#My First Seven Jobs Katherine Tate and Eric Anderson

There’s a series going around the web about people’s First Seven Jobs. It’s been fun and fascinating to see the very first jobs people held. There’s a diverse selection of people’s first seven jobs here, Fred Wilson, Brad Feld, and Keenan.

I jumped onto the bandwagon with my first 7 jobs. In the comments, you can also see Hank Barnes‘ first seven.

It’s actually a huge amount of fun–first thinking about your own, reflecting on what they meant to you (privately) and seeing others’ experience. Consequently, I’ve invited a huge number of people of diverse backgrounds, ages, and locations, to share their first 7 jobs. I’ll be posting them weekly, usually on Sundays. Feel free to join in, send your first seven jobs to me by email (dabrock@excellenc.com). I’ll post them in the order I get them.

This week, we have two more fascinating people, Katherine Tate and Eric Anderson.

Katherine Tate, Vice President of Global Sales Opera
tions, Micro Focus.

Mowing Lawns and moving pipe.   My brothers & I had a lawn mowing business with a go cart to transport our equipment.  My dad secured the business and set the prices.  We did all the work.  For one of the customers I also moved sprinkler pipe in their alfalfa fields.

Catering kitchen help- worked the buffet line, cleared tables, washed dishes

BLM firefighter – my first regular paycheck (that wasn’t cash or a personal check).   Worked on a 2-person team driving a slip-on truck, doing mop up on the fire line.

Summer Intern in a manufacturing plant – worked in a clean room, and rotated through the various phases of memory c
hip manufacturing.

Computer Programmer summer internship – worked on a team with other interns to develop a reusable code library.

Kindergarten & 1st grade reading assistant

Scientific editor – Edited technical journals and books that had been translated from Japanese into English.   Although I didn’t know Japanese, I ensured the English grammar was correct.

Eric Anderson, CEO VROOM

1. Ranch Hand (catch all for everything on a ranch growing up)
2. Gas Station attendant
3. Parts picker for auto parts supply (Land Rover)
4. Imitation marble countertop factory worker
5. Lifeguard
6. Floppy disc drive machinist
7. Peace Corps volunteer (teacher, coach)

Thanks Katherine and Eric!

Please share this with #myfirstsevenjobs.

Send yours in, ask your colleagues for theirs. Learn, Have Fun!