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News & General Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: MrsSassyPants on September 03, 2013, 01:59:53 PM

Title: What do you do for a living?
Post by: MrsSassyPants on September 03, 2013, 01:59:53 PM
I work as on office manager at a hotel near my home. I also help my husband manage a lawn care/odd job business after work, and days off.  Daily grind can be difficult. Do any of y'all deal w incredibly difficult bosses/owners?  I can't even enjoy my time off for my day job being so miserable.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Plu on September 03, 2013, 02:03:39 PM
I work in software development, we build applications for companies. It's mostly kinda boring but the pay is good.

I no longer work for an incredibly difficult boss, I had one at my previous job though. I eventually quit because he was an idiot.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Solitary on September 03, 2013, 02:04:01 PM
:-D I'm retired, but I sure do know what you mean. I still have nightmares from jobs I've had in the past and working at a resort on my last job.  :roll:  Solitary
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: AtheTurk on September 03, 2013, 02:06:49 PM
just daydream : )

i'm 24 and still depend on my parants as economically.

i have had problems with alcohol and marijuana in the past. but not normal usage. as very very exaggerated.

at the end i just could finish my department of enviromental enginneering. however, i got that i don't wanna have this job and improve my carrier in this area.

i talked my mom. and she had persuasion i can study what the area i want. and it'S law.

on next year i am gonna begin faculty of law.

when i m gonna 31-32 years old i'll be judge or puclic prosecudor.

amen! : )
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Solitary on September 03, 2013, 02:30:23 PM
Being a judge is a perfect job for an atheist that listens to evidence instead of faulty logic that lawyers use to win a case instead of getting to the truth of the matter at hand.  =D>  Good choice! Solitary
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: AtheTurk on September 03, 2013, 02:48:50 PM
Quote from: "Solitary"Being a judge is a perfect job for an atheist that listens to evidence instead of faulty logic that lawyers use to win a case instead of getting to the truth of the matter at hand.  =D>  Good choice! Solitary

very thank you your spiritual! support to me.

and thank the Net for giving the chance us for communicating.

what do you think about age for embark to life. as age.

my social enviroment insistence that you must work and earn money.

but my dreams are different.

what dou u think?

what u think is important for me.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: _Xenu_ on September 03, 2013, 03:03:00 PM
Quote from: "Solitary"Being a judge is a perfect job for an atheist that listens to evidence instead of faulty logic that lawyers use to win a case instead of getting to the truth of the matter at hand.  =D>  Good choice! Solitary
Well done. We do necessarily get rather good at spotting logical fallacy. Unfortunately, fallacies are much harder to spot when combined. :(
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: MrsSassyPants on September 03, 2013, 03:36:44 PM
Atheturk, I had drug problems in my 20's.  And I wish I could have those years bk now:(.  But anyway, I am 31, and I must admit, your typing comes across the screen at me as rather odd.  I mean no disrespect, just curious if you are typing that way on purpose.  That's great your parents take good care of you!  
 I hope I find a good healthy way to deal with the daily grind and constant critisicsm.  It's going to make me old very soon.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Colanth on September 03, 2013, 03:51:20 PM
I'm finally retired (kept working until I was almost 70, because I enjoyed the job).  I've been writing software for the last 40 years, but I had a couple of other careers before that.

I've worked for geniuses and morons, wonderful people and some who probably could have replaced Satan in hell.  I've lost both my parents, a daughter, 2 brothers-in-law, 2 mothers-in-law, father-in-law and more friends than I care to count, so perhaps I'm more stoic than most, but I've always believed "this too shall pass", so I've gotten through it all.

I don't allow a bad boss to ruin my time off from work, either.  Life's too short to allow anyone I don't love to spoil my happiness.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: stromboli on September 03, 2013, 03:56:01 PM
Retired. I have had many jobs.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Brian37 on September 03, 2013, 04:01:34 PM
Dishwasher here. I love my job, certainly not for the title, but because of my co workers and out of all the places I have worked so far, I have more freedom to organize and do things on my own. I have been where I work since 05 and I have seen no one last at that position because most people hate it.

But I also have more freedom because of my position to do more than just that, like cleaning and busing and general upkeep. They have tried to get me to become a cook, but I see all the piled on multi tasking that wears them out. By limiting my scope I actually pick up crap jobs they don't want to do.

When you have more freedom on the job to do things your own way, rather than following a script, you get more done. That kind of satisfaction to me, is not something you can put a price on.

My co workers are the biggest reason I am there. We work well together, get on each other's nerves, but in an A-Team way. I'd rather work with someone who cares , than someone who simply goes through the motions. The best part is that I feel we are more like a family than co workers.

Sometimes I groan when people ask me to do things I know they could do themselves, but I have to remind myself, they are doing it because they depend on me.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: stromboli on September 03, 2013, 04:19:24 PM
Quote from: "Brian37"Dishwasher here. I love my job, certainly not for the title, but because of my co workers and out of all the places I have worked so far, I have more freedom to organize and do things on my own. I have been where I work since 05 and I have seen no one last at that position because most people hate it.

But I also have more freedom because of my position to do more than just that, like cleaning and busing and general upkeep. They have tried to get me to become a cook, but I see all the piled on multi tasking that wears them out. By limiting my scope I actually pick up crap jobs they don't want to do.

