My first job was as a map maker/travel counselor at AAA, and I thought it was fun. At the same time, I also worked in photography as a salesperson in camera equipment and photofinishing, and I liked that a lot, too, before digital took over. My University degree is in psychology because I have always been interested in why I do what I do, plus why other people do what they do. The problem is, I didn't really have any burning ambition, and that's why I struggled to find a job path that suited my talents.

My father, who was a lawyer, died in 1982, and my mother, who continued to raise me after that traumatic experience, died last year. I'm in my 50's and am basically not in need of working for money, so I volunteer at the local art museum.

What was your first job, and what do you do, now? What was your dream job?

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I am a pensioner. My first job was to help build and calibrate a bubble chamber at the Physics Department of the University of Trieste. I had to go and fetch a CO60 gamma-ray source from an subterranean room and use it to generate neutrons by irradiating a beryllium target, this to calibrate the bubble chamber. This without any safety protection. I also had to modify the chamber electronics by using the first Germanium transistors instead of vacuum tubes.This when I was still a student. The physicists were using vacuum tubes in their equipment and told me that the transistors had no future. This was in 1959/1960. On weekends I climbed mountains.
Tullio

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The physicists were using vacuum tubes in their equipment and told me that the transistors had no future.

;~)

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I guess tullio still mentioned the old stuff being used here as well...

I think that vacuum tubes are still used in music players from vinyl discs, their sound is warmer than in transistor radios and players.
Tullio

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I think that vacuum tubes are still used in music players from vinyl discs, their sound is warmer than in transistor radios and players.
Tullio

That is an absolute fact.

Also, the Russians (Soviets ) still used vacuum tubes in their military equipment
long after the West. It had the advantage of greatly increased survive-ability to EMP .

Bill

edit - My first job - paper route )

My first paying job was as a civil engineering drafts(person). I went on to graduate from college with a degree in math education and worked one year as a teacher. From then until my retirement 10 years ago I worked in the civil engineering field as a computer tech(Autocad). I enjoyed my work in civil engineering and take great pride in the knowledge that my work has helped people travel around the state of Florida.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

I was an Artillery Forward Observer in the Military. After I got out, I was a Guard
at a Maximum Security Prison for 24 years. Nowadays, I'm sort of a Rent a Cop )

Bill

When I was a kid, I had a crush on the two paper girls who delivered on this street. That used to be a good job. Everybody got the paper back in those days. We even had morning and evening delivery.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Most of the delivery kids in my neighborhood did it on foot.

Were you good at hitting the porch, Vic?

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

My first job, was a paper boy. My first job in my skill set when I was 16 was installing radio communication equipment in cars and fleet vehicles.
Now, I am a software engineer, specializing in database based analog and digital test automation.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

A lot of paper boys. So few people get the paper nowadays, they've gone to car routes, which obviously eliminates the opportunity for kids.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

modelmaker helping to construct 5th scale models of nuclear submarines out of perpex...

That sounds interesting. How did you get into that field?

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Well, you clearly have attention to detail. I used to be fascinated with the fonts used in movies/tv shows/on advertising, etc., and I liked to try to copy them, and make my own. This was back of course before computer font designs.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I too was a paperboy... er, uh... paper girl... paper person???

I delivered The Montclarion, a small, local paper. For most of the homes on my route I was unable to throw the paper up to the doorway, so I walked a lot of steps and carefully placed a lot of Montclarions on door mats.

Now I am a speech pathologist, but the first job I remember ever wanting to have was nun. I think I liked the "costumes".

Yes, probably - and by the nuns who taught the CCD classes I attended. Nuns are pretty cool. Never met a nun I didn't like.

I too was a paperboy... er, uh... paper girl... paper person???

I delivered The Montclarion, a small, local paper. For most of the homes on my route I was unable to throw the paper up to the doorway, so I walked a lot of steps and carefully placed a lot of Montclarions on door mats.

Well, you were a good paper girl if you were that careful. We got it on the roof a couple times, and the bushes.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

The Montclairion was a weekly paper. Had it been a daily paper the novelty of precise delivery would probably have worn off quite quickly.

My first job was as a map maker

As was mine ... for the US Air Force ... in ST. Louis, Mo.

My father, who was a lawyer, died in 1982

Mine was a counter-spy; died in 1960, at the age of 43.

I'm in my 50's and ... I volunteer at the local art museum.

I note your post was made on the first of September. That was my Birthday, in 1943
and I am a volunteer fireman these days, after retiring from several careers.

Hmm, now if you want o know jobs before college graduation, I have to admit farming, setting bowling pins, yard boy, lifeguard, and chemistry laboratory assistant for scholarship money.