Ha! I forgot to even mention the non-animal, non-research jobs I had, LOL. So I thought I'd re-post to mention them, for the sake of those who are really interested in what others do or did for work (and I'll talk about some of the aspects/experiences that were taken away and were applicable to other areas of my life).
During college, I worked at the library on my campus. This was my 'pay the bills' job. It was a lot of fun, and I got to spend time working with books, which I love. ;-) And I also helped other students research topics they were writing about or doing projects on, which helped me in that I got more basic practice with research. Of course, customer service was a big part of my job.
Prior to that, I worked at The Gap for the summer before college, and at a local grocery store while I was in high school. The Gap was *the worst job ever*. I didn't wear Gap clothing prior to working there (and don't now either). I had to while I worked there. Other people were working there "because they loved the Gap clothing line". I was trying to pay bills and save up money for living expenses once school started. At both of these jobs, though, I cashiered and worked on basic cleanliness/organization of the stores. Despite them being menial tasks, I think they helped me a lot...mainly because I understand the importance of those menial tasks--and how difficult they can be to complete in some situations. I dealt with really, incredibly rude people (like the type you just want to cuss out and throw out of the store), and that experience translates into any work place where dealing with people is important (such as most paths in veterinary medicine). And, of course, I had to deal with cleanliness and organization not only in those jobs, but in my laboratory work...so I was able to mesh multiple reasons for cleanliness (both the need for sterility and the need for good perception by clients are necessary in a veterinary environment).
I know, I talk/type too much. It's one of my quirks. I hope others don't mind too much....
But it taught me a lot about time management and the real world, so I suppose it was all good.
