We've seen your mug... now post your job

Just curious to see what everyone does for a living when they're not tearing up the track.

I'm a commercial real estate broker, I'm also the marketing manager for my firm (basically handle all online marketing like the websites, emails, etc) On top of that I'm in law school part time, about 1.5 yrs deep.

Bonus points to anyone who has a picture of their work space, ie where you browse the forums

I'm an elementary teacher, public school system. I've taught 2nd grade for the last eight years, plus eight years of 3rd grade before that.

I'm an IT Architect and IT Process Engineer...

Currently, I manage and Administer what we call Operational Readiness. What that means is that my processes ensure that all new applications and infrastructures are ready to enter the production space (where we support our global customers) in regards to configuration, implementation and maintenance. It covers the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, China (Mainland and HK), Korea, Philippines, Australia, and Japan...

Prior to that I actually Managed the Global Platform and System Services team. I had 30+ direct reports in the US, India and Philippines. Responsible for enterprise server hardware (HP, IBM, Dell and Cisco UCS), virtual servers (VMware), enterprise storage (EMC CX, DMX and VMax), server operating systems (Windows and Linux), enterprise messaging (MS Exchange), MS Active Director services (including DNS and DHCP), as well as Virtual Desktops (Citrix Xen Desktop).... we're talking over 2500 servers and 2 Petabytes of SAN storage.... Needless to say I burned out.. LOL

My education is in Architectural Engineering. Prior to migrating to IT, I worked for an Architecture fim in the mid 90's doing Construction Administration and Construction Design documents.

Well I just got my Phd and am currently waiting for my acceptance into a huge hospital where I will be performing brain transplants. Now some say its a hard job but come on... A little poke here and there and they are good to go! Sometimes people die in the process because we havent really found the correct way in keeping the patient alive due to removing their brain, but the research will be carried on until we figure it out. You may be thinking to yourself wondering how stupid I really am, but really Im not I have a 403.96 IQ and can turn an ace of spades into a queen of hearts with a little bit of magic..















Okay well you caught me in a dirty disgusting lie and I should probably be shot... I actually make pizzas at a local pizzeria. Sucky job if I must add.. I am looking to get into some prison work until I can try and get into the police academy to become a police officer.. (If Im lucky enough.. I may be a traffic director with my sense of talent...)

well before i got sick with my cancer i worked at parmenter automotive (tire guy) changing tires repair stuff of that nature. i try'd to get back in to over the summer but, i just couldn't hack it with treatment but, some day hopfully.

I am currently a Mechanical Engineer Intern.

Work in the construction industry (I guess). I design HVAC, Plumbing and fire protection systems for new buildings and renovations. Nothing glorious. But I'm happy here. Nice to work with professionals.

Prior to this, I worked in Automotive Manufacturing for 8 years. The only time I liked it was when I first got out of school. After that, I just became bitter and hated every single minute of it.

How about for us youngins, we post what we plan on doing after school or what we're doing in school?

I have no clue as to what I want to do yet, but I'm leaning towards some branch of engineering, maybe even some physics stuff. No clue yet. I just know that I'd rather work with numbers than letters, grammar, writing and stuff...

Physics is good... If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for Physics (or some form of applied physics to either a masters or PhD, with a minor in Computer Science.... Great combo and very useful... I LOVED physics!

I didn't figure out what I wanted to do with my life until I was on my own and it was pretty much too late (or at least I thought so in my mid 20's) to do anything about it... I deserve a "Gibbs" slap on the back of my head for that, but then again I wouldn't have my beautiful wife and two beautiful girls if I had done things differently!

Markve91 wrote:I have no clue as to what I want to do yet, but I'm leaning towards some branch of engineering, maybe even some physics stuff. No clue yet. I just know that I'd rather work with numbers than letters, grammar, writing and stuff...

Join the club. Had no clue what I wanted to do. Just fell into Mech Eng cuz I couldn't do anything else.

As for the grammar and writing, I don't think you can ever get away from it. In manufacturing, you're writing reports. In construction, you're writing reports. Gotta be somewhat coherent. Can't get away from it. Well, I guess if you enter trades you won't have much writing. :dunno:

I had no plan in college. Finished in four years with an English degree and was like, "Now what?!?" Fooled around for a year after graduating, got married, and then decided to get my teacher certification.

It would have been faster to go the secondary route but I don't like those big kids. Practically had to start my undergrad over because I needed eighty credits for elementary certification. Plowed through it in two years and got a ton more out of my classes because I actually had something concrete I was working toward.

