Your career ascent (or downward spiral)

[Solitaire U.]

What jobs have you had? List them in order from earliest to current/most recent.

1. Warehouse box packer (industrial tools), then manager, then manager + driver, then manager + driver + purchasing agent. 6 years.
2. Equipment rental yard worker: customer service and equipment maintenance. 3 years
3. Carpenter's apprentice. Off and on for 3 years.
4. Comic book store clerk. 1 year.
5. Used bookstore clerk. 3 years.
6. Window cleaning business owner-operator. 2 years.
7. Tow-truck driver. 12 years.
8. Internet used bookseller owner-operator. 5 years.
9. Coffeehouse owner-operator. 4 years.
10. ESL teacher (independent). 1 1/2 years. Current.

 

[catatonic]

1. Assistant marketing manager at telco company 1,5 year
2. Forex dealer at bank 1 year
3. Credit analyst at bank 2 year
4. Unemployed 1 year

I don't like to work, I quit from my job to pursue my master degree in engineering.

 

[Architect]

1. Part time water park worker
2. Part time bookstore
3. Part time hardware store
4. Part time Nuclear laboratory (NASA contract)
5. PhD TA & RA (Fermilab)
6. Software engineer Rank I (career) & Rank II (architect)*
7. Indie software developer

* I've reached the level of my incompetence at my day job, rank III is almost impossible for a software engineer in this company

 

[pjoa09]

1. Employed at a trading company (3 years)

End all, be all.

 

[Intellect]

1. Freelance web/graphic design (mostly did grunt work for other designers)
2. Catering (was a waiter at these super-rich weddings, worst job I've ever worked)
3. Internet marketing
4. Tech consultant / web developer

Looking back, I've never worked a "real" job. Wouldn't be opposed to it, just never had a huge desire to work 9 - 5 and no position has really interested me enough to give up my professional autonomy.

 

[Minuend]

My first job was in a grocery store while I was in college. Lasted 5 months, was terrible. Few costumers, so sometimes I hanged out in the storage reading comics and news papers.

Then I worked a few summers as a mail delivery guy. Basically driving around listening to music. Enjoyable work, but quickly became repetitive.

Spent some time at a type of laundromat. Industrial work where we basically put stuff in various machines that processed them in different ways and packaged them to costumers. Very little clothes washed for private customers, so not much interaction with people outside that company.

Now I'm working in the laundromat during weekdays and driving mail on Saturdays. What prevents me from becoming bored at the laundromat is that it's so small that my work is very varied. I also have some authority so I get to plan who will work at what stations and generally strategize how to manage work so we are able to reach our deadline as we are usually understaffed and prioritizing is crucial for avoiding overtime. In addition, I'm a hard worker and very flexible with overtime and when to work so my boss has come to value me quite much. I also get along with my co-workers who are mostly ladies in their 50+. I like older people than myself.

 

[Crazythinker1]

1. Hardware store clerk, 1.5 yrs
2. Grocery store bagger/ cashier, 2 yrs (I fucking hated that job)
3. Self employed as an odd jobs guy, 4 yrs
4. Wine salesman, 2yrs ( This was not too bad as it involved very little selling, I just had to keep the shelves stocked and the buyers happy)
5. Small engine mechanic - part time, current
6. Warehouse manager, current

Most of my jobs have included some sort physical labor and working with my hands, which is kinda odd for an INTP.

 

[Affinity]

Wendy's - 3 months, 2 of which I was on vacation
Outbound phone sales - 2 months
Automotive technician apprentice - 2 years
Busboy - 2 months
Pseudo paralegal salesman - 2 weeks
Donated plasma for gas money - 2 months
Hot dog cart operator - 1 month
Customer service rep - 2 months
**Tech support rep - 10 months
eBay - 2 weeks
Customer service rep - 3 months
Photographer - 3 years
Running my own business - 6 months
Delivery driver - 1 month
IT helpdesk - 2 months
Collected unemployment - 3 months
Rail service - 5 months
**Line & signal technician - 2 months (current)

** = internal movement or promotion from position above.

 

[Intellect]

Rail service - 5 months
**Line & signal technician - 2 months (current)

** = internal movement or promotion from position above.

How do you enjoy working in the rail industry? I'm curious about careers in the field as I'm a bit of a metrophile

 

[Absurdity]

1. Data-entry monkey - 2 years
2. Intern/bitch for political campaign - 3 weeks
3. Intern/bitch for local entrepreneur - 3 months
4. Intern/production assistant for news media show - 1 month (current)

Love my current position. Every day is different, good amount of freedom, my boss is hilarious and fun to work with, and it's really just him and me making this show happen. Could really see myself doing this or something similar as a career.

