What do you do for a living?

[KFunk]

I'm a scientist... or something like that. Finished a Master's in Zoology over at University of Hawaii doing neurobiology research on copepods (zooplankton that independently evolved myelin). Then I worked on a sketchy DARPA project to control the brains of hammerhead sharks. Then I moved back to Ohio and bounced around a couple research jobs. Currently I'm working on a major project to study diabetes, obesity, and aging using genetically engineered mice. This lab previously generated the growth hormone receptor knockout mouse, which is a fat dwarf of course, but its immune to Type 2 Diabetes, and it also turns out that it lives nearly twice as long as normal mice (holds the current record for lab mice). Right now we're currently trying to figure out how that accidentally 'cured' aging, and I've got about 5,000 mice being born over the next couple of days that are Tissue-specific knockouts (Growth hormone receptor knocked out of specific organs, instead of the whole mouse).

edit: Yeah, the research I've been doing sounds exciting, but it doesn't pay worth a crap. It's all grant-funded. Then there's unbelievable competition from other smart people that don't know what to do with their degrees. I'd probably get the same salary or more if I was the janitor in the same building.

But, I have flexible hours, relaxed work setting, good benefits, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I also have the peace of mind that my skills might really help people someday.

[POP3Y3]

I play drums for a living and used my 73 dd to haul gear (73 now gone, will use 76 when the snow clears). I play a small kit so they fit nicely in an o2.

When not playing drums I work 2-3 days a week doing computer repair/graphic design.

[Pancake]

Well aren't we a diverse

I'm in IT also. Stuck on the customer service/higher level help desk side in medical care right now. I've been in IT in various positions for over 10 years (mostly desktop and help desk); have yet to get drafted as anything more than the backup sys admin. Definately not a field I'd recommend to someone, there are too many people competing for far to few jobs thanks to mass outsourcing, and the hours if something does go wrong are ugly. On the plus side it's fun explaning to technophiles at work why you chose a carbureted car from the 70's instead of the typical WRX/Evo.

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm a retired English professor who's owned older BMW motorcycles for the past thirty years or so. Impressed by the quality and reliability of them, a number of years ago I started a restoration project on my 1972 2002 which, I hope, will be running this spring. Because of health problems, I've not ridden the bike much, a restored 1977 R75/7, just in case anyone's interested in it (pardon the commercial!)

[ifayeoh]

I have been fixing machines that make chips for the past 15 years, in the litho part of the process. Clean work i must say, prior to that i was in the Hotel business for about 10 years, then decided to go back to school(EET) and use the ol' noodle.

Pick something before something picks you.

Frank

[bmw_jeff]

Hey Frenchee. If you want to stay near home (Silicon Valley) then Engineering/IT is the best career path for location and money. I do specialized IT for Police/Fire operations in Mountain View. As others said, its not the best job (IT) but the pay is great and if you can get into gov't IT the hours are not bad, although I am on call 24/7. I'm more of a craftsman at heart, and would much rather work on remodeling (which I do to my own house on the side) or cars (ditto). However you can't have a very high standard of living in high-cost California with either so I'm sticking with IT since it pays the bills and I don't want to relocate to a cheaper state. I wish I had gotten an Engineering degree (mechanical or architecture) but I have trouble with the higher math

[thaddeussmith]

I skipped college and went straight into I.T. for about 9 years. Now I write technical sales content for RFP responses. I married a nurse, and between the two of us we do alright. She has easy hours ..I get to work from home most of the time.. for us, it's about quality of life.

and to you nurses and others in the medical field: I both commend and appreciate you greatly.

[12XU]

Having obtained my degree in mechanical engineering, I am now an unemployed bum. Woo

[biltwok2]

Another retiree here! Phew!

40 years for a major tire company, half in Product Design and Development, and half in Marketing. The transportation business will keep ones interest, whether it's race tires, passenger tires, or giant off road, and anything in between. Last assignment was managing CAD engineers to design tires molds and curing equipment.

Speaking of race tires, engineer for Indy cars, Trans Am, Can Am, and drag racing, along with many other areas. That was pretty cool, but extensive travel gets a bit much.

