Yesterday we spent all day at the St Louis Zoo with my sweet cousin Mandy and her adorable 3 month old, Emery, followed by an evening of shopping with my mom! So I am a day late, but here is this weeks LISTABLE LIFE:
Jobs I’ve Had
6. Office Work- My grandfather owned his own heating and cooling company for many, many years. At the ripe old age of 13, I started working over the summers at least 3-4 days a week doing office work. Most of it was spent filing paperwork. Exciting, I know. But I believe my parents and grandparents did me right by letting me start working at that young age because it certainly taught me the value of a dollar.
5. Vet Assistant: At 14, when I could get my workers permit, I continued to work at my grandfathers office during the summer, but during the school year, I would work at a local vet office as well. I was the one that walked the dogs and cleaned the exam rooms. But I was also the one that got to assist with many surgeries and procedures. It was not a very glorious job and at times it was extremely sad when people were there to put their furry friend to rest. I wasn’t particularly fond of this job so that leads me to my 4th job…
4. Jakes Pizza Shop -Phone answering/pizza making chick– At 15, I got yet a new job at my high school sweethearts daddy’s pizza shop. I enjoyed working there. It’s amazing that I didn’t gain 7 million pounds because I was constantly eating, eating, and eating while I worked. Lucky for me, I had the most amazing metabolism ever known to man when I worked there. Where did that metabolism go? I really wish it would come back 😉 Oh and when I was 18, I worked at a pizza place called Gumbys in Columbia Missouri for like 1 week. Just to get a t-shirt with Gumby on it. After I got the t-shirt, I quit.
I’m awful, aren’t I?
3. Sales associate to manager– From 16-20, I worked at a clothing store in the mall called Delias. Being the teenage girl that I was, I thought it was awesome that I could work there and get a huge discount on clothes. I figured I could use clothes more than I could pizza. When I was 19, they offered me a position as a manager. I jumped on that boat and was able to get myself a new car and pay for alot of my college expenses myself. If you know anyting about retail, then you know it sucks. And sometimes it sucks really bad. I used to kid that that the entrance of the store was actually the gates of hell. Ya, it was that bad. It became a really terrible environment to work in. The 3 other managers I worked with were awesome, but they eventually moved on and left me with one new manager whom happened to hate my guts. I am really unsure of why she hated my guts, but she was downright mean to me. She completely treated me like I was scum. Eventually I confronted her and threatened to quit without giving 2 weeks if she didn’t straighten up her act and start treating me as her equal. I know there are always going to be people in the workplace that are difficult to work with, but I had never encountered people as mean as she was. I was good at what I did and I actually was top manager for like 10 months in a row before I quit because I worked my booty off.
I will NEVER work retail again. Ever.
2. Certified Nurse Assistant- In Missouri, I was called a Patient Care Associate. In Texas, I was called a CNA. You all know who the CNA’s are: the one that helps patients with the routine care we take for granted until we are sick and can no longer do it for ourselves. I was studying psychology at the time and found myself loving more and more of the physical/medical part of psychology so I thought I would try being a CNA to see if I wanted to change career paths to nursing. I started out at a hospital here in St Louis as a patient transporter, taking patients from point A to point B, just to get my foot in the door. About 8 months later and after going through a CNA program, I transferred to the oncology floor as a Patient Care Associate, and I fell in love with the idea of being a nurse. I LOVED caring for people, especially terminal patients. I had many a conversation with those oncology patients about death. And you know what? I feel like that is my calling. To work with terminal patients: all because of working as a CNA on that floor.
1. Registered Nurse- This was me 3 years ago on my VERY first day of work as a graduate nurse. I had been offered a job on the OB floor as a nursery nurse during my internship. Whoohoo for me! One month later, I would find out I passed my NCLEX (boards) and receive my nursing license. It was the most amazing feeling of relief to know all that hard work had finally paid off and I was officially an RN. I worked in the nursery for 2 years. It was very hard because it is such a specialty area, but also rewarding. Working in a rural hospital is not like your typical big hospital. We did not have a NICU. I was often times the NICU nurse until the NICU crew from an hour away could get there.
Sometimes it was very scary, but I learned so much from that experience.
From the beginning of nursing school, I have felt like my calling is to work with terminal patients- either oncology or hospice. I really have a heart for both and I really hope the Lord leads me into one of those career paths when we move. I absolutely love being an RN!
My current occupation is:
Stay At Home Mom
(and it tops the list! It’s my favorite job EVER!)
An oldie but a goodie. My favorite picture of Eli when he was 2 months old.
Linking Up!
Oh. My. Stars….that picture is too precious for words!
You have had such a variety of jobs which I think would be ideal so you know what you like – customer service versus the medical field versus something creative etc…so you obviously now know that being an RN is what is fitting for you and more specifically working with hospice patients – not many people can say that they know exactly what they should be doing – very cool.
Thanks for linking up!!
Aww thanks! Those beautiful blue eyes can just melt your heart, can't they? 😉
I do love being a nurse, and I still get plenty of work as a nurse, because I constantly have friends and family calling me with medical questions lol. I work for free 😉 But eventually, I do hope to work in hospice. It is seriously my passion!
Beautiful! And yes the “work” that defines us should not be the paycheck we bring in but what is rooted in love and bonds. Without love we can have a great career but lack everything,
AMEN!!!!
Eli is adorable!
Thank you!!! He is quite a joy!!