What do you do, and how did you end up there?

You people do awesome stuff. Period.

I graduated college with a music recording degree in December 2008. What happened in October 2008? Oh, right, some banks screwed the pooch big time.

So I couldn't find any work doing recording or live sound. I had been working in the tasting room at the local brewery on Saturdays through my last semester at college, mostly for free pints and a discount on cases, but the $30 I got a day helped pay for gas. Some Saturday in January, after I'd graduated, a guy that worked on the packaging line told me he was leaving. I walked up to the brewery manager and said "There's an opening. I'm mostly unemployed. You should hire me." So he did. The guy that left, he's the mandolin player in the band I am in now.

Was a packaging line grunt for about a year- terrible, incredibly physical work. Got promoted to filler operator, did that for a year, wanted to pull my hair out. Considered leaving (my best friend works at an A/V installation company in NJ, offered me double what I was making), but stayed because a brewing gig opened up and I got it, and that also came with a raise, too.

In 10 years, I'd like to either own my own brewpub or be touring full-time with the band. Neither of those things will happen, but I like to aim high.

You know when you open the box of tide detergent or a fedex envelope? You grab the tab and pull and a bit of polyester yarn bonded to the substrate with hot melt adhesive cleanly separates and opens the package. I design, build and maintain the machinery that makes just that strip of adhesive coated yarn. Similar products in the plywood industry and reinforcements for large cardboard crates and boxes make up the bulk of the products but the tear strip is the only one that anyone knows about.

ditchdigger wrote: You know when you open the box of tide detergent or a fedex envelope? You grab the tab and pull and a bit of polyester yarn bonded to the substrate with hot melt adhesive cleanly separates and opens the package. I design, build and maintain the machinery that makes just that strip of adhesive coated yarn. Similar products in the plywood industry and reinforcements for large cardboard crates and boxes make up the bulk of the products but the tear strip is the only one that anyone knows about.

As much as this might sound like BS... I totally dig that stuff. Seriously. I often marvel at how people do things like that, and I now know who makes it possible.

I went to college unsure of what I wanted to do for a living, but I was sure that I didn't want to work in an office. Got a degree in Psychology, and a second one in Criminal Justice. Started my MBA, but never finished.

Got a job Junior year at a small software company helping with renevations to the building / odd jobs. Next thing I knew I was installing networking cable, setting up networks at clients. Got laid off when the company was bought out. Ended up doing networking for a subcontractor to Bank of America. Hated working in an office setting, so I quit. Got a job as a contractor doing IT stuff for Bombardier capital. Again not happy but it paid the bills. When the contract was up I started a company with two of my friends from college designing websites for car dealers. Sold a few websites then started a used car lot of our own. I managed the car lot for 9 years until we bit off more then we could chew, and expanded to a larger lot (70 plus cars) right before the housing bubble burst. It was a cool job, I got to deal with people, play with cars, be my own boss, etc... When the economy tanked we got stuck with a big overhead and were not selling what we used to so it was time to find a new job. (That and my wife was pregnant with our daughter.)

I am now a Police Officer, I finally get to put my criminal justice degree to use. It is a great job, with good benefits, and I work 5 days at a time and then am off for 5 which leaves plenty of time for me to flip cars for extra money. (Sold almost 30 last year through a friends dealership).

On a side note my kids have two of those belly bank things. Glad that I can help a brother out :)

Wow, great responses. This has just done more to amaze me about this board.

I guess I'll go ahead and post my story: I'm a 22 year old about to graduate college. I was a caddy from age 13-22, nine summers. Been an ice hockey referee for the past 4 years, and plan to continue that well into the future. I really love it; it keeps me involved in the sport and they actually pay me to skate! Outside of that, I have zero formal work experience.
I went into college for Actuarial Science. Holy Cow did that get hard fast. I switched my major to Mathematics, and added on a Business Admin minor as well as an Economics minor. Now I am graduating in May and applying to jobs in many fields, really anywhere that might possibly be interested in me and not getting very far. I've got one that I'm really hoping will work out, but I'm not going to post about it until I find out yea or nay.

