What is your job/occupation/training?

Walt

Well-Known Member
Ok, I want to know my fellow AK'ers a bit better ... some of you I know pretty well from our days at AU, but there is a few new people around here I know little about.

But even for the regulars, tell us all what you do for a living, or what your current occupation is, or in the case of out-of-work, what your training background is ...

I'll start off ...

My training is Bachelor Degrees in Economics and History, but I have been in banking all my working life, specifically financial markets. I currently trade interest rate options for one of the larger banks' in Australia.

In the future I am hoping to be able to throttle back a bit and enjoy spending more time with my family and hobbies. So down the track would love to own my own small business (still looking for that idea tho') ...

And the rest of you?
 
Well you wouldn't know it by what I do, but my degree is in finance. I've spent over 20 years in electronics. Comes from growing up with a father who was an electronics instructor in the Air Force. Started out as an audio bench tech. Went through automotive engine and vehicle research, on to satellite tracking and combat DF and finally ended up in enterprise security and telecommunications convergence technology. So, from big ass carbon resistors and acid core solder to micro BGA and hot air solder reflow, I've been around the block. Speaking of which, where am I? I think I'm lost.
 
Well I was sticking wires into AC outlets from an early age :(

Air Force formalized my electronics training in Teletype/crypto maintenace. Then about 9 years of minicomputer field service engineeering and finally 22 years of process control electronics for a major oil company. Probably retire in 5-10 years but in no hurry as the existing 4 day 10 hour work shift feels like a part time job. ;) Have always enjoyed my work and felt amoung the lucky that really enjoys my job.
 
Okie dokie Walt, I was over at AU a lot. But you don't know me all so well. So here it is in a nutshell...

I thought I was gonna grow up in the automotive industry. Spent my youth heavily involved with it. I was very educated in the industry and attended the Plymouth Automotive Troubleshooting contest for two years in a row. (In it's time, that contest was a nationally known event held all around the country for high school kids. One had to work hard to be picked on the team of two representing their school.) From building small block Chevy's to bracket racing out at the local drap strip to working at the Chevrolet dealership. Yup, thought it was my life...But thank God things changed for me...

I changed directions in life at 22 years old and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was done with the politics and brown nosing at car dealerships. I hated it! To sum it up, I went to work as an apprentice electrician and from that, it allowed me to start my own business and make my own way. First as an electrical contractor licensed in the state of Arizona to my related field which is my passion. Lighting scene design and related control. It is the way of the future in how we live. Lots of baby boomers moving to the dry southwest and building beautiful homes. My interior and exterior lighting is something to see. With my natural artistic talent I really have a leg up on my competition and business is good.

Hey! My web site tells it all so I will shut up LOL

www.LightCompose.com
 
AS Degree Building Construction Technology
AS Degree Business Management
BS Business Administration

33 yrs old and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. :(

Just completed 6 yrs of college and am now looking for a job, before going to college I worked jobs like in warehouses and construction.

I also have a son who is 12yrs old who lives with me. Been with the current woman (not the mother of my son, oops forgot to pull out :p: ) for 10 yrs but ain't married.
 
Where do l start college graduate liberal arts; went to Algoma Steel main industry Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. It was suppose to be a summer job then teachers college. Well 9 years latter two kids,married l'm there for life,so l thought.

1982 the big layoff,first time unemployeed in my life. In the steel plant involed in the union steward, health and safety,( this point takes on some significant latter on in my story)

Applied in August of 1983 for a supervisers job in janitorial at a local collage me the union guy. First question asked was what did l know about cleaning.Without hesitation l answered "Not a hell of a lot,but you can teach me about cleaning ,here is what l can do to help the college."I knew the college was experiencing severe union management problems and l promised if given the opportunity l could bring labour peace.

My interview lasted a hour from 9 to 10 a.m. At 12.30 p.m. l was offered the job. Stayed there until 1990 and then applied at the local board of education for a superviser of carestaff job, got it,been there ever since. Enjoy working pays the bills and allows me to buy vintage audio-life is good.
 