When you have more freedom on the job to do things your own way, rather than following a script, you get more done. That kind of satisfaction to me, is not something you can put a price on.

My co workers are the biggest reason I am there. We work well together, get on each other's nerves, but in an A-Team way. I'd rather work with someone who cares , than someone who simply goes through the motions. The best part is that I feel we are more like a family than co workers.

Sometimes I groan when people ask me to do things I know they could do themselves, but I have to remind myself, they are doing it because they depend on me.

Yeah. It is ironic. The best job I ever had was as a janitor, because the boss was a nice guy and trusted me to do my job, and left me alone. Got paid peanuts, but it was actually a very enjoyable job. go figure.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Brian37 on September 03, 2013, 04:33:43 PM
Quote from: "stromboli"
Quote from: "Brian37"Dishwasher here. I love my job, certainly not for the title, but because of my co workers and out of all the places I have worked so far, I have more freedom to organize and do things on my own. I have been where I work since 05 and I have seen no one last at that position because most people hate it.

But I also have more freedom because of my position to do more than just that, like cleaning and busing and general upkeep. They have tried to get me to become a cook, but I see all the piled on multi tasking that wears them out. By limiting my scope I actually pick up crap jobs they don't want to do.

When you have more freedom on the job to do things your own way, rather than following a script, you get more done. That kind of satisfaction to me, is not something you can put a price on.

My co workers are the biggest reason I am there. We work well together, get on each other's nerves, but in an A-Team way. I'd rather work with someone who cares , than someone who simply goes through the motions. The best part is that I feel we are more like a family than co workers.

Sometimes I groan when people ask me to do things I know they could do themselves, but I have to remind myself, they are doing it because they depend on me.

Yeah. It is ironic. The best job I ever had was as a janitor, because the boss was a nice guy and trusted me to do my job, and left me alone. Got paid peanuts, but it was actually a very enjoyable job. go figure.


Thank you. I couldn't ever get paid any amount of money to be miserable.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: MrsSassyPants on September 03, 2013, 04:49:42 PM
The main problem with my situation is transportation is limited.  I work close to home, and I make a DECENT wage. Not going to say anything more than just decent.  But I live in a small town, and public transport doesn't exist.  And I like the job itself, but like someone said earlier, I am not given enough freedom to work like I want to.  They want to constantly criticize etc.  Which doesn't actually help anything, it just makes me fk up more.  
I work for foreigners, but he was raised in the USA. Relating to either one of them seems just impossible.  I wish I could just quit, but I am in debt up to my eyeballs. My husband and I have borrowed a bunch of money for a side job that we hope turns into full time one day.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Youssuf Ramadan on September 03, 2013, 05:16:46 PM
I'm slumming it professionally.  I am a qualified teacher and qualified foot health practitioner and I've also worked in banking, retail, as a fitness instructor, but for the last 12 years I have worked a blue-collar job in an engineering plant, making air filters for commercial aircraft.  This has been the best job as it has the least stress and one of the best wages thanks to shift pay and overtime...... and probably mostly because I don't have to deal with the public.

 Also, I have no ambition and I'm not an ass-licker, so I've turned down offers to go onto the management ladder, much to the bafflement of the suit-and-tie brigade.  I own most of what I want and I'm not really into owning much so I'm quite happy to just get by on my stress-free job and a bit of gig money from playing bass in rock bands.    :)

I'm also about to start a proofreading and copy-editing course.... I'm thinking I might move into that area soon and see what's happening there....
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Triple Nine on September 03, 2013, 06:15:22 PM
Trying to get a degree in Philosophy to be a college professor and mooching off my parents. Im 18 so just relax.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: missingnocchi on September 03, 2013, 06:36:54 PM
When I'm not studenting, I can be found at The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. Stop in some time, I'm the one who looks dead inside.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: PopeyesPappy on September 03, 2013, 08:48:35 PM
I'm a program manager for an 8a government contractor. I currently have two projects. One is outfitting a one hundred thousand square foot transmission and gearbox assembly shop in south Texas. The other is upgrading an eighteen node OC-192 Sonet network to NexGen 100 GB Ethernet. That one is on an island in the western pacific.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Mermaid on September 03, 2013, 09:08:22 PM
I conduct clinical research for company that makes veterinary medicines. For 21 years I was a research scientist. I can't say that anymore and I am pretty happy about it, I made a change in January.

My job is exhausting and overwhelming and I don't love it. I am kind of in job survival mode and that's ok for now. The pay is good so I can't look that gift horse in the mouth. I've been a happier person than I am now.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: MrsSassyPants on September 03, 2013, 11:26:28 PM
Mermaid, I am in job survival mode also.  Kinda sucks but I understand.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: antediluvian on September 04, 2013, 12:15:11 AM
Retired.
Newspaper publishing.
A dying occupation.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Jack89 on September 04, 2013, 12:15:39 AM
I'm retired military, but that doesn't quite pay the bills so I work as a contract security manager.  I work for a pretty good company, but the job gets a bit tedious at times. I have dreams of retiring for good before I reach 55 (in about 6 years).  I'm thinking I'll still have to do something part-time to keep me busy.  Haven't figured that part out yet though.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: gomtuu77 on September 04, 2013, 02:09:49 AM
I've been working in law enforcement since about 2001, shortly before I graduated from college.  Due to work related injuries to my feet, I've been given more of a desk job in the dispatch with secondary patrol duties when necessary.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: surly74 on September 04, 2013, 06:27:03 AM
Quote from: "Brian37"Dishwasher here. I love my job, certainly not for the title, but because of my co workers and out of all the places I have worked so far, I have more freedom to organize and do things on my own. I have been where I work since 05 and I have seen no one last at that position because most people hate it.

then change the title...try Underwater Ceramic Technician.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Jason78 on September 04, 2013, 06:31:09 AM
What do I do for a living?

