Countdown style:
4. Babysitterist: Who hasn’t been a babysitter?? How many nights did someone pay me to watch Nick at Nite and check in on Junior a few times? Do people let twelve-year-olds stay with their kids anymore? Probably not. Want to hire me to babysit? Heck, I’d probably do it for free now.
3. Professional blurbist: I know some of you hated this particular place but it really had its upsides. As an abstract writer for a database company, I loved reading all the weird trade journals (Carny Weekly anyone?). No work to take home with you, no dress code to speak of, a pretty low-key work environment, and flex hours. Nevermind that the place was a breeding ground for neuroses of all kinds.
2. Ice cream scoopist: My first real job with a paycheck was at a local ice creamery that was taken over several years ago by a larger regional ice creamery. The best parts: making weird concoctions on slow nights (butterscotch pineapple milkshake, anyone?), all the ice cream you can eat, and that one year we got a box of chocolates for a Christmas bonus.
1. Nerd camp counselor: Five weeks of dance parties, crappy cafeteria food, making out in the stairwell, talent shows, and teen angst. And that was just us counselors! Seriously, my first year as nerd camp counselor was truly amazing. I’ve never been around a bunch like that: we bonded like super glue on a hardhat stuck to an I-beam. It didn’t make us much money but dang it was worth it.
The Writing Spider 