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?

Btw, just to add, that I am from a relatively affluent background (not quite Osbourne, but both my parents went to Uni, we had a pretty big house, I went to Oxbridge etc).

Based on my experience, I think the writer of Chavs is wrong because most of my friends of similar backgrounds also worked in casual unskilled jobs as I did, and when I talk to my cousins and their friends (many of whom are in public schools/ Russell Group Unis) they are all doing this sort of work as well, so I think a lot of it is to do with parental expectations. Not all rich parents just hand out cash like water, especially those that made their own money and so appreciate the importance of a work ethic- they are often pretty tough on their kids

I think everyone needs to do a stint on a till (like everyone should be made to drive a car with a tiny engine, wash up by hand, etc. so they appreciate the good stuff).

You haven't lived until you're 4 hours into a 12 hour christmas till shift being yelled at by a customer because the supermarket has run out of lamb (and despite being welded to a till you're supposed to somehow know that, and be able to do something about it)... builds character.

Yes
yes bar work, yes cleaner, yes factory cleaner, yes kutchen assistant

I had a Saturday job at school and I've done bar work and waitressing as a second job when I was saving for a deposit for a mortgage. I think most of my friends had similar part time work. My 16 year old does a variety of small jobs (baby sitting, dog walking, stable hand) to bolster her pocket money. I think it helps teenagers appreciate the value of money if they have to earn it themselves.

todays sound bite from 'Chavs';

When asked what he thought the average wage in Britain was, a Tory MP (forget his name) extimated £80,000

paper round, waitressing/washing up, running ice cream kiosk, working in a shop, a cinema & a supermarket sainsbos

Don't understand why you'd not make yoofs get jobs really.

I worked in Department stores in various depts (childrens - great, gifts - great, mens shoes - urrgghh, mens underwear - horrific) , Pricey womans boutique (awful, customers were cows), Waitressed in various restaurants (some in the US where my god is it professional), picked fruit in Germany (gruelling) and then worked in a Book Shop (my favourite pt job)

have done lots of different jobs,
babysitting
dog walking
tesco health and beauty isle
waitress (for 3 years loved it!)
bar work at local pub
bar work at uni
quiz show hostess
bar work at local pub
then Office work

The joy of going to work was great when doing the non office jobs.

yes and some of us who work in those jobs now were professionals at some point too but for whatever reason are working ina lower paid job to meet their family commitments

Yes to:
Market stall worker
factory worker
promotional worker
library assistant

And now...
cleaner, driver, admin, buyer for our family business.

Working in a shit job is not the same as working in a shit job for 40 years. This entire thread is self congratulatory and patronising.

£1 an hour? Luxury! I used to get £1 3s and 9d for a day's hard slog at British Home Stores, that went up to £1 6s and 8d when I was 16! That was without electronic tills that did all the sums as well. Eeh and you try and tell t'young people of today that.....

Worked in a number of factories, then worked nearly two yrs in for a royal mail sorting office, sorting letters of course !(this was after graduating with my I.T degree might i add) then got an admin/sec job, then up and up from there, to my current xxxx fantastic salary.

well saying it's a shit job is a bit patronising as well! but I agree with you thecrackfox

I really wish people wouldn't be so judgemental about others because of their jobs. We are all lucky to have them in this climate, whatever we do

I started working weekends when I was 15, I'll try and remember the order:

Clearing tables at motorway services
Deli counter in supermarket
Cook in greasy spoon cafe
Ice cream stall at motorway services
Cook in truck stop
Making M&S underwear in a factory
Bar work
Military for 7 years
Call centre operator
Contractor scaring birds on an airfield
Bar work
Kennel maid
Aircraft cargo handling
Admin

I have done all but cleaning!

Kitchen (of old people's home)
Shop
Behind bar
Waitress
As a shared nanny
Tele-sales

Before university, in the universiy holidays or, later, between professional jobs as a way of making ends meet.

Like the op, I too had assumed these jobs were some sort of right of passage. The tele-sales and the kitchen were fairly awful but all those jobs taught me something.

TheCrackFox, the OP's point is not that she thinks some jobs are 'shit' but simply that she was shocked that she was the only one of her colleagues who had done bar work, and that she assumed that most people, even if they are now in different work, have experience of bar/retail/cleaning work etc.

Yes, dinner lady in factory canteen, chambermaid in B&B, waitress. Lots of fun, if poorly paid. Now a lawyer. Better paid but less fun.

Bit at the assertion that many politicians haven't done these types of roles at some point in their lives. Even the boarding school types when I was at uni (Cambridge) did some waitressing/barwork in the holidays.

Yep, you do have a point, thecrackfox. The vast majority of my working life I've worked in jobs other folk would consider 'shit' or 'menial'. Did a degree as a mature student, but can't find work in it, so I'll probably end up doing more of the same.

I do wonder about some of the 'bar work was ace fun' comments. Not so much if you've done it for years and years on low pay and doing antisocial hours dealing with drunken numpties. Maybe if it's for 'pin money' for a little bit (as someone said earlier). It just isn't the same.

Still, I don't think that really applies to everyone who has responded- and at least if someone has done these jobs even for a little while, they've got more of a handle on what 'real life' is like. Unlike almost all politicians.

This thread has made me think of all the casual jobs I've had over the years!

Waitress in various places
Bar work - student union, nightclub, country pub
Kennel maid
Door to door double glazing selling (never made a penny!)
Fruit and veg shop

Its a good job some of us still do the shit jobs or the whole country would grind to a halt.

Doing bar work/waitressing/cleaning for 3 months during the university holidays gives you a very small insight. 40 years of minimum wage with no prospect of any improvement on your terms and conditions can be soul destroying. Do you want a medal because you played at being working class for 12 weeks?

Yes I've done all those jobs but as someone said, as holiday work, so I don't think you get "points" for that. It's fun (although mine weren't) as long as it's not your long term job - poor pay, poor conditions etc etc.

As for politicians, people always forget that they see more of the rough side of life than most ordinary people do. Until you've attended the weekly MP's surgery on an estate and listened to people's terrible stories and tried to help them the best you can, you assume they just sit around in the Commons all day. Most weekends they are trudging around the local streets canvassing or doing constituency work. In fact one of my first jobs was working for an MP and it opened my eyes to how many people live. Most MPs are not MP for Henley.

I did the same as you theghastlywoman. I do raise my eyebrows rather alot at the youngsters I have worked with over the years who think they are somewhat better than me because they are going off to university, arf and yes it's lovely to develop yourself and do qualifications if you are able to but it doesn't make you any better than anyone else.

and quite usualsuspect. SOMEONE has to do all those jobs and sometimes that someone is you

My first jobs aged 13-15 were...

Paper round
Babysitting
Washing up
Waitress

Aged 16-21

Shop jobs

Never again!