionist, which was actually a six-month job training position through the DI.
Heritage Financial Group, 1995-1996 - The first job I ever got where someone in a position to hire me didn't know me or one of my family members! I was a receptionist here as well and this definitely felt like my first grown-up job.
Hollywood Video, 1996-1997 - I started working part-time at this video rental store in the evenings while I was still working at Heritage Financial Group. A little while after Jared left for basic training I was offered a full-time position so I made the switch. I've never rewinded so many VHS tapes in my life.
Suncoast Motion Picture Company, 1997-1998 - When we moved to Hawaii I took that Hollywood Video experience and worked at a store in the mall that was similar except it wasn't a rental place, we sold VHS tapes and even laserdiscs! My first day working here was also the first day I experienced morning sickness with Madison. I threw up eight times in the little bathroom in the back of the store that day. I survived on mall food and in the early months of the pregnancy, the Auntie Anne's next door kept me alive.
Ho'okele Newspaper, 1998-2000 - After Madison was born I stopped working for a little while and then I saw a circulation supervisor position advertised in the base newspaper. Once a week a big white van would drop off hundreds of newspapers to our house. I'd load up our little Subaru Impreza with a baby and as many newspaper bundles as I could fit in the car and deliver them to buildings all over the base. I also supervised the carriers who delivered the newspapers to every single house on the base. It was a perfect job for that time of my life. We had one car, but Jared worked nights so I always had it during the day. I could bring my child with me, including Emily after she was born, and I only had to do this one day a week.
Wyoming Newspapers, 2006-2008 - Basically the exact same job as the previous one, but at a different base and with a minivan so it was a lot easier to fit all the newspapers in my car. This one was also done at night and I delivered bundles of papers to businesses in the surrounding town so it took a little longer. Luckily the kids were older and Jared was home at night so I didn't have to bring them with me unless they just really wanted to help throw newspaper bundles out of the car window.
St. Mary's County Public Schools, 2014-2015 - I have a love-hate relationship with substitute teaching. On one hand, I was able to work when I wanted to and if I didn't want to work or couldn't work that was okay too. On the other hand, substitute teaching can be really difficult for someone who likes to know what her life will be looking like well ahead of time. Those 6 am phone calls wondering if I could come in sucked because if I didn't know I would be subbing the night before I just wasn't mentally prepared to work the next day.
Lands' End, 2015-2016 - This was supposed to be a part-time seasonal job over the Christmas season. But I liked it so much (and they liked me so much) that within a few months I was working almost full time and the assistant manager. I still liked folding clothes with the folding guide but after years of laundry for a family of seven, I was enough of an expert to fold without the guide most of the time. I learned I still have a soft spot for mall food, especially Sbarro Pizza.
DODEA, 2018-2020 - Despite my previous experience with substitute teaching, I gave it another go in England. Subbing in military schools is entirely different and so much better than subbing in a normal public school. I worked as a sub for about a year before switching to a permanent part-time position as an educational aide. So whatever the school needed, I did. Mostly that was helping out in the school library or the front office, but sometimes I'd cover classrooms, go on field trips as a chaperone, or have lunch and recess duty.
What was your first job? Your favorite job? Your worst job ever? What's your dream job?
Taco Bell, 1993-1995 (I think?) - My older brother and sister also worked here so it was kind of the family tradition to work at Taco Bell during high school. I lived for the bottomless sodas and half-price Choco Tacos.
Geoffrey Beene, 1994-1995 - Yes, for a period of time in high school I had two jobs. My older sister's friend's mom was the store manager and so I think being hired was almost nepotism? I liked folding shirts using the folding guide and the smell of the Grey Flannel cologne. As a bonus, Sheetz was basically next door and MTOs were life back then.
LDS Employment Services, 1995-1996 - This was another nepotism situation. My Aunt Gail worked in the office and I was living with her family. She got me the job as a receptionist, which was actually a six-month job training position through the DI.
Heritage Financial Group, 1995-1996 - The first job I ever got where someone in a position to hire me didn't know me or one of my family members! I was a receptionist here as well and this definitely felt like my first grown-up job.
Hollywood Video, 1996-1997 - I started working part-time at this video rental store in the evenings while I was still working at Heritage Financial Group. A little while after Jared left for basic training I was offered a full-time position so I made the switch. I've never rewinded so many VHS tapes in my life.
Suncoast Motion Picture Company, 1997-1998 - When we moved to Hawaii I took that Hollywood Video experience and worked at a store in the mall that was similar except it wasn't a rental place, we sold VHS tapes and even laserdiscs! My first day working here was also the first day I experienced morning sickness with Madison. I threw up eight times in the little bathroom in the back of the store that day. I survived on mall food and in the early months of the pregnancy, the Auntie Anne's next door kept me alive.
Ho'okele Newspaper, 1998-2000 - After Madison was born I stopped working for a little while and then I saw a circulation supervisor position advertised in the base newspaper. Once a week a big white van would drop off hundreds of newspapers to our house. I'd load up our little Subaru Impreza with a baby and as many newspaper bundles as I could fit in the car and deliver them to buildings all over the base. I also supervised the carriers who delivered the newspapers to every single house on the base. It was a perfect job for that time of my life. We had one car, but Jared worked nights so I always had it during the day. I could bring my child with me, including Emily after she was born, and I only had to do this one day a week.
Wyoming Newspapers, 2006-2008 - Basically the exact same job as the previous one, but at a different base and with a minivan so it was a lot easier to fit all the newspapers in my car. This one was also done at night and I delivered bundles of papers to businesses in the surrounding town so it took a little longer. Luckily the kids were older and Jared was home at night so I didn't have to bring them with me unless they just really wanted to help throw newspaper bundles out of the car window.
St. Mary's County Public Schools, 2014-2015 - I have a love-hate relationship with substitute teaching. On one hand, I was able to work when I wanted to and if I didn't want to work or couldn't work that was okay too. On the other hand, substitute teaching can be really difficult for someone who likes to know what her life will be looking like well ahead of time. Those 6 am phone calls wondering if I could come in sucked because if I didn't know I would be subbing the night before I just wasn't mentally prepared to work the next day.
Lands' End, 2015-2016 - This was supposed to be a part-time seasonal job over the Christmas season. But I liked it so much (and they liked me so much) that within a few months I was working almost full time and the assistant manager. I still liked folding clothes with the folding guide but after years of laundry for a family of seven, I was enough of an expert to fold without the guide most of the time. I learned I still have a soft spot for mall food, especially Sbarro Pizza.
DODEA, 2018-2020 - Despite my previous experience with substitute teaching, I gave it another go in England. Subbing in military schools is entirely different and so much better than subbing in a normal public school. I worked as a sub for about a year before switching to a permanent part-time position as an educational aide. So whatever the school needed, I did. Mostly that was helping out in the school library or the front office, but sometimes I'd cover classrooms, go on field trips as a chaperone, or have lunch and recess duty.
What was your first job? Your favorite job? Your worst job ever? What's your dream job?
My first job was cleaning house weekly for a wealthy couple my dad knew. I did that from 8th grade until I graduated high school. My favorite job was operating the score board at BYU volleyball games. My worst job was at a promotion fulfillment company. Dream job (besides being a mom) used to be writing for a travel magazine but now I don't feel qualified for that anymore so my future is a big question mark! I wish I were able to be a marriage therapist but I'm not willing to pay for graduate school or invest the time to really make it happen. I need to find a new dream I guess. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of cool jobs! You could still write for a travel magazine, you're a great writer <3
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