I have had a grand total of two jobs - ever
First was when I was about 14/15, I worked Saturdays in my dad's friend's kitchen and bathroom showroom - mostly cleaning, but I also made plenty of cups of tea, and being the nice, polite young girl I was, I'd have a friendly chat with the customers and field some basic enquiries about worksurfaces, flooring etc. Not badly paid at £20 cash in hand for the day. Unfortunately I had to pack it in after I found I was allergic to pretty much every cleaning product I tried - even with gloves, masks, any sort of protective clothing you can think of. Since then, I've had serious eczema all over my body, hayfever... oddly also became allergic to furry animals, which had never bothered me in the slightest until then. Oh, and an aversion to mirror tiles and stainless steel/chrome surfaces - without fail, I'd get them nice and clean, then some little brat would come along and put their sticky little fingers all over them, it used to drive me nuts. I probably twitch when I see the damn things now.

Second job, a couple of years ago (so would have been... 17, I suppose), worked in a local garden centre. Massive place. Good pay, considering my age and lack of experience, skills etc - think it was just over £5 p/h. Mostly till work, which I was good at, and again, unfailingly polite to all the old biddies and posh types we used to get in there. If I wasn't needed on tills, I'd go into the warehouse and restock, or build some bird tables or something. Pretty good job actually - had to pack it in again... when I came down with glandular fever. Nice. Worst bits were doing my back in lugging massive bags of compost around, the smell of 4X chicken manure clinging to me for days after I'd just been in the same room as the stuff, and of course being so ill I practically passed out every day when I got home.

Now I need a job again. Hmmmm.
( useful_idiot, Fri 17 Feb 2006, 15:36, Reply)