All The Places I've Worked
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (85968)
United States
November 9, 2023 9:02am CST
I'm only 50, and while I use the term for my current status as "retired," I get antsy. And so, I am almost sure I will return to the workforce in some capacity, even if it is not full time.
Plus, why not make money if I can even if I don't necessarily need it? I always want it.
As of July 18th when I left my last job, I had been in the workforce for 36 years and held many jobs starting at the age of 14. Here is a list of all the places I have worked through the years. Some jobs short. Some jobs long. Some jobs seasonal.
Domino's Pizza (Edwardsville, IL)
Bruno's Family Restaurant (Muncie, IN)
Hardee's (Edwardsville, IL)
Edwardsville School District #7 (Midway, IL)
Zipp's Drive-Thru (Edwardsville, IL)
Shop N' Save (Edwardsville, IL)
Jack in the Box (Edwardsville, IL)
United States Navy (USS Enterprise (CVN-65), Norfolk, VA)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI)
Quad Graphics (Sussex, WI)
Kraft Pizza Company (Sussex, WI)
Coca-Cola Enterprises (Milwaukee, WI)
Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (Milwaukee, WI)
Nestlé Foods (Burlington, WI)
Batzner Pest Management (New Berlin, WI)
Construction Equipment Parts (Belleville, IL)
Where have you worked?
10 people like this
8 responses
@moffittjc (120997)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Nov
Areca Palms Nursery (Boynton Beach, FL)
Winn-Dixie Supermarket (Boynton Beach, FL)
Wal-Mart (Gainesville, FL, West Palm Beach, FL, Lantana, FL)
City of Greenacres, FL
Village of Wellington, FL
Indian Trail Improvement District (WPB FL)
Taubman & Associates (mall developer, Wellington, FL and Orlando, FL)
City of Gainesville, FL
Home Depot (Gainesville, FL)
Lowe’s (Alachua, FL)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120997)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Nov
@porwest The benefits that come with a government job are awesome, but the trade off is that you earn less wages than an equivalent position in the private field. I was in upper management, and although I eventually made it to a six-figure salary over the course of my 20 years there, I could have made double the money doing the same thing in the business world. But I knew it would be worth it in the end when I could start collecting that lifelong pension.
1 person likes this
@porwest (85968)
• United States
14 Nov
@moffittjc I have always disputed the "less wages" part since benefits are a part of wages. In business we have two wages. One is the reported wage and the other is the actual wage. The reported wage is what you see on your paycheck, and the actual wage is the total compensation when you add in the benefits.
When you look at the actual wage of a government worker it far surpasses the actual wage of a non-government worker. So, government workers are actually doing much better overall most of the time.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120997)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Nov
OMG you worked at Zipp’s? That was one of my “go-to” places to eat when I was in college!
1 person likes this
@porwest (85968)
• United States
9 Nov
Get this. I worked there for four hours. No joke. I took the job and told them at the time I needed at least 20 hours a week (boy the days of high school when all you needed was fun money and gas money and gas was 75 cents a gallon). My first schedule posted was only for 8 hours. I immediately quit. lol That was literally the shortest job I ever had.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120997)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov
@porwest OMG! That reminded me…I didn’t list McDonalds! I was there for about the same amount of time. When I got hired I told them I needed a certain day off. Well, on my first day they gave me my schedule and they had me working on the day i had asked off for. I finished that first shift and then never went back.
1 person likes this
@porwest (85968)
• United States
14 Nov
@moffittjc lol. I don't think I ever actually put Zipp's on any of my earlier applications.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (88703)
• Arvada, Colorado
9 Nov
Mine were mostly skivvy jobs and hairdressing and factories of all types as well as private individuals and all sorts of jobs, office and stores and aside from the night jobs.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (88703)
• Arvada, Colorado
10 Nov
@porwest Yes you did well Jim. Good.
1 person likes this
@porwest (85968)
• United States
9 Nov
I tended toward factories for a very long time. I guess it was partly because of familiarity. Plus, the pay was usually quite good. Batzner Pest Management happened sort of by accident, but in the end it worked out and pretty much lead to one of the best paying jobs I ever had in sales in my last job.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317036)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
9 Nov
When did they move the Enterprise from North Island, San Diego to Norfolk, VA. It's the only ship I wasn't allowed to tour while docked on North Island.
You had a lot of jobs.
My jobs.
Bethesda Lutheran Home in Watertown, WI
Clintonville Community Hospital
US Navy, North Island, San Diego, CA
DRP Litho Print shop in Elgin, IL
Another print shop in Green Bay, WI
Post Office, Green Bay
McDonald's in Green Bay
Bakery at Copps grocery store
APAC customer service
I think that's all of them. I got certified as an Offset Press Operator in California. I also had my certificate as a nurse's aide. My first two jobs.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317036)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
9 Nov
@porwest I was one of their temps they bring in for six months at a time. I worked for almost a year, since I started in June and could work until the next June. It was also where I hurt my back. Fractured the T-4. So, that was the end of lifting and working at the Post Office. It was fun though. That was in 1997-98.
1 person likes this
@porwest (85968)
• United States
9 Nov
Right after their last world cruise in 1990. Then it went to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock company for an extensive overhaul and rehabilitation, of which I was a part. I served 1992-1996, and by the time I got out we were Pier 11 North in Norfolk.
I did have a lot of jobs. I never liked to stay put too long and plus, I think it helped me to develop quite a wide range of skills which were useful for future ventures.
How long did you work for the post office?
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (118750)
• United States
9 Nov
Maruca's Tomato Pies (Seaside Heights, NJ)
The Gap (Toms River, Atlantic City NJ, Trumbull, CT)
Friendly's (Toms River, NJ)
Lucky Leo's (Seaside Heights, NJ)
*all of the above were summer jobs and during high school and college*
*below are after college graduation*
Perth Amboy Board of Education (Perth Amboy, NJ)
current BOE (NJ)
1 person likes this
@dilleo (1004)
• Canada
9 Nov
I am only 33 myself, but even so, I have only really had about 3 or 4 jobs where I have been there for at least a few months or more. I have probably had a good 5 or 6 jobs that didn't end up working out for me, where I was there a month or less.
I have done anything from Roofing to Pizza Delivery to working in a Computer shop as a co-op in my last year of high school.
I would like to try to find another job, something part-time, just to earn a bit of extra money, and keep me busy!
Great question, by the way! Cheers. 
1 person likes this
@dilleo (1004)
• Canada
10 Nov
@porwest Fair enough! Yeah, there's a lot of different things not going for the Roofing job, but usually they pay pretty well.
It's funny though, that you mention the fear of heights thing. I think I have that as well, now, so I don't think I could do Roofing any more, plus it is VERY hard work, physically.
@allknowing (132679)
• India
10 Nov
The longest I worked and gave up after working there was for about 22 years. My last and the best place to work. Prior to that I did have stints with a couple of firms.
@MommyOfEli2013 (83609)
• Rupert, Idaho
9 Nov
you have definitely had a lot of jobs! I worked in the kitchen at the hospital, that's been about it...
1 person likes this
@porwest (85968)
• United States
9 Nov
I like to move around a bit, and I become easily bored with jobs. The average for me was around 3-5 years. In fact, the longest three I worked at were Batzner for 4 years, Coca-Cola for 6 1/2 and Construction Equipment for 10.
I guess you could count the Navy too. I was in for four years.
1 person likes this