BTW, anyone anywhere in the midwest interested in a Math/Business/Econ guy?

Graduated college at the tender young age of 25 (I was not a well behaved teen...). My degree is in human biology/anthropology. I wanted to be a physical therapist, but even with a 3.4 GPA, I had no shot of getting into med school. So I got a job as a social worker. I helped mentally challenged adults find employment, and tought them job and social skills. That was phenomenally boring at times (imagine sitting at Wal-Mart just watching someone push carts in), so I started looking for a new job. Plus the pay was so bad, I had to take a night job at a car auction just to pay the rent. Since I had an obsession with cars, I always hoped to find something in the field. Came across an auto insurance company hiring claims adjusters. I applied, got hired, and have been in the industry for the past 15 years.

I'm currently a "consultant", but I've been an adjuster/appraiser, fraud investigator and manager.

Ironically enough, I met my wife due to the boredom at my social work job. My friend and I used to read the newpaper while sitting at Wal-Mart watching our clients. I was single then, and she would always tease me about the personal ads in the paper. She made me post a personal (this was before internet dating) in the paper. My wife was the first person to respond.

[Edited to reflect new job]

I'm a teacher.

I guess I've been pretty fortunate, in that I've pretty much "always" known what I wanted to do. I started out with the local county prosecutor's office (D.A. for you "Southern folk" ) when I was in high school. The funny thing is I would have never ended up there had me and my friends not thought the regional vocational ed coordinator was hot and said we were interested in an internship. I knew within a week (at 17 y.o.) that was what I wanted to do. Worked there through the rest of high school, college and law school. Got hired as an assistant prosecutor the same day I was sworn in as an attorney. I'll have 23 years in this August, split about evenly between support work and attorney work. I currently work in the family division, trying to short out stuff that would make Jerry Springer shake his head.

I have a big belly bank! Mine is a Giraffe and will soon be handed down from my daughter to my son. (Yes, we should buy a new one but she really wants to gift it to him)

I am a Marketing Manager. I started out in industrial video production. That means when you see a boring safety video or instructional video on how to use your pasta maker, I probably made it. Also did a bunch of fun stuff, like cover the One Lap a few times and hang out of airplanes.

Got tired of the long hours and unreliable paychecks, so moved to a valve company. (They made pinch valves, duh). Did all of their marketing, advertising and trade shows. Ended up as a Regional Sales Manager

Then I moved to Industrial Robotic Floor Cleaners to return to marketing.

And now I am in the material handling and logistics market, working for a manufacturer of automated storage and retrieval equipment. (Vertical Carousels and Vertical Lift Modules)

I also worked part time as contract sniper, male model, bikini waxer and Playboy photographer.

I'm 39 and a Curriculum Developer for a major U.S. automaker. Here's my story:
Loved cars since I could hold a wrench. I watched my dad maintain our cars as I grew up and was simply amazed that he actually knew what all those things under the hood were, I wanted to be like dad. I caddied for 5 years (that money bought my first car, a Caddy), then in my senior year of high school I got a job repairing speakers, re-coning them for those that know. Loved it but hated the boss-man. So after a few years I found a job in a quick-lube place. I worked my way up to manager before leaving to work at a dealership.
I forgot to mention, I did go to vocational school in high-school, scoring a 4.0 GPA and earning national honors....then I was in a terrible car wreck. Brain-damage took most of what I learned in high school from me. So the job at the dealership ended up being my real schooling.
I hated working flat-rate and dealing with the dealer politics so I got a job as a Technical Writer for Ford. Digged it but was working waaay too much. The last 10 months I was there we were on a mandatory/minimum 70 hours a week. With a new-born baby I didn't want to be the dad in Cats In the Cradle so I got a job teaching automotive tech at a high school. That's my all-time favorite job, evar!
That didn't last (sorry folks, I'm making this a short as I can while still making some sense) and my next job, still in the auto industry was a technical trainer for a major sunroof manufacturer. I'd teach people how to install and maintain sunroofs and fuel-fired heaters (trucks, boats, trains, off-highway etc.). They screwe...laid me off and I'm now developing the training courses for dealership mechanics for Chrysler. I enjoy it and hope I can continue doing this for a long time.
I've learned to follow your dreams because if you're always doing that, you'll always be having fun. Even the jobs I didn't like were instrumental in shaping who I am, as well as my work ethic.