Subbed for a year after that. Then, after not being able to land a position in Michigan (more teachers than jobs at the time), I wound up in Georgia where they were practically pulling bodies off the street. It all worked out in the end but I wish now I would have had some direction initially. I'd be a few years closer to retirement anyway!

Marm is correct... Even though I'm in IT, I am constantly writing technical documentation, root cause statements, Incident roll-ups, mass communications, and the list goes on. No matter what professional field you go into, you'll need well rounded written and oral communication skills. I'd even go as far to say take a lot of Psychology and Social Science as electives... Cultural Anthropology, Psychology, communications, effective leadership, and foreign language (Spanish, Chinese or another language linked to an established or emerging market) are great additions to your Major/minor...

If you're not sure of what to focus on in school, see if you can find people in the fields you are targeting and talk to them. There's nothing like 20:20 hindsight advice from someone who lives it every day! The smartest person in the room is not usually the most successful (in title and money). It's usually the ones that understand how to communicate, read people and exhibit leadership qualities. I can tell you from experience those that sit back and wait for success to come to them, usually end up waiting around forever.

*still waiting* ....

I'm a boiler mechanic and ammonia refrigeration technician. I was like everyone else, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I got my wife pregnant straight out of high school. Went to a temp agency and started out at 10 dollars as chemical operator apprentice. Worked my ass for 6months and they hired me full time. Funny thing tho, my first day as full time I called in because Evelynn was born. Had fun with those guys for years but it just wasn't exciting enough blah blah blah. Ended up at my current job and its definitely more my style. I have my days but the danger factor and the pace keep me happy. I don't tell my wife much about it because she would flip if she knew some of the close calls I've had.

Boilers = Dangerous (seriously)

True words of wisdom Lou! I've always been a communications/english/law guy & I have to agree. Being able to build relationships, correctly read someone, & negotiate are all VERY important in any career. But I'd say the biggest mistake you can make is not asking questions. Always ask questions!! Then sit back & listen, people like to give answers and they will like you more if you let them.

Also Lou, I can see why you had to back out of managing the Global Platform and System Services teams... my blood pressure was going up just reading that!

The boilers are dangerous and I've had some close/dangerous/funny calls with them but the ammonia is what's really dangerous. You guys buy 0.01 percent ammonia cleaner from the store, I work with 99.9%. What's really bad is if the concentration gets high enough to quickly, your eyes slam shut and will not open no matter how hard you try. Now thats a scary situation. Ammonia will kill you in a heart beat. Although they do say its impossible to commit suicide with ammonia because your body will fight so hard to get away from it.

Holy Shit!

When I worked at a dry cleaners (way back when I was in college - early 90's), I hated all of the chemicals in the air... there was also no air conditioning in the back (in summer and where all the chemicals are). I also had to shut down the boiler every night. Granted, that boiler was the size of a small minivan, but it was still a sketchy operation... Shut all the fuel down, double check everything, go to the pressure release valve outside, look away and get your body out of the way, open valve, plug ears and move away, wait for all of the pressure to release, close valve, go back and check all that everything is in the off position and the pressure gauges all read zero... I really hated doing that every night... I knew that a boiler that size could take out the building, so I had large amounts of respect for the task!

I'm leaning toward getting into economics. I'm pretty good with math, so it should suit me well.

xII CASE IIx wrote:Well I just got my Phd and am currently waiting for my acceptance into a huge hospital where I will be performing brain transplants. Now some say its a hard job but come on... A little poke here and there and they are good to go! Sometimes people die in the process because we havent really found the correct way in keeping the patient alive due to removing their brain, but the research will be carried on until we figure it out. You may be thinking to yourself wondering how stupid I really am, but really Im not I have a 403.96 IQ and can turn an ace of spades into a queen of hearts with a little bit of magic..















Okay well you caught me in a dirty disgusting lie and I should probably be shot... I actually make pizzas at a local pizzeria. Sucky job if I must add.. I am looking to get into some prison work until I can try and get into the police academy to become a police officer.. (If Im lucky enough.. I may be a traffic director with my sense of talent...)

The military can train you in the profession. Just a thought.

I've had two careers. The first was short lived, I started out as a commercial artist. In 1980 at the age of 25 I enrolled in college as a pre-sem student with a major in studio art. While in the seminary I was commissioned in the Army Reserve as a 2LT chaplain candidate. Fast forward to 1989 I served a parish until I was accepted onto active duty in 1992. I was medically discharged in 2002 got re-edgumacated in hospital chaplaincy, went to a low max prison for a year (staff chaplain) and have served as a VA chaplain in Connecticut and Michigan. My facility deals mainly with mental health issues. I deal mostly with veterans with problems with substance abuse, homelessness and dementia. Three separate wards. In three to five years I hope to retired. I hope to have a few grandchildren by then. Working in a hospital as a disabled veteran with mental issues is a good fit. Can I get an amen? I loved the Army. All four of my children were born in different states, I got to see many parts of the world, meet people from all different cultures (I didn't have to kill any, chaplains can't do that). I might take up art again when I retire.

