How many JOBS have you had? Recently I was discussing my Dad with some family members as we recently marked the 12th year since he has been gone. One of the conversations was about how my Dad, had only really had one job in his career (life). Like many of us in our Forties we grew up with Parents ( mainly the Dad) who had only worked for one company. In many cases they may have worked in different departments or at different tasks but generally for the same company. This got me to thinking about my own career and the incredible number of jobs I have had in my life so far. It shows the staggering contrast about what we value and how the economic and professional landscape has changed so dramatically. So I decided for the fun of it to do a review of all the different jobs I have had starting back to my very first paying job starting when I was 15 years old right up to now.
15 years old: Painting tin roofs on summer cottages: Wage $3 dollars an hour. My friend Stephane who I painted with use to fry eggs on the minor angled verandas. Yes folks it was hot enough to do that. He would spray PAM on the tin and at around lunch time you could fry eggs. It would take awhile but they would cook. In fact at times it was so hot the paint would literally bake onto the tin.
DJ at the summer community center ( same place I painted roofs: It was fun spinning records ( yes kids we called them records back then; 1981). The girls seemed to like it. And I got paid $18 bucks a night Friday, Saturday nights and holidays.
First aid technician ( ST Johns ambulance): got to do it at the old forum for the Canadiens games, concerts, Grand Prix, etc) it paid a whopping 15$ per event. The Canadiens games were awesome. I never did drugs but back in 1982 at the Nazareth, Styx, etc. concerts I was stoned by association.
Toy store electronics clerk: Yes kids again they did have electronics back in 1983. In fact the store I worked at had one of the first Atari computers ( yes Atari made more then video games). I used to sell gettoblasters, Miniature Video games that looked like the actual full size Arcade models ( Pac Man, Asteroids, Donkey Kong, etc..Courrier, Barman, Line maintenance planner; Yup I did three jobs simultaneously. It was so bad as a matter of fact that I had this hiding place in my Planners job where i could go nap for an hour or so each day cause I was literally working 20 hours a day between the 3 jobs. This
didn' t last to long. Otherwise I would have died.
Summer Job; Golf course Maintenance worker; getting up at 3:45am every morning to be at work for 5am. Nothing glamorous there but I got to work with a truly outstanding individual named Buster who became my first (career mentor). I also knew at that stage that I was working towards something bigger.
Winter Job; Snow maker; Yes when mother nature didn't want to cooperate I helped her along. Well me and the 11 other guys I worked with. Working Midnight to 8am shift in minus 35 degree with minus 55 wind chills driving around on a skidoo on a empty ski hill working with freezing cold water and compressed air. It was one of the most awesome and exhilarating jobs i ever had!
Winter Job: Snow Cat operator (groomer);Working all kinds of shifts pushing snow around the mountain ( Those damn snowmakers!). Loved the night shift all the lights on the mountain off just driving around with the machine lights on and good tunes playing on the Radio. Talking back and forth with the two other operators somewhere else on the mountain.
Director of Construction; My big break, hired by a land developer to oversee the construction of a 300 home private community with 18 hole golf course, tennis courts, pool, large clubhouse with full amenities. Scariest experience at first. I was in way over my head but had the good fortune of working with some incredible contractors and some very patient owners and team members.
Director of Summer operations, construction and maintenance; This was "THE JOB" it set the tone for years to come for me and what I was able to achieve professionally. Responsible for all aspects of summer development for what became the number one resort in Eastern North America. The people I was priviledged to work with in this organization was incredible, truly unique and a once in a lifetime ride. Roger, Hugh, Gary, Bryce, Marc, Michel, the list could go on forever. The genius that existed within that company was remarkable. I build golf courses, tennis clubs, beach clubs, marinas, indoor water parks, mountain top restaurants, hotels and condos, roads, bridges and tunnels. You name it I got to do it with my team. I Grew with this company to eventually leave as a VP and it provided me with all the tools to start my own company.
