I was a city mailman for years...tough job...but my fav was a private duty nurse for geriatric patients...til my body wore out!
We have male member on here who used to be a mailman. I don't remember who it was. I had recently joined the forum and didn't know everyone yet.
I walked a lot...for years..don't know whether to attribute my good health to that...or my aching bones to it!
I worked in a warehouse for three months. Driving a fork lift was an everyday experience. Lifting and pulling stuff down. from high up was a scary experience. Really. This warehouse was training for the job I was hired for which was a buyer. After I became a buyer and later on promoted to Purchsing Agent, I always had respect for our ware house people and especially the fork lift operators. They did every day something I was afraid to try. So to @Charlene Marolf, a tip ofthe hat. By the way, the buyer's job was my favorite.
Back in my 40 yrs of workforce I had MANY jobs. Probably the most memorable one was inside/outside sales in the Metals Industry. This was all before we sent MOST of our industry to other countries. In the outside sales capacity I was calling on foundries and steel mills selling pig iron, foundry coke, nickel, cadium, zircon sands and more....I was the only woman west of the Mississippi in this capacity. I did this for 9 yrs...there was a woman in the NY office who did this for the other parts of the country..I believe we were the "tokens". We got orders some of the pushy guys could not get...so the bosses were not Dumb. .I quit as I did not have anymore blood left for the "company". I was making "interesting" money for a woman...men always made more, of course. Too bad I didn't save more. But great memories. Back in my work days, one could quit and job and have a new one the next day. Not today, a totally different world. I miss a LOT of the old days.
For over ten years I was a sales representitive, selling bolts, nuts, and fasteners of all sorts and grades. My customers were Manufacturers of agriculture plow products, steel companies, agriculture equipment dealers, bus manufacturers or anyone who put things together using fasteners. I was situated in Lubbock, TX but my territory extended from western Oklahoma to San Angelo on the south and from Ablilene and Wichita Falls on the East to Roswell and Carlsbad, NM on the west. I was living in high cotton so to speak, making pretty good money, when some Steel Company with a branch in Dallas, Texas hired a woman engineer and was grooming her for Product Design & Materials Manager. The position required that she work in all departments. I encountered her presence in San Angelo, Texas on a monthly routine call on customers. Customers I had taken a long time to acquire and build up. Suddenly my sales dropped off almost fifty percent on that southern route. I had coffee wit a purching agent of a steel company in San Angelo and asked him why he didn't need any fasteners. He told me to be honest he had been holding a good order but this lady called on him. He said she was an attractive brunette, that knew his business almost as well as he did. She could answer any question and even projected our dealings for the coming year. He said she was something else and I couldn't help my self, I gave her the order. She didn't get all my customers but she got about half of the business of my big customers. That was impressive. I had lunch with her in Abilene on Monday morn. I waited on her and invited her to lunch is the reason I got to know so much about her. Her looks might have helped her on her first visit but her knowledge of the industry did and she was a very good sales person. No question about that. She was knowledgable and good at what she did. I was really glad when her time was up on my territory. @Joy Martin comment reminded me of that long ago experience.
It wasn't a money paying job but volunteering as a Parent Advocate for the head start program was my favorite job. Most would probably think it was a babysitting center but it was much, much more than that. As an Advocate we assisted staff in all areas from welcoming new children to their graduation from the program. Parents were offered opportunities to attend a variety of workshops and conferences focusing on early education for children ages 2 to 4. During my first year as a Parent Advocate I was offered the opportunity to volunteer in the Main Office. I certain that I was recommended by one of the staff to the Director because she really took me under her wing. I enjoyed my four years as a Parent Advocate. It was a wonderful growing experience for me.
Having worked since age 12..I have had many jobs. From meager low class jobs to Purdy dang high class jobs. I must say my favorite was head of cosmetic dept for Walgreens..12 years. Had it made in so may ways.
For most of my working years, I was a systems analyst at a large corporation. I enjoyed that initially but as time went by and with a few promotions I lost my enthusiasm. Too much competition and back-stabbing in the corporate world; I just wanted to do my job and go home. My sister and brother-in-law owned a burger joint in a small town in south GA for a few years and it was a dawn-till-midnight kind of existence. Good help was difficult to find so they were pretty much tied to the business day in and day out. When I'd go to visit, if I wanted to see my sister I'd have to go to their business. I'd usually end up putting on an apron and working the drive-thru window, taking orders, or minding the french-fry machine so my sis could sit down for a minute. I really had fun working along side them, but it was just a few days for me... and a grinding hard life for them. They actually made a good living with that place, but it was never-ending hard work.
Favorite jobs: I drove night shift for Yellow Cab, in Chicago, to help get through college. Exciting job, lots of cool times. Four years, on and off. I led one of Austin's most popular private party bands for twenty years. Lead vocals, bass guitar. Great times. Did the same thing in Chicago, for ten years, prior to moving to Texas. I started, owned and operated the first licensed tattoo shop in Texas for thirteen years. Fun, but very tough on my back. I did the body piercing, as well. I own a tree services company. I'm in semi retirement now, but I still like doing the work, like being outside. Fifteen years, ongoing.
I carried mail for 15 years. Best and worst job. Loved the customers,loved the exercise being outside. Hated management and the nonsensical petty rules. Most of all I hated the feeling of not accomplishing anything. No matter how hard you worked, the next day you would face the same thing again,Groundhog day. My favorite, and I am almost ashamed that I took money for it. I was Dept of Defense Security Police at an Army Base. Manned the gates, did patrols answered calls, got my arm broken with a pewter chicken a gal was trying to smack her husband with. I worked midnite to eight. Most of the base was ammunition igloos in the middle of no where. I got to spend nights watching the wildlife and the skies. Amazing what the night sky reveals when you observe it 30 or 40 hours a week.
Actually the job I enjoyed most was driving a school bus. Did that for 4 years before finding a "real" job making "real wages".