Grammy's Memoirs 2018 : Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! by Mustang Patty |
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Staying with the challenge Mastery set before us, I'd like to list my jobs. Truth be told, I've held over 100 jobs in my 40-year work history! (I guess over 100 different positions would be more apt; I've only had a few professions.) My high school typing class paid big dividends for me as I worked as a Secretary or Administrative Assistant at many different companies. Sometimes, I got my foot in the door as the Receptionist, and my ability to type over 80 words per minute opened new opportunities. I worked as a waitress, both in food and cocktails. The tips weren't bad and I loved feeling so good with all the daily exercise. I didn't like the pinches, pokes and slaps on the rear some of the male patrons wanted to share. When I first went into the Army, I trained to be a cook. My big plan was to get stationed in Hawaii, work the early shift, and spend the afternoons lying in the sun. An injury that happened in Basic Training caused me to be re-classified as a Clerk-typist. I spent the next two and a half years typing ten hours a day. (That explains my speed and accuracy.) After getting out of the military, I went to work for the Federal Government. My injury incurred during active duty qualified me for a Veteran's preference and my typing skills secured me a clerk-typist position. Over the next several years, I bid for different positions to help me move up in pay grade. Along the way, I discovered a love for accounting and switched to Supply Clerk. I worked in Nuclear supply in one of the largest government shipyards on the west coast. I helped change systems from manual to computer and taught data entry skills to the workers in my building, and eventually throughout the shipyard. I loved that job!! My husband got out of the Navy, and I had my daughter. So, I became a full-time mother. No job has ever given me so much joy and satisfaction. My love of accounting drew me to tax preparation. In the late 1980s, I took an H&R Block tax course and prepared taxes for them on a seasonal basis for two years. Loving the numbers, along with helping people, I opened my own tax business. I went to people's homes and prepared their taxes in front of them. We would laugh and I would get to meet their children. We drank coffee and shared our lives. Building my clientele to over 75 people, I had to start having my customers come to me so I could continue to grow the business. I ran my practice out of my home for over ten years. I built my client list to over 300 clients and stayed busy from January through April. Since tax work is seasonal, I teamed up with Accountemps and did bookkeeping for companies all over the Portland, OR metropolitan area. During that time, I was at up to 4 or 5 different places during each year. I learned all the nuances of many different industries and my skills were in high demand. It became more popular for people to do their own taxes online, and my client list was drastically cut. All I had left were the corporate returns, and while they paid better, I didn't get the people contact I loved. So, I took a full-time job as the Controller of a food import company. I missed the constant change I'd experienced over so many years, and I decided to retire on my 55th birthday. As I look back on my work history, I think of the hundreds of people I met. I miss many of them. I can honestly say I learned something from everyone I met.
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Mustang Patty
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