What do you do for a job?

I work for a Norwegian company that makes automotive accessory heating and charging solutions. In Europe, we're also heavily involved in EV charging systems, security & tracking and industrial lighting.

Just started a job as a teller in a credit union.  It's better than slinging pizza dough/sauce but it's a learning cliff, not a curve.

Work at an 8 bay Nissan dealership for 13 years now. They won't fire me because they can't replace me. I want to leave but the money won't be as good anywhere else. I don't recommend it.

I'm a drafter for a company that's one of the many cogs/contractors that goes into commercial construction. It's a little disorienting realizing how many hands the buck passes through.

In reply to stroker :

but hey, you're closed for every holiday. 

j_tso said:

In reply to stroker :

but hey, you're closed for every holiday. 

True, dat, but more importantly I have health insurance for the first time in four years...

Batter up.....so I've been in the engineering/drafting/3D computer design world since 1973. This journey spans the gamut of the early stages of plastic scale models....manual hand drafting...to the current age of various computer aided 3D design software (some way better than others). I've been blessed with the opportunities to be on the design end of some of the more involved facilities on this planet that provide the 'joy juice' that we all here on this forum find so necessary to participate/survive with on a daily basis. Currently thou I'm(involved) following a trend here in the SE USA of major  Pulp&Paper mills transitioning from white slick paper to 'craft liner board' short for cardboard boxes for guess who? For a high school graduate this has truly been a journey with many blessings and moments of 'whoa, now what!?!?!?!!!', the long hours thou have tendency to curtail the much preferential 'wrench twisting/grosh building....wink' peace out y'all.....oh and there is some cat herdin' goin on ,but way more trash pandas that I care to admit.   late 

Automobile mechanic since 1980.  Shop owner since 1987.  Technician since they invented the term, I guess, although I really prefer being a good old mechanic.  

I just realized I'm coming up to 40 years of working on fuel injected gasoline cars.  There is something that has come a long way.  I'm kinda the go-to guy for Volvo D-jetronic around here.

A lot of cool jobs in here. Well, except for the data processing cloud based consultant project managers. 

I started several decades ago as an analog design engineer, moved to digital design, moved to software, started a couple of companies, worked for a couple of big tech companies as a systems engineer/big systems architect, and finished it out this summer while working as a cybersecurity specialist - after I became eligible for socialized healthcare for old people.  Been traveling and generally screwing off since May and starting to feel guilty that I'm going to let my certifications/tech expertise go stale if I don't update LinkedIn to see if there's contract or part time work in cyber.  Or I could just keep playing...

I fix and modify machinery. Usually it has wheels, but there are musical instrument repairs, and automated production set ups in the resume. Former sports car repair shop owner that I gave up because managing people and herding cats are too similar in their success. Also part time do anything necessary at a local machine shop. No plans or finances for retirement and will (surprise!) have a 70th birthday in a few months. Life is a hoot.

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

I applied to veterinary school so that my dad would quit bugging me about it. I figured I'd get turned down, and then do what I really wanted to do, go teach. Probably history.

I work on cats and dogs now.

When I was going through college vet school was a lot harder to get into than med school.  Becuase SC doesn't have a vet school, we could only send 2 student to Ga Vet shool.  I know some guys went to Tuskeegee first  and then transferred to Auburn.  

spitfirebill said:

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

I applied to veterinary school so that my dad would quit bugging me about it. I figured I'd get turned down, and then do what I really wanted to do, go teach. Probably history.

I work on cats and dogs now.

When I was going through college vet school was a lot harder to get into than med school.  Becuase SC doesn't have a vet school, we could only send 2 student to Ga Vet shool.  I know some guys went to Tuskeegee first  and then transferred to Auburn.  

Aren't there the same amount of vet schools today as there were about 50 years ago?

In reply to mtn :

Don't think so.  The vet school at NC State is only about 40 years ago.  In the 70s I was dating a woman from NC who went to vet school at Ohio State. Since NC didn't have one at the time, her tuition was subsidized to some extent by NC.  A former dorm mate from NC was also at Ohio State vet school at the time.

But fortunately for practicing veterenarians  the number of vet schools hasn't increased nearly as dramatically as the number of pharmacy schools.  There was 1 pharamacy school in NC when I graduated, now there are at least 4.  That's made it hard for new pharmacists to get jobs and tough for old pharmacists to keep jobs.

Fascinating thread...fun. 
In 1982, I dropped out of NC State as an engineering student to play music. After a few years, my ship wasn't coming in...I met a guy starting a guitar manufacturing company in 1985 which gave me some semblance of stability while  keeping a toe in the music world. It's been a pretty wonderful adventure.  I've lost track of how many roles I've had. This has been an unexpected life so far. 

