What do you all do for a living?....

[Kazza]

I'm really curious about my fellow forum members.


What do you do for a living?


I am a construction estimator - nothing exciting there. I've been doing it for 12 years. I basically just measure walls, ceilings, cladding etc for commercial buildings.

Tell me what you do and for how long you've been doing it.

 

[zmeiaspas]

I'm a software engineer/developer and I've been doing it since last June I really wanna go to an art school next (Vancouver Film School: Production, Animation, Game Design, Acting and more) but that's not happening any time soon ... savings and getting ready to hit the track just don't mix very well.

 

[Chillin]

Pilot here...it may sound exciting but after awhile it's like anything else, just can't wait to get home(and for warmer weather) to get on the bike and forget about work!

PS. If you have ever wondered where the biggest group of whiny girlymen was, I think I may have found the answer in my profession:BLAA:

 

[Norbert]

Hmmm... let see, I get into work at 9 or 10am. Depends on how much sleep I needed. I check the front of the office to see if they're any donuts and if so, if any are chocolate. If there are no chocolate donuts, I look for ones with sprinkles. Then I go back to my desk and grab a big mug I use for tea. I walk to the restroom and clean the mug out and maybe stop by a few offices of some people I know who also ride to work. Maybe we chat about bikes for a bit or, if they are not in, I just go back to my desk. I then turn on my electric kettle for my tea. Before I sit down, I take my shoes off. I just feel more comfortable without my shoes. I then turn on my dual LCD monitors and browse my RSS feeds for a while. I currently am into slickdeals.net. I also have a few things on craigslist I am watching out for. I read a few technology-related articles, mostly about products I will never buy. I usually listen to streaming radio with my headphones on. I think my coworkers say good morning to me, I don't know. I like using pandora radio or "somaFM Indie pop rocks" to find new music. Around that time, I get the hot water from my kettle and make my tea. I sit back down and enjoy my donut(s). Then, I read a few articles from the washingtonpost.com website and I leave angry comments about local politicians. Mostly about how they are stealing money from honest, hard working people such as myself. I am sure to use an account from bugmenot.com. So I am a new "troll" every day or so. Next, I check my email. I usually get a few nice youtube vids from some friends to go through. When I'm done catching up on the latest youtube vids, I start going through the forums I am a member of. These forums usually lead to even more youtube vids. Around 10:30am we have a morning status meeting. I don't pay attention. Instead, I think of something good to say for when it's my turn. I am pretty good at this. When the meeting is over, I chat on Google chat for a while. And let's not forget Facebook! I have a few people from high school am I curious about.
"view photos of Sarah (300)" ?
Well, I better get started!
Let's see, by this time I'm getting hungry for lunch. So I go out with some work friends to Chick Fil-A or this one Italian place. I like the Italian place because the owners only hire hotties in their 20's, so that tends to brighten my day. But sometimes I look like crap or I need a haircut badly, so I just go to Chick Fil-A. During lunch, which I eat back at my desk, I watch some tv shows that I missed during the week. I use hulu.com or other sites that stream video. Sometimes I have movies to watch where I left off. Many times, if it's a nice day, I take a walk after lunch. It's a good way to relieve stress. Sometimes I walk around to a few of the motorcycle parking spaces and check out the bikes. If it's a really nice day, I get to see some Aprillas and Ducatis.
I go back and read a few more articles or go through some forums, like this one. I am listening to music again. Many times, when I hear a good song, I stop everything I'm doing to find the mp3 version of that song. I am pretty good at this. I can even download whole albums. Occasionally, I may get a work related email. I will spend an hour typing up a 4 sentence reply, listening to music, searching for an mp3 and browsing a forum all at the same time! Somehow I manage to reply to those emails with something intelligent, or not, I don't really know. I guess no one minds. If someone asks me about what I'm doing I'm pretty good at making it look like I'm working on something REALLY hard that will take up A LOT of time. If someone wants to give me more work to do, I make sure I shoot back with giving him more work for himself. For example:
(him) "Hey, I need you to upgrade those servers"
(me) "sure, great idea! let me know what version you want the software to be upgraded to, and be sure to get the blessing of the security department"
Boom, problem solved. No way he's going to get back to me. Sometimes, people email me more work to do. In this case, I just ignore the email. Managers do this ALL THE TIME. It makes them look extremely busy.
"Oh man, I got all this email from this one client who was having problems installing our software, I must have missed your email."
Boom, problem solved. I am looking busy and am looking like a hero at the same time.
So now the problem is: how do I make it look like I did something for the status meeting at 10:30 the next day? Well, I spend maybe 10 minutes googling what I have to do, then I do it. If it doesn't work, well, that can make it to the status meeting! As long as I make it look like a hard problem!
For example, if I need to configure a web server, I just use google for a tutorial, if I get stuck, I can say something like this in the next day's status meeting:
"I tried installing a server certificate, but I got an error. It looks like the version used to create the server cert is incompatible with the version used to read it."
Boom, problem solved!
So after a few hours of more forum browsing, youtub'ing, and listening/downloading music, I go home. Hopefully I ride home on my bike.
I am probably one of the most productive members of my team.
Don't judge me.

