OT What Job do you do?

[Lanzfeld 1]

Started to fly when I was 18 and have never stopped. Getting close to 40 now. Airline pilot (757/767) for major US carrier. You will find me stopping over mostly in Vegas, L.A., Florida, and London.

[BirdDogICT 3]

I"m surprised at the number of smoke-eaters and roadside brain surgeons there are here. I figured I'd be the only one to own up to those jobs.

 

Good points: it's the next best thing to combat.

Bad points: it's the next best thing to combat.

 

So, wipe the blood and soot off your faces and have a drink with me

 

Bullethead,

 

Plenty of us out here. I started college on a voice scholarship, found that singers are a dime a dozen, so started working as an aide in surgery, then stumbled into respiratory therapy and spent the next 10 years flying with an air ambulance service, working with traumas, premies, and high risk moms. During that time, I earned an MA in Psychology and spent the next 20 years doing business research and strategic planning, mostly in healthcare. Also taught health administration and business courses at local universites and ran my own full service marketing research company. Was laid off several times the past few years due to Medicare cutbacks and hospital mergers, so am back working as a clinician again. Wondering what I want to do next. Nothing like rescuscitating people for a living, but don't want to be doing it when I'm 70.

 

BTW, I lived in Slidell in 1964 when my dad worked at the Michoud plant. Got a pretty good idea of the kind of landscape where you live...

 

Cheers

Edited November 2, 2009 by BirdDogICT

[Capt. Winters 0]

Hi Guys,

 

I left school at 16 to take up a sign writing apprentiship, which I finished, but did not really enjoy.

 

I really wanted to be a soldier like my old man (career soldier) so I then joined the Australian army, was medically discharged 9 months later after a small accident on an assult course.

 

from there I went to work for a mining company assisting exploration geologists. gradually I worked my way into exploration drilling then underground mining, after 10 years of this I went back to university to study geology. once completed I went back underground as a mine geologist, now 10 years later I am the Chief Geologist for a mid level mining company working on a fly in fly out roster from northern China to Austraila looking after an underground zinc mine.

 

apart from work along the way I got married (21 years this year) and have 4 great kids.

 

I have a interest in all things military which lead to me collecting militaria from WWI & WWII to the point were I have my own mini museum at home (much to my wifes discust)

 

regards Rob.

[Makai 1]

Hello Rob good to hear from you.

What an interesting and diverse group we have here.

I always had a strong magnetic pull to the sea and started my seagoing career in the US Coast Guard on a 180ft cutter in Alaska where I quickly learned a healthy respect for the merciless power of the sea and a very strong appreciation for a stout ship. After nearly 5 years on ships in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean I got out and like most young chaps just out of the service was pretty much pennyless with all kinds of great plans for higher education in marine science or some other kind of ocean related career. I still had not learned my lesson after 5 years of sea time. I ended up working in a brick factory for several months to make enough to pay for tuition, books and equipment to attend a Deep Sea Diving school. I was living a pretty Spartan existance but made it through and after I graduated was doing commercial diving jobs and going to college at night.

After about a year of diving in cold no visibility water a trip to Hawaii found me driving around Oahu when I spotted a submersible in a shop on the pier where I work now. Submersibles were always the object of my greatest fascination (besides WWI aviation history). I went in to check it out and walked out with a new job. I worked with that operation for 3 years starting in 1976 and started piloting in 1978. They shut down the operation in 1979 and I went back to commercial diving work and worked on such projects as the underwater sequences of the James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only" where I was managing construction on an underwater set (Greek Temple) off of South New Providence Island in the Bahamas where I did stunt doubling, sub piloting, and Tiger Shark wrangling.

I also worked on the movie "The Abyss" where I was a rigger, safety diver, and stunt double. (no sharks on that one)

I started as operations director and chief pilot with the Hawaii Undersea Research Lab and NOAA in 1981 and have been piloting submersibles for research and exploration ever since.

Now you know way more about me than you ever wanted to.

[JimAttrill 24]

Not very exciting, but I have had a few different jobs. After being expelled from Grammar School (a sort-of high-end Government School) for non-attendance, I got an apprenticesship at a firm making lorry bodies. After about 18 months of this, I and a friend decided to get away from Southend Essex by joining the RAF. (Joining the forces was about the only legal way out of an apprenticesship apart from suicide). So I did a 2 year apprenticeship as an aircraft engine fitter, and stayed in the RAF until 1973 when boredom with England had me 'buy myself out' for £200 and I went to Saudi to make some cash. After a holiday in South Africa I left that lot and came here where the weather is better. After a month on Beechcraft I went back to school and then university, ending up with a BA hons in Linguistics. As I was a useless teacher I then decided to become a computer programmer, the refuge of many people with rather strange qualifications. After 24 years as a systems programmer/DBA I was retrenched. As a 57-year old 'pale male' there were no jobs around. I worked as a Land Rover mechanic for 3 years for a ludicrous salary, something like £20/day. And then I was offered a job at five times the pay doing Excel stuff as a remuneration analyst. As I knew nothing about stats or Excel I had a trying time of it for a while. Now it's getting boring .....

