The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[ShrekDawg]

You might do better to learn a skill like dog grooming, get more money for your time. I used to do up to 13 grooms a day ( a long day, with a dog bather helping me) But pretty good bucks.

Huh, I never thought of that. That's a great idea!

 

[drumstick diva]

I would do 7 at the most a day because I had to do the bathing & drying. On Saturdays my sister would mosey over and sorta bathe & dry some. Sorta because she didn't notice mats. I didn't charge much, because I was self taught, and figured out $ was only what I would be willing to pay. Still I was able to pay rent, electric, insurance and have a little to call my own.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wow that sounds awesome. Is grooming hard to learn? I have to consider whether I want the extra $ or whether I want to be outside in the sun rather than inside haha I feel like the $ but idk

 

[Blooie]

I was a vet tech....no formal training, I just applied for a job as a kennel person because we were broke, Ken wasn’t out to sea, and I saw the ad. So after a few months they trusted me and let me learn to do other things in addition ....reading slides, filling in at the front desk, bathing and minor grooming. Within a year I was kennel manager, giving shots (except rabies, of course) assisting in surgeries and recoveries, and they liked me well enough to hire someone else for kennels and trained me as a tech. I had that job in that clinic for over 4 years, until we got transferred to Mississippi, where I immediately applied at every vet clinic I could locate. In less than two weeks I was hired at a practice that had two vets and two clinics and I alternated between them. They preferred the fact that I had nothing but hands-on training in a real clinic setting and my reference from the clinic in Illinois sealed the deal for them almost immediately.

Did I know this would be what I’d love and be lucky enough to be good at doing? Nope. I fell into it and found my place. I’d always wanted to work with animals and learn, learn, learn, but never dreamed it would be possible. I’d foolishly told myself that with finances and us being military and moving so much, plus having to be a single mom of 3 so often, I’d have to put that dream aside. So in the meantime I worked as a secretary, as a maid in a motel, waitress, salesperson at the Gap....whatever I could find...knowing that every time Ken’s ships would leave I’d have to quit so the kids had one full time parent. Helluva way to live, so you can see why biting the bullet and taking a back door into where my real interests were was so good for me.

Little puzzled about one thing...if your major is Behavioral Science, how is that you don’t know for sure what it even is? Could it be that your heart wants you to go in a different direction, like mine did?

Oh, and my official job title, given to me by the vet and staff at the first clinic, was SLJO. It was embroidered on my coveralls and written under my photo on the wall showing the staff members and their titles. And it went with me to the new job, with the new vets’ hearty approval after my former boss told him about it. It stood for Sh*** Little Jobs Officer, because I’d proven that no task there was beneath me or too difficult for me to try to tackle. That is earned respect, and I still look back on those years with pride. I worked my hiney off, giving up weekends and even holidays because animals in need don’t read calendars. I cleaned poop, blood, guts, vomit, was bitten, scratched, knocked down, and spent time in the hospital from Cat Scratch Fever. I handled treating fleas, ticks, fungi, infections, serious injuries and illnesses, and took care of critters who just needed a sitter for a few days. I got hurt, tired, discouraged, and every day for years I got up, got dressed, and went back to work. If I was 20 years younger and the opportunity arose again, I’d be finding my coveralls.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I would do 7 at the most a day because I had to do the bathing & drying. On Saturdays my sister would mosey over and sorta bathe & dry some. Sorta because she didn't notice mats. I didn't charge much, because I was self taught, and figured out $ was only what I would be willing to pay. Still I was able to pay rent, electric, insurance and have a little to call my own.

I managed a grooming deparment at PetsMart. At another point in time i had a grooming shop in my basement, and one in our pet store.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Wow that sounds awesome. Is grooming hard to learn? I have to consider whether I want the extra $ or whether I want to be outside in the sun rather than inside haha I feel like the $ but idk

I was taught by another groomer, and went to a grooming school to get certified. Piece of cake, as i already knew a lot from grooming my own dogs for shows.

 

[CapricornFarm]

But before i learned grooming i took any job i could get. Worked bussing tables, waitressing, donut shop, Italian restaurant etc. It was hard work and low pay. Finally i got a job at a pet shop and i loved it. But the places i lived were far from ideal. One room apartment with a closet sized space for the kitchen, no sink, and a shared by 3 apartments bathroom. I got around by bus or i walked. But it was a great time in life, and i felt good. Oh to be that age again!

 

[CapricornFarm]

I was a vet tech....no formal training, I just applied for a job as a kennel person because we were broke, Ken wasn’t out to sea, and I saw the ad. So after a few months they trusted me and let me learn to do other things in addition ....reading slides, filling in at the front desk, bathing and minor grooming. Within a year I was kennel manager, giving shots (except rabies, of course) assisting in surgeries and recoveries, and they liked me well enough to hire someone else for kennels and trained me as a tech. I had that job in that clinic for over 4 years, until we got transferred to Mississippi, where I immediately applied at every vet clinic I could locate. In two less than two weeks I was hired at a practice that had two vets and two clinics and I alternated between them. They preferred the fact that I had nothing but hands-on training in a real clinic setting and my reference from the clinic in Illinois sealed the deal for them almost immediately.

Did I know this would be what I’d love and be lucky enough to be good at doing? Nope. I fell into it and found my place. I’d always wanted to work with animals and learn, learn, learn, but never dreamed it would be possible. I’d foolishly told myself that with finances and us being military and moving so much, plus having to be a single mom of 3 so often, I’d have to put that dream aside. So in the meantime I worked as a secretary, as a maid in a motel, waitress, salesperson at the Gap....whatever I could find...knowing that every time Ken’s ships would leave I’d have to quit so the kids had one full time parent. Helluva way to live, so you can see why biting the bullet and taking a back door into where my real interests were was so good for me.

Little puzzled about one thing...if your major is Behavioral Science, how is that you don’t know for sure what it even is? Could it be that your heart wants you to go in a different direction, like mine did?

Oh, and my official job title, given to me by the vet and staff at the first clinic, was SLJO. It was embroidered on my coveralls and written under my photo on the wall showing the staff members and their titles. And it went with me to the new job, with the new vets’ hearty approval after my former boss told him about it. It stood for Sh*** Little Jobs Officer, because I’d proven that no task there was beneath me or too difficult for me to try to tackle. That is earned respect, and I still look back on those years with pride. I worked my hiney off, giving up weekends and even holidays because animals in need don’t read calendars. I cleaned poop, blood, guts, vomit, was bitten, scratched, knocked down, and spent time in the hospital from Cat Scratch Fever. I handled treating fleas, ticks, fungi, infections, serious injuries and illnesses, and took care of critters who just needed a sitter for a few days. I got hurt, tired, discouraged, and every day for years I got up, got dressed, and went back to work. If I was 20 years younger and the opportunity arose again, I’d be finding my coveralls.

I applied for a lot of jobs at vet offices before i learned to groom. Never got a job at one though.

 

[Blooie]

They were desperate...so was I!

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

I got into my career in a somewhat similar way... I moved to Ottawa. You had to be bilingual for almost every job there. I don't speak French, so I applied to places that I knew were English. The English speaking radio and tv stations and newspapers. I got hired by a radio station to cover a maternity leave. That began my journey in the broadcasting industry. All because I couldn't speak a language.