My Employment Time Line

This is my employment time line. It is as accurate as I can possibly remember. 

Cleaning Cars - July to Aug 1979 

My first experience of working for money. It was fantastic! Me and my older brother spend a beautiful English summer knocking on peoples’ doors to ask if they wanted their cars cleaned.

We supplied the cleaning fluid, the bucket and a few sponges. The customers supplied the water and the odd glass of lemonade!

Back then we charged 50 pence per car (approx $1). We must have made around £25 each, which was an absolute fortune for me!

I still think this is a viable business today. Cars still need to be cleaned and there’s nothing better than a door to door service!  

Sales Assistant for Woolworth - June 1986 – June 1988

This was my first (proper job). My school friend, Andy Newstead had this really cool Saturday job working for the local Woolworth. He had worked there for a couple of years and then decided to leave. So because I knew him, I managed to jump the waiting que and got an interview.

Naturally they loved me, and I started my first proper job working on a Saturday for Woolies! 

 

The Saturday job turned into a part-time job over the school holidays and when I left school (having underperformed in a big way), I was working there full time, often 6 days a week.

 

I have found memories of working there, especially when I got to work behind the record bar! I got to play all the music I wanted and often had people asking me for the album I was playing, because they really liked it! How cool was that?!! 

My fellow workmates were also really lovely and I often wonder what they’re up to now.

Royal Air Force (RAF) - August 1988 to April 2006

 

It could have all been so different! I first tried to join the RAF as an Officer, but I didn’t make the grade. I have big problems with Math, and that was my ultimate downfall.

 

So I ended up joining as an Administrator. Not the most glamorous job for a young man entering the ‘Armed Services’, but the recruiting office did a good job on me, and it was the quickest route in at the time.

 

Here’s a quick summary/highlights of my time in the RAF:

 

Spent 3 years in Germany – a place called Wegberg near Munchengladbach. It was a hospital and I loved every minute of it! Parties, nurses!,and lots of money.

 

I had 3 ‘Operational Tours’ overseas to Saudia Arabia, Afghanistan and the Falkland Islands. All 3 were a great experience that I will never forget. I learned so much about people and myself that I could never possibly have done in any other job.

 

I became an Instructor and spent my last few years teaching other new recruits to become administrators. I loved this job more than any other and the main reason why I want to expand my internet business into helping/mentoring others.

 

During my 17 years I was fortunate enough to be very active and played many sports (mostly during work time).

 

In the winter, I loved playing football on a Wednesday afternoon. In the summer I played a bit of cricket.

 

I participated in various expeditions around the world, including skiing in Chilie, canoeing in the South of France, walking in South Africa, mountain climbing in England and playing golf in Scotland!

 

I also trained to be a Fire Fighter during the Fireman’s strike here in the UK. This was another great experience which I will never forget.

 

I could write pages and pages of my time in the RAF and even whilst writing this I am thinking of many humorous stories I could share with you! Perhaps one day I will write a book about it.

 

I didn’t leave the RAF with any regrets or bitterness or even any sadness. I just knew the timing was perfect for me and a new chapter in my life was about to start. I was excited at the thought of having to pit myself against the civilian world and not have the security blanked that is there for you in the Services.

 

I want to thank a friend of mine and a fellow ex administrator in the RAF– Richard Glynn. Without Richard’s similar outlook on life to mine and his drive, I may never have made it in the internet marketing world. (But that’s another story). Thanks mate.

 

Jobs in between: 

Echoes Distributor – 1990 

Sold imitation aftershave and perfume to all the guys on my RAF training course. Made very little money. 

Amway Distributor – 1994

Wow, what a ride! My first real look into what money can be made. Attended a massive Amway Seminar with a few friends and even my Mum and her husband! Was blown away by the speakers and thought that I couldn’t possibly fail to be rich within a couple of years! – Didn’t make a penny! 

Telco Agent – 1996 

Selling a cheap rate phone service. Roped in a few friends and family members to take the service. Was very uncomfortable doing this. Made a loss overall. 

