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This week at the lab, former waitresses, bike mechanics, firefighters and corn detasselers are chiming in on a recent social media trend by sharing their first seven jobs.

Twitterers worldwide have been posting lists of their first forays into the workforce (#Firstsevenjobs) — the type of endeavors that (sadly, we think) rarely end up on a resume. So we decided to ask some of our scientists, engineers and the rest of the staff who keep the National MagLab running smoothly to think back to their youth and where their first paychecks came from.

Who knew that bartending could be great prep for a chemistry career? Or that a stint as a horse wrangler could pave the way to physics? Indeed, the path to science turns out to be as varied as the folks in the field.

For proof, just scan the below lists provided by some of our staff. Want to join the conversation? Tweet your own list (#Firstsevenjobs), and tag @nationalmaglab in your post.

Amy McKenna
MagLab job: Chemist, Ion Cyclotron Resonance Facility
First jobs: oatmeal-getter at a pancake house, waitress, cashier, bartender, titanium seller, bartender (again!), analytical chemist

Thierry Dubroca
MagLab job: Postdoctoral associate, Electron Magnetic Resonance Facility
First jobs: cowboy, corn detasseler, catering cook, shrimp factory cook, math tutor, material scientist, start-up /CEO

Tim Murphy
MagLab job: Director, DC Field Facility
First jobs: paper boy, corn detasseler, farm laborer, lawn care, toy factory employee, horse wrangler, intramural referee

Scott Bole
MagLab job: Mechanical engineer
First jobs: Bicycle mechanic, bag boy, apprentice electrician, land surveyor, stevedore, maintenance man, mechanical engineer

Jon Betts
MagLab job: Head, Pulsed Field Facility program
First jobs: dishwasher, DJ, cryogenics engineer

Roxanne Hughes
MagLab job: Director, Center for Integrating Research & Learning
First jobs: cashier, day care teacher, waitress, marine biology technician, high school science teacher, high school girls cross country and track and field coach, teaching assistant

Renee Luallen
MagLab job: Coordinator, DC Field Facility
First jobs: video store clerk, hair salon receptionist/cashier/manager, math tutor, graduate assistant, project facilitator/business development analyst, product/business development manager, enrollment systems team leader

Sean Coyne
MagLab job: Facilities manager
First jobs: lawn mower, baby sitter, zoo animal caretaker, bike mechanic, trail builder, farm hand, horse trainer

Charles "Lamar" English
MagLab job: Research engineer
First jobs: scuba instructor, police dispatcher, papermaker, construction surveyor, power plant operator, dive light manufacturer

Scott Hannahs
MagLab job: Physicist and associate lab director
First jobs: public works laborer, state park maintenance worker, firefighter programmer, physicist

Eric Palm
MagLab job: Deputy lab director
First jobs: oil field worker, oiler and welder’s helper, seismic testing technician, physics and physical sciences teacher, teaching and research assistant, physics postdoc, research scientist

Carlos Villa
MagLab job: Outreach coordinator
First jobs: bag boy, sandwich artist, copy consultant, planetarium educator, substitute teacher

Kristen Coyne
MagLab job: Web content director
First jobs: Jewelry factory laborer, governess in Switzerland, college tour guide, grocery runner, public library silence enforcer, English teacher, banana tree killer

Image Gallery

See some MagLab staffers in their old jobs in the image gallery below. Click on the image for a better view and more details.

• Kristen Coyne as a governess. Kristen Coyne as a governess.
• Sean Coyne as a horse trainer. Sean Coyne as a horse trainer.
• Charles "Lamar" English was a scuba instructor. Charles "Lamar" English was a scuba instructor.
• Roxanne Hughes as a high school coach. Roxanne Hughes as a high school coach.
• Amy McKenna as a bartender. Amy McKenna as a bartender.
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