As little as possible if I can help it!
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: surly74 on September 04, 2013, 07:09:23 AM
I sell inventory software for AV companies. Company is only about 8 people so I get to do alot of different things.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Agramon on September 04, 2013, 07:48:07 AM
Quality control on various products that come into the factory. For now it pays the bills (i.e. student loans) while I gear up for an eventual shot at a doctorate.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Johan on September 04, 2013, 07:54:23 AM
I am a logistical operations technician i.e. a truck driver. Before that I was a PC repair tech and before that I flew airplanes for a living. Of all the jobs and careers I've had, I like the current one the best.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Sal1981 on September 04, 2013, 08:05:11 AM
My business card says IT consultant & web developer, but I'm more of just the handyman in the company. It's a GIS company.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Fidel_Castronaut on September 04, 2013, 08:24:24 AM
PhD Student, politics, economics and religion.

Work FT in an Estates department doing Capex and revenue finance for the University too.

Quote from: "Triple Nine"Trying to get a degree in Philosophy to be a college professor and mooching off my parents. Im 18 so just relax.

I originally started by PhD because I wanted to stay in academia. I've been in pretty intensive academic environments all through higher education, but I suffered burn out midway through my PhD.

My only advice is to do what you love, but make sure you make time for yourself, especially as you start to get into the 'higher' higher education levels. Also, get funding! Funding for Philosophy (in the UK) is effectively zero so hunt hard for every penny/cent you can lay your hands on.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: AllPurposeAtheist on September 04, 2013, 04:07:37 PM
Unemployed reborn pothead here. Praise Jebus!  8-)

I say reborn because I had quit smoking pot for about 20 years and saw my life in a downward spiral till I was enlightened at the barrel of a bong..  :-D
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Youssuf Ramadan on September 04, 2013, 04:36:43 PM
Quote from: "AllPurposeAtheist"Unemployed reborn pothead here. Praise Jebus!  8-)

I say reborn because I had quit smoking pot for about 20 years and saw my life in a downward spiral till I was enlightened at the barrel of a bong..  :-D

Hallelujah to that, sir!  8-)
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Colanth on September 04, 2013, 11:56:31 PM
Quote from: "Triple Nine"Trying to get a degree in Philosophy
I can teach you all you'll need to know once you get that degree.  Keep practicing this in front of a mirror until you get it down pat:

"Would you like fries with that?"

Make sure you enunciate clearly, because the communications systems you'll be using are pretty bad.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Shiranu on September 05, 2013, 12:01:40 AM
Looking for any sort of job a high school grad can get, but atm unemployed.

More kind to myself, I am a full time student. Either English, Anthropology or History major... Anthro/History my preferred but English the more practical. Also taking education classes incase I would want to go into professing.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Sargon The Grape on September 05, 2013, 12:05:33 AM
Quote from: "Colanth"
Quote from: "Triple Nine"Trying to get a degree in Philosophy
I can teach you all you'll need to know once you get that degree.  Keep practicing this in front of a mirror until you get it down pat:

"Would you like fries with that?"

Make sure you enunciate clearly, because the communications systems you'll be using are pretty bad.
No Colanth, he's getting a degree in philosophy. He's going to say, "Why do you want fries with that?"
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Youssuf Ramadan on September 05, 2013, 12:25:24 PM
Quote from: "Colanth"
Quote from: "Triple Nine"Trying to get a degree in Philosophy
I can teach you all you'll need to know once you get that degree.  Keep practicing this in front of a mirror until you get it down pat:

"Would you like fries with that?"

Make sure you enunciate clearly, because the communications systems you'll be using are pretty bad.

I think you could apply that to many degrees.  I know shitloads of people with degrees, but I don't know that many who use them for their careers.  That includes me. Disappointments abound for the unwary graduate!
However I think there is nothing wrong with doing a degree purely out of interest.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: surly74 on September 05, 2013, 12:30:47 PM
Quote from: "Youssuf Ramadan"However I think there is nothing wrong with doing a degree purely out of interest.

sure there is, if you are paying for it. You shouldn't be going to college for purely out of interest. it should be to setup a career. Especially when you are spending 10's of thousands of  dollars for it.

here's a quick test, if you had to pay for all four years up front would you still study that same major? Would someone still go into Philosophy or take engineering?

I can take all kids of free courses online from many different universities, the courses being any that suit my interest and they don't cost me a cent. Why would people handcuff themselves for the basis of "interest"?
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Fidel_Castronaut on September 05, 2013, 01:07:00 PM
Quote from: "Youssuf Ramadan"
Quote from: "Colanth"
Quote from: "Triple Nine"Trying to get a degree in Philosophy
I can teach you all you'll need to know once you get that degree.  Keep practicing this in front of a mirror until you get it down pat:

"Would you like fries with that?"