Me well I am a schmuck. I dropped out at 15. Got a job at a local newspaper and have been a printer now for the last 20 years. sure beats flipping burgers. The shop I worked at went bust in Mid Sept and since then I have shifted my Ebayin into over drive !
Yeah I am sorry I didnt dinish school and I will kill the first one of my kids who dont graduate but I tell them as long as you Try and work hard and do your job no one can take sh*t away from you.

Dave
 
I was a drywall finisher for 3 years after high school. Then in 89 at 23 years old, I started work for a large grocery foodchain in their warehouse in portland maine as a selector. In 90 I moved to albany ny after being offered a position in the new warehouse being built here. I worked in that warehouse until 6/2001. I quit because they sold out to foodlion supermarket chain and flipped the warehouse upside down trying to save every dime they could. After 12 years with the same company I found myself unemployed. 33 years old. I vacationed for a year living on savings and then got a job delivering the local newspaper. Getting up at 4 am 7 days a week for a year or so really sucked. I quit and somehow fell into selling on ebay.

Here I am 35 years old ...with most of my days off ..."working" when I want and making enough $$ to pay the bills. Not planning on being a millionare but I am sure enjoying this right now!
 
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I am a librarian. I should be a cataloger, and a position as head cataloger is what got me to where I now live. About 4 or 5 years ago, in a city-wide budget crunch, my position was eliminated. I had the opportunity to become supervisor at a branch that had need of a supervisor. As a very shy type of person, this position doesn't best suit my personality, but I do enjoy helping people get what they're wanting, whether a good book to read or the stuff they need for that science report due tomorrow.
Before becoming a librarian, I taught highschool for about 5 years, and also had the fun of coaching football and track. I enjoyed most of the kids, and most of the parents ....
I've got a couple of big boxes full of research notes for a dissertation that never got written. Most of the ideas would still be original, but a stint at one of the national archives branches meant several phone discussions with a now-famous historian who has lately been revealed to have appropriated an idea or two or more in some of his popularizations. For me, that was during an internship with a really generous stipend, & I was full of myself & had just been tearing through grad school.
Well, along came writer's block or whatever one wishes to call a psych crash & burn. William Styron describes it very well.
Any-who, I live in a nice town, enjoy what I do, and will be going up to Minnesota tomorrow or the day after to see my niece get married--and me still out here lookin' for a gal that can put up with a cranky ol' geezer. Can't count it out!
 
I've mentioned before I'm a bean counter doing contract work mainly for my previous employer of 17 years , an oil company which will remained unnamed!;) This has allowed me to finish my CPA, indulge in this hobby and work on a business venture with some old friends. The business is based on a technology we have invented to improve sound recording. We've just had our international patent approved this week and we hope to attract some investors soon to enable us to do further research and development and secure further patents. My main role is to provide financial and commercial guidance and for the others to bounce ideas off.

41, and been "going steady" with a wonderful girl for the last 4 years. :)

Jack
 

Wasted me youth in front of various computers - from when I was younger than 10 till now even :D

Finished my final year of schooling in NZ having come out from South Africa. Went through Uni here - started off on a 4 year degree which would end me up with Honours. Decided to cut short and ended up with a BSc. Software Engineering.

Always wanted to do games programming, and was lucky enough to get a job as a programmer at NZ's only games company who are managing to be a full-time business (Sidhe Interactive).

A spare-time area of interest which gets me going every now and then is AI (Artificial Intelligence).. and most particularly Neural Networks.

-- And since ya'll went and said something about your existence in general aside from work heres a little extra edit:
Marital Status: Single. Im a computer geek remember? Generally girls make a concerted effort to stay away from me...
Religion: Christian - read me website for a writeup on this... (www.cryo-genix.net)
Hobbies: well.. listening to music. Self-taught classical guitar... 3 or 4 years or something now.
Age: *sigh*... this month I will be reaching the ripe old age of 23... has it really been this long ???

favourite band: ALPHAVILLE! (www.alphaville.de)
 
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I spend my days as the Internet Parts Manager for Ray Laks Acura/Honda/Daewoo in Buffalo NY....I operate the www.hondacuraworld.com website, which believe it or not has made us the #1 Acura accessories dealer in the United States, with sales of about $80,000 a month in internet alone.

