to think that most of us have worked behind a bar/ in a factory/supermarket/ as a cleaner at some point, HAVEN'T we?????

[bejeezus]

Came up in conversation today in the office, that I have worked as a barmaid; my colleagues where and I was equally that non of them have...I thought EVERYONE had worked behind a bar at some point in their life???

Ive had variousjobsinmylife, including factory work, working in kitchens, dog kennels, cleaning, callcentres; and now Im a professional

it gotme thinking--i went to uni and worked holidays/ evenings and weekends...now i think about it, hardly anyone else did that!

Am reading 'Chavs' at the minute and the author makes that very point....very large majorityof politicians have never done that kind of job and so cannot relate to the working classes AT ALL. It really hit home, how very far removed from normal folk, politicians are these days

But,most of yous have done/do these kind ofjobs-right?

Horticultural work from when I was knee-high to a bee;
Library assistant on Saturdays from ages 14-17;
Chambermaid for a summer season.
Did basic clerical work on a temp basis while looking for a 'proper' job.

Never did me any harm.

DD spent a summer working at one of those American summer camps. She taught a sport and was on-call as 'house-mother' the rest of the time as well. If you included the on-call hours then the hourly rate was almost nothing - but she wouldn't have swopped the experience for anything.

It's all character building.

"Alan Johnson?"

Really, Linerunner

I'd be too scared he'd shout his famous catch phrase at an opportune point in the bedroom

Nah, sorry, can't see it (and that's coming from some-one who'd give Axl Rose a go even in his current state)

:)

Time for my bed I think!

lolol at Alans Johnson and Sugar.

lequeen did you used to hate the bastards who came in and rumpled the jumpers?

I always take great delight in feel guilty when I deliberately rumple serried ranks of jumpers in Jack Wills and Hollister.

I was trying to work out Alan Johnson's famous sex catchphrase for a minute, there....

Benetton! I used to press my nose against their pristeen jumper folded window displays and gaze at the very funky and pretty shop assistants inside, wishing I could be one of the chosen ones.

The likes of me never made it to the heights of Benetton or Esprit for that matter

I am currently employed as a cleaner. I worked as a business development manager and in retail security I had two DD's who were cared for by a nanny.

After the late arrival of my DS I became a SAHM. I like to earn some money and the only school time job I found was cleaning. It is ok, no pressure, always home for school run.

Another former Macdonalds employee here too, passed my floor managers exam like nursejennylee at Macheadquaters in Salford or whatever the feck it was called. Great for the social life and being able to do hundreds of hours overtime and feeling like a millionaire at the age of 18!

"you sort of folded them across your chest. I wasn't just a pretty face...that took some serious training"

I knew they imparted secrets in that cult shop that could be obtained nowhere else.

No wonder you've become the goddess of all things tasteful on MN :)

Mind you, the germans have a nifty way of teaching jumper folding across the chest that I can still do to this day (vair handy for hiding my non purchasing misdemeanors in shops these days)

I still wouldn't mind one of those plastic folding devices Sheldon has on the Big Bang theory though.

ooh, I used to hate unfolding the jumpers in The Sweater Shop , it was the coolest shop ever but I used to get proper guilt if a browsed!

(Getorf - my friend told me the old dears wouldn't leave their seats during a game for any reason.)

Hello other former Woolies Saturday girls!
I did that a couple of years while at school, also worked in a box factory for two summers while at uni (temped at an insurance co for the third summer - bliss in comparison!)

Never did bar work though.

Ohh good thread and point, I first worked at 14, picking fruit on a farm, worked in Mcdonalds for 3 years 16-19, summer jobs as office lacky from 16 -19, worked in a pub from 18 to 20, had a f/t job as admin assistant for 6 month after finishing my BTEC business in a factory, then HCA in operating theatre when I was a student nurse, from 20 -23, from 16 up until I was 28 I always had 2 jobs and sometimes 3
I have also worked a few times milking cows, work experience in a Primary school.
various charity work, from 16 to 26,
it has to be said from 16-26 I was never in, either working or out with mates which makes my life more interesting now, because I can watch reruns of the vicar of dibley, ab fab and men behaving badly, like it is the first time I have seen it, because it is :)

I've had several jobs like these - saturdays in shops from the age of 15, holiday jobs while at Uni working as a waitress/cleaner/kitchen hand, I've done filing, voluntary work of varying kinds, I'm also very good at folding towels after a stint in a linen shop.
These days I'm still in a fairly low paid job, but I have lots of experience and qualifications.

I feel my life actually has always been spolied by the fact that (a) I didn't have a stripey jumper with THE SWEATER SHOP emblazoned across the chest and (b) never had a carrier bag from River Island with the pre-Raphaelite painting on the front and (c) never had a floppy cloche hat and choker until it had just gone out of fashion.

Bitter moments.

Yes - I have worked in a factory (several), as a (hospital) cleaner, in a supermarket (paid for my MA), and behind a bar (where I met DH). Might be 'menial' jobs but they have had quite an impact on the way my life has turned out. :)

My career to date:
Coffee house waitress/chef
Retail store
Boutique retail store
Another retail store
Retail products buyer in an office
And current job which is marketing/promotions in an office

Never worked in a bar or factory though!

Other highlights of my working life include a stint of selling double-glazing by cold-calling. :)

Glad to have missed that painful period of not being in fashion on this sceptered isle GetOrf (busy being a misfit in the motherland instead :)

I work in an office now still (investment) which I find utterly uninteresting and unfulfilling.

Seriously considering going back to so called 'menial' work such as cleaning in a self-employed capacity or even the local supermarket.

At least there'd be the satisfaction of being able to see a job well done at the end of the day rather than being a 'pez dispenser' for useless forms that the oh so rich are just far too important to read or fill out.

Not to mention some cameraderie and savings in travelling costs.....

I worked in a pork pie factory while at uni, I injected the jelly, character building it was

Ooh, and I worked in a cafe cum sandwich bar. I did a mean cooked breakfast on the griddle! Could have 6 servings on the go at one time.

'Brown or red sauce with that love?!

I loved that job

YANBU

I haven't done any of the above, but I have:

• sold cheap & nasty shoes
• worked as a barista
• worked as a chambermaid (2nd worst job ever)
• done admin / general office skivvy

I'm a programme manager

I used to temp in an office when I was 14-18 (after school, in the holidays etc) . I had a brief job cleaning in a kebab shop when I was 17 which was rank and I have never eaten a kebab because of that job. I've also done a fair bit of bar work when I was a student.

Now I'm a classroom assistant.