Make sure you enunciate clearly, because the communications systems you'll be using are pretty bad.

I think you could apply that to many degrees.  I know shitloads of people with degrees, but I don't know that many who use them for their careers.  That includes me. Disappointments abound for the unwary graduate!
However I think there is nothing wrong with doing a degree purely out of interest.

Depends entirely on what you want to get out of academia.

You can study classics at Oxford (I nearly did) and still get an awesome job in the civil service earning hundreds of thousands. But that's more about who you know not what you know.

Academia, at its heart, is about thinking and learning. But gone are the days when that was all it was. Now it's seen as a career path milestone, which for me, defeats the object of it entirely in Most fields (aside from applied fields like science/engineering etc).

The mentality of 'you must go to university to get a good job' is a lie perpetuated from an increasingly privatized higher education sector, at least here in England.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: GSOgymrat on September 05, 2013, 03:31:43 PM
I have worked as a mental health counselor for over 20 years primarily in psychiatric hospitals and community mental health clinics. I currently work for a hospital system and provide crisis assessments and counseling in emergency departments and a behavioral health hospital.  I see people of every age who present with a wide variety problems: suicide attempts, substance abuse, psychosis, relationship issues, anxiety, OCD, PTSD... I never know what the shift will bring and it is never boring. I love my job although it can be stressful at times.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Youssuf Ramadan on September 05, 2013, 04:26:49 PM
Quote from: "surly74"
Quote from: "Youssuf Ramadan"However I think there is nothing wrong with doing a degree purely out of interest.

 sure there is, if you are paying for it. You shouldn't be going to college for purely out of interest. it should be to setup a career. Especially when you are spending 10's of thousands of  dollars for it.

Why not?  That's just your opinion, and that's fine.  Other people think differently and that's fine too.  If you are paying for it, then you can study whatever you feel like studying as far as I am concerned.  If the taxpayer, or another body was paying for your studies then yes, there might well be a responsibility to the payer.  I don't think anyone else should have the right to dictate what another person should study, given that they themselves are paying for it.  It's part of freedom.  There's no law that states a person's career should be based on their degree.  Sure, many of them are, but many are also not.

Quote from: "surly74"here's a quick test, if you had to pay for all four years up front would you still study that same major? Would someone still go into Philosophy or take engineering?

I don't know where you're from, mate, but here in Britain the student largely pays their own fees and pays back the loan afterwards.  Philosophy courses are still full, as are many other degrees which may not have an obvious career path.
  I know six people who have maths degrees - 3 of them now teach mathematics as they didn't know what else to do with it - they were interested in maths so that's the degree they did - they had no prior inclination to teach.  One has her own business teaching people how to use computers, one works for the council's health department, and one retrained as an electrician.  None of them regret the time and money spent.

Quote from: "surly74"I can take all kids of free courses online from many different universities, the courses being any that suit my interest and they don't cost me a cent. Why would people handcuff themselves for the basis of "interest"?

Depth of study, plus the opportunity to meet people with similar interests face to face and broaden their interests.

Also, university should be more than the sum of its parts.  It is an experience in meeting people from all sort of backgrounds.  I did a teaching degree and I now work in engineering.  I wouldn't change a thing.  :)
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Jmpty on September 05, 2013, 06:09:05 PM
Quote from: "surly74"
Quote from: "Youssuf Ramadan"However I think there is nothing wrong with doing a degree purely out of interest.

sure there is, if you are paying for it. You shouldn't be going to college for purely out of interest. it should be to setup a career. Especially when you are spending 10's of thousands of  dollars for it.

here's a quick test, if you had to pay for all four years up front would you still study that same major? Would someone still go into Philosophy or take engineering?

I can take all kids of free courses online from many different universities, the courses being any that suit my interest and they don't cost me a cent. Why would people handcuff themselves for the basis of "interest"?

Aaaaaaand this post is a great example of what's wrong with the worlds mindset on learning and education.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Jmpty on September 05, 2013, 06:12:38 PM
I'm a semi-retired father of 3 young kids, who's married to a business professor. I still play for pay, but usually from home, recording only. I was a touring guitarist for about 15 years. No more road for me.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Mermaid on September 05, 2013, 07:27:48 PM
Quote from: "Hijiri Byakuren"
Quote from: "Colanth"
Quote from: "Triple Nine"Trying to get a degree in Philosophy
I can teach you all you'll need to know once you get that degree.  Keep practicing this in front of a mirror until you get it down pat:

"Would you like fries with that?"

Make sure you enunciate clearly, because the communications systems you'll be using are pretty bad.
No Colanth, he's getting a degree in philosophy. He's going to say, "Why do you want fries with that?"
That is the funniest fucking thing I've read all day.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Mermaid on September 05, 2013, 07:29:58 PM
Quote from: "GSOgymrat"I have worked as a mental health counselor for over 20 years primarily in psychiatric hospitals and community mental health clinics. I currently work for a hospital system and provide crisis assessments and counseling in emergency departments and a behavioral health hospital.  I see people of every age who present with a wide variety problems: suicide attempts, substance abuse, psychosis, relationship issues, anxiety, OCD, PTSD... I never know what the shift will bring and it is never boring. I love my job although it can be stressful at times.
"at times"?