I am the leader of the monsters who lived in Michael Binkley's closet of anxieties. At night I make Binkley's nightmares, including such diverse characters as Jesse Helms and Milton Friedman, come alive.

I was on Wall Street for 25 years, 23 as a bond trader / coordinator. Volunteered to be laid off last December. I am now writing my own fixed income strategy pubclication. I also run an orphange for Iacocca-era Dodge's

I'm 30yo and working as an Avionics Technician. Blame it on the ASVAB. :)

But I've gotta say I couldn't imagine doing anything else and enjoying it this much (well, unless Flying Miata is hiring again). Currently working for Boeing on a C-17 contract in Hungary.

Still going through college though (never did get a degree...) we'll hope Electrical Engineering will offer some new opportunities.

DrBoost wrote: I'm 39 and a Curriculum Developer for a major U.S. automaker... developing the training courses for dealership mechanics for Chrysler. I enjoy it and hope I can continue doing this for a long time.

A friend of my dad's has been a mechanic instructor for Chrysler for years - I bet he teaches from your course materials.

Avionics System Engineer-- Started with an Aerospace Engineering degree, worked on Flight Management Computers at Boeing for 13 yrs. Left to work for Learjet for 5 years where I became an avionics/electrical sparky guy, and now work for a large midwestern manufacturer of avionics systems. For the last six years spent time working on the cockpit and avionics system of a $50+ million business jet.

It's a lock like putting designing, building and assembling a model railroad or slot car set, except there's a whole lot of software and documentation involved too. Have learned that software is evil-- do it in wiring if you can.

Or, in other words, when Hungary Bill says "WFT were they thinking!?!" I could probably tell him, and the most likely answer was "It seemed like a good idea at the time..."

Went to University to become a lawyer so I took english lit and Spanish. That led to becomng anelectrical engineer which in turn let to oil exploration in Nigeria. This led to owning/running a brewery in Canaa. That was a path to robotic testing in the automotive industry which of course led to a career in cardiac research equipmnet design. That has led to MEMS design and manufacture.

Funny how that happened.

nderwater wrote:

DrBoost wrote: I'm 39 and a Curriculum Developer for a major U.S. automaker... developing the training courses for dealership mechanics for Chrysler. I enjoy it and hope I can continue doing this for a long time.

A friend of my dad's has been a mechanic instructor for Chrysler for years - I bet he teaches from your course materials.

Yup. If he complains about any of it, I'd be willing to bet it's the stuff the engineers make us put in there. I can't tell you how many times I've argued with engineers that there's no need for a mechanic to understand the metallurgy of the door hinge. He's just gonna replace it.
Which center does he teach out of?

Today, March 2, 2012, marks my 20th anniversary of me working at the OEM that starts with F.

Went to school liking cars, and being interested in them. Started on a EE degree, but didn't like the first real EE class, so changed to ME. Becoming more interested in cars, I realized that no OEM's were coming to Moscow to recruit anyone, so I decided to go get a masters at a school that they did. That brought me to Michigan. After the MS, I got the job here at F.

