Change Is In the Air

So, it’s the last day of the month, and as I review my activities for the month, three words spring to mind.

So Not Impressed.

This wasn’t a good month for me, on several levels, but I’ll focus on the work-related ones here. My volume of work was WAY down, and I felt it in more ways than one. Content writing slowed, partly due to a lack of things I wanted or felt I was qualified to write. This is the first month I failed to gain a new client, and my current clients have slowed. Not exactly how I wanted to end a fiscal quarter.

The things I did write, while they were good, left me rather unsatisfied. Most of the things I love to write about weren’t plentiful, so I found myself writing about things I could really not give two flips about. Again, what I did write, I wrote well and my clients were satisfied, but past that, meh.

So, I guess it is time to revisit getting back into the feature writing game. for a while there, I was making a pretty good name for myself, but I got tired of the merry-go-round or query in May for an article that might run in November and pay out in January. With all the technological advances, I’m sure the process is shortened, and I really do miss delving into a topic and doing interviews…I don’t know…

I just know I need to shake things up a bit. Doing what I have been doing worked for a while, but now I think its time to branch out. If not feature writing, then maybe the radio show idea I’ve kicked around for a while — or maybe something else entirey. All I know is that a change is a’comin’, so stay tuned!

Jill of All Trades

Every once in a while, someone asks, “What did you do before you became a writer?”.  I seldom participate in these conversations, because I’ve always been a writer.

Now, if you want to know the jobs I’ve worked other than as a writer, well, that’s a different kettle of fish.

So, for fun, here is the list of all the jobs (or at least one ones I remember) I’ve held since I’ve been old enough to have the Feds and the state pick my pocket…er…I mean earn a paycheck.

• Babysitter
• Waitress
• Tour guide for Victorian homes
• Assembly line worker (lawn mowers)
• Assembly line worker (food processing plant)
• Administrative Assistant
• Teacher
• Tutor
• Maintenance worker
• Hotel Maid
• Check Processor (ran the machine that recorded bank transactions for the day)
• Check Processor (hand-checked daily credit transactions)
• USDA Compliance Agent (I went around to grocery stores who applied to accept food stamps and made sure they qualified. This actually was one of the most enjoyable jobs I’ve ever had.)
• Proposal Writer
• DSL Tech Support
• Cable Tech Support
• Computer Tech Support
• Telemarketer
• Small Business Startup Consultant (still do this now)
• Hat/Coat Check
• Receptionist
• Telephone operator
• Dispatcher
• Bookkeeper
• Cashier
• Vacuum cleaner Salesperson
• Retail
• RL Polk Surveyer
• Telephone book delivery
• Jewelry designer

Those are the jobs I remember off the top of my head. I didn’t count the 3 hours I worked at Wendy’s. Didn’t seem fair. I also did not count the five years of being a Candy Striper or nine years as a chat host on AOL, though both of those volunteer positions took up WAY more time than any volunteer position should (but I loved every minute of both!).

What all this work experience has done is give me plenty of fodder for my writing. I also met some very interesting people along the way, some of whom I am still friends with now. I also learned that, even in jobs where you think you aren’t learning anything practical, you come away from the job with a new skill set. For example, I know how to remove the core from a head of lettuce without slicing it, can tell you what every number on the bottom of a check stands for and the materials in a stained glass window.

So, I’m a Jill-Of-All-Trades, Master of Some, but learner from them all.

So, what interesting jobs have you held, and what lessons did you learn?