[nesky45]

I own a ServiceMaster Clean franchise. After graduating from college in 1973 in Ca, and moving to Oregon, I could not find a job. Finally got a job working for a franchise in Portland. (Job was advertized as a production supervisor trainee...when I got to the job the first day I found I was the production dept) Anyway, started as a carpet cleaner, found I enjoyed it, bought the franchise in Salem and have owned it for 30 years. I am now selling to my son-in-law. We have 25 employees. I found owning a business exhilarating, frustrating, scary, but always interesting. You are totally responsible for you actions. If you do it right you get rewarded, if you don't you face the consequences. It can also be financially rewarding.

That how I support my 2002 habit.

Good luck in your quest.

Craig

[sebandwhit]

During my summers in highschool I did auto detailing. Hard work but it was rewarding to see the finished product. I have been a real estate appraiser for the last almost 9 years. Was a great job until recently. Unfortunately would not recommend it to anyone anymore.

P.S. I still dont know what I want to do! If you get any good ideas let me know! lol

[JohnS]

I'm a Software Engineer / Systems Analyst. Degree in Computer Science U.C. Santa Cruz class of '85. Shortly after graduation and landing a job, I purchased my 1st BMW (1974 2002tii) which is still my daily driver to this day. Cheers,

--John

[bueller]

got my elementary education degree from baylor, taught in the public school for a year (4th grade), then taught outdoor education for 2 years (so much i miss about that, so much i don't), moved to colorado, was a speech therapist's assistant and property caretaker in the san juan moutnains, went back to school to get a speech degree, now teaching speech in a school district in rural northern colorado.

i've done my share of odd jobs--grocery checker, worked the backroom at target, delivered pizzas for dominoes, sold air conditioners/furnaces for trane, cleaned model homes, yardwork for the random people, etc.

my future ventures will be: children's author, my wife's photography business manager, playing in the mountains.

determine your god-given gift(s), what you're good at, what you're passionate about, do it.

matt (have determined my talents/gifts, now pursuing my passions)

[02for2]

Well, I started my career after undergraduate school making airborne deliveries for the US Navy - F4 Phantoms - and occasionally pick-ups :eek:- don't like pick-ups - pick-ups BAD!!

Afterwards, I returned to school and got a graduate degree. While in grad school started working in a hotel and stayed on, eventually managing them and later developing and building them - Intercontinental Hotel Chgo., JW Marriott in New Orleans, several Hyatt and Radisson Hotels, etc.

A casual conversation in an airport bar with a guy sitting next to me who was a principal in a small, unknown, search engine, soon to be named Yahoo (at the time the weirdest name for a co. I'd ever heard), resulted in my starting a small internet mktg. firm w/ 2 high school buddies reselling discounted search engine placement for their Overture mktg. div. to small-to-mid sized companies. 4 yrs. later, as founder and principal, I was able to go silent as a partner and concentrate on just living life and playing with cars.

But, I started working as a busboy at a country club at 13, worked at McDonald's for $0.90/hr. + all you can eat (remember having to go to Big Mac School to learn how to make it before it was introduced), worked 3rd shift in an all-night full service gas station (Januarys were fun - why is it that everyone buying gas after 2am only wants you to put $5 in the tank?), was a Bonded Courrier for 6 mos., was a janitor in a Baptist church (until they found out I was catholic), sold 7 piece quadraphonic stereos door-to-door (back-breaking work), spent 1 summer re-seeding trees for Blandon Paper Co. (more back-breaking work w/ mosquitos added for extra fun), spent 1 summer as a 'Pea Taster' for Green Giant in Le Sueur, MN - I sat on the line with a spoon and a bucket and took a scoop of peas from every 6th can going by, chewed them and then spit them out into the bucket - call me Mr. Excitement!

The point is, no one can tell you where life's path leads. You just start the journey. The common denominator of all successful people though is to do something you LOVE!!! This is often something you're going to be good at, and afterall you will spend at least a third of your life doing it. Do something you love and the money will take care of itself!

Best of Luck!

Cheers!

[cheaptoads]

i work for a small production/post production company in san francisco as an editor, animator, and occasionally compose music. we used to make a lot of "bonus feature" documentaries for dvd (films about films) but lately have been engaged more to finish local bay area documentaries.

my experience over the past couple of years is that an ability to be able to work things out, problem solve on your toes, has been invaluable in "this economy." a lot of people my age have jobs now where they are heaped with responsibility in spite of not a whole lot of experience, get paid less than the seasoned verterans, but can figure stuff out.

and taking apart a 37 year old bmw is an incredible meditational counterpart to troubleshooting computers!