What was/is your job?

I started out as an industrial chemist. I loved laboratory work but I was niche trained and couldn't find that kind of work in Germany having got inadequate qualifications.
I was approached and asked to teach English which I did at all levels till I retired, and I did translations and coaching for business men/ women, to prepare them for conferences in UK boardrooms.
During my time in Manchester in the 90s I did the reverse. Taught German in Stockport und prepared English businessmen for doing business in Germany.

I also did voluntary work in a Women's Refuge for 25 years. This was very close to my heart but proper jobs in social work in Germany need a four year degree course at university, so I was pleased just to help.

all my working life including a 5 year apprenticeship spent being carpenter which i loved every moment off.

It's good to hear that you were able to stay in a job that you loved for all of that time, bunic. Not many people can say that these days! You must have loved and 'understood' the wood that you worked with. Do you still work on bits and pieces?

There's nothing better than a nice piece of furniture done by a proper
carpenter

P.S did my first day at Banardo's to-day really enjoyed it,am going to do
12hrs a week the girl's where lovely and friendly,I was on the women's
fashion so right up my street

I haven't read all through this as I know I'll get an inferiority complex!! I'm a rep for a greetings card company and I simply love the work, travel and my colleagues. I've only been with them for four years as I spent many years bringing up six children and took work as and when it came up to fit in with them. It's hard work, but I guess if you don't slow down you never grow old.

glammanana - so glad to hear you've had a good day at Barnardo's! I would think that you'd come across some very interesting things in there! I'd find it very difficult not to go raking through things in the back shop...!
christineH don't you even dare of thinking of having an inferiority complex (now didn't that make a lot of sense?) Circumstances sometimes dictate what opportunities make themselves available for us. To bring up a family of 6 is a job to be proud of in itself! Another thing which isn't often 'available' is a job that you love and with colleagues that you're fond of. Enjoy it!

I'm not a Granny yet but hope I'm still welcome here. I'm on Mumsnet too but prefer the slightly 'gentler' mode of expression on here.
I started off working in Boots as a dispenser then moved to Sainsbury's as a trainee manager. After that I worked in the city until I had my first baby nearly twenty years ago then a career break for eight years and two more children followed by a stint as a recruitment consultant.
I did cleaning jobs until I started work in a day nursery then back into accounts for a golf company.
Last year I decided to retrain and now work for the ambulance service as an Emergency Care Assistant which is like a paramedic/technicians assistant. I get to drive on blue lights and attend patients. It is the best job I have ever had and as I approach 50 I wish I had taken the plunge earlier.

Dizzy, sounds like a very worthwhile job, as indeed do others on here.

Nothing so noble here, I'm afraid. Currently Business Development Manager, past, Sales & Marketing Co-ordinator, office cleaning when the ds's were littel, ditto bar work,prior to that riding instructor, dental nurse, but not at the same tme!

My background is in education [teaching and TV] and law with a helping of the hotel trade thrown in for good measure. My DH and I have been running a company for the past 20 years though I'm now supposedly retired - ha! ha! In my spare time when the GC are not around I'm a campaigner for publicly accessible toilets!

glamma I am so pleased that you enjoyed your first day.

Ooh ElseG, I can beat you unfortunately! Failed 11 plus twice. V hard to recover from esp as parents then had to pay school fees. They were v encouraging and supportive despite my languishing in the E stream. Did lots of Choir, Guides, Drama, followed by Nursing and Midwifery, living and working in Trinidad with husband and two children, and now back here working with AgeUK in Day Centres and In Safe Hands. Also back into choir and drama in the local Opera Group, and doing a bit of stage acting as well. Oh....and love water-colour painting too though little time recently. Have just contacted SAA to join up with them and get some classes.

What an amazing life you are leading Elizabethjoan keep up the good work, certainly an inspiration.

So, does/did nobody on this forum work on a tesco checkout?

I once participated in a saucepan survey and was paid with a lovely non-stick dishing out spoon.

You have not really answered the question jangly, I am sure many Gransnetters have been waiting with baited breath for your work history!
Top secret eh?

I was waiting for that!

Answer a. I do not choose to divulge the info.

Answer b. Are you sure you really want to know....?

Choose.

But I probably won't come back on here.

The point I was trying to make () is, all the jobs on here sound quite high falutin'!

Where are the cleaning ladies/checkoutassistants/traffic wardens, etc. etc.

The forum does not seem to be a good cross section of "society".

Perhaps that is why things round here get boring.

jangly How can you say that? The range of jobs described is huge with some more high powered than others. The range done by some individuals is pretty breathtaking too. And remember, in between times, we have all raised at least one child. Impressive or what?

Amazingly for once I agree with Jangly, think I'd better go and lie down

absent - I thought you were gonna object to the "things round here getting boring bit"!

jangly when the DCs where small I went to work in the morning and evening
to help with the mortgage it went up to some stupid % and we where
struggling as you do,in the morning I cleaned the local gym and training
centre from 5-30am until 7-30am,then home children up and ready for school
all done by DH and then in the evening when DH home from work went to
local hotel and waited on and set table's for breakfast's.All hard work at the
time but I enjoyed it and wonder where I got the energy.I only started in
the new homes business when DH moved his working hours to shift work.

Well jangly considering how often you post and on such a variety of topics, I guessed that you were just being contentious – although, of course, that's very out of character.

Glammananna I think you have just made Jangly's point for her. The humble jobs and those of us who have done them are not being mentioned and I think this goes back to the original post. People (ourselves included)tend to define us by the jobs we do.

OK - here goes! Some of the jobs I did before all the children went to school are listed and described as:
_Cleaner at the Doctor's surgery_: got sacked for not doing it properly. Missed the £3.00 per week, but couldn't really deal with finding bits of skin under the examination couch (I think that a 'circumcision' may have been carried out..) also when I saw the doctor wiping his nose on the teatowel in the kitchen, I though he may have more hygiene issues than I did.
Tea-lady at the local joiners' firm. Fell downstairs carrying very large tray of teapots, coffee-pots and hot milk, ending up spread-eagled outside bosses office when he was discussing business with a client. Entirely my own fault for wearing ankle-strap high heeled shoes when doing that type of job...well, I was only 25 and the joiners were really nice...! Stayed there for a while, even though I swore loudly on falling downstairs.
Childminding: worked it out I was earning 20 pence per hour so packed it in.
Even did someone's washing for them for a while!
So, can anyone beat that -jangly what do you think?

green you always give me a giggle.