Texicanwife's Job History

Taking a cue from Randy over at Genea-Musings I thought I'd fill in my readers with my somehwat scattered and checkered employment and work history, in honor of Labor Day!

As a fresh 16-year old,  I had my first job working for B.F. Goodrich. I actually pieced together life raft floors from rubber sections. I put two halves together, and cemented them in place with a special rubber cement glue. The job was short-lived. I had lied about my age to get the job, saying I was 18, when in fact I was 2 years younger. Needless to say, when the powers that be found out, I was immediately let go, and found myself without employment!

A few short weeks later, I found myself an Avon Lady. I went door to door in a rural community selling Avon products. While I didn't earn a lot of money, I was able to keep groceries on the table with what I made, and continue my education so that I could graduate from high-school a full six months ahead of my class. [I had quit high-school in order to get married at that ripe age! I was so in love!!!]

Next, I worked a full summer as a dairy hand, along-side my husband, on a big dairy farm. I schmucked and slopped and slushed, and milked! I herded. And I shoveled [no explanation needed for that one!] I would have to rate this my absolute worst job of all time!!! Dirty. Nasty. And definitely smelly! [I never take a drink of milk today without thanking God for the dairy farmers!!!]

A few months later my husband joined the military and we began to travel the world. I didn't re-enter the work force until five years later, when I was a mother of three. I worked for a photo laboratory for nearly a year. I sold photo processing plans to military families. Nearly a year later I found myself expecting baby number four, and knew I couldn't afford a sitter for four children! So, I resigned myself to be a stay at home mother and raise my children, even though financially it was never easy!

Before I knew it, I was now the mother of five children! Yes, five! So, I decided to take on a Tupperware career. And in Tupperware I worked my way up to manager, with 9 dealers working beneath me. I drove a Tupperware wagon [a special Oldsmobile station wagon that Tupperware purchased for their managers.] And I loved the attention and status I had! Still, the income was iffy, and fluctuated with the economy. I decided I needed something a bit more stable.

Saving my income from Tupperware, I went to nursing school and became a geriatric nurse. I found a real niche in working with these elders who so needed love and attention!

I was a nurse practitioner for 13 years, when my health failed and I was diagnosed with lung cancer. My doctor insisted, after I beat the odds, that I quit working for a while. The treatment left me with a compromised immune system, and I still fight those problems today!

In 2001, I decided I wanted to work full-time in genealogy. And I began studying that. It has been my true passion! However, in October of last year, with the economy in a down-swing, my clientele dwindled off, and I could no longer afford to run a business. And I began searching for employment once more.

Now, in my fifty-something's, and having worked for myself for nearly ten years, I was no longer able to go back to nursing without committing to a full year of school again, in order to re-learn and catch up on the changes in that field! And as I began applying for other jobs, I found a silent enemy in this country. One of age discrimination. If you are of a certain age... you better grab the first job you are offered!!! Keep looking for what you want... but take that first offer, because it might be a long while waiting for another one!

From October 2010 until April 2011 I received only the barest acknowledgements of my job applications and resume's. And then in April, one of those giant retail chains [I won't mention which one], decided to give me a job as a people greeter. It's not a glamorous job. And it only pays the barest of wages. But it is a job! And they were willing to hire me on when no one else was giving me the barest chance of employ! And for that I'm grateful!

If I went back into the field of nursing, I'd be making ALOT more money. But as I said, I'd have to go back to school for a year. Not something I want to do at this age. And while this is not my dream job, I hang on hoping I can one day transfer into a different department and get something a little more suited to me!

No, I haven't had a great career history... but it's colorful to say the least! And while I may not be where I'd like to in my current employ, I know there are better days yet ahead!

What jobs have you had?

Are there any that were unusual?