 

[Affinity]

How do you enjoy working in the rail industry? I'm curious about careers in the field as I'm a bit of a metrophile

It's ok but it's a bit bothersome how inefficient the whole system is and that may be in part of it being a union job and that many of the management positions goes to egotistical and unintelligent individuals.

The pay is great for not having a degree, benefits are better than most, and you are able to get a pension. It's an easy field to get into and due to the fact that they like hiring from within, easy to move around in. If job security is a big thing for you, then it is very secure.

It's the best paying job I've held so far and I'm in it for the long haul, at least until I finish up school and get vested in the pension (~5 yrs), but at that time I plan to use my degree and get into a programmer analyst position within my company. Read lots of areas for movement.

All in all what I do right now and what I've done before at the company have been less than fulfilling but I can't say that for everyone or every position.

 

[Architect]

What is a programmer analyst?

 

[Niclmaki]

1. Daycare Assistant
2. Nothing
I've only ever been a daycare assistant, covered breaks, did laundry / prepared meals. That kind of stuff. I quit after a year, was too exhausting being around people all the time.
Unemployed as of now, have been offered jobs twice, but declined both times. (one as a receptionists, other as an employment assisstant.)

 

[themirror]

1. Arby's fry cook
2. Research assistant (epigenetics)
3. Research assistant (theoretical biophysics)
4. Independent software developer (Android)
5. ???

I was gearing up to go to graduate school, but changed my mind last minute after a more careful consideration of the labor supply/demand issue, the long apprenticeship with poor pay, and the 60hr+ work weeks with piles of tests, lectures, grant proposals, and conference rituals, among other things involved with tenure track.

It's been kind of a free fall since then, but my game is 98% complete, so I'm hoping I'll make some good money on it with all of the polish I put into it during the last 5 months in which I haven't taken a single day off.

 

[Affinity]

What is a programmer analyst?

It's just the title of the job. I'm sure it's the equivalent of an ordinary programmer.

 

[doncarlzone]

1. Paperboy
2. Conference Call Operator/Customer Support Role
3. Events Coordinator (virtual events ^^)
4. Global Events Credit Controller

 

[doncarlzone]

1. Data-entry monkey - 2 years
2. Intern/bitch for political campaign - 3 weeks
3. Intern/bitch for local entrepreneur - 3 months
4. Intern/production assistant for news media show - 1 month (current)

Love my current position. Every day is different, good amount of freedom, my boss is hilarious and fun to work with, and it's really just him and me making this show happen. Could really see myself doing this or something similar as a career.

That sounds interesting, how did you get into that? It's the sort of role there is a lot of demand for I'd guess?

 

[Meer]

1. Convenience store clerk
2. Taking apart TVs for recycling
3. Lifting heavy things at a department store
4. Freelance writing
5. Home theater installation
6. Lifting heavy things for audio people at a hotel

I don't think I stayed at any of them longer than 4 months.

 

[InvisibleJim]

1. Call centre sales
2. Various temp jobs
3. Very basic auditor
4. Supermarket (various)
5. Process Engineer
6. Petroleum Engineer

 

[Freedom Architect]

1. Operations analyst at bank - 1 yr (sick and tired of conformity and the hierarchy, lost motivation and was eventually asked to leave)
2. Educational salesperson - 1 yr (did OK at first..but not so good at closing as I'm not the typical pushy/aggressive salesperson, and eventually the constant need to push/persuade others to do what they naturally wouldn't want to do and the rejection kinda overwhelmed me)
3. Part time teacher and aspiring internet entrepreneur - current

 

[Cavallier]

It is interesting seeing what all everyone has done. Lots of food service and grocery store work. I suppose that makes sense.

I have been (from past to most recent and not all of it above the board):

Lawn Mower/Yard work
Babysitter
Food Service (Various including catering)
Elderly Care/Service (ran errands and did light cleaning)
More Food Service
Potato Shed (Sorting/Grading, packing, and freight)
Writer (Fellow students paid me to write their papers. Plus, freelance.)
Course Auditor (My term for "pay me and I'll go to your classes and take notes for you". I got a fair amount of money for that.)
Exam Paper Grader (Proffs love to not have to grade their own papers. When they didn't have a TA they paid me.)
Book Store Clerk
Book Store Supervisor
Book Store Section Manager
IT Tech Support (Incident Manager and Hardware Support)

I would say that's a general upward trend. It certainly is when it comes to salary. Although, my favorite job was the Section Manager at the Book Store. I worked nights, spent a lot of time organizing and moving heavy stuff around. It was great because I could just let my body do the job on autopilot and let my brain wander where it liked. Plus, working nights meant not dealing with the public.

