Lynda's Career Page

My first 'proper job' in the early eighties was as an adult literacy worker. Although I was not a trained teacher I like to think I made a difference.

Some time later I moved back to "civilization" to try and make some money and studied part-time for a year, qualifying with the post-graduate LCCI Private and Executive Secretary's Diploma - try and say that after a few drinks! I learned to type very fast and to write Pitman Shorthand rather slowly - an interesting kind of code language which I enjoyed - I didn't practise enough, but I passed the course!

I was also a part-time Health Promotion Psychologist producing surveys on hospital care and statistical analysis of health promotion events. I was then offered a full-time clerk/typist office job, which led on to a series of secretarial posts, digging a rut in which I became bogged down for quite some time.

After a holiday in Spain visiting my friend, Pamela, who lived there, we concocted a plan for me to move there and teach English as a foreign language. I had even handed in my notice, but for reasons including the fact that I could only manage a bit of holiday Spanish, my bottle went at the last minute and rather than confess, face humiliation and skulk back to the job I didn't like, I walked into a temping agency on my last afternoon and fixed up some work in a different part of town!

My temping turned into permanent employment as a senior secretary, but after several years I couldn't stand it any longer and left to try my hand at doing something worthwhile - I trained as a CAB volunteer adviser. I was living with my future husband by this time and was in the incredible position of being supported by someone else for the first time in my working life!

The CAB work was usually interesting, demanding and, at times, stressful, but the amount of job satisfaction to be had was immense compared with what I had done before. For the first time it seemed like there was a common goal, very little "office politics", managers who really cared about their staff and what they were doing, everyone helping each other. Most important was the real, practical contribution I could make for the clients.

Eighteen months later and kind of by accident I ended up working as an information assistant, working on a college database, but after 6 months I left - to get married!

I'm still looking for the ideal dream job, like millions of others ...

accesses since 27Jun99
© Copyright Ben and Lynda Thornton
last updated 27Jun99