How's work?

Lauren at Memoir is looking for work. With occupations on her mind she asks, What was your favorite job? Better yet, tell me about your worst occupation.”

It got me thinking.

My favourite job? That’d be my job at the moment. I’m a radio announcer and as part of my work I get to speak to some fascinating people. Some famous, some not so famous. They all have a story to tell. I enjoy the opportunity to do a bit of talkback radio to give a voice to people who otherwise wouldn’t be heard.

My worst? Many years ago I worked for Western Australia’s Education Department. I was a General Assistant which gave me a huge range of interesting tasks. I managed a storeroom, ran an offset printer, worked with audio/visual equipment and a lot more.

The job was good but then they started making changes throughout the department. I was moved ‘sideways’ for a while from a very interesting and diverse job to a brain numbing job in the department’s head office.

I spent all day opening the front cover of library books, noting which school they belonged to, closing the books, putting them in piles, then wrapping the piles into parcels to send to the schools.

Thankfully it was around that time that a full time job in radio became available and I was able to say goodbye to the Education Department.

I’ve had a range of jobs over the years. The only thing I’m officially qualified to do is cook. I went straight from school to a cooking apprenticeship. I completed the four year apprenticeship, got my qualifications and then left the industry. It really wasn’t for me. Those who choose to work as chefs are passionate about creating food and working in the pressurised atmosphere of a commercial kitchen. I’m extremely thankful that there are people who can work with food and that they love doing it but it wasn’t something I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing.

What about you? What have been your favourite and least favourite jobs? Are you looking to change jobs or are you happy with what you’re doing now? What would it take to get your dream job?

Posted by Rodney Olsen

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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He previously worked in radio for about 25 years but these days he spends his time at Compassion Australia, working towards releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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6 Comments

  • Rodney I’ve been working in the same company for all my working career. 28 years. I am only 46 years old. Looking forward to retirement one day in 20 years time. Still enjoy going to work every morning, working with people and resolving daily problem that come my way as an Architectural Draftsman.
    Have a great day.

    Regards
    Davud

  • My worst job was, sorry to say after David´s comment, in an architectural office. I just had graduated, jobs were rare and I worked for driving-money only. Three days a week, the others looking for a “real” job. The atmosphere was so very bad due to harshest rivalry, I got stomach pain and finally quit. We were all young people working against each other.
    I´m in IT business now, I like it a lot but my project is possible to end soon and I have to see what´s next.

  • My worst job was working as an auditor. I had a cubical far from any window and boring numbers all day long.

    I’ve got a great window now, the view changes moment to moment and working with kids is never boring.

  • And you’re great on the radio. I tune in every once in a while. I think my favorite stream lately was the one of the Leeuwin–which I could swear you guys were saying “Loon”. You do a great job!

  • I’m doing it now – a stay-at-home Mom. I worked as a Human Resources Professional for years and loved that, as well, but there’s something about forming little people and taking pride in your home that beats all other jobs for me, hands down. I also worked in Alumni Relations at a medical college, fund-raising, and probably about 5 other jobs before finding H.R., which was a wonderful niche for me as a single. But, somehow, I really think God created my temperament to be a mommy and I’m ever so thankful I can just do that now.

  • My best job is not really a job yet – I’m currently writing my first novel and until it gets published I probably won’t be able to count it as a job. Still I do spend one day a week at home, working on it.

    My worst job was in a deli/general store/cafe type place when I was 18. It wasn’t the job itself that was bad – it was the boss! She was a nightmare and treated her employees (including me) like dirt. I later found out she’d been to court for kicking some of her employees at her previous business.

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