Clients in Experience Counts reflected on their most favourite occupation. Here are their answers!

Esthetician 

I love the responsibility of providing manicures and pedicures to my clients. Most of the clients were seniors and I usually went to their house. That gave me the chance to have one on one time with the seniors, build lasting relationships and gain their trust, while at the same time making them smile and laugh. I wish I could continue with this service but my arthritis in my thumbs made the decision for me to find another career. My friends and family could not believe I loved touching feet (Ha-ha). I didn’t mind toenails flying in my face or down my shirt.

Knitting Instructor

I spent a number of years working as an independently contracted knitting instructor, providing services for several local yarn shops and guilds. This position gave me the opportunity to share my knowledge, skills and obsession with all things yarny. I taught courses from very beginner to advanced fitting techniques and everything in between. Working with shop owners and guild leaders I was able to design and tailor the courses I offered to meet the needs and wants of their particular organizations. Most of the courses were designed around a specific pattern or book that was commercially produced, but I was given the chance to develop and write my own patterns as well. This ability and incentive to stretch my own creative muscles was very much a welcome task. Each set of participants became their own little cheering squad and we would share our experiences, our triumphs and mistakes. It was so exciting to see when each participant hit that point when it all came together for them. Even more exciting for me was when my students taught me something new and it was a rare course where this didn’t happen. I have 40+ years of experience in the craft, but there is always something new to learn! My experience as an independently contracted Knitting Instructor was some of the most personally rewarding times I’ve ever had.

Meals on Wheels Coordinator

This role combined all my favourite things: working with volunteers, providing a much needed service to people, food based, and organizing people and tasks. I loved meeting the clients and made sure I did each delivery route at least once or twice a year. One of the changes I made to the program was to take the mishmash of routes that crisscrossed each other and made logical routes by area and evened out the number of stops. The drivers really appreciated having routes that made sense with clear, easy to follow directions and instructions. It also saved the program in lower mileage reimbursement expenses. I worked with the Food Service Manager, at the Long-term Care Facility that prepared the meals, to come up with a 6 week menu rotation with nutritious and balanced meals. We also made sure we had special meals for days closest to Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and others. Providing a hot noon time meal to clients that most likely would not have made or eaten good nutritious food was a very satisfying occupation.