Wow... Very interesting Wa11y... Looking at your active duty service dates, it would appear you served in Desert Storm and possibly Afghanistan/Iraq post 9/11?

Wa11y wrote:I've had two careers. The first was short lived, I started out as a commercial artist. In 1980 at the age of 25 I enrolled in college as a pre-sem student with a major in studio art. While in the seminary I was commissioned in the Army Reserve as a 2LT chaplain candidate. Fast forward to 1989 I served a parish until I was accepted onto active duty in 1992. I was medically discharged in 2002 got re-edgumacated in hospital chaplaincy, went to a low max prison for a year (staff chaplain) and have served as a VA chaplain in Connecticut and Michigan. My facility deals mainly with mental health issues. I deal mostly with veterans with problems with substance abuse, homelessness and dementia. Three separate wards. In three to five years I hope to retired. I hope to have a few grandchildren by then. Working in a hospital as a disabled veteran with mental issues is a good fit. Can I get an amen? I loved the Army. All four of my children were born in different states, I got to see many parts of the world, meet people from all different cultures (I didn't have to kill any, chaplains can't do that). I might take up art again when I retire.

You are an amazing and wonderful person. Thank you!!

Wally, a couple years ago I did do all the paper work and pt stuff to get into the military. Then when I went to have my medical things done at the base they disqualified me for having asthma... In my shoes I was very pissed off and am still to this day. I wanted to make the military a career becuase I have a lot of respect for it and it was the only thing I saw myself doing. Maybe a few years down the road I can figure out a way to get in. Other than that its a broken dream of mine.

xII CASE IIx wrote:Wally, a couple years ago I did do all the paper work and pt stuff to get into the military. Then when I went to have my medical things done at the base they disqualified me for having asthma... In my shoes I was very pissed off and am still to this day. I wanted to make the military a career becuase I have a lot of respect for it and it was the only thing I saw myself doing. Maybe a few years down the road I can figure out a way to get in. Other than that its a broken dream of mine.

Yeah I know that is disappointing. I tried to enlist in the Air Force in 1976 at the age of 21 but was medically disqualified because of a heart murmur. 10 years later, while in the seminary, kind of as a fluke I filled out paper work for the Army Chaplaincy and was accepted. They waved my medical issue, sometimes it depends on the occupational specialty you are seeking. Since chaplains don't usually have some hard charging task an exception was made plus I demonstrated I was physically fit and could do the push ups, sit ups and run 2 miles in the given amount of time. There are exceptions sometimes - it depends on the needs of the military. Chaplains and doctors are direct commissions, which means we didn't go through ROTC or some military school in order to receive a commission. We were commissioned because of our specialty and we met height, weight and physical fitness standards. Ironically I was not medically discharged due to open heart surgery while serving in the Army. I continued in the Army for four more years after the surgery but was discharged do to exertional rhabdomyolysis which was brought on by over extending myself in PT. Medical issues also make it hard to get promoted which shortens careers. I don't have to worry about exertional rhabdomyolysis any more since I've become a couch potato.

Case what matters is you have a good heart (a good sense of humor and great pizza logo illustrator- I used to be a busboy at La Casa). I think that the military and law enforcement professions are honorable professions. These are services that call for a lot sacrifice and speaks volumes about your character and willingness and a sense of duty and your regard for your community. Who knows maybe you will be a brain surgeon some day after you've earned your PHd. They make a whole lot more many than police or military.

BiggLou55 wrote:Wow... Very interesting Wa11y... Looking at your active duty service dates, it would appear you served in Desert Storm and possibly Afghanistan/Iraq post 9/11?

Yeah, who-da-thought. I was in during those time but never deployed, which is both a blessing and a curse. I did visit Saudi Arabia after the war which was interesting. I'll never forget that. I was discharged just prior to OEF/OIF. There was the action in Somalia though while I was in which one of my friends was deployed to. I met a chaplain who was in the chaplain basic course while I was at school for the advance course who was an Air Borne Ranger at that time and was on History Channel when they interviewed soldiers who had participated in the Black Hawk down situation. I am not sure what actor portrayed him.