I don't know how you do it. I am glad, however, that there are people like you in the world who do what you do because I could not handle that for five minutes.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: MrsSassyPants on September 05, 2013, 09:08:29 PM
I have really enjoyed reading all your posts!!  Thank you for your participation and insight!  Keep posting!
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: surly74 on September 06, 2013, 07:41:56 AM
Quote from: "Jmpty"
Quotesure there is, if you are paying for it. You shouldn't be going to college for purely out of interest. it should be to setup a career. Especially when you are spending 10's of thousands of  dollars for it.

here's a quick test, if you had to pay for all four years up front would you still study that same major? Would someone still go into Philosophy or take engineering?

I can take all kids of free courses online from many different universities, the courses being any that suit my interest and they don't cost me a cent. Why would people handcuff themselves for the basis of "interest"?

Aaaaaaand this post is a great example of what's wrong with the worlds mindset on learning and education.

how's that?
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Plu on September 06, 2013, 07:52:37 AM
Colleges should be a place where people are encouraged to think for themselves and to show them all the curious and awesome things in the world. They should not be a place that only prepares people for a carreer.

Free online courses are a nice idea, but where do you get the education needed to understand the difference between a good course and a bad course?

Also, learning should be a goal, not a means. Yet many people think that an education is something that only prepares you for a job. It shouldn't be.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: surly74 on September 06, 2013, 08:03:50 AM
Quote from: "Plu"Colleges should be a place where people are encouraged to think for themselves and to show them all the curious and awesome things in the world. They should not be a place that only prepares people for a carreer.

Free online courses are a nice idea, but where do you get the education needed to understand the difference between a good course and a bad course?

Also, learning should be a goal, not a means. Yet many people think that an education is something that only prepares you for a job. It shouldn't be.


yes they should be but not at the expense of crippling debt load you can't hope to pay off at then end because there are no career prospects at the finish line.

Itunes U has the same courses at actual universities that people pay thousands of dollars to attend. Life in the Universe course from Ohio State University. Critial Thinking course from Oxford. This isn't exactly type writer repair from the St. Louis Adult learning center.

You can learn all you want, it doesn't end once you leave college but when you do leave college you should have the foundation and skills to build a career, and that all depends on what you take. College is usually four years, maybe a bit longer. The rest of someone's life is alot longer, lots of time to take a course on Russian Lit if you want.

It takes a long time to pay off student debt working at Starbucks and that English, Art History, or Philosophy degree will really come in handy making coffee or waiting tables.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: hillbillyatheist on September 06, 2013, 06:26:24 PM
being 50,000 in debt with a useless major I can side with the folks who are warning folks. yes in a better world we'd all seek to just better ourselves and learn.

in the real world you have to find a marketable skill or you will be stuck with a low paying job and a huge debt you can't pay.

me? I got a major in sociology.

what do I do for a living? well right now, I play my fiddle for tips on the street and collect disability for being visually impaired. best 50 grand I ever spent.

but hey I did expand my mind so it was all worth it right?

(I wish I could go back in time and kick my own ass)

[youtube:3phcdonz]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLphh4YtrHg[/youtube:3phcdonz]
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: AllPurposeAtheist on September 06, 2013, 07:12:42 PM
I normally charge 100 grand to poke guys in the eye with a sharp stick HBA.. I bet you're glad you took advantage of that 50% off coupon, huh?
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: hillbillyatheist on September 06, 2013, 07:38:32 PM
LOL! well coupons are an excellent way to save money!
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Thumpalumpacus on September 06, 2013, 08:30:58 PM
I manage a custom frame-shop full time.

One day a week, I work at a local nature preserve, maintaining trails, providing customer service, and generally getting paid to be nine years old again.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: aitm on September 06, 2013, 10:08:43 PM
I normally run medium to large construction projects (8-30mil) but currently forced to diddle in dinky shit. Hope the economy starts to come back, I miss my perks........and the money.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Agramon on September 06, 2013, 10:09:25 PM
Quote from: "aitm"I normally run medium to large construction projects (8-30mil) but currently forced to diddle in dinky shit. Hope the economy starts to come back, I miss my perks........and the money.
Kinky...
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: aitm on September 06, 2013, 10:19:05 PM
:rollin:

yeah, that didn't come out quite right...
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: PopeyesPappy on September 06, 2013, 10:22:01 PM
Quote from: "aitm"I normally run medium to large construction projects (8-30mil) but currently forced to diddle in dinky shit. Hope the economy starts to come back, I miss my perks........and the money.
I tried to get you come you to come to Texas, but no... You'd miss your puppies. Now I'm about to ad a $6M plus up to my $13M contract and still no aitm to keep the electricians and plumbers on schedule and under budget.

 #-o
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: mykcob4 on September 06, 2013, 10:22:02 PM
I have no idea why anyone would actually want to know but I and 3 friends sell computer hardware to mom and pop computer shops across the country.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: aitm on September 06, 2013, 10:31:10 PM
Quote from: "PopeyesPappy"
Quote from: "aitm"I normally run medium to large construction projects (8-30mil) but currently forced to diddle in dinky shit. Hope the economy starts to come back, I miss my perks........and the money.
I tried to get you come you to come to Texas, but no... You'd miss your puppies. Now I'm about to ad a $6M plus up to my $13M contract and still no aitm to keep the electricians and plumbers on schedule and under budget.

