Information

[jcsmaestra]

After my divorce, I got a second job to support myself and my 3 boys. I actually enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves. Not only was the pay good, but I was serving my country at the same time. I worked one weekend a month and 2 weeks at active duty training every year for six years. I started as a 3rd class petty officer and  studied hard to advance to 1st class petty officer to increase my pay. And this was in addition to my 5 day a week job. 

[GerriW]

I don't consider it odd, but definitely a unique job - I spent my first 6 years in the Air Force as a fighter jet mechanic. It was definitely an amazing experience - I loved the job satisfaction when I fixed something, running the engines was a blast and the people I worked with were the best - we were like a family so we did things together off duty too. I even got an incentive flight - best roller coaster EVER!!! lol

[Jolly Holly Scraps]

I've done everything from clean houses and wait tables, to working in a day care and in a lab. Probably my favorite job was working on a pet store, which closed down while I worked there... I consider myself an artist, and Jill of trades, master of none LOL!
Oh, I've ALSO worked on drive thrus so much that i STILL have dreams where I'm doing that!

[JillinIN]

I haven't had odd jobs. I was a hairstylist then got a job at a dog kennel grooming dogs, but still cut my family's hair. When my niece was in 2nd grade (1992) I cut her hair. The next day her teacher told her it was cute and asked who cut it. She said, "My aunt". The teacher asked, "oh, is she a hair stylist?" My niece said, "No, she's a dog groomer".

[SandyJay]

I had a friend who's family owned a florist.  They needed extra help during seeding time and I worked in the green house doing "plugs" for starting seeds and seedlings.  We had a little tool that you pushed into the 2 inch square pot of soil to make a hole for seedlings.  So, I was just "plugging along" for a while!  It was actually a fun job until it got hot!  Ugh, the green house was no fun then.

I did that too, Vicki!  

[SandyJay]

I don't consider it odd, but definitely a unique job - I spent my first 6 years in the Air Force as a fighter jet mechanic. It was definitely an amazing experience - I loved the job satisfaction when I fixed something, running the engines was a blast and the people I worked with were the best - we were like a family so we did things together off duty too. I even got an incentive flight - best roller coaster EVER!!! lol

Oh my gosh!  Too cool!  

[JillinIN]

I've loved reading about everyone's jobs!!

[SandyJay]

One of my odd jobs was working in a coat room in the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit.  One guy was supposedly a “cop” and let us know about gun in his pocket and to keep good tabs on it.  (Yes, there was a gun in his coat pocket!). He said the only good criminal is a dead criminal”.  We crapped our pants!  He gave us a good tip, if I recall correctly.  

[blfonty]

My first job was at a Dairy Queen during high school summer breaks. It was good, but I never could remember prices and would have to check the big board above to add up the purchases. I also have worked at a local scrapbook store (now closed) and never really made much money, as you can imagine, I spent most of it on the fabulous new supplies. I did teach a scrapping class or two which was so fun. I completed the EK Success SDU (Scrapbook Design University) programs if anyone remembers it.

[Mycreativerootscrafts]

My first job at 15 was a storekeeper for all the military sports games. Its was a pretty easy and fun job.

[ScrapyCandy]

I have had to do some weird stuff during and after college to prepare for my career. I am a retired virologist which meant I spent my life in a specialized lab by myself. Only room for one at a time. The more social folks typically left to find another career.  Some of the viruses had potential to make you very ill.  Of course, we train for this, and the lab is specially designed for our safety.  Most people think I was insane and really have no interest in hearing about it. Lol.

[VALERIE 03/22]

I HAVEN'T HAD ANY WEIRD JOBS JUST MOSTLY LABOR JOBS.................. BUT I HAD 1 FUN JOB IT WAS IN SHIPPING AND RECEIVING IN MILWAUKEE WI............................ WE COULD HAVE FOOD AND A RADIO OR TV AT OUR STATION AS LONG AS WE GOT OUR WORK DONE, WE WERE GOOD TO GO............................ AND THERE WAS A SHOWER SO IF WE WANTED TO COOL DOWN, WE COULD (NO AIR CONDITIONING) ................. 1 OF THE PERKS WAS WATCHING MY BOSS GET OUT OF THE SHOWER NO NOT NAKE ALL THE WAY BUT HE WAS SEXY TO SAY THE LEAST......................... BUT THAT WAS SOME 30 PLUS YEARS AGO......................... VALERIE

[GinniG]

This is FASCINATING and fun! 

I've had several interesting and unusual jobs.  One was working for the American Wood Preservers Association.  That job was probably the weirdest I ever had.  The boss was the father of the drummer for Iron Butterfly (In A Gadda Davida) I'm sure I spelled that wrong!  It was early in my secretarial/administrative assistant career and it was my first experience with someone having an extramarital affair.  She would send him letters and cards at the office.  One time the corner was folded up and I didn't see the "personal and confidential" note at the bottom.  OH MY!!!!!  LOL!  I learned that the tar on the telephone poles is called creosote and it's made with arsenic.  Did you know there are TWO kinds of arsenic and the one used in the telephone poles is NOT toxic???  We were constantly trying to tell the concrete association that but they didn't want to hear it... 

