So... What do you do?

[aprilchem]

I'm a chemistry professor. I've been in my job for 12 years and started about a week after I got my Ph.D. I'm also a mom to three great kids (ages 4,6,8) and do a lot of science outreach in their schools.

PROS:

I have tenure, so I can't be fired from my job unless I don't do it properly or do something illegal or immoral. It's good job security!

I LOVE my students. I like working with young people and helping them find their calling.

I have a ton of time off - winter break, spring break, fall break, etc. I'm *mostly* off when my kids are off for the big breaks. I don't get the summers off, however.

Free college tuition for my kids.

CONS:

The pay is not great. I could make 2x+ more if I worked in industry as a chemist.

Sometimes it's very stressful. I've had to deal with helicopter parents, students who have threatened my life, etc.

All in all, I love my job and never really see myself leaving it!

 

[mill4023]

I'm a software developer.
I got a BS in Computer Science in 2001.
Spent 5 years working for Kodak at one of their manufacturing facilities.
Then 1 year with a commercial software company.
Then back to manufacturing with my current employer for the last 3 years.

Pros: It's extremely satisfying to see users/clients/customers using software that I personally designed and built, and to see how it helps them do their jobs more efficiently. I love it when our production people tell me how thrilled they are with the software I wrote.

Cons: Can sometimes be long hours when deadlines are approaching. It's easy to get burned out when spending hours or days trying to troubleshoot complex code.

Looks like I posted in this thread 3 years ago. I saw it pop up in my subscriptions and since I have a different job now, I figured I'd post again.
I spent 2 more years in the last job I mentioned, then about a year ago, I decided it was time for a change.

I'm now a Solution Technical Lead with a software company that primarily sells MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) and QC (Quality Control) software. This was the perfect progression for someone like me with years of development experience specific to manufacturing.

We have a core out of the box system that can be customized for each customer. So my job is to work with the customer on designing each custom component, testing the components and overall system, and training, troubleshooting, and general consulting. I'm the primary contact for the customer for anything and everything related to the project, so in addition to the design and consulting work, I also end up doing a decent amount of project management work and working as an intermediary between the customer and the developers who are actually building the components I designed.

When I'm not an an active customer project, I do a variety of other things such as working on development of new functionality for our products, developing education materials, and teaching classes to other employees and customers.

I love the job. It's a great company with great people. I enjoy working directly with our customers. And after spending years writing code, it's really nice to be able to move into more of the big picture work, designing the system and it's components instead of being the one to do the actual code writing.

Pros:
Satisfaction of working directly with customers and seeing the successful results of my work.
Varied and interesting work, so I never get bored.
Travel - I've had the opportunity to go to Italy 4 times this year and will have the opportunity to go to a number of different locations through the US, Europe, and possibly Asia in the future.
The pay is substantially higher than what I was doing before.
I can work from home most of the time when I'm not traveling.
Frequent flyer miles are starting to add up. I got 36000 miles in 6 months on my first project

Cons:
There can sometimes be long hours and high stress. Our company has a very good reputation with our customers and we want to keep it, so we do whatever it takes to keep the customer happy and meet our deadlines.
Travel - Being away from family for up to 2 weeks at a time is really hard and 15 hour travel days are exhausting.

 

[brookepleins]

I am a mortgage underwriter. You can start as a mortgage processor or closer and work your way up into underwriting. There aren't any certificates or special school required usually. It pays well and you get the satisfaction of helping a family into a house or helping them save money on a refinance but it can be extremely stressful and is VERY detail oriented.

 

[NFLDERS]

Retired since '05 from the Insurance Industry (Underwriter).

 

[NFLDERS]

Retired since '05 from the Insurance Industry (Underwriter).

 

[heartsy77]

I am nurse of 2 1/2 years, a daycare provider of 11 years and a perpetual college student of 6 years .

I went to nursing school for two years and you need a to take a Nclex exam to be licensed. I am a home health nurse now and I like it! It's challenging sometimes going into people's homes, but I still like it !

You also need a license to be daycare provider, at least here in NY. I am 3 credits short of a degree in Human services which I'm finishing this spring.

After that I will continue on my nursing degree advancement.

 

[mrodgers]

How many of you guys stayed at Pop Century in 2010?

If you stayed at Pop Century in 2010, you probably saw the big pile of what looked like giant Lego blocks outside of the building. Here's a picture of them.

