Self Employed

Landscaper

May 2018 • Kirkwood, MO

What I liked

Working outside with the flexibility of being able to choose jobs and having a relationship with my employers.

What I wish was different

The weather, occasionally, but that was unavoidable. Sometimes work would come in deluges or not at all, so a more consistent schedule would have been nice.

Advice

Don't bite off more than you can chew. If you don't know how to do a job or aren't confident doing it alone or in a specified time-frame, be honest and turn it down.

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Swim Lesson Instructor

May 2013 - August 2018 • Newberry, SC

What I liked

Being self employed, I enjoyed being able to create my own schedule. I have taught swim lessons for many years, so I learned how to be competitive in the market, have a constant return base of clients, and make a suitable profit.

What I wish was different

This past summer was more than likely my last year of teaching lessons, solely so I can focus on an internship more suitable for my career., therefore I wish nothing had been different this past year. After teaching for 5 years privately, I learned, adapted, and created better ways to be a competitor in the market. My first couple of years teaching, I wish I would have known how to advertise and network better.

Advice

Being self employed teaches you a lot of valuable lessons rather you realize it or not. Even if your business is as small as mine was, you can still learn valuable entrepreneurship skills.

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Building Carpenter

May 2012 • Kilgore, TX

What I liked

I like it becuase it gives me a flexible job for the summer and during no the school year so I can take classes or go on vacations.

What I wish was different

I wish that most of the jobs where not outside becuase it is Texas and hot most of the time.

Advice

I would share that you learn how to manage your money in order to not have as many jobs when it is hot and to get most of your money during game the winter.

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General Contractor

May - August 2018 • Altamont, NY

What I liked

Fun, learned a lot

What I wish was different

Advice

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Nanny

May 2016 • Falmouth, MA

What I liked

I loved working with these children. All three of them became like family to me over these past years and i will keep in touch with this family forever.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Au Pair

June - August 2018 • Bilbao, Biscay

What I liked

Living in a different country on my own

What I wish was different

I wish I had take some classes over there

Advice

Being an au pair is a great way to get immersed in a language and learn quickly while making money or breaking even. Try to find spanish classes while over there though.

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Advertising Photographer

June 2016 • Boise, ID

What I liked

Choosing my own hours

What I wish was different

Having more experience with scheduling all shoots and personal life

Advice

Definitely get ready to work around the clock there are no set hours

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Standardized Test Tutor

May 2018 • Franklin Square, NY

What I liked

I enjoy working with students and giving multiple strategies to solve one problem

What I wish was different

Advice

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Gardner

May - August 2018 • Abbeville, SC

What I liked

I was able to work on my own time which gave me flexibility with my schedule

What I wish was different

I wish I would have hired some help because my work load at time was a little over bearing

Advice

I was able to learn a lot about myself so never say what you won't do because you never know. I didn't picture doing yard work my plan was to work at a local engineering firm for the summer.

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Swim instructor

June - September 2018 • Las Vegas, NV

What I liked

What I wish was different

I wish I gave myself more time off to be with family and friends.

Advice

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Independent Researcher

June - September 2018 • Downey, CA

What I liked

I conducted the bulk of my honors thesis research.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more time.

Advice

Independent research takes a lot of organization to be effective. Go in with an outline of questions you want to answer, and try to answer them, but also be aware that your research will be guided by the sources. Start with the questions outline, but done feel wedded to it. For oral interviews, the later into your research they're done the better, so that you can ask informed questions about specific events, and get better responses.

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Nanny

June - August 2018 • Rosemount, MN

What I liked

Loved investing in the kids I watched this summer.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have gotten experience in my field.

Advice

Do your job to the best of your ability and honor God through it.

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Soccer Refereeing

April 2015 • Reading, PA

What I liked

I like being able to choose my own schedule and decide where I want to work. It's also nice to have a job where I don't have to work long days, I am active the entire time, and I'm payed well for my services.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have done more games, especially tournaments, but a lot of the times I was busy the weekend of a tournament, or the amount of money I would make wouldn't make the entire trip financially worthwhile.

Advice

This job has really taught me how to manage time well so that I'm always at the field with plenty of time beforehand to inspect the conditions and finish all the pregame responsibilities. It has also helped me develop better communication and conflict-resolution skills when dealing with frustrated coaches, players, and sometimes parents.

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Dog Sitter

June - August 2018 • Raleigh, NC

What I liked

Flexibility

What I wish was different

I wish I had more hours

Advice

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Beef Farm Operator

January 2015 • Cedar Vale, KS

What I liked

Being self employed

What I wish was different

The price of beef to be higher

Advice

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Nanny

May 2016 • Spokane, WA

What I liked

I loved that I was able to build relationships with the children and continue to nurture them every year I worked there.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have done it more days a week. I also wish I could have developed more learning opportunities for the children than I did.

Advice

I would suggest that you have a firm hand with your rules in the beginning. Children like structure more than people realize and if you stick to that for a long enough time period then your job will be much easier later on. Plus the rewards are indescribable.

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Debate Coach

June - August 2018 • Montgomery, TX

What I liked

This was a great opportunity for me to take responsibility for an entire operation. From start to finish, I was involved in setting up learning sessions, practice debates, and speaking exercises. It was really valuable to have to be involved in the whole process.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had marketed more. I was limited in the amount of students that I coached. Had I taken the time to really try to make new connections and reach out to potential participants, I feel like I could have had many more students involved.

Advice

Don't be afraid to use the skills and talents have in order to coach one-on-one with young students. Parents are eager to get their kids involved in worthwhile extra-curricular activities. If you are good at something, offer to tutor/coach someone's son or daughter in that particular field. I think you would be surprise at how profitable this can be.

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Baby Sitter

April 2017 • Knoxville, TN

What I liked

I love the flexibility with scheduling and how most families worked with my other commitments!

What I wish was different

I do wish I was paid a bit more than I was.

Advice

My advice would be to go out to your comfort zone! Try and babysit children of a different age or even those with disabilities it’s the best learning opportunity you can get!

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Nanny

June - August 2018 • Aurora, OH

What I liked

I liked the consistency.

What I wish was different

More hours.

Advice

A job is what you make of it.

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Freelance Artist

September 2014 • Ashburn, VA

What I liked

The networking and making art for enthusiastic clients

What I wish was different

I wish I had been more aggressive in marketing myself to get more clients.

Advice

Clients don't always treat artists with the same respect as other contracted workers, but a lot of people are willing to pay a lot of money for good art.

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