 #-o

I did my 12 years in Texas, I ain't a going back!
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: PopeyesPappy on September 06, 2013, 10:34:22 PM
That's what I said 30 years ago yet that's where I've spent 90% of my time for the last year and half.

  :-?
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: MrsSassyPants on September 06, 2013, 10:41:28 PM
The reason I want to know what people do is bc when I see your screen name I want to be able to draw your face in my mind clearly.  Lol.  Buy really I am interested honestly.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Youssuf Ramadan on September 07, 2013, 04:19:53 AM
Quote from: "surly74"yes they should be but not at the expense of crippling debt load you can't hope to pay off at then end because there are no career prospects at the finish line.

Itunes U has the same courses at actual universities that people pay thousands of dollars to attend. Life in the Universe course from Ohio State University. Critial Thinking course from Oxford. This isn't exactly type writer repair from the St. Louis Adult learning center.

You can learn all you want, it doesn't end once you leave college but when you do leave college you should have the foundation and skills to build a career, and that all depends on what you take. College is usually four years, maybe a bit longer. The rest of someone's life is alot longer, lots of time to take a course on Russian Lit if you want.

It takes a long time to pay off student debt working at Starbucks and that English, Art History, or Philosophy degree will really come in handy making coffee or waiting tables.

I totally understand where you are coming from, I just disagree on the idea that a degree should just be career oriented.  If someone wants to rack up some debt on something they are interested in rather than something that will get them into a job that they may not even like, then that's entirely up to them.

You're exactly right about learning being for life, too.  There are a lot of options now and I for one like to keep exercising the grey matter.  Once you get out of the habit of learning it can be a bit daunting getting back into it.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: hillbillyatheist on September 07, 2013, 02:08:58 PM
thing is most people don't just choose to go in debt to just to learn stuff. Hell, thanks to the internet you can learn almost anything now for free.

I went college thinking it would put me on easy street. I was young and naive.

now I owe 50,000 dollars on a useless degree.

99% of people go to college to get good jobs and think a college degree will achieve that goal

Turns out unless you get a marketable skill you're fucked. learning philosophy might be nice, but unless you get a doctorate and become a professor you're not going to obtain any skill that will get you a nice paying job.

and if you're content with a low wage job thats fine but in that case, just get on the internet or hit your local library and save your damned money.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Youssuf Ramadan on September 10, 2013, 01:16:00 PM
It pissed me off enormously that the Open University decided to jack its fees up at the same time as the established universities, especially when there is very little actual tuition.  How can they justify adding tuition fees when there is little to no tuition? Fuckers....
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: ParaGoomba Slayer on September 11, 2013, 02:36:27 PM
I deliver mail for the USPS. 6 days a week at $15 an hour. Since I'm not a regular mail carrier with a regular route (yet), I usually end up doing a different route every day with an hour of extra, so I get a ton of hours. It's hell, but the pay is good and I can finally feel justified singing along to Somebody to Love by Queen.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Satt on September 11, 2013, 02:46:04 PM
I am an electrical engineer at a power company. I design power plant systems and manage projects.

May FSM bless you in your careers with the touch of His noodley appendage.  :fsm:
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Bobbotov on September 11, 2013, 07:17:46 PM
I am retired. Worked for an electronics manufacturer for 23 years as a managing Director. Now I am a full time curmudgeon with three dogs and five cats.

Retirement is great and I highly recommend it. I spend my time making music and reading the thousands of books I have accumulated over the years. For those interested I have an album out: Mirages (//http://areciborecords.bandcamp.com/album/mirages)
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Mermaid on September 11, 2013, 08:04:40 PM
Quote from: "ParaGoomba Slayer"I deliver mail for the USPS. 6 days a week at $15 an hour. Since I'm not a regular mail carrier with a regular route (yet), I usually end up doing a different route every day with an hour of extra, so I get a ton of hours. It's hell, but the pay is good and I can finally feel justified singing along to Somebody to Love by Queen.
Is it really hell? I always wondered what that job was like. What's hellish about it? Do you do a lot of walking?
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: ParaGoomba Slayer on September 11, 2013, 09:18:55 PM
Quote from: "Mermaid"
Quote from: "ParaGoomba Slayer"I deliver mail for the USPS. 6 days a week at $15 an hour. Since I'm not a regular mail carrier with a regular route (yet), I usually end up doing a different route every day with an hour of extra, so I get a ton of hours. It's hell, but the pay is good and I can finally feel justified singing along to Somebody to Love by Queen.
Is it really hell? I always wondered what that job was like. What's hellish about it? Do you do a lot of walking?

The job is made harder when:

1.) You haven't done the route before and you're not familiar with it. Especially businesses, delivering mail to large ones is hell because you have no clue where they accept their mail. Front desk? Loading dock? Mail room? God forbid they just put a mail box out front.

2.) Mondays, since mail is heaviest on Mondays.

(//https://www.save.com/dotAsset/1085b57d-bb5c-41a7-9bb3-83ca71bdd5e0.png)

3.) ^^^^ Monday and Tuesday, when you have "Marriage Mail" to deliver. That's that red plum sales paper junk mail shit. Heavy crap that you have to lug around with you that goes to every residential address. This means that EVERY address on your route now has mail that goes to it, as opposed to only most/some of your addresses getting mail.

