Well, apart from odd jobs around home and the occasional
baby-sitting job, I was pretty much unemployed until I graduated from High
School in 1988. At that time I went to work for Wal-Mart in Owatonna as a
warehouse associate. I worked there for a number of months before and
while I attended Rochester Community College.
After my first stint with WalMart (yes, there would be
others), I worked at HyVee for about two months, as a bag-boy, before I was
saved by a job at part-time IBM. At IBM I worked in several areas
which had to do with Hard Drive construction.
In 1989, circumstances dictated a change, and I joined the
Army. Unfortunately, due to a leg injury, I was held back while going
through rehab where it was determined that the injury was preexisting before
my enlistment. At that point I was told that I wouldn't be able to
complete my AirBorne training and would probably have to take a desk
job. I would have nothing of it and opted out of my Military contract.
Looking back, though, I should have stayed in and gone for
another MOS that wouldn't have placed stress on my leg. *sigh*
Well, a few months later, in 1990, I was asked to return to
work at WalMart. Yes, they actually asked for me back, with a
raise. This time, however, I worked on the sales floor in Domestics
and Housewares. This continues on for a year, until I decided to
return to college at Mankato State University.
In 1992, circumstances once again led me to move on and get a
job working at Keystone Resort in Colorado. There I got my first
glimpse of the Rocky Mountains as I worked as a room cleaner. This
lasted until July of that year when I finally was fed up with the work
ethics that were practiced and taught by the resident staff.
Back home, broke, and without a car, I putzed around until
later that when I again was called back to work at WalMart - I must have
been doing something right. It was right before Christmas rush when I
began and was again placed on the sales floor. I was moved around,
until I ended up in Electronics before being moved to the checkouts a year
later. I stayed at WalMart for two years and continued to work the
checkouts in Owatonna while I began school at Riverland Tech. College.
I eventually left WalMart in 1993, after getting a job at KAAL-TV
as part-time Video Editor. In August of '95 I left Riverland Tech.
College - for personal reasons - to work Full Time for the Production Dept,
as Video Editor/Photographer and Production Assistant.
In 1996 I moved from Austin to Winona, MN, and worked for 'Riverside Electronics Ltd.', 'Hal
Leonard', 'Watlow', and the 'Bass Camp' restaurant waiting tables and tending bar. From Aug '98 to Aug '99 I went back to work at 'Riverside Electronics' -
again (I have a habit of returning to certain jobs).
In August of '99 I left Winona to return to Riverland Community College and -
once again - work at KAAL-TV, this time as a Master Control Operator (monkey job
where you get paid to watch TV and push buttons for eight hours).
I attended class at Riverland for a semester, but when it was
threatened that the Video Production Department was to be closed I decided
to leave concentrate on my job KAAL-TV.
That was three years and two owners ago. It is now 2002,
and I now work for KAAL-TV/Hubbard Broadcasting Inc. as WebProducer / WebDesigner / Tech Support /
IS Project Coordinator. Unfortunately, I am still listed and paid as a
Master Control Operator. Where is the justice?!
To be continued...