What was the worst job you ever had? That you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy....

[+ WilliamM]

Catholic Chaplain's Assistant in the Army

for very, very old-school priest in 1967 and early 1968.

 

I did greatly respect him later when he spent so much time comforting the family of the young woman who died in Senator Ted Kennedy's car in 1969, Mary Jo.

Edited February 18, 2021 by WilliamM

[+ Charlie]

Like so many of the jobs described here, it was a summer job between high school graduation and leaving for college. My father pulled some strings to get me a job in a paper box factory, cleaning the huge printing machines. It wasn't that hard, but was incredibly dirty, and I had to take long showers when I got home. It also happened to be the first summer that I was sexually active, so I was super attentive to my grooming, and getting the ink off me wasn't always easy. The following summer my father got me the same kind of job in a different factory. The third summer I got my own job, and I made sure it was a clerical job in an office, but ironically it was in....a printing ink factory.

 

However, the dirtiest job I ever experienced was not as a worker. When I was working in Czechoslovakia many years later, I was asked for advice about marketing coal by the manager of a coal mine. For some reason, he felt that we should see the full operation, so I spent one whole day underground, dressed like a miner and dragging around heavy equipment through the water and sludge and coal dust. I wasn't doing any mining myself, but I have never been more exhausted at the end of the day. It greatly increased my respect for what a coal miner endures to make a living.

[+ bashful]

It's amazing how dirty some people can leave a public restroom

 

I worked with a guy who's family owned a restaurant, or bar, or maybe both. He didn't want to be part of the family business, although, he did help out. He said he went into the men's restroom, and there was a bloody golf ball.

Edited February 18, 2021 by bashful

[+ keroscenefire]

For a summer in college, I was one of those annoying non-profit hipster assholes that bother you on the street asking you for donations to save the environment. I stopped after a week because A) a lot of these co-workers were legit true-believers that acted like if you didn't raise a bunch of money by bothering people just trying to have lunch downtown, you personally cut down the Amazon. B) My bike actually got stolen from INSIDE their office and nobody gave a shit and acted like it was my fault for bringing a bike to work. And this was an environmental non-profit where 90 percent of the employees drove to work. They even had a security camera in the front of the building next to the entrance but they wouldn't share the footage and even discouraged me from filing a police report because of "privacy concerns." Someone who worked for this organization definitely stole my bike and I am still bitter about this today.

Edited February 18, 2021 by keroscenefire

[+ azdr0710]

For a summer in college, I was one of those annoying non-profit hipster assholes that bother you on the street asking you for donations to save the environment. I stopped after a week because A) a lot of these co-workers were legit true-believers that acted like if you didn't raise a bunch of money by being an annoying asshole who bothered people just trying to have lunch downtown, you personally cut down the Amazon. B) My bike actually got stolen from INSIDE their office and nobody gave a shit and acted like it was my fault for bringing a bike to work. Literally this was an environmental non-profit where 90 percent of the employees drove to work. They even had a security camera in the front of the building next to the entrance but they wouldn't share the footage and even discouraged me from filing a police report because of "privacy concerns." Someone who worked for this organization definitely stole my bike and I am still bitter about this today.

 

never trust a tree hugger!

 

[+ poolboy48220]

My little sister is in advertising & worked an account for a turkey company, and visited the "processing plant". She craned up to look in some of the six-foot-tall waste bins and nearly gagged, they finally told her to stop; "Why do you think we make them that tall? So you can't see in them!" They did not take her into one room called "The bucket of blood" because they did not have waders in her size.

[Luv2play]

It wasn’t the worst job I ever had but had the strangest ending. Until I saw The Graduate a few years later and then understood about horny housewives.

 

I was 16 and my first summer job was painting a neighbour’s cottage. It took about 6 weeks as it was a clapboard house and fairly large. When the job was finished I went to collect the pay. The husband was down in the city and the wife, who I knew well as I was friendly with her daughter, was alone.

 

She went into her bedroom to get the money and when she emerged she was topless. I just stared at her tits and was speechless. I imagine my mouth dropped open.

 

When I regained my composure, I just took the money and practically ran out of the house. It was never brought up either by her or myself and I never told anyone about it. I was a virgin at the time so that probably accounted for my acting like a scared deer.

[orville]

when she emerged she was topless ... When I regained my composure, I just took the money and practically ran out of the house.

If you were straight you could have gotten some good tips.

Edited February 19, 2021 by orville

[+ bashful]

My little sister is in advertising & worked an account for a turkey company, and visited the "processing plant". She craned up to look in some of the six-foot-tall waste bins and nearly gagged, they finally told her to stop; "Why do you think we make them that tall? So you can't see in them!" They did not take her into one room called "The bucket of blood" because they did not have waders in her size.

 

As they say, You never want to see how the sausage is made.

Edited February 20, 2021 by bashful

[rustyrex]

Just one job?

 

Security Guard for an uptown tower office building - Standing as a glorified elevator button pusher in the lobby for 8 hours on my feet on a hard marble floor, messed up my feet really bad.

 

Working the sales floor at Toys R Us during Christmas season - Brats everywhere with their awful parents!!!!!

