Jobs

September 15,

As I was reading through the responses to question “What are your goals in life after college?” I found it interesting how many different types of employment, some are seeking after college. This got me to thinking about the different jobs I have had over the years. My first job was nothing spectacular, but, for a 15 year old, washing dishes part time for a local home town dinner wasn’t a bad gig.  At age 17, I worked as a printing press operator at OTC during the summer, a nanny for two young girls during the school year.

After graduation, I accepted my first full time job designing and printing real estate brochures for Stout Realty.  Where I remained for 4 years until the company went out of business. Then I accepted employment with Bass Pro, where I worked 3rd shift until my second son was born. At that time I chose to open an in home daycare, so I may stay home with my children. I continued with the daycare until my youngest son entered kindergarten.

After returning to the work force, I held down several different jobs, including a donut maker at Casey’s General Store. That job, lasted until a morning when my fellow coworkers and I were held at gunpoint by a masked robber. After that unpleasant experience, I decide to seek other employment. I went to work for the school system as an AmeriCorps reading coach, until the 2 year term ended. At that time I continued with the school system as a health care provider for two years.

Then finally I landed what I think is the perfect job, a full time firefighter/EMT. A position I have proudly held for the last 13 years and hope to have for at least 7 more. Firefighting wasn’t what I originally planned to do when I applied for a volunteer position with the department. I just wanted to run medical calls, but, in this town you have to do both, fight fires and medical. So, after many hours of training on both medical and firefighting, I was hired as the first female firefighter in my town.