I had to take a picture of them when we went because I emailed the 2 sales guys I regularly work with to say thanks. I drove 1100 miles for almost 20 hours through 7 states to get away from work and the very first thing I see upon getting out of the car is.... WORK!

I made those Lego blocks, or at least I made the material for them. The blocks are molded out of foam polypropylene (think Styrofoam, but much stronger.) They are called Gorilla Blocks and are (were) molded in Mexico but the foam polypropylene beads I manufactured. I work in foam manufacturing working in the R&D department and aside from 2 other coworkers occasionally helping out, I am the only one who makes the colored beads (the colors are specialty materials, normal is just black and white.)

Those particular blocks are made from our initial trials when we started producing colors. The blocks that are speckled yellow and blue came from us mixing the 2 colors for another customer that fell through so we sent that material to the Mexico plant and they used it in the blocks.

I just googled "Gorilla Blocks" just out of curiosity and did not know they were still currently for sale. They aren't cheap. A 66 piece set of blocks are available at Amazon for $139!

 

[Liberty Belle]

Very cool (I always call you Mr. Rodgers in my head, btw).

I'm currently unemployed. My last position was as a Patient Representative. I screened people (in the hospital and in their homes) for Medicaid and Disability. Before that I was a para for 4 years working, primarily, with kids with autism and behavioral and emotional disabilities (and learning disabilities).

I have a job interview with the state as a Family Support Specialist on Dec 17th. Wish me luck, please!

 

[luvmikids]

Good luck^^

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Good luck!

 

[lauradis]

Supper de dupper good luck

 

[Jennasis]

I own my own business. A horse boarding/training/lesson barn. I am a full time manager of the farm and the head riding instructor/trainer. O work 60+ hours per week. Prior to this I was a full-time photog for a New York area news station (a "cameraman"). I went to college to study broadcast, graduated magna cum laude and went right to work at the station. Loved the work, loved the people...was getting blocked by management from moving up so I bailed and went to do something I was passionate about after 7 years of faithful service (and an Emmy nomination!). HUGE risk!

The farm is doing great (coming up on 11 years!). I also work PT (for fun and relaxation a few hours a week at a local gov't office). In my "spare" time I coach the Special Olympic team here locally.

 

[PigletsPal2]

For the past ten years, I've done as little as possible - I'm retired.

I was a secretary for 35 years, albeit under different titles: Secretary, Admin Assistant, Executive Assistant. The fancier the title, the higher the salary!

My training was high school "commercial" courses - shorthand, typing, bookkeeping, office machines, office management, etc. This training was supplemented by OJT and classes offered by my employers. I had one semester of college.

I worked for a travel agency, a physician, a college administrator, and my favorite, for the State Department. I got the job w/State when my DH got an overseas assignment and the office needed a part-time secretary. I was on site, qualified and eager to work. The second-best decision I ever made. Working for State satisfied my wanderlust, exposed me to sights and gave me experiences I would never have had otherwise, taught me to function in two additional languages, and allowed me to live in ten different countries and visit maybe three dozen more.

I desperately miss that lifestyle and kind of regret that I retired at 56 years old. DH reminds me that I'd still be retired now as it's mandatory at 65.

I had a wonderful career and wouldn't have traded it for anything.

Queen Colleen

 

[DisneyDreamer2504]

I'm a SAHW....on paper. According to the paperwork DH is employed and I am unemployed, but as a superintendent it's a team effort. I haul trash, work with contractors, deal with tenants issues and am otherwise available 24/7 just like DH. I have a degree in hospitality and worked in a hotel until 2 years ago, when my job became more stress than it was worth. Still hoping to get another job to supplement the income soon, but in the mean time there plenty to do. We're comfortable and happy....wish my dad would stop reminding me I don't have an actual job though.

 

[luvsJack]

Wow, went back and read what I posted when this thread started. Things have changed.

I am still at the community college. But, was promoted to Secretary for the Vice President. The person over admissions on our campus is retiring next year and they are wanting to train me for that position. It would be a good opportunity and a great raise!!

Teaching, although I really thought it was what I wanted, just didn't pan out. There have been so many changes and so many things that made it just not seem right. Some of the people I have admired most as an elementary teacher have gotten out of the profession and just simply don't advise getting into it. With the opportunities I have where I am and dd's free tuition, there isn't enough difference in the pay to justify it. So I made the decision to work with children at church and stay put in my work. I do love my job and things have changed in the way I can work with students.