Things I Bet You Didn't Know...

Thank God that you are only required to include the last three jobs on your resume! Over the past 39 years (ok- almost 40!), I've some interesting jobs, and a few might shock you!

• When I was 16, I went to work for a construction company, Forehand Builders. My boss, Jimmy Forehand was a great guy & very successful. He was only 32 years old when I met him, but I was impressed. For one, he had the biggest house in the neighborhood. I think it had at least 5 bedrooms! He and his wife Mary didn't have any children at the time, and they treated me very well. After school, I'd go to their house and drive one of their big trucks to the site where Jimmy was building a home. He built lots of them, even a huge subdivision named "Mt. Laurel Plantation" (or something like that). I would dig and sweep and hammer and basically wear myself out for a few hours each day and on weekends. Jimmy also owned a real estate agency, and he put me through real estate school. I took the exam twice before passing it. I was only 17 at the time and I had to wait a year to activate my license. I never did sell a house- would you buy a house from a teenager? I worked for Jimmy for about 3 years before I graduated and moved away to school.
• While in school at UGA, I got a job at Express Pizza. My first job there was as a pizza delivery guy. I quickly learned that college kids don't tip, even when you're wearing a shirt that said "the hottest box in town"! I spent more money on gas than I earned in tips, so I decided to transfer jobs and work in the restaurant. I tended bar there-- easy job since they only sold beer by the pitcher, and there was only one brand of beer to choose from. So basically my bartending experience amounts to the fact that I could pour beer in a pitcher and make correct change.
• After a couple of years, I left Express and got a seasonal job in the mall, at Spencer's Gifts. I had always loved that store- it was cool and hip and fun! I worked my butt off for a couple of months. Then the holidays were over and the seasonal help was let go. Except me. They offered me the Manager position. As luck would have it, UGA had sent me a notice between quarters that I wouldn't be welcomed back to school, due to the fact that I hadn't received a passing grade in several quarters. As luck would have it, I also totalled my car on New Year's Eve in a freak accident. Mom and Dad flexed their purse strings and I moved back to Atlanta.
• I got a job working at Upton's department store, in the shoe dept. My best friend, Chip, worked there, too. We ended up becoming roommates and spent all of our time partying. I no-showed at work a couple of times and they let me go.
• Next I went to work at Peachtree Pest Control as a termite exterminator. I loved the job and the people, but I didn't like crawlspaces-- I only ran into one snake in a crawlspace, but that was enough. I only lasted there about a year.
• Jimmy Forehand called me and offered me a job as his assistant. He furnished me with a truck and paid me pretty well. I had a lot of duties including supervising the crews. I really enjoyed the fact that he put so much trust in me. But at the time, I was still in my party mood and didn't take much seriously. I don't even remember quitting the job, but I think we were on good terms. I saw Jimmy a few years later at his birthday party and all seemed ok, so I won't fret over that too much. It was fun and I loved working with and for Jimmy and Mary.
• Next came Gillespie Dental Lab. I loved this job! I ran the office and scheduled the deliveries. I even learned how to make and repair dentures. I stayed there for about 7 years, but it started looking like a dead-end job for me, so I had to go.
• Then came Midtown Travel. A friend of mine owned a travel agency and he put me through a one week school. I learned a lot and got to go on some pretty incredible trips. I stayed at Midtown for a couple of years before moving on to a huge international agency- Rosenbluth!
• I LOVED Rosenbluth. It was my introduction into the corporate world. I started as an agent and then became a trainer ("Leader in Learning"). My brother, Joel, came to work with me, and soon I became a Manager ("Team Leader"). I was picked to be a coach at the Orientation class in our headquarters in Philadelphia. I got to go to PA once a month to teach a class. One time while I was there, I was picked to participate in a training session for a new computer program named Amadeus. Only a couple of us attended the class. As it turned out, many of our offices changed over to Amadeus and I got to go around the USA, and even a couple of stops in Europe, training everyone on the new systems. I loved job-- the money, the prestige, the travel! But all good things must come to an end-- Rosenbluth closed the Atlanta office on September 15th, 2001.
• After Rosenbluth, I moved on to two other travel agencies- Carlson Wagonlit (closed a year later) and ESC (I stayed a year, but the commute was about an hour each way).
• Then came the Flying Biscuit, and I've already talked about that!

So did you learn anything new about me today?