Unusual jobs

Since my first vist to the circus as a child, I've had a secret desire to be a trapeze artist. Life had other plans, but now I've retired, who knows? If only I could lose two stone and thirty years!

Larissa there are a few circus skills schools around! It's never too late to learn ?

I know. I saw Vole Conservation Officer advertised in a national newspaper not long ago.

And I was riveted by the man who makes armour on a programme about Richard the third. He was a young man. Imagine how his career interview went.

Me, I got offered nursing or teaching.......

Are there still saggar makers' bottom knockers?

Eglantine those were my options too...

Nurse, teacher or secretary - they were my options.
I became a beauty therapist! How did I ever think that sorting out feet , and squeezing blackheads would be glamorous ?
My niece went to circus school. It was what she really wanted to do after all her gym classes and visits to cirque de soleil.
She was always a clever girl though and ended up at Cambridge. If her a level results hadn’t been so good she’d be swinging on a trapeze somewhere in the world.Funny how life turns out.
So many choices these days.

www.thepotteries.org/bottle_kiln/saggar.htm alie

My dad was a "sagger" for many years. He made them for Doultons, not tableware but the less glamorous work of bathroom fittings, toilets, baths etc.

I would love to have qualified as a veterinary nurse but not having pets when young I wasn't aware such a career existed. I did however, from the age of 24 spend 10 yrs as a vet's assistant which to all intents and perposes was the same job.

i remember wanting to be a bus conductress or a florist, i did neither, have done many jobs over the years, mainly office based, laterly before retiring I worked in NHS, admin side.

Ha ha PECS, my career teacher never offered me the chance to be a leech trainer either! I think we were disadvantaged for the rest of our lives to be deprived of such an opportunity ? .

When my firstborn was about three years old, upon being asked what he’d like to do when he grew up, he answered without hesitation ‘A robber’, I think we’d recently read Burglar Bill. After some discussion about how he might end up in prison if he followed such a career path, he revised his ambition to ‘A milkman’ It’s lucky he didn’t in fact choose that occupation as he may well have been redundant by now, milkmen, or women, are rather few in number now.

He did in fact choose a rather less exciting career path, he’s a Chartered Accountant!

After I finished working in my trade ( printing) I answered an advert for a driver wanted for the trains on Southend pier. Didn't get it
I would have loved doing that.

Oh a train driver on Southend Pier would be fun! I have a good friend who used to have a temporary job managing the boats on the boating lake in Southend! "Come in No.6 your time is up!"

I did interesting but ordinary 'stuff' throughout my career, but now realise that, had circumstances been different, how I would have loved to be an engineer. I have always been fascinated by how things work, and stood in awe watching the wonderful steam locomotives of yesterday chuffing along at special events. The mechanics of everything are so interesting, and I read of Brunel, Bazalgette and the like and so wish I could have created an amazing and iconic work for the nation.

The only options offered by the career officer when I left school was office, factory or shop! After a lifetime of various jobs (which have included all three) the only thing I would like to do now is spend time in tv's 'The Repair Shop', watching and learning some of their amazing skills. I wish I had learned something creative like they all have.

I do think some things are better nowadays. Young people appear to be more aware of wider job opportunities even if competition is high. Also the concept of a job for life is far less common now. My nephew, under 30, has had 3 different jobs since uni: web design, cabin crew, facilities manager....

If I knew then what I know now!!

Also the concept of a job for life is far less common now.
I agree, none of my DC are doing what they started out doing years ago.

My grandfather got a job as a magician's assistant after the war and travelled around Europe. He then became a long life civil servant and quit in his 50s when someone got promoted over him. He never talked about those early years but I suppose he got it out of his system. If you had met him in his later years, you would never imagine it as he was a small cantankerous man who rented out rooms in his house (Rigsby could have been based on him).

When I was young large stores had a system of putting customers cash after a purchase in a container that was attached to an overhead wire. A pulley sent this container to a glass office that you could see at the top of the store. A young lady put the necessary change in the container and returned it to the sale assistant. Oh for years I did so want to work there, I thought it was my dream job!!!!!!!

I remember that pulley system as well millymouge.
I wanted to be a Madam in a brothel, all very tasteful you understand ?

I remember wanting to join the circus, anything except the high-wire or trapeze would have done nicely.

Later I mentioned being a vet. My mother squashed that by remarking, "You would never bring yourself to put an animal to sleep." Later I realised that vets had to go to slaughterhouses too, and that really put me off!

I never had a talk with the career's advisor, my mother made up my mind for me. I suspect a lot of others of our ages can say the same. DH certainly can, although it was his father who came home and told him he had signed him up as a plumber's apprentice on the day he left school.

Our careers teacher at my school only wanted to know which subject we intended to teach! That was the only option apparently. Consequently I left school at 16 rather than go on to 6th form- Uni etc. as I did not want to teach having loathed school anyway (sent to a 'good' Grammar miles away when all my friends went to the local Comp.where they were very happy)
I only ever really wanted to dance & I still love dancing but to be honest my ability was weak to say the least.
I did OK though & enjoyed all the various jobs I had.

My careers advice at university consisted of six words--"Go away and write a book." Sadly, I never did.

My sister applied for a part-time clerical job recently. She received a phone call from the ad owner who asked ‘was she aware of what they did?’ No? They were a ‘Swingers Club!!’
She didn’t pursue the application, dungeons and velvet lined handcuffs really didn’t appeal !!

I don't think my school even had a careers teacher. You could leave with GCSEs and go to work in a shop or bank, stay on and do A levels and work in a shop or bank. Or if you did Ok apply for University or training College. I wanted to be an artist so went to Art college which was considered very outlandish. I finished up a teacher which was the best thing I ever did, it kept us going when I became a single parent.