What jobs did you have *before* software development?

Most of us probably had some sort of other jobs before getting into software as a career. I'd love to hear from the community on this matter!

Comments

[Alida W]

Since high school graduation:

• Pizzeria keyholder
• Barista/Supervisor
• Cafe Assistant Manager
• Customer Service/Cash Manager at a popular Canadian department store
• Cash Manager at a health food store
• Customer Support at large tech company
• Support Theme Specialist at same large tech company
• Support Theme Specialist Manager at same large tech company

and then, Tier 3 Support Developer as my first developer job title.

Beyond Tier 3, I was:

• New Grad Software Developer
• Software Developer
• Developer Advocate/Developer

and now:

• Developer Advocate

It's been a really interesting, roller-coaster-esque 14 years since I graduated, but I use skills from each of those jobs nearly every day, and I wouldn't trade my experience for anything.

[Nadia Zhuk]

• Writing tutor
• English tutor
• Shop assistant at an occult shop 🔮
• Hostess at an Italian restaurant
• Translator / interpreter
• Copywriter
• Journalist / editor

[Emanuel Quimper]

• Farmer
• Firefighter
• Army infantry
• Construction

[Joe Mainwaring]

I've had more technical roles than I've had non-technical, but of the few gigs I've taken:

• Dishwasher/Waiter/Cook at a local restaurant where I grew up
• Maintenance at a local Marina where I grew up
• Sales rep at Express
• Grip for ESPN

[cuongnguyen11]

waitor, customer support (for a internet service company)

[MariannaBr]

Structural Engineer for 9 yrs

[Moza]

Wow, this is inspiring...seen people from different background and all going into one direction! Great job!

[James Perkins]

My Career:

• Worked at a supermarket stacking shelves
• Managed the night crew at the supermarket
• Moved to America
• Worked at Gamestop
• Worked at a small tech company as support.
• Got my first break at the same tech company

The rest is history!

[Souk Syp.]

Used to work in small farm. Loads of manual work. I feel healthier back then…

[Vesa Piittinen]

I had a sort of job as a computer handyman. And then I collected books and later operated a forklift in a books warehouse.

That is pretty much all you can rank as a job worth calling a job in my work history. If a full-time job ain't paying a wage one can live with without monetary government aid, then it is no job. It is capitalist slavery.

[SVGator]

So much untapped talent in the comments! Lovely to read all these origin stories

[Burt Macklin]

At College/Uni I was working at Primark(a fairly cheap clothing store) and Currys/PC World!

After Uni I joined a sports betting company as a Software Support Engineer, as a way to get my foot in the door, then moved to the company I currently work at in the same role!

7 months back I was able to make the transition to a full time Software Engineer!! :D

[Oskar Pietrucha]

In my short life I was working since I was 14, hence I already worked as a:

• a kid's animator in a Tigger costume
• a construction's site worker
• selling fries and chicken nuggets in a foodtruck
• handing out leaflets

[Toby Parent]

Since high school:

• Farm hand (first chicken farm, then cattle),
• Short-order cook,
• Radio Shack nerd,
• Carpenter and rough framer,
• Family entertainer (professional clown),
• Graphic designer,
• IT maintenance (later admin),
• Teacher, GED adult-ed classes,
• TA, Construction Tech voke classes,
• Fine cabinetmaker,
• Landscape crew (later foreman)

Been a long strange trip, and it ain't over yet.

[Vytenis]

Brand designer
Furniture designer
Interior designer