What else have you done?

[The Geek]

Bug123 started a thread last year called 'What did you do in a previous life'. It was a great thread and I thought what better way to bring it back than to start it again.

So here goes:

• I have been a professional Pineapple picker (in Maui)
• I have played in many lame bands (though one was mildly successful with such classic singles; "Ice cream has no bones", "I stole a kid named Jim", and "Possessed fish").
• I am a certified Master Hypnotherapist
• I am a certified computer programmer
• I should be certifiable full stop
• I have cooked and managed several restaurant kitchens
• I have been a graphic artist
• I am now a freaky, geeky nail technician that gets to travel around the world to hold womens hands

go figure​

nJoy​

 

[ValencianNails]

excellent thread...

hmm where to begin,
went to college for 2 years hairdressing training but had to give it up due to lack of places (wish I'd continued that)!
trained on a manicure course at college.
made limited edition designer shirts and bow ties.
managed a bar.
marketing for chain of newspapers.
sales co-ordinator for health insurance company.
appointment co-ordinator at a telecommunications company.

inbetween all of that I got married, had two fabulous children and ofcourse did my nail tech training.

pheeeew *takes a breath* lol

 

[Bryony]

God I've led a boring a boring life!

Had a newspaper round
Worked in a local shop part time(but for about 4 years!!!)
Evening cleaning (after college)
4 A levels then decided didn't want to go to med school as couldn't hack the stress
Worked in a bank ( big yawn)
Sales admin for a finance company (yawn)
IT helpdesk - current job of Computer field engineer which I actually quite enjoy.
Mani & pedi exams done and FDFC booked....
Starting up nails business from home evenings & weekends, see how it goes....

I between got married, divorced, met the love of my life, just bought our first house together (aahhh)

Think that's about it!

B x

 

[Jo Jo]

Blimey!

Ok in order...

Office Junior for a school
Runner for TV production company
Production Assistant for TV production company
PA to hotel proprietor
PA to various Directors at Royal Mail & Rolls Royce
Applications Technician (Lotus Notes) for Royal Mail
Self Employed Nail Tech

Tada!!!

J xx

 

[Jaydee]

Ok Girls and Guys, here is mine

Affiliated Showjumping
Painter and Decorator
Baker
Linen porter
Luggage porter in 5*hotel (so much fun, you wouldnt believe the things we got upto)
Switchboard Operator
Nail Technician.

David

 

[naturalnails]

Long and varied life - well not too long yet LOL

Began life in an office - no began life in mums tum LOL
Worked for the same firm for 10 years from office junior to PA to MD
Moved companies and became admin/ H&S assistant
Had a mad moment and decided to give it all up and train as a nursery nurse
Moved from Aberdeen to Daventry
Eventually after 8 years we had IVF and had twins
When they were about 2 I trained in nails as it would fit in with their nursery and schooling
Worked from an ironing board bit of wood attached to my dining table.
Last year we spent mega mega bucks on an extension to the house and I now have a fab salon room all to myself.

And I am only 24 LOL - or have I got that the wrong way round.

 

[Up To Scratch]

Ooh, this is a good thread - I'm sooo nosey... I just love it!

Ok,

1) Chambermaid at a hotel, but the boss was an old perv and tried it on with me (I was 14!! ), so I turned tail and left... quickly!!!

2) Weekend senior sales assistant/supervisor selling shoes (which I love ) and fitting kids' shoes (which I didn't!! ) for about 2 - 2 and a half years (whilst still studying)

3) Weekend sales @ an accessories store - GREAT fun (got paid to dress up in daft hats, jewellery etc. Oh, and sell some :lol: )... AND fantastic discount!! for 2 ish years (while studying AND while doing job "4" full time. Well, I couldn't bear to leave and lose the staff discount!! )

4) Customer Services Officer and Reception Supervisor for the UK largest Independant Financial Advisor (processing mortgages, life policies, pensions etc and liasing with clients, solicitors, estate agents etc) for 1 year

5) Manager with a high street bank... for 3 years!!! Aaargghh!!! Never ever do it guys! :evil:

6) Did VTCT manicure whilst still @ the bank. Then gave up the day job and went on to do SuperNail Pedicure, Backscratchers Glass Glaze Fibreglass Diploma, Extreme Powder Glaze Acrylic Diploma and Star Nails "Spangles" Nail Art Course. Have since been working self employed the whole time and have also done a waxing certificate.

NEXT BIG JOB: Baby due early next year, so "Mummy" is next on the list!!

 

[Cathie!]

