Most fun jobs you've ever had

Hi all,
This was a question on another forum.....
And this was my reply.

My most fun jobs (It seems to cover most of my working life!!) :)

1. Doing nightfill at a department store.
Lots of fun, as most of the staff were uni students like me. Hard work at times like with the store refit (managed to fail two of my four uni subjects that semester....) but so much fun! The music was always going, you could make a mess, but we had staff come around to clean up the cardboard waste. I'd always be cleaning the price things ("was $xx.xx") with the tester perfume bottles and clean it with my shirt (navy blue so you couldn't see any marks). I also worked quite a lot of hours, I knew the footwear stock inside out, knew all the names of the shoes, what sizes would sell out, what price all the stock was... Very active job so I really liked that aspect of it too.

2. Working in the greenhouse department of the store - the greenhouse had the best customers. So friendly. Even though I knew nothing about plants, it made you want to learn something. (Most of the time I was in footwear by the way.... Much less appreciative customers). I can absolutely see why people love the outdoor jobs by the way.

3. Helping out the alumni office at my uni, we did random things like labels for random survey mail outs, but we helped out during graduation selling graduation memorabilia (plaques, teddy bears)... On quite a few occasions. Great hourly rate and I loved to see all the students and professors etc all decked out in their graduation outfits.

4. PC Technician. Around year 2000-2001 But... This was actually a low skilled job. What this job actually was was that we would open up computers, install internal speakers, extra RAM or whatnot, image PCs. Get paid $10 (later increased to $12) per PC. But here's the kicker, working as a team, you could do ~16 in an hour. You would normally share this between 2 or 3 people. In a good week you could make $1000 in about 3 days of work. Unfortunately it was government contract related so it was a little patchy and the company got bought out. No more work. Also as part of this work we did the PC bump in for NBC for the Sydney Olympics. I really enjoyed that! I also really appreciate they took me on and gave me this work too as I'm a female...other employers really doubted me (I heard someone say after an interview: they think you are going to ask the customer to carry the monitors grrrr)

5. This is unpaid: Helping out in the world league volleyball event in Sydney. Usher!!! See the game, get a uniform!!! This year I'm hoping to do it in other states of Aus too.

6. Volleyball venue managing: Again, very part time, but easy money, and half the time you are being paid while you play volleyball. Win!!

7. Not a "job" but.... Renovating a property. Converting it from a 1 Br unit to 2. That would make a value increase of it equal to a full time annual salary in the space of 3 months. Must do again in future (or do property subdivisions etc).

8. Airbnb host. Easy yet again and at times you get to host awesome people from around the world. Pay is brilliant too.

9. My second full time job ever was pretty good for the perks.... Keep in mind I'm in Sydney Austraila. I worked for American Express for 6 years and we got a trip to San Franscico and to Kong Hong, as well as two trips to Melbourne. The policy was if your travel was 5 hours or more then you had to fly business class. And the skills I learnt while there were so valuable. And the pay pretty good too. I was eventually made redundant with the GFC.... I pretty much used the redundancy money for a deposit on an investment property. That property has now gone up since I bought it around AUD $200k, and I still have it. :)

10. Finally... I really enjoy the work I do now. Biggest Australian company (it's a bank), and I develop reports. I work not too far from home and with great people. Really good, not stressful, and I really enjoy development work!! :)

What are the most fun jobs you've ever had?
 
I've only worked for two companies my whole life.

Working in retail was great besides the customers. The weekly chasing of shop lifters was the highlight.
 
When I was 16? working at Coles, in the basement weighing sweets/confectionery, so much fun, eat as much as you like:p
 
Worked as a concierge in Observation City Hotel (Scarborough Beach, Perth). A bunch of 18-21 yo boys with all-access to a luxury hotel, room service, bars, and all the valet cars, what could possibly go wrong?
 
Selling motor bikes, we had to test ride any new models that came out and the trade ins. There was usually a reason for them to be traded, leaking oil, no blinkers, no brakes .......

I always rather cautious until I had tested the brakes :)
 
Worked as a concierge in Observation City Hotel (Scarborough Beach, Perth). A bunch of 18-21 yo boys with all-access to a luxury hotel, room service, bars, and all the valet cars, what could possibly go wrong?

Nothing, unless of course you got stuck into the alcohol:eek:
 
Mystery Shopper. Best job was the Casino. I'd get free meals at the restaurants, an amount to spend on the tables, bars & the Theatre. It was fantastic, until the Company I was doing the work for lost the contract. :(
 
I work on the side as a surfing & bodyboarding judge.

I get paid to sit in a comfy chair with an ipad and watch people surf. On top of the pay, they provide travel, accommodation and food for every event. Generally we have a nice house, and eat out for all the meals.

Have gotten to see juniors become professionals, and meet most of the worlds best surfers at one point or another, and spend a lot of weekends in different parts of Australia.
 
Chaperoning a disabled student on a school excursion to Dreamworld. It was my duty of care to go on the rides with her.
 
Being an Army Officer had its moments.

But right now I'm sitting in a beach hut with no shoes on getting ready to teach some diving.

View from my office

image49.jpg
 
Since I turned 12, Architecture is all I have ever wanted to do.

Over 20 years later, it's all I ever do.

But now branching out in to Public Art.
 
Nothing.

Every job/business I was in had it's moments but overall I didn't realy "like" it or feel that it was fun. I really wonder if it would ever be possible for me to find something I can make a decent living from (more than 100k) that I actually enjoy.
 
Nothing.

Every job/business I was in had it's moments but overall I didn't realy "like" it or feel that it was fun. I really wonder if it would ever be possible for me to find something I can make a decent living from (more than 100k) that I actually enjoy.

You will note that most of the fun stuff isn't exactly a full time job that you could earn in excess of $100k.

I mean, do you really think the jobs below would ever be either full time, or earn in excess of $100k.

Managing Volleyball
Weighing (and eating) confectionary
Hotel Concierge
Mystery Shopper
Surfing & Bodyboard Judge
Chaperoning Disabled Student
Diving Instructor

What makes these jobs fun is the perks and/or doing something that you love.

Of course, there ARE jobs out there that could earn a decent income while being fun, but I'd say they are few & far between. For most people work means spending 8 hours a day, five days a week doing something you'd rather not be doing. That's why most of us are here. :D
 
I mean, do you really think the jobs below would ever be either full time, or earn in excess of $100k.
I get close! :D

Not a 'job', but I found renovating a house very enjoyable. Myself and my investment partner put a couple of months into a proper cosmetic reno just over a year ago. We did almost all of the work ourselves. Demo was great! Rebuilding was really interesting and satisfying too. The only thing I didn't really like was painting. I'm good at it, but I don't 'like' doing it.

Purchase price was $480,000 in Nov 2011 and in Nov 2014 we had it valued for a bank loan valuation for $725,000 (post reno) and we all know the loan valuations are low ;)

Of course it wasn't the reno that increased the value, but it sure helps it rent easier and gets a higher rent.

For a 'job' I liked working at Tip-Top. Oh yeah, and after I left high school, I worked as an assistance maintenance person at a high school in the hills. That was great fun! I had a fantastic boss. His wife cooked us lunch every day too :D
 
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