What is the craziest job you ever had... AND....

[QueenOfCalifornia]

1) Why did you decide to do it?

2) How long did you stay?

3) Why did you quit?


Me... I have done so many crazy things that I am wondering if someone out there can at all relate... (my husband has had the same job for some horridly, long period of time and he thinks I am a bit "abnormal" because I changed career paths several times... I need to see if he is correct or if I am married to a real bore.)

[Inchworm]

1. Ironworkin'

1. Cause its ok to have a beer or 2 for lunch to take the edge off.

2. 2-3 years

3. off the job accident

I loved the rush of weighing yourself down with 80 pounds of tools and walking 4-500 feet in the air on a 7 inch rediron sidewalk. If you've never tried it... go for it.

:hi:

[SoCalDemGrrl]

2. Door to door encyclopedia salesperson

Terrible, terrible job. But I was a broke twenty-something and in desperate need of money.

Sad thing is although I was pretty good at the job and sold a lot of books, the company ripped me off and never paid me my commissions.

[SeattleGirl]

3. Telemarketer.

Why: First thing I could get, and I was broke.

How long: One day. I despised myself.

Why did I quit: As above, I despised myself. I just couldn't do it.

I don't think there's anything wrong with changing careers. I'm on my fourth one (vocational rehab counselor). Prior to that, I was an alcohol/drug rehab counselor, and prior to that, I had a variety of secretarial/administrative assistant jobs.

Some people just feel a need to move on after awhile. Staying in one job for your whole life is not as common as it used to be.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

5. ¿

How long: One day. I despised myself.

that made me laugh -- I had a job once like that -- I kept it to pay my bills but... I would cry while I put on my makeup in the morning... I was the unhappy on the inside clown....

[SeattleGirl]

9. Yeah. There are jobs like that, for sure.

I'd go back to flipping burgers before I'd do telemarketing again.

[Mythsaje]

4. Delivering newspapers

as an "independent contractor." Getting up at 3:00 to 4:00 AM EVERY single morning (3:00 on weekdays and Sundays, 4:00 on Saturdays), folding the papers, then running my ass off for one and a half to two and a half hours a day... For a grand total of about $1200.00 a month.

I did it for a year and a half and let me tell you...it's pure work ethic. There's no "I'm too lazy to go in today," or "I'm sick." You get up and go every. single. day.

The upside? I got to read the newspaper before anyone else did. I didn't have to deal with any kind of a boss besides my customers.

The downside? Every. single. day. No night out on the town. No drinking more than a beer occasionally. No lazy mornings. The wealthier the customer, the harder it was to get them to pay their bill. Collecting sucked.

After a year and a half I just burned out and wanted a real job again. One with days off.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

6. OMG

That sucks-

I have always felt sorry for the newspaper guy because I have thought about what you just posted... I have never met or talked to one though -- sounds hellish

[Mythsaje]

7. Well, it DID test my work ethic...

Which wasn't all that strong before that. Now I have a reputation for reliability that I didn't have before that, so I guess that's a good thing.

I have always liked to challenge myself. Now I'm working retail and using IT to help me get over, or at least learn to deal with, my social anxiety.


Sometimes I feel like the living embodiment of the reverse of the old adage--"accept your limitations and they are yours." :D

[JCMach1]

8. Worked in a living museum in St. Augustine, Florida

Was a summer job. I did manage to injure myself though... severe cut with wood-working tools.

[skygazer]

10. Greyhound trainer

1. Got into it on a dare when I was 17. A guy I knew worked at the track as a leadout (the people who bring the dogs onto the track and put them in the starting box). He said they needed someone, I joked that I'd do it, he said, "A girl couldn't do it!"

That's all it took. Never had any interest before then but discovered I loved the dogs - they were so wonderful. Within 6 months, I was working in the kennels and before I was 18, I was a trainer.

2. Close to ten years - racetracking is kind of a way of life.

3. I couldn't stand the waste - young dogs put down because they weren't fast enough. People hear horror stories about cruelty - it happens but the real tragedy is the day-to-day waste - I adopted dogs myself because I couldn't stand to see them go but you can't adopt them all yourself and this was before any organizations had come into play. It just got to be too much.

I have some great memories of some wonderful dogs and some great people but I'm perfectly happy to see greyhound racing phasing out. :hi:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

11. I trained the first drug trafficking dogs

back in the '70's -- that sort of kicked off my odd ball job list -- Girls can't train dogs huh? That's news to me and my ovaries

[skygazer]

13. You know, I've had people think the same about me

that your husband thinks - that its odd to work a bunch of dissimilar jobs. Maybe it is but I could find a job in a dozen different fields if I needed to and a lot of people I know have experience in only one. I also have no fear of trying something new - I've done it too many times. The downside of course is that I don't have seniority and retirement benefits worth anything but there's always a trade-off.

List of (some of) my jobs -

Stablehand
Waitress
Chambermaid
Greyhound trainer
Book bindery worker
Grocery warehouse worker
Carpenter
Concrete worker
Road construction laborer
Snowmobile mechanic and salesperson
Office manager
Farmhand
Heavy equipment operator
Cigar salesperson
Grocery clerk

I'm sure I'm forgetting several but you get the picture. :P

[MrCoffee]

12. i collected softballs inside a batting cage, in Austin, in August

my job was to retrieve the softballs and replace them in the pitching machine hoppers. in 100 degree weather. i quit after 6 hours because one ball broke through the rotten netting and hit me in the stomach, causing me to vomit out about 3 gallons of water that i'd drunk to try to keep from dying.


i just left. walked out, went home.

[KitchenWitch]

14. Golf Course Tee Starter/Ranger/Beer Cart Person

Fun job.

Free golf, free golf lessons with the pro (I still suck at it) and outdoors in the summer (this was in Minnesota.)

[QueenOfCalifornia]

15. and i see that you...

kept some of the balls.... at least 2.

:rofl:

[KitchenWitch]

16. ROFL

I won't let anyone hit these golfballs!