What's Your Job ( Career )

Off-topic Chatter
1

I thought it would be interesting to see what every body does for work . We are all different ages , Live in very different parts of the world

  1. Job description
  2. Years on the Job
  3. Do you like what you do vs The money is Good

Retirees can just mention what they use to do

1) I was/am a Residential Carpenter Contractor
2) Roughly 35+ yrs ( It’s what my Father did — I started very young in the summers )
3) At times work was Good, but fighting contractors and employees took away any joy — Money made it worth while — I might make a different choice if I had to do it all over
( there was a movie Tom Selleck was in where he was framed by some dirty cops for drugs — he fought it and went to jail for a long while —at the end of the movie he says next time I’ll take the 3 yr deal at a detention center or something to that affect )

2

General Craftsman ft Kelly Springfield / Goodyear Tire. Jack of all trades master of none.
25 years active, now medically retired
Best money around this neck of the woods. It was the job I wanted since I was 7 or 8 years old. My brother went through the apprenticeship program and I wanted to be an apprentice before I understood what it really meant. There were unpleasant tasks as with any job but it was my dream job. I really loved the job. Learning from the “old timers” was an exasperating and incredibly enjoyable experience. When I earned the respect and trust of the journeymen I felt like I was somebody. As time went on and I became an old timer, it was wonderful to return to others who were newbies. I miss the people I worked with. Enough ramblings from an old jack leg mechanic

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https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/63862/2

4

1. Accountant in oil industry
2. 12 years
3. It can get busy with monthly deadlines which I don’t like but the pay is decent which let’s me enjoy my hobbies and live comfortably for the most part. My goal is to retire early one day to live off passive investments and live a more simpler life.

5

I didn’t know about the other thread — If there’s a problem Moderator —Delete this one — Thanks

6

….job or career!! Anyway, apologies upfront for the long-winded career history.

- paper round (6 years as a kid…rain, hail, severe frosts or sunshine….back in a time when it was considered safe to send your kids out delivering early morning or night… the only thing I had to be afraid of was the friggen dogs that always chased me :), ~$4 for the round and sometimes I was lucky enough to have had 2 rounds from 2 different papers in the same area….prefolding them prior to the delivery , hands all black from the ink and stuffing them into the handle bar hessian sacks!. ) - work conditions…what can I say but taught me the value of doing a good job when I know others were dumping their papers and the need to work honestly to get paid.

- collecting and cashing in aluminium cans after local shows

- 1983 McDonald’s manager (turned 15 years old - 5 years part-time) - save a good chunk of the money I’d earnt to buy my first car & motor bike at 17 years of age. - work conditions was good

- 1986 12 years as an A grade linesman (power poles - construction & maint., underground cables, tree clearing, after hours faults, Live Linesman - working on High Voltage live) - work conditions and money was good

- 1987 barman (part-time) - crap money and work conditions in a night club environment

- Service Station attendant (part-time on weekends), …crap money, liked the customer service but all cash and assisted with paying down debt (house)

- 1998 Software development and support for Dial Before You Dig - inquiry processing and systems development, drawing management systems support & development, GIS systems development (asset mapping systems for gas & electric networks) Last 10 years, the money has been good as developed a unique and valued skill set.

- 2012 to current - Hobby farming (homesteading) - learning new skill sets in construction and “bush mechanics” - sheds, retaining walls, bridges, fencing, stock management, bee hives, plumbing, irrigation systems, pasture management, weed control….and back into spot lighting (rabbits, foxes and looking at starting deer including the home butchering or initial carve up for a butcher to finish the job)

  • 2021 ….Made redundant 3 months ago surviving ~6 restructures over the last 20 years and finish up at the end of this year (nice Christmas present!!!)….at 53 looking for the next opportunity and no idea what it will be :slight_smile: I figure I’ve still got another 15/20 years of productive work life left…at least.

I often tell my 18-year-old son who has no idea on what he wants to do….just pick something…anything and try and get the most out of it to develop both personally and professionally. No matter what you do….just do it well. It’s highly unlikely in today’s world you will be doing the same role in 10 or, 20 years, unlike the old days. Hopefully the following roles over the years you can leverage some or all of your skills to further develop your career. Treat people nicely and generally, you will get that back in return, move on if the workplace culture is crap, demeaning, un-supportive or lacks fulfilment/opportunities for where you want to go……life is too short. He has commented that both me and the wife (35 years career nurse) are in jobs that we hate but find myself clarifying that its not that we hate the job, its just letting off steam sometimes and no matter what job you have, your going to experience some crappy days or “periods” of time you need to work through.

The fieldwork and customer service roles definitely laid some good groundwork in my later roles with process improvement, customer service, software development and field data capture as I could really relate to what occurs in the “real world” including face to face conversations rather than someone with no field experience. Being in the utilities business has been really good and enabled me to develop in many areas and work with a wide range of people.