 

[EditorOne]

1. Cashier, retail, campground
2. Carpenter/mason/plumber/electrician/maintenance/lifeguard/security, campground
3. Carpenter, for custom builder
4. Reporter
5. Bureau Chief
6. Assistant editorial page editor
7. Assistant managing editor
8. Investigative reporting team leader
9. Managing editor
10. Unemployed
10. "Background artist," 11 weeks, movie lalaland
11. Editor
12. Managing Editor
13. Executive Editor
14. Unemployed
15. Semi-retired
16. Public Adjuster


I can see where the seven summers at a campground doing every job imaginable, with something new every day, was kind of tailor-made for a young INTP, even if I didn't know I was an INTP at the time.

It doesn't seem like an ascent or descent, more like a roller coaster that runs through a madhouse.

 

[Felan]

1) lawnmowing - very irregular (really unmotivated) for 4 years or so, the invention of the walk man was a god send here
2) fast food - 2 weeks
3) grocery bag boy - 1 year
4) grocery stock boy - 1 year
5) spreadsheet monkey in marketing department - 2 years
6) conveinance store clerk/asst manager - 2 years
7) temp jobs - 3 months
8) pawn shop - 2 years
9) call center - 3 months
10) tech services (really programmer) - 2 years
11) lan admin (really programmer, internal promotion) - 3 years
12) senior software analyst (really programmer, internal promotion) - 8 years
13) senior software analyst (really programmer, new company) - 7 months

Never really been unemployed for more than month or two, mostly then it was by choice.

 

[Nissa]

1. Professional nursery worker (on Sundays at church, and done throughout most of these other jobs) 8.5 years
2. Cashier/dishwasher/whatnots at a BBQ place - 2 years
3. Cashier/dishwasher/whatnots at a Boston Market. 1 year
4. Waitress/dishwasher/whatnots at a restaurant (AAAAAAAUGGH!!!!) - a few months.
5. Barista at a bookstore. - Near about three years (I'm proud of myself because I made a chocolate covered strawberry frappe)
6. Shelver/cashier/whatnots at a used bookstore. - Little over a year.

Right now I'm studying to be an accountant, which so far I love. Good money, no people? Sign me up!

 

[r4ch3l]

1. Web developer for small businesses (age 10)
2. Horse exerciser/trainer (age 13)
3. Warehouse assistant manager at a theme park (age 15)
4. Makeup artist/sales @ Nordstrom (18)
5. Barista (20)
6. Hula hoop gogo dancer/dance instructor (21)
7. Unemployed international philosopher hobo (22-23)
8. Stripper/daytrader (24)
9. Technical writer/tester for DPI company (25)
10. Freelance technical writer & patent writer (present)

I am thinking about dancing on the side again, getting back into trading, working on passive income sources, and learning to code. Also intrigued by the idea of doing a porn startup (no, I would not act -- I just want to be a virtual pimp and entrepreneur).

 

[Beat Mango]

Stripper Best INTP ever

 

[r4ch3l]

Stripper Best INTP ever

I wrote a series of comedy scripts about the experience of an INTP unexpectedly in this situation where she is constantly trying to solve the illogical (sex) with logic and failing. It's called "Strip Club Science". Never shot them but I turned some of the content into a series over at xojane.com narrated in a very Desmond Morriss fashion. xojane.com/author/skipper-jones

ETA: Someone in the comments described it as "trying to describe apple pie with quantum physics". Which, as an INTP, I took as a massive compliment (still undecided on whether it was intended to be or not).

 

[Beat Mango]

Trust your Stripperstition -- like the spontaneous intuitive eurekas of Einstein and Archimedes before you, it may be a subconscious form of pattern recognition lurking underneath the flashy sensory overload

Fantastic. You're gonna be a hit.

 

[Beat Mango]

1. McDonalds burger flipper + customer service extraordinaire
2. Self-employed lawnmower - grass cutter
3. Telemarketer: professional harrasser
4. Woolworths supermarket checkout chick
5. Internet cafe supervisor - Myspace addict
6. Bottle shop 1 - server of drunkards
7. Guitar teacher and doer of gigs. Dream maker
8. Bottle shop 2 - wine connoisseur
9. Government admin - coffee and table tennis expert
10. Insurance Case Manager - defender of the system
11. In between all of the above: rugby referee. Public enemy number 1

 

[Happy]

1. Slaughterer
2. Wine salesman
3. Marketing @ BBDO
4. Bartender/waiter (current)
5. And if all goes well I should be working as an architect (the traditional type) by the end of this year.

