My mom has only had two jobs her entire life and she’s retiring in April at the young age of 40 (we accidentally forgot to keep counting after 40). Seriously though, I’m 32 and I’ve had 31 jobs. At one point I was actually juggling four jobs while attending college full-time. That is one less job than my actual age, but let’s face it there is the likelihood that I had the exact number of jobs as my age as I’m sure I’ve displaced one somewhere along the insanity. Here is a list of the ones I remember:
1. Babysitter (Antlers, OK)
2. Joe’s Handy Stop (video clerk, cashier, stocking/cleaning slave @ $4.25 an hour – age 14 in Antlers, OK)
3. Mike’s Grocery (cashier and an extraordinary bagger in Antlers, OK)
4. United States Army Reservist (aka ‘Weekend Warrior’ with the advanced individual training of 75Charlie – Personnel Management Specialist – bootcamp at Ft. Jackson, SC)
5. Pizza Hut dishwasher (Stillwater, OK)
6. Pizza Hut delivery girl (I got promoted in Stillwater, OK)
7. Concert Promoter (Dropped out of college and headed to Buffalo, NY during the winter – I WAS REAL DUMB)
8. Camelot Music (Plano, TX)
9. CD Warehouse (Plano, TX)
10. USA Storage Unit (Plano, TX – most boring job in the world but at least I rode a golf cart around and peeked into storage units)
11. CD Corner (cool indie record store girl in Stillwater, OK – yes, went back to college)
12. KSPI Radio (alter ego DJ Jane Does – the gateway into management)
13. Artist Management (Jenny Labow)
14. Payne County Health Dept. (Thanks for getting me this job mom)
15. Artist Management (The All-American Rejects)
16. Bartender (Willie’s Saloon)
17. Tour Manager (The All-American Rejects)
18. Front desk of Truckee Hotel (Truckee, CA – good times)
19. Substitute teacher (Moyers and Antlers, OK after the first time in my life I ever got fired but in my defense AAR fired me for Green Day’s manager)
20. Continuity girl (NYC – The Breakup Artist – low-budget and I worked for peanuts…no really I volunteered but quit after ).
21. Telephone Operator for Doctor’s call service (Midtown East)
22. Temp (various record labels)
23. Sales Assistant (Elektra – finally got a break)
24. Director of A&R for Hautlab Records (finally, a pick me up)
25. Artist Management (The Effects)
26. Sales Coordinator at SOME Records (freelance sucks)
27. AOL Music (introduction into Corporate + Digital)
28. Artist Management (The Ropes)
29. MTV Networks (I had arrived – but now I realize arriving is only half the battle that you won’t win)
30. Artist Management (BETTY)
31. Writer (where I should have been instead of 30 other things).
I do suppose had I not had the 30+ jobs above I wouldn’t have much to write about now would I? Besides, the 31st time is a charm.
How many and what fascinating types of jobs have you had?