My Career

WHAT I'VE DONE My Career www.geocities.com/Johan_Reimersholme/Work.html
My Work Story
I've worked with a lot of things during the years!
When I was little, some hundred or so years ago, I made a list of jobs I wanted to try. That list is by long gone through. Still I have the idea that if an interesting job opportunity comes my way I take the chance/risk. I mean; when sitting at the retirements home, it's too late to regret having missed that chance of a new job or new experiences...

If you want to go straight to my CV, please do. Otherwise - this is my professional story...

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Most of my jobs have been in the service sector. I've been working in shops of different kinds, and (of course) in restaurants. I know it sounds like quite trivial, but I really do like working with people, giving them service and a positive experience.

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The job I've had for the longest period of time was in a security company. That begun as a summer job. I didn't know what I wanted to work with, and some of my meaner friends told me that I could work as a guard. Then they laughed in a malicious way, letting me understand that the day I became a guard snowballs would freeze in hell and pigs could fly.
Of course I couldn't let such a challenge pass without doing something about it. I applied and, to my and especially my friends big surprise, I was hired.
For the next holidays from school and university, I worked in receptions of different kinds. And I loved it. After University, I found it hard to get a nice job. The security company offered me full time employment in a high security reception. This was a multi company reception, and all the companies were banks or financial companies.

I worked there for two years.
At the same time I worked a bit extra for the company as sales representative, visiting different companies offering our services.
I also started up new receptions. I worked together with architects when a new reception desk was to be built. Together we had discussions how to combine practical demands with a nice exterior. I wrote instructions for my collegues and made sure our work filled the wishes of our clients.
I worked in the reception for two years.
The security company knew that I have a BA in Social Studies from the University, and offered me a job at the Personal Departement. Of course I accepted!
For a couple of years I interviewed and employed all the guards, did all the paper work and procedures associated to that, took care of Marketing, was part of designing the new company uniform, made the company magazine and a lot of other things. The company was expanding heavily, so during that spring term I hired about 200 guards to be.
Meeting guys for the interview was quite an interesting experience. Not only turned they out to be very good security guards, some of them eventually became my friends...
In all that was a happy time!
Friday the 13th it was announced that our company was bought by a conglomerate of companies, of which one was another security company. The merge of these two companies was a messy story and the beginning of the end. Lots of people were fired.

My job as Personal Assistant disappeared, and I was offered to either become a receptionist/telephone operator at the new head quarter, or loose the employment. Not much to choose between...
The cut downs continued. I managed to keep my job through two major cut downs, but the third one hit me as well.
At that time, I had understood that it was a question of time before my job should disappear, so I'd begun to study International Marketing.

The first five months of the education was in Stockholm, two months at the State University of New Paltz, N.Y., and two months as trainee in a company in Manhattan, New York City.

The security company back home told me that they would sign any paper concerning leave of absence, in this case studies. If I came back and claimed my job they had to lay me off.
I stayed in New York, working as a summer employee at HSI, a company that produces commercials.

All together I spent five months at HSI.
When I got back from USA I was layed off. Quite a new feeling, but not entirely a bad one. The security company payed 8 months salary as compensation, so at first there were no problems with money. I could sleep as long as I wanted in the mornings, I could spend the days as I pleased.
After the eight months the only problem really started to show up - the lack of money. Thanks to the different social and insurance systems in Sweden (and my mother...) I never had to starve, money was enough for my rent and other things. But it wasn't more than that.
I got help from organisations connected to my former employer to get educations of different kinds. I went on a course and became Buyer. I started to learn Arabic, but had to quit.

I've always been working in restaurants. It's perfect as an extra job, and now when I was without a full time employment, I could work even more in the restaurant where I've been hired for the last six years.
This employment is by the hour, in a party and conference arranging restaurant. It's built in the 18th century and is a former brewery.
During my period of partly unemployment, I worked there as head waiter/waiter.
After a couple of years of unemployment I realised that I had to have a full time job. It was quite nice work when I wanted to, but if I should be able to buy more expensive things, go on vacation, and eventually get a pension, I had to get back to a more normal life.
I looked around, answered ads, called companies - all without any luck. Until I aswered the ad from a small Light Design Company.

I've worked there for two years. I don't know anything about lamps or spots or trusses or how to rig - I've been in charge of the administration. I've answered the phones, written the invoices, seen to that we get our salaries, taken care of the mail, written offers, made coffee, supported who ever needs support...

Sometimes I had the feeling that my two bosses = owners of the company had a competition to see how much work they could give me before I have a nervous brake down. They didn't win...
This job suited me quite good, the

Secretarial Dragon I am. Yes, I've been called that at the State University of New York in New Paltz, where I brought a small organisation back to life. I think they were joking...

Yet I felt like I've done what I could a that company. I couldn't get any further, there were no future, no possability to develope my skills. Instead of staying at that office I decided to change my situation.
Therefore I left for another company.

Since June 7th 1999 I work for Manpower Teamwork. I've had been out on three companies so far, and it's as nice to work like this as I hoped. My knowledge in different areas, like economy, marketing, languages, computing, common office/assistant tasks - all comes together in the work I do.
The companies I work for are big companies, and the assignements are long term.
The first company I worked for as a collegue of "Nisse from Manpower" (Swedish very successful commercial...)was IBM. I was supposed to scan invoices for a couple of months but the task changed. My assignment was extended a couple of times, and during several weeks I was in charge of the Accounts Payable at IBM Sweden.

My first and my second assignement...

The second company I worked for was Sensel, a subsidiary of Vattenfall, the Government owned provider of energy, mostly electricity. Sensel is developing the "intelligent house", which means that you'll be able to turn on and off lamps by your computer or mobile phone, get a warning when the fridge door is open or you have forgotten to turn off the stove.
There where so many things I didn't understand, never have heard of before, abbreviations I'd never seen in my life. But it was tremendously exciting to be part of this completely new system.

From April 2000 to October 2001 I worked for Telenordia, a large Telecom company. Like the other companies there were many new things to learn. But that's the exciting thing working for Manpower - working in new areas where I've never been before. If someone some years ago would have told me that I one day would work as technician at a telecom company, I most likely would have laughed and thought that person to be crazy. But here I am...

My workplace

The first of October 2001 Telenordia was split between the two owners Telenor and British Telecom (BT). Mot only was there this separation into two companies, we moved to a completely new building.
At the same time I was asked if I wanted to continue the job I had but now as a BT employee. Since I liked the job, was promised to learn new things and some other details, I accepted.
It was mixed feelings leaving Manpower, both sadness and joy.

Six months later the company realized that the business was not going as well as planned. They had to cut down. First they let go of us who were new at the company after the split. Without exactly knowing what happened I was without a job. That's were I am today.

I'm always open to suggestions, new ideas and challenges. I have a lot to give to the right company.
My dream is to work in an arabian country for a European company, as Market Assistant or "Secretarial Dragon".
So if you need someone in your company who is the perfect assistant, speaks french and english, is a great administrator, representative - well, now you know where to find one...
Please feel free to contact me:

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This page last updated 22 November 2002