Let’s hear it...
mine was loading trucks in a Walmart warehouse by hand, the boxes came down the rail thing and I had to pack em in the truck . 415 pm to 345 am. Hot, dusty, everyone was grumpy.
Line cook at Applebee’s, not that bad, pumping gas, not that bad, almost got sucked into telemarketing and door to door sales, glad I didn’t do that .
Many years ago, I worked for a small company that built small electric motors for one of their customers. Electric motors, not electronic components. Although I didn't know any better at the time, we were using some dangerous chemicals to clean parts during assembly, and there were no safety guidelines given or even suggested by the company. One of the chemicals we used was carbon tetrachloride (we workers called it "carbon tet"). It's scary now to read about the effects of exposure to it. Fortunately, I didn't work there for very long.
shareRetail at this clothing store at the mall. It wasn't abosolutely terrible or stressful.
But my boss and supervisor gave me this bad vibe, they weren't exactly nice and responded to questions I had kind of rudely. Thankfully it was just a seasonal job I had in college. No big deal.
A bad boss can certainly make any job stressful.
shareI really haven't had many jobs. I retired in March from the company where I worked for 39 years. Before that I was employed by 4 other companies. I know I'm very unusual, but other than the job I had right out of high school, I have never had to look for work. I've always had someone approach me with a job offer - networking really does pay off.
I've had a couple of stinker managers over the years, but I outlasted them - lol. A couple of times because of restructuring, my job changed, but in 2002 I landed where I always wanted to be - it was a great 18 years.
I installed fluorescent lighting at department stores. I did it for 2 days.
They made me stand on huge ladders and the ladders weren't tall enough so I had to stand on the very top and balance while I tried installing lighting. I'd have dust and debris falling on my face, and I did it knowing if i fell I'd probably either die or be paralyzed.
This was when I was 19. It sucked balls. Backbreaking work and I'd be drenched in sweat. And the people I worked with were the most redneck white trash type you could find.
It was then i realized how much I wasn't blue collar.
That was also one of my duties as the maintenance man in a retail store. Yeah, that was precarious, so high up, nothing to hang onto. It required being slow, careful, methodical and having a good sense of balance.
shareYep, and when I asked my coworkers if any of them ever fell they were like oh yeah of course!
Ummm ok bye I quit!
Cleaning Airbnb apartments (yes, toilets included)
Gardening - the work was fine, but the boss and the salary weren't
For me it's a tie.
1. Age 16. I was one of those fools jumping around in a costume in front of a car lot. Some of the costumes smelled like vomit (the big head ones like Fred Flinstone) and they all reeked of powerful cleaning fumes. Did it three times. I think the heat exposure was a health hazard. I'd leave with sunken eyes and a zombie-like disposition.
2. Age 22. Washing truck fleets with a mobile wash team. We towed around a 500 gallon tank of de-ionized water and high pressure spray guns. Sometimes the team of 4 of us would be washing from 5 to 2 AM at some huge, 200 vehicle, Edison lots. Freezing, tired, soaked, scrubbing, miserable. Then there were the places that wanted some waxing too. Wax four big trucks in a row and you discover a new paradigm in the booger reality. My boogers would pick me.