4.) The weather. Rain not so much if you have proper gear, but the heat sometimes is just terrible. Haven't done winter yet.

5.) Depends where you deliver mail. In my office most of it is walking, but in other nearby one's I've worked at it's been mostly mounted. Mounted is physically easier, but you get more addresses and mail so it'll take just as long to do a mounted route as a walking one.

6.) When you get extra. If you finish your route early, you'll likely get sent back out to help someone else. If someone calls in sick, then the route has to be split up amongst 5-6 different people in usually ~1 hour pieces.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Samabq on September 26, 2013, 11:38:18 PM
I did 24 years as a cop,retired now and enjoying life.I saw and did many things as a cop but,just glad I didn't get shot and didn't have to shoot anyone.Mission acomplished!
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Tabula Rasa on September 28, 2013, 07:33:58 PM
Quote from: "stromboli"The best job I ever had was as a janitor, because the boss was a nice guy and trusted me to do my job, and left me alone. Got paid peanuts, but it was actually a very enjoyable job. go figure.

I do commercial office cleaning (janitorial work), and I love it! The ironic thing for me is that I have a Master's in Education. I use my degree during the day to give educational support to college students who are transitioning into the workforce. Occasionally, I substitute teach at a private school. I clean offices on weeknights and Sunday mornings (great and legit excuse for missing church).  :-D
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Mermaid on September 28, 2013, 07:40:38 PM
Quote from: "Tabula Rasa"
Quote from: "stromboli"The best job I ever had was as a janitor, because the boss was a nice guy and trusted me to do my job, and left me alone. Got paid peanuts, but it was actually a very enjoyable job. go figure.

I do commercial office cleaning (janitorial work), and I love it! The ironic thing for me is that I have a Master's in Education. I use my degree during the day to give educational support to college students who are transitioning into the workforce. Occasionally, I substitute teach at a private school. I clean offices on weeknights and Sunday mornings (great and legit excuse for missing church).  :-D
There has to be something satisfying about janitorial work. Sometimes I wonder if I wasn't cut out for that rather than what I do.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Smartmarzipan on October 01, 2013, 06:01:03 PM
Hostess/Cashier at a chain restaurant. It sucks, but I've had worse jobs. I've been thinking about going back to college for years and finishing up my BS, but it's just so much money and there's not guarantee I could get a decent job in my field (environmental science) in the rural area I live in. So...minimum wage slave it is. I'm mostly happy, so it doesn't bother me much. It keeps you humble though, that's for sure. Everyone should work a retail/service job once in their life.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Mermaid on October 01, 2013, 08:49:20 PM
How much more school do you have to go, Smarzy? Having a BS would open a lot of doors for you if you feel your options are limited.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Smartmarzipan on October 02, 2013, 08:57:11 AM
Quote from: "Mermaid"How much more school do you have to go, Smarzy? Having a BS would open a lot of doors for you if you feel your options are limited.

Two full years. I'm still paying off loans at the moment.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: crippledatheist on October 02, 2013, 08:58:12 PM
So what do I do for a living? I actually have 3jobs. The first I am certified sprint technician. I am also an amateur tournament bass fisherman. I am also president and founder of Atheists of Northern Indiana. We are the only atheist non-profit group in Indiana.

You can check out our website at //aoni2012.webs.com
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: MrsSassyPants on October 02, 2013, 09:44:00 PM
No such thing as "non profit.".  I'm a hotel manager.  It kinda sucks and the pay sucks too.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: PopeyesPappy on October 02, 2013, 11:09:38 PM
Quote from: "fingerscrossed2013"No such thing as "non profit."
Bullshit
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: SilentFutility on October 04, 2013, 05:34:06 AM
Quote from: "fingerscrossed2013"No such thing as "non profit.".  I'm a hotel manager.  It kinda sucks and the pay sucks too.
Here, let me google that for you. (//http://lmgtfy.com/?q=non-profit)
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: PickelledEggs on October 04, 2013, 08:45:44 AM
I've had many shitty jobs. How I was never fired, I'll never know.

As of now I am a full time artist and a part time delivery service CSR

The delivery service gig is only about 6 or so hrs a week to add a little bit of extra money to my income, and get me out of the house.... otherwise I lock myself in the studio binging on anime while I work on my artwork.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Woody on October 04, 2013, 10:45:05 PM
I'm a lineworker, high voltage. Ladies show yer bombz now!  :-D
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: MrsSassyPants on October 04, 2013, 11:06:13 PM
For any business or charity venture, there will be a profit in mind. I don't believe it no matter what google says.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: PopeyesPappy on October 04, 2013, 11:23:48 PM
Well fingers I've been involved in several non profit animal rescue groups and I can assure you that the goal of those groups was to place animals in homes and not to make a profit. Furthermore those groups made no profit. In fact all of them needed the people that were part of the group to spend their own money on necessities like food and medical bills in order for the groups to survive.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: MrsSassyPants on October 04, 2013, 11:33:40 PM
I just have a hard time believing in that for some reason   I'm cynical.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: PopeyesPappy on October 04, 2013, 11:58:30 PM
Your profile says east tennessee. Get in touch with the greyhound rescue group in knoxville and ask them how much profit they make.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Plu on October 05, 2013, 06:51:31 AM
I don't know about the US but here we have business types that are legally not allowed to turn a profit, so it's fairly easy for me to believe they exist. These companies are required to invest 100% of their excess income back into their own organisation and are not allowed to pay their people over a certain (low) amount.