For 18 years now, have been part of more advanced and reseach work, although I managed to do 2 production programs past job 1- the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, and the EcoBoost powered SHO, Flex, MKS, and MKT. I do basically calibration work (which is putting the numbers into the program that runs the car), and I mostly work on gas emissions. While most calibrators like the idea of driving and playing with numbers over lab work, I'm lucky that I really enjoy the lab work. (and HiTemp- TOTALLY recognize the HIGH need for engineers who specialize in measurements and instrumentation)

Fun work. And I very much enjoy getting data that I totally don't expect- which is happening now.

curtis73 wrote: In between those, I've been a general contractor, a voice-over actor, a film actor, and generally anything that paid the bills. General links to some of my stuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kXA6cdfkcc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VdSmfBufRA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SoYcoVD6NM http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2208525/

Just in case y'all glossed over this, I'm bringing it up to the top. Curtis just gets better and better .

I'm only young, but here's my story so far...I went to University to be a Surveyor. Studied that for 2 years, worked in the field for about 6 months, and didn't much care for it. Went to work in a bicycle shop instead, as a retail lackey and occasional wrench. It's only a base hourly wage, but the work is enjoyable enough. Shortly afterwards, I was back to studying. This time, to be a Marine Scientist (with a degree in Coastal Zone Management). I'm about 2/3 the way through, and thoroughly enjoying it. Also still working in a bike shop.

When I was a kid, I wanted nothing more than to be a car designer. However, once I realised the chances of penning the next Miura or E-type in this day and age were slim to none, that idea faded fast.

alfadriver wrote: After the MS, I got the job here at F.

YOU work for Ferrari!?!?!? All this time I thought it was the gub'ment.
Oh, congrats on the 20! Major milestone and a major accomplishment staying with Ferrari after Ford bought them out

In reply to DrBoost:

Thanks. I doubt anyone here will take notice.

BTW, you joke about Ferrari- a friend of mine in the Alfa club DID go on to work for both Fiat and it's subsidiary, Ferrari. Helps that he was fluent in Italian... Not sure what school he went to.

Let's see I was a ski bum in Utah after burning out freshman year at TCU. Took a job as a truck driver which got old fast and led me to quit and go rock climbing for a few years. Went back to college. Went into the "management trainee" (aka indentured servitude) program for a plumbing wholesaler. I was hired away from there and managed a regional distribution center. Then one day I saw an ad in the paper for the police academy. I applied, got the job, worked about a million different assignments, and I am now a Detective. I look forward to going into work every day, and though some dont believe me, I actually enjoy what I do and cant imagine doing anything else.

I'm a restoration mechanic. We specialise in 1930's luxury cars but we will handle just about anything.

I started out as an apprentice aircraft mechanic fresh out of highschool. Wrenched on aircraft for 8 year and ended up a AME. Got tired of the B.S. involved and quit.

Next, I worked in a power tool repair shop for 5 years, ended up running the place by the end. The guy who hired me there was a great boss, we got along very well. He's a hotrodder too.

After that, I worked for another tool company, the kind that copies good tools in China and sells them here for less than half the price of the real thing. I was their R&D, quality control guy. When you bithc about your cheap China tools, that's my work you're hating.

After a year at that place, I get a phone call from my old boss at the first tool store.

He wanted me to come work with him in a restoration shop. I dropped the tool business like a hot rock and went back to working with him.

Now I wrench on Packards, Duesenbergs and Lincolns all day. There's a healthy dose of 50's cars and hotrods in the mix too.

Today I'll be machining new door dovetails for a 1930 Duesenberg Lagrande dual-cowl phaeton.

I don't really -work- anymore. MY buddy once told me that he will kick me in the balls if I complain about my job.

Shawn

Fun topic. My roughly chronological resume:

short order cook, youth counselor, newspaper reporter, high school English teacher, carpenter, architectural draftsman, construction project manager, production manager, COO, mortgage broker, banking CLO, and for the past 10 years executive sales.

The first three were full time while I paid my own way through college and grad school.

Not sure what I want to do next...