Kleeneze Agent – 1997/1998 

With my friend and housemate at the time, I decided to give Kleeneze a go. Selling household goods via a catalogue, dropped door to door.

Took up a lot of time for very little return. Didn’t mange to recruit anyone under us, which is where the money lies. Established a good local round, but gave up. 

Mortgage Consultant 1998 

Suckered in to the lifestyle promises once again! Spent a fortune training to become a consultant for a company called ‘Century Mortgages’. All the leads were cold calls. I made a few phone calls and 2 house calls. Didn’t make one sale. Lost a lot of time and money and became very discouraged. 

Other Part Time Jobs: 

Paperboy 

I hated delivering newspapers! I tried an early morning round first off, but really hated getting up so early, so quit that (or maybe I was asked not to come in anymore). Then I tried the Saturday only paper round. This is where you deliver the local ‘free’ newspaper to hundreds of homes. It took me all morning to do it, but I stuck at it for quite a while. (At least a few months!).

It finally came to an end when one day Saturday came and I really couldn’t be bothered to deliver all these worthless papers. So my brother and I went into our local woods and decided to burn them!

Great idea until the hollowed out tree we used, caught fire and a man walking his dog caught us! We ran and left the lot to burn! I think that poor man had to put the flames out.   

 

Life Guard 

I thought it would be cool to become a lifeguard and an easy way to make some cash. Yes it was pretty cool at first, but then the boredom soon set in. I had to clean the changing rooms afterwards, which was particularly grose and my vision of lots of pretty girls falling for me in my cool lifeguard uniform, never really materialized.

The highlight of my life guarding days came when I had to be the duty lifeguard during the local naturist Christmas event!

There was me in my bright red and yellow uniform and all these people running around the pool stark naked! Obviously I had no choice but to watch them! Let me tell you, it was a bizarre evening..

 

I kept that job, on and off for approx 2 years – Yes it was easy money, but so boring. 

 

Barman 

My then good friend, Dave Mitchell and I often worked on a Friday or Saturday evening in a lovely old stately home called Fullbeck Hall. Set in the heart of Lincolnshire within lovely grounds.

We mainly ran the bar but also doubled as security/glass collectors/cleaners/waiters. It was mainly for weddings and corporate functions.

On the whole I quite enjoyed working their and meeting a lot of interesting people. You can find out so much about people working behind a bar and I would recommend it to any young person.

  

Although I was in my late 20’s, I learned then what type of person I didn’t want to become as much as the person I did. 

Gambling

I joined a Horse Racing Syndicate. I lost all my money! Nothing much else to say. Not one of my best decisions! Dabbled here and there with a few more ideas like playing the Roulette Table. I thought I had a great system to win with playing Roulette online… which I did until I lost it all!

 

Internet Marketing

 

1999 to present day.

 

1999 - Started writing my first ebook which I promptly changed to something else.

 

2004 – Mentorship Program – cost me $10,000. My biggest mistake, but I learnt from it.

 

April 2006 – Left the RAF and declared myself self-employed. Working from home. I am now an Internet Entrepreneur!

 

June 2007 – Started Blogging

 

Conclusion:

 

Despite having many jobs that seemingly failed. I don’t look at them that way. All my life I knew there was something for me out there and I just needed to find what it was. These jobs along the way were just me finding out what I didn’t want.

 

Now I have finally discovered what it is I want to do and am happy doing it.

 

All those jobs except for one, had one thing in common. They were all jobs I didn’t have a passion for. Even spending 17 years in the RAF. I never had a passion for it. I just turned up for work and looked for other things to do. Apart from my time as an instructor. That was a passion and I loved it.

 

Now I know what it is I want to do and I am spending my time doing it or working towards it.

 

I want to share my internet knowledge and experience with anyone who wants to listen. Whether it is through my blog or over the phone or in person, that’s fine by me. Like everyone, I am always learning. The difference is, I want to share what I’m learning with you.

 

To Be Continued…