They really have no choice but to act like a non-profit, and there's plenty of them.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: entropy on October 05, 2013, 04:44:40 PM
Seeing the discussions about whether going to college should be about studying whatever you are interested in or about learning things that will enable you to have an economically successful career tickled me a little bit. It tickled me because if the conversation had happened in the late 60's/early 70's when I first went to college, a LOT of the conversation would be about how being in college kept you out of the military draft. That sure was a big motivation for me.

Unfortunately, my draft lottery number was "5" (because my birthday was "pulled out of the pile" on the fifth pull) so I knew that I would be drafted very shortly after getting my degree. At that time, about 200 guys a week were being killed in Vietnam so knowing I would get drafted tended to make me pretty fatalistic about what would happen after graduation. I thought, what the hell, if I'm going to get drafted and sent to Vietnam to get killed then I'm not going to worry about getting a degree in something that will lead me to a great career. I took a basic course in philosophy for my general education requirements and really liked it, so I became a philosophy major (minored in religion and sociology).

I graduated with a B.A. in philosophy and got drafted. I wasn't sent to Vietnam and I didn't die and then I got out. I bounced around working part time gigs - mostly worked in a home for emotionally disturbed adolescents - until I realized I had my G.I. Bill college benefits, so I went back to college. I thought about going for a masters degree but I had seen some of the ridiculous hoop jumping some of my friends had to go through to get their masters and I didn't want to do that so I decided to go for another bachelor's degree. I started out studying electrical engineering but my interests tend to be really broad so I found that major to be too constricting. Then I discovered an agronomy program at Cal Poly. It was great! I took classes that varied from organic chemistry to surveying to plant pathology to welding. It seemed like it would be practical to get a B.S. degree in agronomy, but after I graduated I discovered that the only jobs available were in the federal government doing things like grain inspection services which I wasn't too excited about doing. Oops.

I still had some G.I. Bill benefits left so I decided to try getting a teaching credential since I knew I liked working with kids from my time working in the home for emotionally disturbed adolescents. I did get the credential and spent almost 30 years teaching middle school science. I was fortunate enough to get a position teaching all kinds of sciences in a new middle school for gifted (high I.Q. - 130 and above) kids. I was given a lot of freedom to form the curriculum. My natural teaching style is Socratic dialogue which works well with gifted kids. They love being asked challenging questions! Unfortunately, over the last several years there has been a huge push to get every teacher to be doing the same thing at the same time in the same way. Uhg. I just ignored the trend for a long time and got by with a lot of passive resistance. But eventually the school district administration began to seriously take away my autonomy. I didn't really want to retire so early, but I figured out that I could trim back my lifestyle enough to make it, so I bailed. I miss the kids but I don't miss grading papers and I sure as heck don't miss administrators trying to tell me how to do my job when I knew I was already doing high quality teaching (in fact, what they were forcing me to do made my teaching worse). To me, teaching is an art and a craft and they were trying to make it like a factory line job.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Mmm on November 13, 2013, 09:14:29 PM
Chilling, but it's good to like something one self like, that's nice.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: dgirl1986 on November 19, 2013, 07:05:30 PM
I write technical documentation and work instructions for the IT department of a sect of state government. Most boring job ever lol. I hope to go into psychology though.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: AllPurposeAtheist on November 19, 2013, 07:30:59 PM
A sect of state gubnit? Which religion?
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Solitary on November 19, 2013, 07:59:37 PM
Quote from: "AtheTurk"
Quote from: "Solitary"Being a judge is a perfect job for an atheist that listens to evidence instead of faulty logic that lawyers use to win a case instead of getting to the truth of the matter at hand.  =D>  Good choice! Solitary

very thank you your spiritual! support to me.

and thank the Net for giving the chance us for communicating.

what do you think about age for embark to life. as age.

my social enviroment insistence that you must work and earn money.

but my dreams are different.

what dou u think?

what u think is important for me.


Are you kidding, what I think is important? I'm humbled for the first time in my life.  :oops:  If one has a job they love and get benefits and a wage you can live on it is better than one you hate no matter what the pay. I've done both, unfortunately the one I loved didn't have any benefits or retirement. I did a test on the internet that showed what your profession should be and mine showed I should be a judge. I never really thought about because I never really knew what I wanted to do because I was just trying to survive. I'm really happy now that I don't have to be under anyone else's control, but now I'm too old to enjoy all the things I did when I was younger and able. There's more to life than work unless work is your life and you love it. Thanks for making my day.  8-)   :)  Solitary
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: Brian37 on November 20, 2013, 02:29:46 PM
I am the best fucking dishwasher on the east coast! AND damned proud of it! Used to be the best pizza box folder at my last job. I had bundle folding races with other employees who thought they could take me, beat everyone of them. 50 boxes per bundle, the closest one got was 3 behind me before I finished.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: leo on November 21, 2013, 12:55:06 PM
I hate my shitty job.
Title: Re: What do you do for a living?
Post by: missingnocchi on November 21, 2013, 01:05:04 PM
Quote from: "leo"I hate my shitty job.
Is posting in the "last post wins" thread really that bad?