• Various bar jobs whilst allegedly studying for A Levels
• Failed
• Started work for a large insurance company working through various roles:
• Office junior
• Office Manager
• Marketing consultant
• Communications consultant
• Had third baby...made it difficult for them...got nice pay off..
• Did nail training
• Now self-employed nail technician

 

[The Geek]

Damn! I forgot to add that I went to cosmetology school and studied hair (ended up teaching the nail segments!). Also did an apprenticeship for hair

 

[*JOANNE*]

while at scool did part time work bagging horse manure for 10p a back, papergirl, celery cutter
left school at 16
worked as a silver service waitress in a hotel and worked in nursing homes
joined royal navy in 90
at 18 as a medic
met a royal marine at 19 married him
had first baby boy in 95
left royal navy in 96
had second baby boy 97
studdied tarot with new age foundation and read tarot for people part time
had third boy 98
then they all started school :sad: boo hoo
and i started doing nails :biggrin:

 

[Jaffacake]

Mr GMG, do you think you could hypnotise me to stop eating???? I am turning into a space hopper!!!

Ok ive been:
Saturday girl in newsagents
went to israel on a kibutz for a month (was supposed to be 3 but couldnt hack it)
trainee insurance broker office junior
various other motor insurance posts
minibus driver / secretary (weird combination)
Sales assistant in Clinton cards
till operator in sainsburys
waitress in bakers / cafe
3 years in a lloyds insurance company
got married had 2 kids
school dinner lady
met love of my life and got divorced (in that order lol)
vending machine filler upper (how the space hopper began)
college course to do office skills again
VTCT course in nails
currently back in office job as motor insurance broker

Phew.....bet ive forgotton some too! have to say my CV doesnt read like this! hope i never go for a job at cnd PMSL!!!

 

[Joyfulmom]

ack - started a reply and then lost it.....

During jr high and high school I babysat a Lot! and for a short time in h.s. worked as a chiropractic assistant.

During uni. still babysat and for a little while worked in a nursing home.

After uni. worked as a secretary in a museum, taught beginning-level college Italian, and worked for the 4-H setting up new clubs.

I lived in Italy for a year.

From 86-89 worked as a teaching assistant (min.wage job) at a school for handicapped children.

Got married in 90, had my first baby in 91 and have had several more since! I homeschool and homelife takes up most of my time and attention but I always love doing crafts, reading, and researching various things that pique my interest. Which is how I got interested in working toward some sort of qualification in mani/pedi.

During those dark years of working in that school (kids were great, though) I thought of going to Tulsa Welding School where I'd be guaranteed X amount of great money (yeah, right) or becoming a trucker (see the USA!). And I did think of becoming a nun for a short while.

I'm hoping to write a book someday.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Okay, here we go! ....

Paper round
Washer upper in a Greek restaurant.
Left school and spent 4 months in Brunei with my parents, where I taught English to Chinese children.
Temp job with Camden Council in the Refuse and Sewage dept!!! Yeuck
Went to Oxford Poly to study Media and Psychology (wanted to be an art therapist) - lasted 2 terms and hated it, flunked out and got married.
1985 Had First daughter, Elizabeth
1988 Had second daughter, Natalie
Back to work
Fareham council in the Poll Tax section, very stressful - the most unrewarding job I have ever done both mentally and financially.
(out to Germany - ex husband in army) Secretary to the 2 senior chaplains of !st arnoured Div
Forces School secretary (funny I always said I'd never be a sec, join the forces or be a teacher and ended up being a sec in a Forces School!!)
Seperated from husband and returned to England
Temped for a while
Sec to Regional Director of local Ford dealership - got bored of this and moved into the Fleet Sales dept
Fleet Sales - in the first year, achieved high enough sales to be in the Ford 500 Club (top 500 sales people in country) - earned a fortune and lived a very good lifestyle
Promoted to Fleet Sales Manager and made even more money!!
Got a bully for a boss (I HATE BULLIES) and transferred to Dees of Wimbledon to set up their Fleet Dept. After a year of travelling up and down the A3 from Fareham to Wimbledon at 90mph thought I would either die in a crash or get my licence full of points, so moved into contract hire division as homebased - very dull and boring and put in for redundancy.

Moved to Thomson Directories in Field Sales. Came top of my course. Left after 3 months ( a month of which was working my notice) as I hated the company, have never been treated like a moron and wasn't about to let them buck the trend!! I would wake up feeling sick to my stomach and handed in my notice without a job to go to.

Had started having my nails done and one evening was walking past where I had them done and thought I'd like to do that. Got talking to the owner and as luck would have it they were looking for a trainee. My bank balance has never been the same, I use to pay more in tax than I earned there!! But I would never go back to a highly paid, stressful job!

After a year I went solo - mobile and from home. Did that for 2 years and have been in a hairdressers for the last year. Am now subrenting the top floor and started beauty. Taken on Kelly part time (she'll love her new couch when she comes in tomorrow - looks like a sleigh!) Still broke, keep reinvesting in the business and training - I'm a bit like Delboy "next year we'll all be millionaires!"

Anyone thinking of giving up the day job to go into nails JUST DO IT. Somehow the bills get paid, the credit card balances go up, but to do something you have a passion for is priceless

POSTSCRIPT - the future ............... started nvq2 in cosmetic makeup and beauty consultancy at local college. in October doing pedicure course (taken me 3 years to get round to doing this - don't like skanky feet, only nice ones lol) and permanent makeup with LCN ( no wonder I'm broke!). And next year, thanks to David's (Jaydee) call to all Uk techs, I am going to enter the Nailympics. There can't chicken out now, put it in writing!!!
Phew ... think that's it!! My posts are always so long winded, my English reports always said I was too verbose!

