The other day I was thinking about the various things I’ve done to earn money, skill, and experience from about age 8 or 9 onward. I tried to come up with a complete list and found it to be a really fun and enlightening exercise. It was rather encouraging and exciting to see how little of a pattern there is, and how nothing like a linear path emerged. I’ve found that at every unknown juncture, worries about a job have been overblown. I got married very young and returned from my honeymoon with a mortgage to pay and no job. The thing that has worked best for me is just to keep working, even while looking. I did every random, laborious job I could, and it always eventually led to more interesting things.
It’s a cool exercise, and has led to some fun stories with the kids. (Kids are always so fascinated by their parents past failures, hardships, and embarrassments). Give it a try! Here’s my list, probably missing some, mostly but not perfectly chronological, and with plenty of overlap:
- Snow shoveler/leaf raker/lawn mower
- Weekly ‘Flashes’ delivery
- Babysitter
- Dog walker
- Paper delivery (this one continued for years)
- Construction/excavation grunt (paid in Gatorade and Swiss Cake Rolls)
- Golf course grounds worker/pro-shop/concessions/grunt/bathroom cleaner
- Grocery store carryout and shelf stocker
- House framer/random cut/cleanup guy
- Telephone and data cable installation (eventually managing field operations)
- Guitarist/vocalist in various bands (sometimes I even got paid!)
- Co-founder of international humanitarian nonprofit (unpaid)
- House flipper (it was pre-2007…everyone was doing it!)
- English teacher abroad (unpaid)
- Medical clinic assistant abroad (unpaid)
- Electrical worker
- Co-founder and field manager for datacom startup
- Landscaper (because the above wasn’t making too much money!)
- Landlord
- President of taxpayer advocacy group (unpaid)
- Legislative intern (unpaid for two weeks)
- Legislative assistant/aid
- Legislative “Chief of Staff” (“Staff” included me, one other employee, and an intern)
- Political Science teacher
- Creator/director of “Students for a Free Economy” program at the Mackinac Center
- Random marketing/educational consultant (occasional side gigs)
- Policy Programs Director at IHS
- Speaker/lecturer (paid and unpaid)
- Writer (mostly unpaid, but some steady paid gigs)
- Education Director at IHS
- Copywriter (side gigs, paid and unpaid)
- Sales (some commission-based side-work)
- Major Gifts Officer (fundraising) at IHS
- Praxis