What jobs have you had?
This is a good question. Since I was twelve years old there have been many that it’s hard to remember them all. Before I was old enough to legally work for an employer there were landscaping jobs as assistant to my father that filled up my summers after school was out. That lasted for around three years until beginning food service jobs starting with places like McDonald’s and Burger King. Another food service position was with a restaurant that had a German Beer 🍺 Garden theme (and served the best bratwurst 🌭!!) at a local amusement park. All of these jobs were in upstate New York around the Lake George area which is still a popular summer resort area at the base of the Adirondack Mountains.
Then, while living in Key Largo, Florida for a time, I waited tables at a Cuban restaurant called Sunset In The Keys which served a lot of great food – especially the paella! One of my first retail positions while living there was with a discount chain called McCrory’s (similar to Woolworth’s, and a forerunner to the dollar 💵 stores which started becoming prominent in the 90’s). McCrory’s was a pretty good place to work and had some of the best coworkers I’ve ever known, but that company is long gone now.
After moving to Syracuse, New York I worked in a factory that made small plastic parts that contracted with General Motors. That was one of my least favorite jobs for sure – and only lasted for a couple of months. One of the most drama filled jobs I’ve ever had was working as a bar back at a nightclub that started off really well, made a lot of money…but then crashed and burned when the egos of the owners got way out of control. The next job was at a fine dining restaurant as an expediter. I had to inspect every plate that came up the elevator for quality and ensure they went to the correct server. This job also required some prep work where I sliced seemingly endless loaves of fresh baked bread for the dinner rush.
Being across the street from city hall, this place was popular with local politicians and prominent business people. However, it too eventually went out of business. In any event, I will never forget the fried calamari there! It was definitely one of the most delicious items (of many) on their menu. Not too long after that I moved to Phoenix, Arizona and worked a great deal as a banquet server for large corporate events, weddings, etc. through various employment agencies. Then, for nearly five years I worked as kitchen staff at the Arizona State Veteran’s Home which was among the best jobs benefits wise. However, the work environment was toxic and I’d eventually had enough of it!
I’ve also worked as a veterinary assistant and was largely responsible for record keeping for pets on the boarding side of the business and also bathed dogs before they’d go to the groomers, dispensed medications, did most of the bedding laundry 🧺 and was definitely the chief dog walker! I’ve also worked at call centers involved in conducting surveys, engaged in street level political canvassing and petitioning, and during the past nine years have worked as a healthcare advocate for Medicare beneficiaries and Healthcare Marketplace consumers. This is one of the more challenging positions that I’ve had that which requires a great deal of tact when engaging in conference calls with consumers and their difficult insurance companies which naturally will try to wriggle out of paying claims!
This position also requires a lot of application updates, discussing premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket limits, copays, coinsurance, eligibility & determination notices, enrollments, disenrollments, filing cases of suspected insurance fraud – and on it goes. Health insurance can be emotional and complex. Many days it’s exhausting to cope with, so I’m always relieved when the weekend arrives. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll continue in this role and am considering other possibilities such as having a successful blog that evolves into more than a hobby.