 

[glittergirl]

Well where do i begin?

I worked in a shop in Birminghams Childrens Hospital
Nail Salon after school & Weekends
Newsagents
Catering assistant
Marks & Spencer
Factory as office Junior
Factory on the shop floor
Solicitors

Bare in mind i'm only 21 so i've had a few jobs!

 

[Little Angel]

Hi

well


1996 Trained as a hairdresser on apprenticeship promoted to designer
1998 Moved to another salon (better pay :o )
1990 opened my own hair & Beauty salon and worked in a bar to supplement my income in the first year.
1993 Moved salon to high street (better position) and opened bigger beauty area on the upper store, went back to college and trained in beauty and nails.

Trained in lots of different things, biosculpture gel, cnd L+P, LCN sculptures, Fibreglass nails, Sugaring, ear candling, tanning and loads more

currently finishing my level 3 in nails
Been approached by my local college to teach so that will be my next step.
Teacher training and assesors awards.
The salon goes from strength to strength really busy with a great team.

in between all that i got married and had two boys. whew!

 

[Lellipop]

Right here's mine Lol

Babysitting
Paper round
shop assistant
Hairdresser
bar maid
packer
electronic technician
bar maid again and again

At to finish work then due to ill health
1989.......Got married
1990.......Had first child
1996.......had second child
1998.......Went back to School to do A Level in psychology
2000........Did 3 vtct In manicure and Pedicure, Advanced Nail techniques, And Nail Art.
2001.......Went Mobile as a Nail Tech and love it
Also Care for my disabled mother.

 

[mum]

Great thread!!
I'm so old I could write a book

Started working life as an Forensic Scientist (this is really true, like CSI or Silent Witness)
Had babies.
Worked as Behavioural Therapist (here comes the teaching bit)
More babies (actually I only had 3 all together not 57)
Discovered nails. Did everything in this...............(too long and boring to tell)
Now I do sessions (and write books and other stuff!)

Glad I'm here. An enquiring mind helps in this business.

Marian

 

[Sammie]

Where to begin..........

Paper round
Cleaner at Butlins
Laundry assistant at local hospital

Left school

Went to college to do Business and Administration
Data Entry clerk for Southern Electric
Sales Assistantat gift shop
Clerical Officer at local hospital (Gynae)
Filing Clerk at local hospital (Disablement Services)

Left College with various certs

Worked in tampax factory
Stuffed envelopes
Worked in Nursery (plants)
Account Handler at Direct Sales company
Stuffed envelopes again in insurance firm
Produce clerk for Haulage company

Had a baby girl

Would for insurance firm Naafi Financial at local Navey Barracks
Clerical Assistant at local hospital (current)
Did VTCT Manicure and Pedicure at college
Did VTCT Advance Nail Techniques at college
Star Nails Nail Art course

Doing my Creative Conversion in November.

All that and i'm only 24

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

Other stuff I did too:

• Lived in Germay until I was 20
• Worked as a translator German - English freelance
• Moved to England, yes that was a job and a half lol
• Worked at MVEE Chertsey Army Technology Development Unit, as a cleaner and cleaning supervisor
• Worked in the NAAFI bar, more fun
• Worked at the Circus Tavern as a personal waitress to the star acts much more fun
• Worked in a Restaurant waitressing........
• Went to college did RSA business studies and AAT Accountancy and IT
• Worked as a CA with the local Army Cadet Unit.....
• Worked at a Food Company as an international buyer
• Worked as a telephone rep for a holiday company
• Worked in a Petrol Station
• Worked as a Temp for a Secretarial Agency
• Worked as a Mobile Technician
• Oh yes an fitting in the being a Mum bit in between.........thats work I treasure the most

Looking at that list has made me giggle...........and has brought back some fond memories too lol..............

 

[Just Jo]

Worked in the mini friar (like a mcdonalds but worse lol)
Worked in a wine bar
Left home at 18
Lived in at a hotel and was a chambermaid ... yuk!
Worked in restaurants / Bars in various hotels - Got to like the pop a little too much and those penny slot machines lol so left for a proper job
Bought Ledger Clerk .. mmmmm lovely
Trained as a nurse ... nursed for 10 years and had 2 boys inbetween
THink I did Avon somewhere in between too
Divorced
Worked for family business .. accounts ... mmmmm not!
Accounts ... again (and i hate them) for a building company
Sort of semi retired for the last 4 years in the roll of housewife to myself as i never done it before lol and had to be there for my mum who was ill for the last 5 years
Helped my friend build her business
SAW THE LIGHT! ... Nail technician

Jo xx
DOnt think i like this thread after all ... conned myself that i had been living a funtime existence ... just blown that theory lol