How many jobs have you had in your life?

This came up by chance the other day, but it comes up from time to time. I was in a discussion and mentioned something about when I worked somewhere. The other person said, "WOW. You have really worked at a variety of places!"

When I think about it, I guess I have. By age 30 I had really only worked at 3 places, not counting summer jobs and super-short term stuff. I lasted my first "real" job for 7.5 years, which for Gen X at the time was somewhere 3-4x the average tenure. Since then it has been totally different, and I have taken the position that I have "assignments" and "clients" and not a "job." One of my "theme songs" is now "I've Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash.

So, for a new discussion, how many jobs have you held and how many "careers" if we can even use that word anymore.

Auto detail and body work - 2
Deli - 1
Smoke shop - 3 (unless change of position counts as new job, in which case - 5)
Casino - 1 (2)
Construction - 1
Health care - 1
Post office - 1

Longest was casino. Almost made it 6 years. I suppose both it and one of the smoke shops could be considered "careers", depending on how you define one.

K-mart -1
Restaurant - 2
Priest - 10 and forever

I don't think I could count them

Under 18 -
Herb Picker and Packer,
Paper rounds x2
Building Supplier Cashier and Shelf stocker

Then part time work:
Summer job in electronics company.
Summer job in computer hardware company,
Summer job at record store
Teaching position at University

Full time:
Quality Analyst x 3
Product Manager and QA Lead x 1
QA Consultant x 1
Senior QA x 2
QA Lead x 1
Total Quality Manager x 1
(jobs have been small companies, start ups, multi-nationals and government civil service)

Business Owner x 1 (full time starting next month)

That's one real career, 15 years long, and about to start on second

At least 15. Too boring to list. They
all had their points, but hey, a job
is a job. By far the best one I had
was in Santa Barbara, managing
an adult bookstore and peep show
for a year.

Didn't open till 11am. The owners
were mob people who lived in San
Diego. Only saw them twice a month
when they came to get the quarters
out of the machines. It was like being
self employed but without the stress.
I would close for lunch and get a beer
and a sandwich. I read all the time I
was there, the customers never bother
you. It was wonderful.

The mob guys were really nice to me.
If you don't screw with them, or ask
too many questions, they always joke
around a lot. First names only. Two of
them unload the quarters, a third guards
them with a gun in a shoulder holster
inside his coat. Very businesslike.

Your question did start a bit of trip down memory land for me AZD. Officially by your criteria I probably have had only 3 careers in my life. First was for most of a year being a clerk in grocery store when I had a break year from University and 7 years when I apprenticed and learned my first trade with another company. When I left that job I started my own company and have been self employed ever since. During this time the work force grew from 1 to over 50 and back to 1 again as I ready for full retirement (or not, can't decide).

Before I apprenticed I had dozens of part time jobs. My first job was a paper route which I had to door knock in order to create my own customer base, I did this at 10 years of age. I had some kind of part time job continuosly pretty much from then until I started work full time. So I have been working for 58 years. I know most of the younger people on the forum don't get it, and I have probably said this before, but it is a privelage to be able to work. If you don't think that is true ask the billions of underemployed people in the world.

I guess I was always meant to be an entrepeneur since I also had a lawn mowing business for several years in my early teens riding my bike and towing the mower behind until about 16 on my route. I had many part time jobs which were paid piecemeal which means you are somewhat responsible for how much you make. I even did a lot of side work during my apprenticeship which eventually caused friction with my employer and caused me to start my own company.

Quote: TheCesspit

Herb Picker and Packer

Mmhmm. Add this to my list too, then ;)

Quote: kenarman

I know most of the younger people on the forum don't get it, and I have probably said this before, but it is a privelage to be able to work.

Ain't that the GD truth. I was really starting to get worried for a bit. All my skills and knowledge and drive and ability and I couldn't even land a freaking $10p/hr entry level position. And seeing how many are unavailable to me due to my "advanced age" and mild disabilities, and I couldn't imagine how it is for those over 40 who get laid off, or need retirement supplement, or have actual disabilities. I ain't too keen on this whole "getting up at 5a" bull donk, but man, it feels good being gainfully employed again.

I guess I should share since I started this whole thing. Perhaps you peeps can tell me if I "have had a lot of jobs" and what it means.

Two different paper routes as a kid, once morning and later afternoon, when they had the afternoon paper. I was too shy to door knock for new customers, wish I had not been.

Relative got me hired at a grocery store. Wish I had started looking for work the day I turned 16, but with holidays I didn't. Was one of oldest in my class at school so the peer pressure to start was not there.

Planned on keeping that a short time, kept it 4 years, until I moved to college, even got picked up at another location when I got there. It was not the same and I got an on-campus job.

That lasted 3 years until graduation. What a cakewalk. Just watch the computer rooms. During college I had summer jobs in a plastic factory (terrible), soldering circuit boards (not bad) and at a Xerox warehouse (a real adventure.) Also did odd work when I first got out, one verifying pledges for a telemarketing place. I took pledges until I quit 3 days later. The verifying was not all that bad.

First "real" job was managing the pest control place. 7.5 years. Another adventure. Might add a tall tale or two. After that some consultant work at a uniform rental place, where I saw a very ugly side of office politics.

At this point the migrating to where I am now. 3 years of mortgage processing. I still had dreams of being some kind of stock analyst and kept trying for it, even moving cross country to stay with the bank. Things didn't work out and I ended up in an auto loan tele-center.

Answering phones. I hated it. I mean, it was bad but not intolerable at first, but later they micromanaged everything. I mean everything. I was a top closer but was forced out. I only stayed as long as I did hoping for a bonus. They were forcing me out before it came. They were like that, one girl got fired a week before Christmas Bonus. She was I swear insane, but come on! She was clipped mafia-style, called away and they didn't let her even come get her purse, just shipped her stuff to her.

I hated life. Ever not want to go to bed because you knew you had to get up the next morning and go to work? One guy called off every monday. He said he was out of sick days and promised to come in. I laughed. He ended up calling off. Everyone hated it there, except those who could turn off their minds. The kind of place that needed people of only a certain intelligence level.

At this point, my life became a real circus. Tried two places originating mortgages, lasted a week at a hotel home office, two month gig at another bank in mortgages. Crazy economy did not help, but life was bad. Move back home. Work at a hotel two months, U-Haul a few months, as a courier, anything to avoid starving and pay my many bills at the time.

Then I migrated to title work. One place was various things. Then title clearance. That place let on we might get hired regular. 10 months later laid off. Broke into oil and gas, guy said he had 5 years of work. 10 months later laid off.

At that point I decided I would never, ever, maintain myself much more than a year at one place. Temp job at another bank, they said they wanted to eventually hire us permanent. Yeah, right. Never believed it once. 8 months later we were all let go. On at another title place, said it was long term. 8 months later, well you can guess by now. Get a work from home gig, but it was sort of project-oriented from the start. 6 months later same deal.

Since then, 3 oil and gas gigs, but I hardly call it "jobs" anymore. I have "clients." They hire for "projects" and we all know the deal going in. I talk to my old boss all the time, we will probably work together again. Basically, I figure I will never last two years at a place again. I will not have the patience for "game playing" you must so often deal with.

So, have I had a lot of jobs, or am I just well-rounded?

Looks like you just have absolutely no resolve or ability to stick things out (/joke).

I think being flexible in employment is important... companies don't owe you a living... and you don't owe them one either. But some managers expect you to live and die for the job, which is unreasonable in any company that is looking out for itself rather than it's employees (some of the latter do exist, and one of the appeals for shared ownership and co-operative models).