These jobs were not "professional", but they were certainly important in preparing me for professional work.

Cucumber Sales

Sold cucumbers from our garden door-to-door. 5 cents each or 25 cents for a bucket. Some people actually bought 4 cucumbers when there were at least 10 in a bucket.

Lawn Mowing

$1 for the front and $2 for the back yard.

Greeting Card Sales

12 boxes to get a telescope.

Dry Cleaners - Smith Cleaners

Turn ordinary hangers into pant hangers by putting a cardboard cover on the wire for 1 cent each.

Janitor - Corner Pharmacy

Deliver medicine, sweep, mop, empty trash, and wash windows. Lots of deliveries to retirement and nursing homes. Saw how the skills of a specific boss could make or break a business.

French Fryer - Wendy's

Mind numbing work, but we could put out any order in 18 seconds.

Grounds Keeper - University of Southern Colorado

Mow grass, chop weeds, water grass, mow grass, chop weeds, water grass, ... (you get the idea).

Dishwasher - Cow Palace Inn

Wash dishes and cut fruit and vegetables for the salad bar (whose hands could be cleaner?).

Auto Parts Sales - Montgomery Ward

The new guy always has to find "A radiator hose for a Volkswagen Bug" or "A 12 ounce can of vacuum" - those mechanics think they are funny.

Ranch Hand - Reyer Ranch

Learned what "an honest day's work" means. Chopped wood, dug post holes, herded sheep, baled wool, and hundred other things.

Dishwasher - All the King's Men Restaurant

Graveyard shift. These restaurants actually fill up at 3AM when the bars close.

Stereo Sales - Great American Sound

Watched first hand as the business dove into bankruptcy. Sold and installed car stereos, Atari video games, and Commodore 64 computers.

Hardware Sales - Sears and Roebuck

Sold tools, paint, and gardening supplies.

"Alternate Profit Center" Sales - Montgomery Ward

Managed a small convenience store inside the Automotive department. Sold gas, oil, soda, candy, etc. Always measure the underground gas tank before and after a delivery. If you don't, the gas you pay for will be in someone else's tank.

Dry Cleaners - Smith Cleaners

Pressing clothes and waiting on customers. Do you know how hot it can get in a cleaners in the summer? "Dry" cleaning means they wash clothes in a "dry" solvents (originally a petroleum product) rather than "wet" water.