Yesterday I read a fun post on Red Two Green called 30 Jobs/Side Hustles We’ve Had. It got me thinking about about all the many jobs I’ve had over the course of my adult life, some way more interesting than others, and I made my own list.
- Newspaper delivery (paid for my Associates Degree with this one)
- Pizza delivery (helped me pay cash for a newer car)
- Phone book delivery
- Grocery Store Clerk (and later Assistant Manager)
- Data Entry Clerk (for a school fundraising company)
- Warehouse Order Puller
- Before & After-School Program Assistant
- Guitar Cleaner (lasted 13 hours)
- Landscaper (lasted 1 day)
- Convenience Store Clerk
- Carpet Cleaner
- Shipping label photographer for UPS
- Airport Security Screener (before TSA)
- Security Guard (overnight at the Ryman Auditorium – once!)
- Merchandiser (of everything from eyeglasses to books)
- Flea Market Vendor (selling items acquired for free through a merchandising gig)
- Mystery Shopper
- Payroll Clerk (left this one because they wouldn’t let me have pictures on my desk)
- Gift Shop Clerk
- Math Tutor
- Sales Rep (pet products)
- Used car photographer
- Product description writer for pet products website
- Commissioned writer for “History of Boating” project
- Adult Day Care Bus Driver
- Recreation League Scorekeeper (LOVED this job!)
- Website Designer
- District Manager* (and later Training Manager for a pet products merchandising firm)
- HR Coordinator
- Term Paper Writer
- Resume Writer
- Training Consultant (designing e-courses for veterinarians)
- Voice-over artist
- Editor for coupon code posting website
- Marketing Manager*
- e-Bay Lister (for a motorcycle shop)
- Coffee Vendor (with a great route in South FL)
- Non-profit Grant Writer*
- Smart Phone App Hustler
- Blogger (though I’ve only made 8 cents so far LOL)
As I looked at this list, a novel thought popped into my head. I’ve made a career out of being a side hustler! Sure, I have had 3 long-term employers (marked with *) but the overwhelming majority of income producing opportunities in my life have been short-term, part-time or contract gigs.
Perhaps I needed this list as a reminder that I can do (and have done) whatever it takes to reach my goals in life. Hmm…perhaps semi-retirement wouldn’t be such a stretch after all.
What are some of the oddest (or most interesting) jobs you’ve had?
You sound like you really are poised for “early retirement.” You’ve got just the right attitudes and philosophies to make your own Encore Voyage perfect! And this list of jobs works well when voyaging, I think. So which of the side hustles did you enjoy the most, and which ones did you hate? Just curious…
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Thanks! I love all of the creative endeavors, like writing and web design but my favorite side hustle was either scorekeeping or working in the gift shop at a wildlife center. I did both of those the summer of 2008. Neither paid much but they were fun (and they had perks like free admission and free meals). I absolutely hated cleaning guitars at a guitar factory. During production the frets got coated in wax and I had to clean them with a toothpick!! After 13 hours in one day, I clocked out and never came back.
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