My Jobs

I remember in college one of the things the college president said in his opening address to the incoming freshmen was this: in your lifetime, you will, on average, change jobs seven times.

I remember laughing. Seven times? Who does that????

Um...not laughing so hard anymore.

I was thinking earlier today, trying to remember all the jobs I've had so far in my 33-plus years of existence. Which, of course, called for a blog post. =)

So here's LutheranHusker's Job List. As a point of reference, I'm beginning with my first "official" job in high school, and am including only jobs where I would have received a W-2 for my services--nothing like babysitting, piano lessons, etc.

Here goes:

ice cream scooper guy--Baskin Robbins Ice Cream
checker--Wal-Mart
college dorm resident advisor--Northeast Missouri State Univ.
camp counselor/site manager--Camp Carol Joy Holling
quote phone operator--AccuTrade, Inc.
securities processor(?)--Ameritrade, Inc.
church youth director--First St. Paul's, Hastings
daycare assistant teacher/van driver--Building Blocks Learning Center
outbound telemarketer--ITI Telemarketing
Regional Service Coordinator--Cliffs Notes Inc.
Customer/Client Service Rep--Ameritas Insurance
Customer Service Rep--class.com, Inc.
Music Director--American Lutheran Church
Customer Service Rep--Lincoln Benefit Life Incurance Co.
Campus Minister--Lutheran Student Center
Regional Service Coordinator (temp)--Farm Credit Services of America
Director of Christian Ed. and Music--American Lutheran Church
Director of Youth Discipleship--Our Saviour's Lutheran Church

So...unless I'm missing something, that's eighteen jobs.

Eighteen?

Hey, why stop at seven, right? But seriously, I'm glad I've had the vocational experiences I've had so far. Being a "church guy" now, maybe it helps give me a little street cred when I'm talking to folks about the non-church world. I think there's a perception out there that church workers aren't "real people," that they live kind of cloistered away in their own little corner of the world. Sometimes, some of the things we do and say I'm afraid don't do much to help dispel that myth--and for some folks, it's not so much a myth as it is the honest truth.

Really, eighteen?

But I know what it's like to get up at 4:30 every morning to drive a 5-9 AM van route filled with screaming kids, go home for a couple hours of rest then work the 1-5 shift in a room filled with more screaming kids. I've worked in the cubicle hell world of Dilbert and Office Space, the world of TPS reports and "PC Load Letter" printer error messages. I've been called every name in the book by customers and insurance agents. I've driven to work in the morning with that pit in my stomach that says "if I have to do this ONE MORE DAY...I'm gonna either explode or cry."

Eighteen? Can that really be right?

I know I haven't experienced it all. But I've experienced a lot. And so much of that has helped shape the person I am today, and has really colored my passion for helping folks discover their true calling in life.

Eighteen?!?!?!

LH