I'm also moderator on 4 boards like this one for Acura/Honda vehicles, and I'm on 8 total forums. Don't ask me how somebody with a BS in accounting, a past Mensa member, and Dale Carnegie grad can end up here....but I love my job! :D
 
Don drywall? ewwww I hate drywall I see why you didn't stick with that!

Bully "kind of shy" I don't believe it!

Genix what games have you worked on? Any I would know? Got any demos?
 
My background is in electronics. Was trained in the U.S. Navy as a weapons radar technician. Spent 6 years serving our country from 1982 until 1988. I've lived in Chicago, Virginia Beach, Jacksonville and Philadelphia and travelled all over the world.

Got tired of the military life and applied for a job working telephone repair for a little company called Ameritech (now SBC). That was in 1988 and have been doing it ever since. I currently do MAC (moves, adds, changes) and repair work on smaller Electronic Key Systems and large PBX's (personal branch exchanges). These are basically business phone systems guys.

Haven't touched a radar in nearly 15 years. Sometimes a miss it, but only for a second really. Naval military life sucked hippo balls.

Take care everyone.
 
Acouple of comments, if you will allow me ...
The military does provide good training, that's obvious.
It is a small world, I have shoes older than GeniX, but I have heard of Sidhe, even though I have not played any pc games.
The concept of American secondary education probably needs a thorough-going overhaul--not with vouchers, but a deeper rethinking of the basic tenets of how and to what end we educate our teenagers. Every youngster is not served by a course of study that is a "preparatory" schooling to enable one to enter college.
We are (or should be) equal under law, but we are not equal in interests or abilities, and why should any stigma attach to any endeavor in which one may succeed?

oops, soapbox!!
 
I studied "Commercial Engineering" (Business Administration). My work experience has mainly been around a small family business that sell ceramics.

My work life here in chile hasa been TOUGH to say the least. This is a country where what matters is who you know and not much what you can potentially become. It sucks, but that's the way it is.

Unemployment for my career here in chile is HIGH, unless you are well conected, you'll have a tough time finding jobs.

I'm not worried though, as I have major plans - move out of this country and try life somewhere else...

Chris
 
I'm sort of in Grumpys boat. I graduated from high school at age 16. I was very good at school but I hated going there. I drifted about for about 2 yrs and went back to college to get a degree in Business Accounting. A messy breakup with my high school sweetheart led to me leaving school after 1 yr vowing to never return. I've been working at the same family owned restaurant for the past 15 yrs. Suffice to say its not brain surgery. My job is really like not going to work at all. Now I have a wife and soon to be 3 little ones. I can't see myself leaving anytime in the forseeable future. I'm not overpaid:mad: but my family doesn't want for anything either. IF I had it to do over again I would have stayed in school and at least gotten my degree. I know I could never work in an office setting( too stuffy for me) but at least I'd have the degree.


Mike
 


THOR - well the one that is the highest profile would be the downloadable soccer game from Adidas' site. Done as a promotional tool for the world cup.
 
Well, I'm gonna start with the early eighties (things can be blurry before that);) I got tired of the shirt and tie thing so I set out on my own. I've got a small resturaunt that pays the bills. I'm on my third wife (kept trading for a newer model, this one's a '69). Only have four chill'uns. The reason I have four is I don't want five!;)

Oops, I'm drifting off target. I've got a high school education and some college. I could've done better, that was during the "blurry years". By the time I grew up kids started coming :smsex: and it was time to get serious about making a living.

Thor, I wish I could've studied and partied at the same time. I didn't study. I'm happy so WTF:D
 
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