 

Parking Attendant at the state fair grounds - got cursed out on a regular basis by the gamblers betting at the track

 

Working as an attendant for private parties at an amusement park - people are downright nasty when they are done eating.

 

People I've felt bad for.....I saw the attendants at an adult arcade with mops and gloves to clean up a booth post gang bang coitus - poor guy....

 

Most interesting job....booking people into jail fresh off the street. I was literally speechless at some of the people that would come through, also had to go through their things...I was shocked at what women carry in their purses.

[spider]

Picking blueberries. Paid by the pound.

[caramelsub]

Moving furniture into homes, I did it only for one day when I was 19.

[Bargara Leatherboy]

Worst job, for me it was during a summer off from University, working in a large bottle shop - the working conditions were pretty, bad, the colleagues were yobbos and management was woeful. It was closely matched by a job I had making appointments for an insurance sales man. Working alone in an office, making phone calls no one wanted to take.

 

But then there was the one I had first week out of High school, working for a Life Insurance company, owned by the Govt, and I was placing a rubber stamp on the account cards, so the information could be captured as they were moving to a computer based system. 6 months later - and the system changed so i spent 2 months stamping cards for no purpose. I did however get paid good money and met some great people, one of whom I am still friends with today.

 

Looking back on 45 years of employment, very few of the jobs I had were much fun, the people made them fun, and even today that’s true. Some of the people you work with are total ass holes - but the best job is the side gig I have, coaching people on how to lose weight, improve their health and lifestyle, while using clean products that are good for the environment as well .

 

Looking back, I have never been without a job, and never taken govt assistance, and at age 60 have a reasonable amount to retire on, and own our own house and have no car loans, just a bit of credit card debt. So it has not been all bad

[+ Just966]

Summer job while in college working in the un-airconditioned laundry of a large state-run senior facility. The temperature was about 115 degrees by the dryers, which I loaded and unloaded. I also hated loading the urine-stained, fecal-material loaded sheets into the large industrial washing machines. Nearly everyone who worked there was at least in their 50's and had been working there for years so no one talked to me.

@leeper can sympathize with you! Had pretty well the same job as you for two summers while in university as I worked on the line sorting the hospital laundry and loading into washers. It was definitely my worst summer job BUT because of that I was able to work as a groundskeeper for the next two years which was the best job I had!!

[jonnychgo]

One summer during college I worked as a file clerk for an insurance company. 8 hours a day putting files in order then trying to file them into drawers that were overcrowded already. Mind numbing and all my "colleagues" made fun of people going to college. I made up some excuse about failing Economics and having to go to Summer School. The manager accepted my early resignation and told me "that's what happens when you don't study". :-)

[marylander1940]

Moving furniture into homes, I did it only for one day when I was 19.

 

When you move now do you hire a moving company or do you ask friends to help you?

[caramelsub]

When you move now do you hire a moving company or do you ask friends to help you?

Good question. Normally I hire a moving company, but I really haven’t moved too often. I travel occasionally, but haven’t permanently relocated.

[Rudynate]

I worked as a temp in an injection molding plant, taking finished pieces out of the molds. The odor of melting plastic hung in the air and you had to pull the pieces out of the molds as fast as you could, while they were still too hot to handle. The ridge formed by the plastic leaking into the crack between the two halves of the mold was called the "flash" and had to be manually trimmed from each piece with an exacto knife. First thing in the morning they either assigned you to the line or trimming flash and you did that job for 8 solid hours. I lasted a week.

[marylander1940]

Good question. Normally I hire a moving company, but I really haven’t moved too often. I travel occasionally, but haven’t permanently relocated.

 

have you ever had the fantasy of taking aside the best looking mover and suggesting a special tip.

 

I worked as a temp in an injection molding plant, taking finished pieces out of the molds. The odor of melting plastic hung in the air and you had to pull the pieces out of the molds as fast as you could, while they were still too hot to handle. The ridge formed by the plastic leaking into the crack between the two halves of the mold was called the "flash" and had to be manually trimmed from each piece with an exacto knife. First thing in the morning they either assigned you to the line or trimming flash and you did that job for 8 solid hours. I lasted a week.

 

that was your worst job but flexing will be a dream come true! I'm sure as soon as you start some studios might wonder if you could go a little further.

[ericwinters]

Working for a bipolar (off meds) semi-closeted Mormon. Just so happened to be in a shitty company on top of that.

[Becket]

To quote the General George S. Patton: Well,......I shoveled shit......in Louisiaia........

[Blade9]

There isn’t anything so bad that I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

 

B

[+ Hoover42]

I've actually had very few jobs. Let see... orange picker, busboy, USAF enlisted, research technician, and then a series of software developer positions taking me up to now. Each of them had downsides, but none were terrible, not even the 6 years in the AF.

Edited March 2, 2021 by Hoover42

[Stormy]

I worked on a tomato farm picking tomatoes before being replaced by migrant workers. Was a horrible job!

[+ FreshFluff]

Investment banking analyst for a rough shop. I had a (usually shared) window office, and the firm subsidized crazy expenses to keep us working. But it wasn’t worth the perks.