I feel I've missed something...

I haven't had many jobs. I tend to keep all my jobs no less than a year.

 

[Beat Mango]

1. Slaughterer

Strippers, slaughterers... I love this thread.

 

[Minimalist]

1. Part time water park worker
2. Part time bookstore
3. Part time hardware store
4. Part time Nuclear laboratory (NASA contract)
5. PhD TA & RA (Fermilab)
6. Software engineer Rank I (career) & Rank II (architect)*
7. Indie software developer

* I've reached the level of my incompetence at my day job, rank III is almost impossible for a software engineer in this company

That escalated quickly...

 

[Minimalist]

1. Infant
2. Confused no longer infantile being.
3. McDonald's burger master (I don't know how it happened...)
4. Day laborer
5. Quality control inspector (not as glamorous as it sounds)
6. Electrician
7. Wandering wilderness survivor
8. Electrician (again, got to stop doing that... focus on the mundane is required, mind wanders too much to be safe).
9. We''ll see, hopefully something involving biology or psychology. I'll find a way around it.

 

[kvothe27]

1. paper boy (2 years)
2. McDonald's (1 year)
3. Overnight Stocker (6 months)
4. Group home worker (6 months)
5. Satellite Installation (2 months)
6. Cook (2 weeks)
7. Unloaded trucks (2 months)
8. Canvassing Agent (4 months)
9. Customer Service Representative (2 months)
10. Pizza Delivery Driver (2 years)
11. Unloading trucks and stocking shelves (this will last a couple months until school starts again)

I had been offered a programming internship for the Summer, but personal issues got in the way, so I get to work retail instead. I was so close to realizing my dream of working as a programmer. Perhaps I'll be able to get an internship in the Fall, if school isn't too demanding.

 

[Hayyel]

I randomly helped out in the store my mother works at each year for about a month for the last few years. I worked as an urn guard person thingy the last two times when elections came around, and I worked as freelance writer for a bunch of different people. Currently finishing my masters degree, then I'll probably get a job as an au pair around London

 

[Architect]

That escalated quickly...

If you have to play 'twere better to play with the best (and get paid for it)

 

[Beholder]

1. Waiter
2. Slave (a.k.a soldier)
3. Security guard (until the police refused to let me have a gun because I smoked weed as a teenager, despite being a combat soldier for three years and now a reservist...)
4. Bartender
5. Fuck having a job/backpacking around Europe
6. Digger in an Archaeological excavation
7. In exactly a month, go travel around the world until October 2014 when I start University, probably Computer Science
8. Create new form of life, non-biological-based consciousness

 

[chatelking]

1. Part time Photo Editor (1 year )
2. Property Marketing ( 2 months )
3. Design Layouter ( 3 months )
4. Graphic Designer (3 years )

 

[Redfire]

I recently got two jobs: translator and research assistant (Jewish history). And that's it: I'm 19 now. I plan to major in linguistics.

 

[Cherry Cola]

1. Cleaning parks and streets
2. Construction
3. Kindergarden
4. Personal Assistant
5. Serving school lunch

I like the last one the best, it's good Se training. Construction sucked dick too much testorone for me, gave me some good natural musculature tho and the ability to adapt a stupid simpleton testosterone mien at need and an understanding of how they think, which will probably be useful whenever I need to deal with such people later in life.

 

[Hawkeye]

Eternal student - 11.5 years in full-time post-compulsory education.

 

[walfin]

1. Furniture salesman
2. Conscript soldier
3. Cybercafe owner
4. Freelance web developer
5. Trainee lawyer

 

[Redfire]

Eternal student - 11.5 years in full-time post-compulsory education.

Who's paying for it?

 

[Hawkeye]

Who's paying for it?

I have a secret stash of money

Spoiler

If I were to compare it to the accumulated debt of a typical student in terms of loans and fees, I am roughly hitting the £17,000 mark.

This is significantly lower than an average student debt and is due to the fact that when I started university, it only cost £1,200 per year

 

[Silphiums]

It is fun to see the others' lists.
In relative order:
High school - none (don't judge)
Undergrad...
- water aerobics instructor/ lifeguard/ swim instructor
- office asst
- research asst on sewage plant design
- research asst in evolutionary biology lab
After that...
- research asst in agronomy
- greenhouse worker/ then manager
Grad school...
- office asst
- water aerobics instructor/ lifeguard
- research asst restoration ecology
- teaching asst (too many to list... Botany to zoology)
- "fellow" in scientific writing and botany
After that...
- state hotel inspector
- nonprofit coordinator
- yoga instructor/ personal trainer
- wellness coordinator then director at local Y
- assistant director at an environmental ed nonprofit
Just quit that about a month ago after an epic blow out with a coworker. Too many years of repression I guess.