 

[madefrtv]

emergency medicine, 7 years

 

[turbid]

i'm an executive officer. the title sounds important, in reality im just a glorified clerk with a teeny weeny more pay than a regular clerk. i work with pizzahut as delivery. the bikes we use are a copy of a yamaha crypton (daelim somethings they re called)

 

[Humperdinkel]

Im a Professional Steering Wheel Attendant .... Nothing glamourous but it pays for my toys :rockon: and keeps the wolf from our door :thumbup:

 

[Davey]

Boom, problem solved!

Made me laugh, and is now my saying of the day! Every time I do something I am going to say 'Boom! Problem solved!' Ha ha!

I teach English to French kids, and am about to start training employees at French businesses to improve their levels of English. For example, I say 'Hello, how are you?' and they say 'I very good sank you.' I follow up with 'No you say I'm fine THank you.' Boom! Problem solved!

 

[OZXJR]

I,m a supervisor at a springwater company,just changed jobs after 10 years ,but same industry though.

 

[Trebor]

I'm really curious about my fellow forum members.


What do you do for a living?


I am a construction estimator - nothing exciting there. I've been doing it for 12 years. I basically just measure walls, ceilings, cladding etc for commercial buildings.

Tell me what you do and for how long you've been doing it.

Cryogenics technician here, Been doing it for 20 years...

 

[CHEMIKER]

I have been a biomaterials scientist for the last 10 years and love it. When a company wants to put an implant into the body, I make sure the materials it's made of are biocompatible, mechanically sound, and do what they're supposed to do. In those 10 years I've worked with polymers, ceramics, and metals. As far as indications, I have spent the most time in vertebral body augmentation, but have also worked on a vertebral disc replacement, an intravascular gel, dermal fillers, and breast implants. All are exciting in their own way, and I love the idea that I'm helping people, even though it's indirect.

The proudest moment I've had is hearing about a patient who came in to her doctor with crippling back pain from a collapsed vertebra, and after a procedure with my bone cement, swung her legs off the operating room table and complained of her terrible hip pain, forgetting to mention the fact that her back no longer bothered her.

 

[Humperdinkel]

Cryogenics technician here, Been doing it for 20 years...

So you can freeze me every summer and thaw me out when it cools down right ???

 

[OZXJR]

I have been a biomaterials scientist for the last 10 years and love it. When a company wants to put an implant into the body, I make sure the materials it's made of are biocompatible, mechanically sound, and do what they're supposed to do. In those 10 years I've worked with polymers, ceramics, and metals. As far as indications, I have spent the most time in vertebral body augmentation, but have also worked on a vertebral disc replacement, an intravascular gel, dermal fillers, and breast implants. All are exciting in their own way, and I love the idea that I'm helping people, even though it's indirect.

The proudest moment I've had is hearing about a patient who came in to her doctor with crippling back pain from a collapsed vertebra, and after a procedure with my bone cement, swung her legs off the operating room table and complained of her terrible hip pain, forgetting to mention the fact that her back no longer bothered her.

WOW Travis :thumbup:

 

[Fz6Sa]

IT professional, - primarily Project management and development. Been at it for 20+ years now.
On the side I DJ, both mobile and in clubs.

 

[Ridgeback]

I'm a Multi skilled technician (Jack of all trades) At a Private eye clinic
I look after all the Air handling units,Uninteruptable power supply,electrics/electronics,plumbing,carpentry,medical equipment,generator and I'm an Authorised person for the medical gasses system and fire warden
Then I deal with the various sub contractors that work on the specialised equipment,checking paperwork,authorising repairs and renewing contracts.

Oh and I make the tea's in the morning

 

[Cloned]

Just normal jobs, no career for me at the moment, still working my way there. I'm currently pursuing (and becoming very close to realizing) my childhood dream of working with tigers. I've worked a little bit in a sanctuary, and spent last summer in Thailand working with tigers to jump start my career. I'm planning on taking part in an apprenticeship program later this year to become a tiger trainer.

Me in Thailand with one of my tigers:

 

[tymensen]

I'm an Ultrasonic Inspector in the Oilfield. Use ultrasound to detect / monitor corrosion / cracking in welds and steel in gas plants and pipelines. Requires extensive travel throughout canada and sometimes the states. It can make finding time to ride difficult in our shorter riding season up here.

 

[zmeiaspas]

Hhahahaha OMG_WTF your post made my day and very much reminded me of some of my work days )))

 

[Have2BeFree]

OMG_WTF made me laugh. That is very close to one of my work days as well. I work for a Geologic Consulting Company as a CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) Technician. I draw/revise topographic maps and site location maps.
I come to work around 8ish, open a drawing and then reduce the screen, spend an hour going through e-mail and checking for the latest on FB. I work in between checking out the forums, facebook and chatting on AIM. However I am able to keep up with my workload and if I get a little behind I blame AutoCad.....you know the program just isn't working right! (that's not as far-fetched as it may seem and anyone who has used it knows what I'm talking about)

I make the coffee in the morning and other than being smart and good at what I do, I think that's one of the reasons they keep me around.

 

[agp]

I'm a senior technician at a civil engineering firm. It started as mostly drafting, but now I am close to becoming an engineer. I've been at for almost 6 years. Not exactly a dream gig, but it pays the bills.