 

My first love is still aeroplanes

[Mr_Dirt 1]

First worked as a welder, then a rock Quarry worker, then a machine tool worker, then a factory repairman, then a farmhand, as a farmhand I tried to let a tractor tear my left arm off that finished that job. Went back to school at the age of 42 and became a Pharmacist. Was originally trained out of High School as an automobile mech.

[Dej 17]

My wife of 31 years and I have 2 daughters, 2 sons, 1 granddaughter, and 3 grandsons

She's a Breast Cancer Survivor, and I have early onset Macular Degeneration (my older brother went blind by the time he was 58)

 

My work history is:

 

University of Connecticut - Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering (Dual Degree Program)

 

US Army - Ordnance Corps - Ammunition Logistics - Conventional and Special Weapons

 

University of Connecticut - Masters in Metallurgy

 

Amphenol Bendix - Electrical Connectors - Senior Metallurgist

 

Rogers Corp. - Engineered Materials - Researcher, Project Manager, Process Area Leader, Technical Sales and Marketing

 

Mound Flexible Circuits - VP of Operations and Technology

 

Bourton Group - Manufacturing Consultant to Lucas Varity, Arvin Meritor, Gecom, Ingersoll Rand - Hussmann, Caterpillar, and DME

 

Dayton Superior Corp. - Concrete Construction Accessories and Chemicals - Value Engineering Manager, Plant Manager, Senior Development Engineer, Corp. Metallurgist, Project Manager

 

and then there's...

 

Book Collector (>4500), Cyclist (Motobecane Le Champion), Watercolor Artist, Glacier Mountaineer, Aviator (Luscombe Seaplane), Computer Programmer, Simulation Modder (Panzer Elite, Fighter Squadron - WWI, Steel Beasts Pro PE, T34 vs Tiger, CFS3, IL2), Photographer, Chef, Poet, Singer, Musician, Author, Teacher, Cross Country Skier, Marksman (Gold Schutzenschnur), Orienteering Competitor, Grant Nature Center Naturalist, Motivational Speaker, World Traveler (48 States + 15 countries) and of course State Certified Landfill Operator (CT)

 

Cripes!

[Dej 17]

My job now is taking care of my wife who is a quadriplegic and our three year old son who worships the ground I walk on (for now anyway). Four years ago, I was pretty much forced to quit my regular job when the Missus’ health took a bad turn and the “powers that be” told me that I could put her in a nursing home at 35, hire a full time nurse for her while I worked, or quit work and take care of her myself. They didn’t leave me much choice so, since then we’ve lived off of her disability, my music, and the occasional uncontested divorce that we can do for folks who can’t afford a lawyer and want a “do it yourself kit”! I also build and repair computers.

 

In a nutshell, I’ve got a good woman who loves me, two healthy kids, plenty of good friends (real and virtual) and enough to live off of comfortably, although spartan. Life is good! It’ll be even better when the add on pack comes out!

 

Hadn't commented. Just so as you know why, CJ... too humbled.

[FastCargo 412]

Lawn worker.

Busboy.

Pizza Delivery Dude.

College Student.

USAF Pilot for 19+ years - Qualified in B-1B and T-38 (Post Pilot Training) - Currently a T-38C Instructor Pilot.

Airline Pilot for 8+ years - Qualified in DC-10 and A300/A310 - Currently an A300/A310 First Officer.

 

Except for the high school jobs...doing what I expected I was going to do the first time I ever thought what I was going to be when I grew up.

 

And in the process, never grew up.

 

FC

Edited November 5, 2009 by FastCargo

[VonGuber 2]

My first job was as a caddy.

Next worked as a short-order cook.

Then I joined the US army and jumped out of airplanes for a few years. I gave that up when they made me transfer to field artillery.

After that got a job in the defense industry, didn't like it so started a one-man graphic arts company.

I did a short stint as a silversmith...found out that the Southwest US doesn't need another white guy making tourist jewelry.

Did some hand engraving professionally for a bit...still dabble in it.

Now, I operate a small specialty contracting company, and cut custom gemstones as time allows.

Any "spare time" I can find is given to some non-profits I work with.

 

It's quite a diverse and talented group we have here....