Another job I worked for the Florida Department of Citrus.  Remember the orange juice ad where the little girl is running through the flowers drinking OJ?  That was a completely unplanned commercial!  She was the daughter of one of the cameramen and had come to work with daddy that day.  They needed to adjust their cameras for the ad they had PLANNED to make and so they got her to run in the field of flowers with some OJ.  It was so beautiful and special that they forgot all about the "real" ad and made the test the ad that lasted for many years!

I worked for the government on the sea launched cruise missile, worked for a contractor who had a government contract on the Trident submarines (they were the first nuclear subs).  Got to go to the launching of the first one with my first husband where we had to walk sideways in between police officers and a fence because of the protestors (nuclear power).  That was quite unnerving! 

There were others but those were the most interesting.    This has been fun!!!

[Birgit55~Chickadee]

I had a friend who's family owned a florist.  They needed extra help during seeding time and I worked in the green house doing "plugs" for starting seeds and seedlings.  We had a little tool that you pushed into the 2 inch square pot of soil to make a hole for seedlings.  So, I was just "plugging along" for a while!  It was actually a fun job until it got hot!  Ugh, the green house was no fun then.

I had a job "plugging" too!!  It was just for one season when I was still in school. Many years later I took a job packing seeds for a seed company in my town.  We sold all over the US.  Among other tasks there, I packed seed orders and worked in the soap making section, which was my favorite.  It was a fun job!
I've also been a summer camp counselor while on summer breaks in my middle school years and then in an ice cream shop in my high school years.  My adult years were spent in the banking industry, working in the office at my kids school and working for LL Bean.  

[stinkerbelle]

the summer between my junior and senior years of HS i was in a program for let's say "less than afluent" kids.  you took some classes you were interested in and then the program found you a job.  sadly my job was cleaning at the Sheriff's station lol.  so i got to clean holding cells, so fun!

 

[Flasher]

For many years during the 80's my town had a Potato Festival every summer.  I'm sure you get by the name that the theme was potatoes.  Well, each year they hired as many high school students as they could to help with set up and prep.  I worked 2 years in a row -- it was only a two week job, but it did pay minimum wage at the time.

My job?  Gluing googly eyes to potatoes!  They would late be used ad booth props, decorations, etc. 

[Kayla S.]

This is so fun and interesting reading everyone's posts!!! I've been many things from typist to camp counselor to owner of a catering company. But the career I'm most proud of and plan to retire from some day is a FLIGHT ATTENDANT I've met extremely kind celebrities like Samuel L Jackson, Eugene Cernan (astronaut who wrote his daughter's initials on the moon), and countless athletes. I had the honor of charters the Cleveland Browns to all their away games for 5 years (incredible group of gentlemen). My fair share of crazy stories comes with the territory haha (putting a stop to people trying to join the "mile high club" right in their seats or a lady who boarded the wrong plane and didn't realize until we hit the runway). The job also comes with the amazing opportunity to celebrate a "make a wish" child on her way to disneyworld, watch fireworks, rainbows or endless sunrises from the sky, hold hands with a grieving mother on the way to her son's funeral, or pass out wings to welcome little ones to their first flight! I LOVE my job and always joke it's like getting paid to go on vacation

[VickiR]

I had a friend who's family owned a florist.  They needed extra help during seeding time and I worked in the green house doing "plugs" for starting seeds and seedlings.  We had a little tool that you pushed into the 2 inch square pot of soil to make a hole for seedlings.  So, I was just "plugging along" for a while!  It was actually a fun job until it got hot!  Ugh, the green house was no fun then.

I had a job "plugging" too!!  It was just for one season when I was still in school. Many years later I took a job packing seeds for a seed company in my town.  We sold all over the US.  Among other tasks there, I packed seed orders and worked in the soap making section, which was my favorite.  It was a fun job!
I've also been a summer camp counselor while on summer breaks in my middle school years and then in an ice cream shop in my high school years.  My adult years were spent in the banking industry, working in the office at my kids school and working for LL Bean.   

It was fun!  I had a couple of friends working with me and we chatted all day.  I only did it for one season while I took time off to raise the girls.
 

[shoorn]

When I was in highschool, I was manager of the boys ' varsity fencing team. I went to meets and kept scoro. Afterwards I would write it up and drop the results off at the local paper. I was paid for the season. It was my first job. On a side note, I was the first girl in the school to earn a Varsity letter.

[MTCanuk]

Back in high school, I played piano for a kids ballet class!  Once a week.  Think it was pretty different.