One day. I had applied for 2 jobs, and the one I wanted least called first. So when I showed up for my first day, I was called for the position I really wanted.
Fresh out of DeVry Technical Institute with an Associate in Applied Science, Electronics Technology, I applied for a job advertised by Motorola for a "Phaser 1". No idea what that meant, but requirement was an A.A.S.; I applied on a Friday, started on Monday, quit Wednesday. Why? They had us stationed along one side of a waist-high conveyor belt about half a city block long. On the other side of the belt was a continuous mirror, reflecting back at us the view on the T-V screens on the belt, sets side by side, seen in the mirror. The belt never stopped, nor slowed nor sped up, but moved at such a rate that we could walk slowly sideways, while adjusting each set's 3 electron guns, focus control, and degaussing magnets. At the end of Monday's workday, I could barely stand up, and I was 21 and in very good shape. Tuesday did me in. Studied Calculus and Differential Equations to do this for $2.15 an hour? I did not tell my Dad I was quitting; when he got home from work Wednesday, he was not happy to hear that. I wondered about those guys, exposed daily to the radiation in back of those sets, color T-V ran around 40,000 volts on the CRT, 90,000 was used in dental X-rays! I knew all about such things because I had already assembled my own X-ray fluoroscope! That was summer, 1963. On Sept. 22 I started work as Development Technician, Gasket R & D Lab. at Victor Mfg. and Gasket Co. Best and most rewarding job I've ever had! Left for work happy in the morning, got home happy at night! Frank
Short jobs within a job. Out of boot camp as an E-2 my 1st. duty station was in Argentia, Newfoundland I was assigned to Air Ops. Not knowing what to expect in this cold desolate place, I couldn't be happier when I found out what I would be doing. Air-Ops job included everything from passenger baggage handling, cargo loading, to plane fueling. Best part was three section duty. Three section meant one 24 hour shift [not awake 24 hours] just being at the terminal, with the next 2 days off. For a 6 pack of beer you could get someone to take your duty day. That meant a lot of free time to travel around Newfoundland. Met a girl in Carboneer that was really nice. Went to parties and just hung out having fun. But that wasn't the start of what turned out to be great for me. As part of cargo handling & Air_Ops duties I had to drive a lot of different equipment. The lieutenant in charge of Air-Ops had me tested for cars, vans, 18 thousand lb. capacity forklift, 47 passenger bus,fuel trucks, NC-5 power starter, power ramps, cat D-7 dozer, tri axle dump with snow blade attachment. I got my Navy drivers license with all those certifications. That is the basis for the next part of my story. Making E-3 I was able to request a Navy school that matched my interests. I chose jet school in Memphis Tn. & was accepted. My start date was about one month from being in Argentia for eight months. Travel time, a week leave to visit my folks then off to Memphis. After signing in getting my barracks and class schedule I had some time to look around the school grounds. Getting started my classes were from 8 to 4. There were different start times for other jobs. And as always doing something for duty [standing watch for four hours watching nothing] <--- training for just in case. Could be horrible hours 8 to midnight, Midnight to 4 a/m & 4a/m to 8a/m. This time 4 section duty was the way it worked. Meaning once every four days I had to go do whatever for four hours. Lucky ME The first time I reported to the duty office there were probably 12 other trainees. The duty officer for some reason asked me if I had a Navy drivers license. He asked if I could drive a bus & if I could drive one that had stick shift. I showed him my license & said absolutely Sir no problem. So for the rest of my time in Memphis on my duty days I had a permanent 8 to midnight 4 hours to do. My bus driving was to drive the others to their posts. Then go back to the duty office to drink coffee, play cards, read or nap for a few minutes. Once an hour I drove the duty officer around to the different posts to check on those posted there. Nice to be inside when it was raining & windy, even nicer to be in the truck not out standing watch on those rainy & windy nights. Next after completing jet engine training still an E-3 I was to go to the Navy transit base in Charleston So. Carolina. After reporting in and getting my barracks assignment it was off to the duty office to see what I would be doing while waiting for air transportation to my permanent duty station. Somehow the fact that I had a Navy drivers license came up. I was asked would I be willing to have the job of driving the ships department officer to his job every day. No 4 hour watches or duty every 4 days. I asked what I would be doing. The