gbb
Legendary Member
- Location
- Peterborough
Seeing the explosive thread reminded me of a job i had years ago...
Here's my rough working history since 1977.
Left school, one O level and several normal GCSEs, no idea what i wanted to do.
First job...Little Chef, waitering and cooking. After 6 months they offered me a trainee managers course.. not for me guvnor Wished i had gone for it somehow,
At 17, joined an American surveying company, looking for coal in the Vale of Belvoir. One of the most mental jobs ive had. 17 year old, driving a 3.5ltr landrover, full off road setup, laying cables and recording instruments and explosives detonator. brilliant job in the summer, bit of a mare in the winter.
I tried to get onto the deep drilling rigs that followed us...too young The pay was brilliant. Surveying i earned £50 a week in 1976...most of my mates were earning £22 a week. On the rigs it was £200 plus a week...astronomical money in 1976
Then spent a year or two on building sites till my back gave out...thanks to the massive paper round i had as a kid
Became an engineering storeman for a frozen food producer in 1977, brilliant crew, brilliant job, average money, but the responsibility grew till i was responsible for budget reports, invoices, and was effectively the engineering buyer with a budget of £250,000 PA. Did that for 23 years although i was bored after 20
Made redundant in 2000, switched to engineering itself, and am now the only maintenance engineer (there were two of us...i was well trained by my former colleague) responsible for 13 packing lines in a citrus packing factory.
I work abroard 2 or 3 times a year...ive even worked in Spain helping them to set up particular jobs...its a bit like selling coals to Newcastle, the industry there is massive, they manufacture the machines and yet were asking for our help
One O Level, several meaningless GCSEs, an NVQ2 in business administration....thats all i have. I really wonder how ive always been lucky in work sometimes.
Oh, and never once signed on, never been out of work...god knows, ive never really had a plan in life, but always put 100% into whatever i do workwise. My current job proves you really can change your career if you want to, with a lucky break and a lot of hard work.
How about yours ?
Here's my rough working history since 1977.
Left school, one O level and several normal GCSEs, no idea what i wanted to do.
First job...Little Chef, waitering and cooking. After 6 months they offered me a trainee managers course.. not for me guvnor Wished i had gone for it somehow,
At 17, joined an American surveying company, looking for coal in the Vale of Belvoir. One of the most mental jobs ive had. 17 year old, driving a 3.5ltr landrover, full off road setup, laying cables and recording instruments and explosives detonator. brilliant job in the summer, bit of a mare in the winter.
I tried to get onto the deep drilling rigs that followed us...too young The pay was brilliant. Surveying i earned £50 a week in 1976...most of my mates were earning £22 a week. On the rigs it was £200 plus a week...astronomical money in 1976
Then spent a year or two on building sites till my back gave out...thanks to the massive paper round i had as a kid
Became an engineering storeman for a frozen food producer in 1977, brilliant crew, brilliant job, average money, but the responsibility grew till i was responsible for budget reports, invoices, and was effectively the engineering buyer with a budget of £250,000 PA. Did that for 23 years although i was bored after 20
Made redundant in 2000, switched to engineering itself, and am now the only maintenance engineer (there were two of us...i was well trained by my former colleague) responsible for 13 packing lines in a citrus packing factory.
I work abroard 2 or 3 times a year...ive even worked in Spain helping them to set up particular jobs...its a bit like selling coals to Newcastle, the industry there is massive, they manufacture the machines and yet were asking for our help
One O Level, several meaningless GCSEs, an NVQ2 in business administration....thats all i have. I really wonder how ive always been lucky in work sometimes.
Oh, and never once signed on, never been out of work...god knows, ive never really had a plan in life, but always put 100% into whatever i do workwise. My current job proves you really can change your career if you want to, with a lucky break and a lot of hard work.
How about yours ?