Currently back to being a yoga and Zumba instructor. Awaiting what is next.
Am considering going back to school but hesitant for yet another career change. It's kind of strange when I can't decide between finishing my doctoral study or just doing something practical like medical transcription. But I think that's an issue for another thread.

 

[Redfire]

I have a secret stash of money

Spoiler

If I were to compare it to the accumulated debt of a typical student in terms of loans and fees, I am roughly hitting the £17,000 mark.

This is significantly lower than an average student debt and is due to the fact that when I started university, it only cost £1,200 per year

Right. I forget things work like that in other countries. Here most education is free, and private education is usually paid by the student's parents. Only very rarely people go in debt.

What have you been studying all these years, then? If you don't mind me asking.

 

[Hawkeye]

Right. I forget things work like that in other countries. Here most education is free, and private education is usually paid by the student's parents. Only very rarely people go in debt.

What have you been studying all these years, then? If you don't mind me asking.

Initially, I studied maths, physics, electronics and worked towards studying an engineering degree.

I ended up studying Mechatronics at university for 3 years.

After that I took a change of direction and went back to college (post 16 education) studying music. I then progressed this to degree level.

After that, I took a post graduate course to become a music teacher which is currently where I am now.

 

[NoCoolUsername]

Note 1: I am skipping teenage jobs...
Note 2: I am 33yrs old.

1. Research Associate - Office of Institutional Research and Assessment at a college while attending there for 1yr. It was part time.

2. Avionics Guidance, Navigation, Instruments and Flight Control Systems specialist in the U.S. Air Force (young electronics ninja) - I was highly highly disappointed in my military experience ovreall. Partially because most people were so, so dumb. And if the people weren't dumb, "the system" was absolutely the dumbest and most frustrating experience. If you saw a better or more efficient way of doing something, too.f'ing.bad. I enjoyed the hardcore technical schools I went through but after the challenging learning curve eventually plateaued, I felt like I was wasting my potential and that was why I got out. The box you are in is very very small and if you are capable of more, you are miserable.

3. Communication-Electronics Reverse Engineer (young electronics wizard) - defense contracting. I was the youngest person working there by 15yrs and caught all kindsa discrimination for it. I qualified on my own merit but. Anyway. Loved the challenge of the work.

4. Cyber Intrusion Analyst (young packet ninja) - defended U.S. Army's European networks, NATO support forces, etc. and was introduced to the cyber espionage fray.

5. Within my next organization, I progressed through the ranks and different positions rather quickly
5a. Sr. Cyber Intrusion Analyst (packet wizard)
5b. Security Operations Center technical shift lead
5c. Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst (cyber espionage specialist, and began building a Cyber Threat Intelligence Cell capability for the govt dept/agency I worked for)
5d. Principal Threat Analyst / Cyber Threat Intelligence Cell Lead

6. Director, Threat Intelligence

7. Principal Cyber Intelligence Engineer / Advanced Threat Researcher and Intelligence Fusion specialist (current)


My original passion was for everything space-related and it is still strong. I am thinking of switching career fields now to master something else. I feel like I mastered electronics, and now cybersecurity. I am trying to get in at SpaceX or NASA JPL right now. Also I love California and must live there as soon as possible. But if I were rich, I think I would just go to university for the rest of my life. I am so addicted to learning it is a curse.

 

[Pyropyro]

* OJT for Research - Research and Development Institute
* Research Associate - University
* Intellectual Property Management Officer - University

 

[del]

1. Pizza Cook/Delivery

High school/first year of university.

2. Research Assistant
3. Actuarial Intern

What I did in college.

4. Math Teacher overseas (Nepal, India)
5. Production Analyst

Out of college and trying to "find myself" since I decided I hated the actuarial/insurance industry.

6. Private Investigator

I'll be a little honest, I took this job simply for the notoriety of it. We investigated workers' comp fraud, I got into it from the Production Analyst job above.

7. Backpacking Guide/WEMT
8. EMT
9. Paramedic

My "EMT" phase. I got pretty burnt out though.

10. Control Systems Engineer

What I do currently. I help to design railway systems, and mostly play with PLCs that control the signaling and switches that determine train routes, and program the train control systems.