explanation was I would be assigned a vehicle to pick him up at the main gate, take him to his office. I would have to be available until he was ready to go home or where ever else he might want to go. So my days were spent fishing, reading/reviewing my practical factors and UCMJ book to be ready to take my exam for E-4. A real bonus I could use the vehicle to go on liberty. So there I was enjoying my duty while others from E-4 to E-6 were for their duty bagging groceries at commissary or doing yard work at the golf course or losing sleep on those midnight to 4 a/m watches. Next duty station I was part of the line crew & plane captain for the squadron C. O. Having that license with the 5000 gallon fuel truck certification from my time fueling aircraft in Newfoundland kept me from 4 section duty & mid watches since the planes returning had to be fueled early the next morning. That was the last of driving because I had the good fortune to be transferred from the line crew to the jet engine shop. The only E-3 to ever get that kind of assignment. That helped enormously to get the recommendation I needed to take the exam for E-4. And later for E-5. As an E-5 the Navy would pay for my new bride to travel with me at no cost to me. I left the Navy as an ADJ -1 or E-6. ADJ s the Navy designation for Jet engine mechanic. That training as a mechanic paid off big time later in life. Life was good then & still is today.
The shortest job that I can remember was working as a gift wrapper during the Christmas holiday season for two weeks. I enjoyed every busy minute too. There was no training you just did your own thing if no one made a special request such as color choices or paper designs. Easy paycheck ever made.
About two hours. Just after I retired I was bored,and I had a personal project that I felt should not be paid for out of our communal accounts. So I took a job working for this temp service. I showed up and the job was dissembling power chairs for recycling. This was the first day of this operation, so there was the inevitable cluster f@$#k gathering before the start. My workmates were all diddyboppin and high fiven and I naturally fell into conversation. They were friendly guys, were curious about who my probation officer was, what I was on parole for,just general normal questions that would be asked in any conversation. Well starting time after the introductory spiel we were pointed to our work station, the floor. The people running the show had not given a single thought to any worker safety ergonomics or foe even the most rudimentary equipment. Apparently when you hire from a parole or probation list, worker safety and consideration is not at the top of your list. !0:00 break I got in my car and left. Didn't even say goodbye!
@Peter Renfro were you the only one I am assuming that wasn't on probation or parole? Did you get paid for your two hours?
I didn't check with everyone, 20+ guys, but most of them had arrived by van. I didn't bother to collect my pay, would have been 16.40 before taxes. I was just amazed at how poorly people can be treated just due to their perceived social status.
Boredom has always been my largest adversary when it comes to working for other people so I’ve had a lot of very brief employment experiences. If there is nothing more to learn, I get bored. I am reasonably certain though that the shortest job I ever had was as a dishwasher at a very well established restaurant in Atlanta. I had just left a position as an Executive Chef and to tell the truth, I was pretty burnt out and tired of being the guy in charge. Money has never really been a problem with me so leaving wasn’t going to break me nor cause me any unusual stress. When one is good at anything, especially Food and Beverage, there’s always another job around the corner. Such was the case when I walked past a restaurant with a sign in the window asking for a dishwasher. Immediately, my interest was piqued for I thought it might be a way to wind down and and let my brain recoup for a while. I mean, it wasn’t going to be a major life choice, but just a break. I was hired as part of a small team of utility people and started my day cleaning up prep dishes and pans. All was well until lunch hit and as it turned out, a cook had called in sick and the line quickly got so far in the weeds that they couldn’t see the trees. Needless to say, I saw what was going on and took the initiative to help the line out. When the smoke cleared and everyone was back on track, the owner came in the kitchen and fired me from the dishwasher job and hired me on the line as a cook. So I guess my total time as a dishwasher for that restaurant was about 2 hours. My time as a line cook was about 2 weeks and my time as the Sous was about 3 months until I took the job as the Chef. I left a year later.
My shortest job was my first job. I was a waitress at a nice restaurant for about 2 days. I was really bad at it.