President and Managing Director; sounds like a very important role right? Well you could just as well called it, chief washroom cleaner, head zoo keeper and local resident psychiatrist. In fact it was an amazing ride. I along with my eventual partners built a multi facet, Operations, construction, consulting and special event company which spanned 3 provinces and a US office. We worked for some incredible organizations and companies. We managed some fantastic projects and got to organize events such as the 1999 Export ''A'' Skins Game, The Wayne Gretzky and Friends Invitational, Three RMCC Tournaments, the Prime Minister ( Jean Chretien) & President ( Bill Clinton) Golf day. We managed some outstanding golf, water park and resort facilities. I had the priviledge of working with some incredible people in a variety of locations from Quebec to Ontario to Alberta, to PEI, BC, Maine, Florida and many others. Sold the company in the end cause I was burnt. Truly. I was burnt. Had spent the better part of 5 years travelling across North America and I had enough. There is a strong price to pay family wise when your focus is on making your company a success and making money.
Interim COO and GM; I did two short stints on an interim basis for two outstanding organizations that were restructuring.
Semi retired...yup you read that right. I was toasted.
Director of operations; Building parks, sports fields and complexes.
Business advisor; Working for various developers, promoters, engineering firms and large companies assisting them with their projects.
So there it is. A career summary. I left out some jobs which I did within specific companies where I started with the title mentioned above but also did other jobs. Did you count those? Well its 15 jobs for more than 15 companies, from Fifteen years old to Forty-Eight years old. So in 33 years I have averaged 2.2 years per job. That is a big, big difference from the one job my Dad had for over 30 years. He retired after 30 years of service just after his 50th birthday with what they called back then a '' Golden Handshake''. In a way it was the best thing that he did based on the fact he passed away 9 years later just short of his 60th birthday. I was fortunate because from thirty fours years old I basically got to write my own ticket. I had the flexibility and the opportunity to choose what I did and when I did it.
Today I look at my growing children and ponder. What is in their future? My daughter is at University studying to be a Teacher, My oldest son is at College studying to be a lawyer, slash ''sports agent'', slash, model, slash ''best damn whatever'' he decides. My second son will graduate this year from high school and is going on to college where he was just recently accepted. He is a brain and can basically write his own ticket. My other sons are still in high school and elementary and have plenty of time before thinking about jobs. I do wonder though what the job prospects will be for them as they grow and explore the job market. My two oldest both hold down part time jobs as they go to school. They are traditional retail and service jobs. I am curious to know how many jobs they will have over their life time. Will there be good stable jobs for them when they want to settle into a career? Or is the word career, as old as the idea that you could work your whole life at one company. Throughout my career I have had the very distinct opportunity to work for people and have people work with me ( not for me, I don't come from that school). I have watched people that worked with me leave their jobs for a few bucks an hour more. For some small fringe benefit. I have seen people with 5-10 years experience walk away. Not because they were badly treated but because it simply seemed like they needed to change. Some referred to it as, '' growing their horizons''. Its funny though because most of those individuals seemed to continue to need to grow their horizons as they moved from job to job with no real advancement, growth or development. They simply appeared trapped in a running wheel, just like a hamster. Moving and moving but never going forward.
Our world has changed and evolved. Working in 20 and 30 years from now will not be what it was or what it is today. Too much is happening, to many dramatic changes in the new ''Global Economy''. The way we interact, the way we communicate, the way we execute is changing more and more. Things will be very, very different. I just hope my children get the same chance I did. to work with truly exceptional people and organizations which allows them to grow, try, fail, learn and prosper. People ask me which was my favorite job. Its hard to pick just one....looking back however I would say I was happiest roaming around the Ski Hill in the dead of the night while most people were sleeping. Riding around on a Skidoo, tears freezing to my face, standing beside a roaring snow gun with the moon so close you could reach out and grab it. Doing with my snow making buddies what Mother was refusing to do....making it snow! That my friends was NOT work!
Rob