7

The good old Paper Route —- That job has taught more youth about all aspects of business—- Getting your product and putting it together for delivery — Loading that Big Ass basket with papers (had to stand mine against the wall and hope I didn’t fall over) Delivering in all kinds of weather —Then there was the collecting the money —I look back today those customers were God awful mean- make a 12 yr old come back several times to collect a couple bucks —- Just like Real Business

It’s crazy that in two opposite ends of the world —Our lives can be so much the same

8

I did the odd jobs as a kid-I didn’t get an allowance. If you wanted sething, you earned it through work…somwthing thats lost on some youth these days. I mowed lawns, washing cars, cleaning houses, house sitting, landscraping, selling plums from our fruit trees. I had a spell of major medical issues in 2004 to 2008, but before that I spent time as an electriaians apprentice, then after that as a landscape laborer (i have a lot of respect for those guys!). After barely surviving my medical issues and 3 1/2 years of rehab, I went to college and got a BS degree and AA. I didn’t get a job in that field, but spend 3 years in between odd jobs as an IT tech and a sales account manager for a specialized paddle sports retailer before landing a job in the medical administration field.

It’s a good job, but no retirement or benefits.

9

A vaccine ended my life and career. 15k per month in meds is keeping me in a near zombie like state. Hell of a life. Watch out for the vaccines they can kill or worse. There are things your body can do that are far worse then death.

10

I’m an maritime engineer now working in a powerplant as an engineer. Been there since 2016. Quit working on ships because it’s hard for a family man. I don’t complain. Salary is at least as good today and I get to go home every day.

11

I’m a technician at a large semiconductor fab in Oregon. Specifically, I work with high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition equipment used to deposit dielectric thin films on the wafers. Been here for eight years. Prior to this, I spent six years in the navy as a sonar technician.

12

Retired , now managing a 13 year old daughter.

13

But vaccines are safe and effective right ?? :zipper_mouth_face: What happened?

14

Sorry to hear that idahofarmer. :frowning:
If you don’t mind sharing, what did happen??

15

Well, lets see…
1973 - 1975 mowed yards as a young kid…
1975 - 1995 worked family farm (small) with Dad. Learned to rebuild engines, big and small, learned to weld various metals and machines, learned a lot about cattle, and crop production.
1983 - 1985 all electric grain bin troubleshooting and repair. Quit when I should have died… Ice, rain and 440 3 phase do not mix with humans. University
1986 - 1988 more University, worked for the mid-wests first Matsushita factory repair center component level VCR, TV and early video camera repair, component level RC craft repairs and sponsered racing.
1989 - 1990 Managed a PC repair shop and worked a repair desk. Side work on early computer networks.
1989 - 1995 worked weekends with a commercial ammo reloader, learned production level ammo loading, high and low volume casting and more customer service interactions.
1990 - present. Network Engineer at a major D1 University. Doing routers. switches, TDM DACS, Sonet, manage 280 network facilities, engineer and design power and HVAC for 7 large facilities and about 270 small network rooms.

I am 56 this fall and could have retired last year… I am really planning to next summer. I am not sure what the next chapter of my life will bring… I may return to work as a farm hand, I really miss the work and the people. I got my first computer in 1982 and have worked tech in some way since them and I am really approaching tech burn-out. But, a couple of standing offers on the edge of tech and power work are really calling to me as well. Many of my jobs have involved extensive and direct “customer” interaction, I really do like customer service.

16

I had the usual jobs as a kid, cutting grass etc., etc.
High school summer jobs I worked as construction labor.

Went to college & did several things during that time… all at night. Worked as a janitor for a couple years, a Bakery, Goodyear tire & Rubber.

Graduated & taught Jr. High School for 28 years.
During that time I did various different 2nd & summer jobs through those years.
Mechanic (mostly trucks & heavy equipment.), 18 Wheeler driver (tankers, flats, & boxes), labor building houses, remodeled a few places, sales (I sucked at that.), & managed a storage unit place my buddy owned.

About 10 years before retiring from teaching in 2005 I became a USCG Licensed Master & started running boats for pay in the summers. Then did that full time after I retired from teaching.
Slowed down about 4 years ago & just run boats occasionally now.

In other words… a Jack of many trades, but master of only a few. :wink: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :+1:

Sometimes lived the dream… a few times the nightmare. :white_check_mark::white_check_mark:

17

IT Systems Engineer for a large US ISP/Telecom. I manage provisioning automation systems that setup and teardown voice/data/video services for subscribers nationwide on a variety of hardware as well as wearing the Business Analyst hat assisting with projects and plumbing the depths of the database. Prior I managed provisioning fallout, supported installation, and for a brief stretch did helpdesk for customers.

I’ve been doing this work for 17 years now. I miss my prior career in manufacturing where I did mechanical/electrical design.

The work is stable, the pay is reasonable, but telecom is not an industry I’d recommend presently - slow growth, byzantine processes, and the increasing liabilities of legacy copper networks.

18

Supplier Accounting - Wine/Spirits Industry 20+ years

19

I can only imagine what Damage 440v can cause — I had a Miter Saw setup on a damp floor and cut the cord —somehow the ground fault never tripped —all I remember is seeing like sparks behind my eyes and there was chicken scratch marks in the saw dust on the floor where I was trying to get away from the saw — My helper said it was only a duration of a few seconds —Felt longer than that to me :person_facepalming:

20

I spent 5 years as a chemist until Clinton and the “Peace Dividends” put the company I worked for under with all the cancelled military contracts. Last 27 years as a Deputy sheriff but I’m retiring this week. No idea what the future really holds.