I decided to collect my random work here in case anyone stumbles upon it and says, “Hey, I did lawn maintenance as well!” and then decides our shared connection is enough for a face-to-face interview. At the very least, you can point at laugh at the silly things I’ve done in the past.

Courtesy Clerk – Albertsons

• Bagged groceries.
• Collected carts.
• Cleaned the store.
• Assisted customers.

My very first job ever, I had the lucky chance to do what most people do for their first job, which is to work at a grocery store. I helped customers by bagging their groceries and carrying their bags to their cars, kept the store clean, and gathered shopping carts from the parking lot. The best day ever was when I worked in the Meat Department. Someday I dream of doing that again, maybe after I retire.

Shift Leader – Game Crazy

• Worked the register.
• Handled trade-ins on games.
• Updated prices and cleaned the store.

Like most teenagers, my dream job at the age of 18 was to work in a video game store, and I got to do just that when I became a shift leader at my local Game Crazy (remember when those were a thing?). I was in charge of the opening shift, so I’d get the store ready before customers showed up, which included handling the previous day’s trade-ins, updating prices as they came in from corporate, and generally getting things running smoothly for the midshifter to come in and sell MVP cards. I even took it upon myself to get everything from the back room out on the floor so that customers could actually see what we’re selling. I miss the job some days, but I also know exactly why Hollywood Video and Game Crazy aren’t around anymore.

Executive Producer – Duck U (now Duck TV)

• Wrote, acted in, directed, and produced weekly video segments.
• Managed a team of other producers.
• Handled conflict resolutions.

When I was a student of the University of Oregon, I joined the journalism school’s student-run weekly TV show, which at the time was called Duck U (it’s now called Duck TV, a much better name). I began as just an actor in a single segment, then quickly moved into a producer role where I wrote, directed, produced, and acted in weekly video segments that would air on local public access. After a few terms of producing, I was promoted into an executive producer, which meant I was effectively running all segments and managing over 50 people. In addition to continuing my own weekly segment, I was responsible for all other segments and had to handle conflict resolution instances from time to time.

Seasonal Help – See’s Candies

• Boxed candy and worked the register.
• Handled putting away shipments.
• Kept the store nice and tidy.

For two Christmas seasons in a row, I donned the while shirt and black tie and stood behind the counter helping people get their delicious candies. I took it upon myself to learn everything about the products, which meant extensive sampling on my part. I was placed in charge of handling shipments in the back room, which meant even more sampling. I must have gained 20 pounds each Christmas. Good times.

Internship Writer/Editor – The Pink Kit

• Wrote and edited material for natural birthing methods.
• Became an expert in natural birthing methods.

One of the most unlikely jobs I ever found myself in, I ended up learning pretty much everything you’d ever want to know about natural birth methods. As a writer and an editor, it was my job to research and effectively convey information for people about to go through childbirth, meaning everything had to be correct and concise. Ultimately, it turned out very beneficial when my wife eventually gave birth to our first son since I knew far more than the average first-time dad.

Landscape Maintenance Worker – Teufel Landscape

• Performed landscape maintenance as necessary.
• Helped with landscape architecture jobs as well.

One of the last jobs I had before securing work within my chosen field, I put on the work gloves and dug my hands into the back-breaking manual labor of landscaping. I helped build retaining walls, install new lawns, weed, mow, plant trees, and all manner of odd jobs associated with landscaping. It was a very rewarding job. I never want to do it again.