What do you do for a living

I am pro union. Have worked both. I am close to retiring with a good pension and benefits for me and wife for life. Are their corrupt union officials, yes. But I will take my union any day over non union. But that's just me.

 

Mechanical engineer by degree and designed construction equipment for a few years before someone thought I needed to manage other engineers... Not sure whether that meant that I was good at designing stuff or whether I was bad... Anyway, may be changing again soon to manage our product proving department which would be all our prototype build guys as well as test field guys. Interviewed last week, so we will see.

 

Recently retired after 43 years as a union bricklayer and plaster.Served my apprenticeship under two W W 2 vets who expected nothing but the best Thanks to these men I was able to provide for my family and retire.Thanks to those men I learned a trade and the the freedom we all have

 

Retired two years ago. My career including several years as a heavy equipment mechanic but the majority was spent as a fabricator. Took much pride in my work. My last 30 years of employment was with the same company. The last 15 years were spent as a manager there operating a large machinery assembly department. I don't miss the work but I do miss the people.

 

When asked in person I usually stay vague and say either utility worker or in communications. Avoids having to hear complaints or horror stories in relation to any and all utility/comms companies or getting asked billing questions. Started with copper based tip and ring cable pairs and moved on to melting glass together in fiber optics. Technically have 7 more years to go but could probably go in another 5 if it came down to it. Not that I want to wish my life away or start another job somewhere else at 52 but I'm really looking to walk away from the field entirely. 7 years cant go by fast enough. Right now I've got too much time in to be able to leave the pay and benefits behind. Had only planned on staying long enough to decide what I wanted to do when I grew up. Not sure I grew up but I did get old and still don't know what I want to do.

 

Don’t grow up….there’s no future in it..

 

so if you dont want to say what your job is tell them "Im a human cannon ball but i also dabble in politics and criminal law"
Ive used that and leaves people speachless

 

I've gotten into this discussion with several friends of mine I keep in touch with, some who are doing essentially the same job now in their mid 30s as they were in their late teens and early 20s, regardless of what "education" they've achieved since then. The most common thing I hear is that people want to love their job, and they want to do something they love for a living. That usually entails some sort of recreational activity, whether it be music, drinking, weed, cars, bikes, etc... I think that's bullshit to a degree. I'm a firm believer that you have to take care of yourself and your family first. That means having a job that pays you well enough to have an acceptable lifestyle and not be paycheck-to-paycheck doing it. I don't love going to work. Nobody does. We'd all rather be somewhere else. But what would be worse would be being broke, struggling in life, getting into fights with my wife about bills, having to tell my daughter she has to pay for her own college, etc. I'm not saying work should suck, but loving what you do shouldn't be the top priority.

People enjoy jobs they're good at even if it's in a field outside of their areas of interest. People like to be an expert, and if you become an expert, then naturally you'll enjoy the accolades and the respect you garner from your peers for being an authority in that field. That makes a job at least tolerable, if not enjoyable. I think you have to think about what you're innately good at. People are wired differently, and some folks have a natural proclivity towards certain things and struggle with others. You have to embrace your strengths, and delegate your weaknesses.

I'll use myself as an example. When I was growing up, loving cars, I wanted to be an engineer. My dream job was to work for GM or Ford or some aftermarket company, doing R&D. I was an excellent student in high school, worked hard, and had a solid GPA with mostly advanced placement courses. I breezed through English, and made it through Calculus with a good grade, albeit with a ton of extra work and a tutor on the side. I had acceptance letters from most of the colleges I applied to and chose the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Delaware. College math was a totally different game, and even studying my ass off, I barely got through Calc and Statics. When I hit Dynamics, I was totally lost. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't really grasp the concepts. I just wasn't good at it. What I was good at, though, was reading, comprehension, public speaking, and more abstract concepts that allowed for creativity and interpretation. After some real soul-searching, I dropped engineering and went pre-law. I graduated from college, then law school, crushed 2 bar exams on my first attempt and became a partner within 5 years of practicing. I recently won a case in the New Jersey Supreme Court, and will be eligible to be certified as a Civil Trial Lawyer this year. I'd have never accomplished what I have to date if I continued to try to bang a square peg into a round hole and kept pressing forward.

 

Retired Fire Captain of 28 years, my retirement gift to me was this sweet 50’ Merc. I’ve had my share of muscle cars, street rods, and classics over the years, but nothing quite tops this baby

 

Nice car brother

 

Retired last Wednesday. From now on it's old cars and Rupp minibikes.

 

I worked as a commercial refrigeration tech for 5 years before taking a job in sales/tech support for refrigeration parts. I get my hands on fix by working on cars now. Only 40 years or so until retirement.

 

Cowpuncher with a couple of side hustles sounds like a great way to fill in a week- Got milk?

 

You post any on the mini bike thread? Got my lil Indian on there.... Some cool stuff on that thread.

 

Licensed automotive tech red seal
Licensed forklift tech
Licensed Harvey equipment tech
Diesel endorsement
Air brake endorsement
Propane endorsement
Licensed A/C tech
Emission test and repair
Jaguar master tech
Mazda master tech
Toyota master tech
Had a bunch of ASE’s as well but let those lapse .

been spinning wrenches as a job since I was 17 but essentially my entire life.

I absolutely love what I do , but if I had to do it again I wouldn’t.
Politician sounds good, do absolutely fuck all and retire at 50 !!


I’m 42 and my body is already paying the tool of this trade, but I really do enjoy waking up snd going to work everyday, it’s a new adventure daily !

 

Not even an oil change technician? Pffft... new guys

 

Make lots of chips.....
Metal ones that is.....

 

You must be a fellow Machinists. We are the only ones in skilled trades that use that phrase.

 

My mother always complained about chips in my dads pants cuffs..

 

61, retired after 37 years as an environmental geologist.

 

Cool!!! And...great avatar!

 

Yes sir!.... I've been in prototype for the last 26 years...

 

I have been turning out chips as machinist for a long time. Manual machinist. Never did run any CNc stuff.

 

Turning chips 1982-90.......Bandsaw blades.

 

I’m a journeyman lineman and have been for last 10 years

 

I'm a teacher and administrator at a K-12 private school. I am over student activities and events, and teach a Biblical Worldview class. Graduating in May with my masters from Southwestern Seminary.

 

Deadbeat

 

Since retiring from my dealership partsman job I've become a professional
thorn-in-the-side. Like to think I'm pretty good at it.

 

Hey Im a retired coal miner myself. worked in the shop. when I started we were running 170 ton haul trucks, then 240 ton last trucks where 360 ton. Was always proud of what I did at the mine always liked working on that big equipment. If you didnt know where the pit was 40 years ago you wouldnt know it was a hole 200 feet deep. The pit walked about 5 miles in those 40 years.

 

I will elaborate a little make a comparison how it is now and how it was when I worked at a coal mine. Then walked under the trucks, spent a lot of time on a ladder or a man lift. 16 cyl cummins or detroit 2500 horse engine. Now got to put my A on jack stands and lay on the floor. if I eat another 1/2 of a Wheaties cube for breakfast I jack it up enough to use a creeper. Flathead V8 just a little less hp. Its all good.