What was/is your job?

I was a secretary for most of my working life, employed in banks, travel agents, Nuclear Engineering company and for a while I ran my own secretarial service. What would I have liked to be? - a teacher of speech and drama but I failed my eleven plus and branded a failure. As you see this has left me with a huge chip on my shoulder.

Oh I forgot to say I was a housewife for 42yrs,a mum for 41yrs,a nana for 21yrs
fancy forgetting that,somewhere in the middle I worked full time,I don't know how I did it when I think about it

I worked in children's homes as a residential social worker for 13 years then as a children and families social worker 'in the field' for 15 years before retiring. The last 4/5 years was mainly child protection and care proceedings, so it was a relief to stop.

I now have a wonderful part-time job working from home on interesting computer-based admin tasks for a small company. (Lots of which is carried out whilst wearing my pyjamas!)

I worked in a large branch of what was Midland Bank for 10 years, with a gap of 18 months when I was a Police officer. Then after having 2 children, I was a window dresser (part time), sold cosmetics, and as the children got a bit older, I ran the accounts and wages of my husband's private detective agency. After divorcing him, I went to work in a country pub as a barmaid. My ex was wealthy so I didn't need the money, but I needed some social life! I loved it so much that I carried on until I retired at 60, although by then I was hard up and the money was rubbish! Now I love being retired and having to answer to no-one, although I'm still skint!!

I worked in Admin until I had my children, then when they went to school I became a school mealtime assistant for many years until my GD was born when I gave up to look after her to enable my DD to return to work part-time. At the moment I do the bookwork for my DH who is self employed and I look after my GD in the school holidays. Hoping to be looking after my new GC due this November.

absentgrana you never know!

Oh raggygranny I wonder if our paths have ever crossed. Indexing and proof-reading/ editing and writing. Who knows?

Hey Baggy I forgot I used to be a part-time junior ballet teacher and volunteer TEFL teacher (creeping/galloping Alzheimers?). What an interesting bunch of responses and what a wealth of experience. I really hope more people post because this range, both individually and severally, is already astonishing.

I like the lapping waves pompa and am full of respect about the rest of it.

Started out as a teacher, then after child-rearing break did various odd jobs - opinion research, organising distribution of local free paper, teaching English as a second language, but for the last 23 years have worked on the fringes of publishing as a freelance indexer and proofreader. Semi-retired now, but still like to keep my hand in!

I've also been a librarian.

I'm a teacher by nature and by training. Maths, English as a Foreign Language and Scottish Country Dancing, not necessarily in that order — although, now I come to think about it, it was in that order, at least of training, though the studying and the practice was in a different order. The work I do at present is unpaid but I love it, especially running a Cub Scout Pack. I think I've found my natural bent — helping kids to get muddy and have adventures.

I was a production Engineer with 2 major engineering companies for my first 20 years, I then moved into IT in as an project developer working world wide.
The company was taken over and all the overseas sites were closed, hence I was redundant at 57 . BUT they paid my pension in full and I happily waved goodbye to being away from home and lots of stress. I worked on contract for a year (doing exactly what I had previously been doing for 3x the pay) until all the sites had been closed.
I can remember my old boss phoning me about a problem, whilst chatting, he asked what the peculiar slapping noise was? When i said it was waves lapping at the side of the boat I was fishing from - his response was unrepeatable !!!
I then had a total change of direction and worked part time for Age Concern as a day centre care assistant and driver for the next 7 years until I retired for good.
Now I work harder than ever !!!

Was:
Children and families social worker - loved the job, but couldn't take any more.
PSHE teacher - also loved, it but retired due to family upheaval last year.

Currently:
TESOL teacher - brilliant job but unpaid.
PA to local restaurateur - see below.

Actually the latter is really me helping out some friends who've just opened a new restaurant. I do the paperwork and correspondence for them, make phone calls etc. They're from China/Hong Kong and I'm the nearest thing to family that they have in this country. (When they introduce me they often say I'm their 'mum', which gets me a few strange looks.)

Good luck for Monday glammanana. Well, susiecb I'd say I was gobsmacked except that you've already expressed your opinion of that word on another thread and I don't like violence – especially against me. What a story you have to tell. Hats off to you. What a pity the politicians aren't consulting someone with your wealth of experience about any number of current serious issues from care homes to the future of the NHS.

I was a nurse as I may have said here before. I trained in the mid to late seventies in Colchester when I was already married with children. I became a District Nursing Sister, Ward Sister, Specialist Nurse (Infection Control) and then a Consultant Nurse (Intermediate Care or Rehabilitation). I worked for a spell in a Christian Housing Association managing care and nursing homes all over East London, Essex and Herts. I moved into management and became Head of District Nursing and then Head of Specialist Nursing at the same time was an Associate Lecturer at the Open University teaching care management. At the end of that lot I was completeley knackered having completed a BSc and MSc while in full time work and paid for it myself . I retired once I developed Lupus and my work injured back would work no more. The early years were rewarding and challenging and so enjoyable work was a pleasure. Once the polititians and the management culture grabbed hold of the NHS in the 90s the love and the fun went out of it and the costs spiralled out of control. Its so nice to be able to speak my mond now and not have to be bullied, coerced and threatened by meaningless targets that add nothing to patient care.

Before I retired I worked for various New Home Builder's through the North West,over the years I met and worked with some really nice and experienced
Sale's Negotiators and contrary to belief the girl's who work in these sale's offices are really experienced in the building game,we used to have to go on training courses to learn the build programme and the diferant stages of build,
from foundations,brickwork,electric's,first fixing etc.Also it involved the decoration and presentation of the show homes which is where I have got my
interest in Interior Design (therefore giving glammapapa a constant headache)
I fing I look at programmes on TV regarding make-overs more in depth than my
friends.
I have always gone and viewed new developments to see how the trend has changed over the past few years and really miss the buzz of the job.
Am now counting the hours girls till Monday when I start work on a totally differant tangent at Banardo's