Holy shit, I've had 11 jobs. I never really thought about it until now.
First job was KFC. It was a dump that I infrequently burnt myself and nearly died from after slipping on the shortening encrusted floor that was slicker than ice.
Second was IGA in the deli department. I actually really enjoyed this one because of the people I worked with/ no managers worked afternoon shift so it was a party central where we basically treated each department like micronations where we engaged in trades of food stuffs, like fries for cookies.
Third was a brief 2 week stint at No Frills as a stocker. Decided I didn't want to do two jobs so I jumped ship.
Forth job was as an armoured reconnaissance crewman with the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves. Sadly, that meant light trucks instead of armoured vehicles, but it was still an amazing experience I am super proud of having done. Only reason I left was because I was 17-18 at the time and wanted to go to college, and it would have been impossible to keep with it since I had no ride to get there anymore and college was super far away.
Fifth job was in car parts factory called Ventura. I got fired before my probation ended because that's when that 2008 recession hit. Their "we weren't satisfied with your performance" claim when I asked why I was being let go contradicted the 3 line leaders over the previous month telling me how much they loved having me on their lines because I was a good worker.
Sixth job was another factory I can't readily remember the name of. I quit that job after almost a year because I was getting constant headaches from the paint and welding fumes.
Seventh job was a lumber yard called Ratcliffe. I loved that job even if I was on the afternoon shift, but I had to leave because it started to go downhill very fast because the guy who owned the place literally walked out on the job. Yes, the guy who owned and founded the business quit on the spot. Can't say I ever seen that happen before or since.
8th job was with a Walmart Supercenter where I worked deli, grocery, and garden center at various points. It was hit and miss and the only redeeming parts was when I had good managers and had awesome coworkers. Otherwise, if you've worked retail, you know how it draws the very worst of humanity, both as customers and managers.
9th job was with a municipal county where I worked there for 3.5 years, I loved it but it got to be super stressful because it was a super small department and I was kind of managing about 80% of operations and I ended up slipping on small details and not remembering how to do some major troubleshooting and repairs, and the pressure that was being put on me to shape up was causing me massive amounts of stress. I think if I had some proper coaching and I wasn't the only operator (not counting my supervisor, who wasn't usually doing the run and instead doing more contractor/ maintenance stuff) I would have been able to keep that job. It was a hellish last year there, and I was actually relieved when I was let go. It would have been better if it wasn't my first job in the industry. The thing is, I left on good terms with my supervisor and superintendent and they both offered to be references for me. Sure enough, that helped me get my current job. They gave me a lot of skills that are invaluable, so overall, I chalk it up as a win.
10th job was a 2 week stint at a spill containment company. I left because it was like being permanently on call, where you didn't have a fixed schedule and would be told to come to work the same day and be prepared to be gone for days at a time, sometimes even in another province. With my health problems, I need a routine and a predictable schedule. Plus, I didn't like the people who worked there and the work wasn't really enjoyable.
11th job is my current one with another water treatment company that is more private and contracted out rather than municipal. It's really good so far, insanely busy (I've only had two days without overtime), and it's very sink or swim. My third week into the job, where I am now, and I've been doing the entire run of 14 sites alone, as in no supervisor or coworkers. A lot of trust, but I'm also keeping up and the experience I had before is immediately transferable. And I get to see the Rocky Mountains every day; it's honestly a fantastic job that I am loving so far.