M2Pilot said:

In reply to mtn :

Don't think so.  The vet school at NC State is only about 40 years ago.  In the 70s I was dating a woman from NC who went to vet school at Ohio State. Since NC didn't have one at the time, her tuition was subsidized to some extent by NC.  A former dorm mate from NC was also at Ohio State vet school at the time.

 

But fortunately for practicing veterenarians  the number of vet schools hasn't increased nearly as dramatically as the number of pharmacy schools.  There was 1 pharamacy school in NC when I graduated, now there are at least 4.  That's made it hard for new pharmacists to get jobs and tough for old pharmacists to keep jobs.

I have to wonder if pharmacist isn't one of the most stressful jobs out there. Whenever I visit one it looks like misery. 

hybridmomentspass said:

It's likely been discussed before, but curious what you all do for work.

Im a high school history teacher, American History is my thing, but they've got me doing some Civics/Gov classes this year. 

I tell stories for a living and love it. To have some kids decide they want to go into history or teaching because of the impact youve made - yeah, totally worth it. Im at a great school in the Triad of North Carolina and super happy. On my seventh year (plus one for student teaching) and have no desire to change.

I went to school to do this because my history teachers were SOOO bad. I hated doing it though, so I became a sign painter, then installer, then production manager and then operations manager. Since the economy dive I have run service centers for Semis, and run a district now encompassing NY, NJ, PA and part of OH

spitfirebill said:

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

I applied to veterinary school so that my dad would quit bugging me about it. I figured I'd get turned down, and then do what I really wanted to do, go teach. Probably history.

I work on cats and dogs now.

When I was going through college vet school was a lot harder to get into than med school.  Becuase SC doesn't have a vet school, we could only send 2 student to Ga Vet shool.  I know some guys went to Tuskeegee first  and then transferred to Auburn.  

Is that why most vets nowadays are shiny happy people? (not saying you are floating doc, just my tiny window of the world around where I live)

OHSCrifle said:

M2Pilot said:

In reply to mtn :

Don't think so.  The vet school at NC State is only about 40 years ago.  In the 70s I was dating a woman from NC who went to vet school at Ohio State. Since NC didn't have one at the time, her tuition was subsidized to some extent by NC.  A former dorm mate from NC was also at Ohio State vet school at the time.

 

But fortunately for practicing veterenarians  the number of vet schools hasn't increased nearly as dramatically as the number of pharmacy schools.  There was 1 pharamacy school in NC when I graduated, now there are at least 4.  That's made it hard for new pharmacists to get jobs and tough for old pharmacists to keep jobs.

I have to wonder if pharmacist isn't one of the most stressful jobs out there. Whenever I visit one it looks like misery. 

It was certainly stressful when I retired.  It's gotten even worse according to folk I used to work with. 

Was an architectural visualization artist for a facilities tream for the government (SSA), which transitioned into managing the Agency AutoCAD contract, and then the engineering laptop contracts then the facilities management software contract. As an end user of those hardware and software paltforms and the large format plotters, I got poached by another division to manage the contract for our plotters, too, and was then asked to manage the Agency copier/printer/scdanner contracts, and now the printer/copier fleet management software contract and deployment. So from being paid to make pretty 3D architectural pictures and animations 20 years ago, I'm now a level II COR, managing government contracts. Thinking of switching to the private sector as a government contacting consultant.

Still make pretty pictures on the side:

In reply to Chris_V :

What's your rendering software lately?

The latest version of what I started with in '92: NewTek's Lightwave 3D. With 3D Studio Max thrown in for conversions and Revit/AutoCAD for construction. My license for SketchUp has expired, however and I need to get that renewed.

I am either your best friend or worst enemy. I work the counter at Napa full time and I either have the part you need today and am your best buddy ever for saving the day and getting a Christmas card...

or I am a shiny happy person because the part you need has been obsolete for over a decade and no longer available OR the price on the part is 'too high'.

There really isn't an in between. It does make me fearful to be on the road when I see first hand what kind of people are fixing their own stuff to save a few dollars or how cheap the general public can be, I have been asked if we have used brake pads in stock, for vehicles less than 5 years old...

I also get paid very well for an hours worth of work and playing music for upwards of 8hrs (plus travel time) 

In reply to DjGreggieP :

Are you at a corporate or franchise store?

 I'm an electrical manager for a large general contractor. Basically I'm the guy that talks electrical to our subcontractors and consultants then translates that into general contractor speak. Most of my days are spent trying to get multiple subtrades out of the way of other subtrades to make the project move as quickly and efficiently as possible. Anyone who works in construction is rolling on the floor laughing at that last bit.

 I used to work for a large electrical engineering consulting firm. Working for the GC is more fun and I actually get to see things being built although I don't get to do any of the hands on work.

In reply to iansane :

Franchise I guess, privately owned. Boss is a blast to work for!