Whats your day job?

[neilyweely]

I was a High Court Officer for 8 years. Basically a bailiff dealing with large company debts. It was soul destroying, and after a while I got so sick of it I left on a whim and went back to college to learn the noble art of woodcraft. Went from earning, well, a lot, to earning nothing for three years. Found out who my friends were, and regained my sanity to boot (thats debateable!!). Then worked on old houses for 5 years, for nowt, to 'learn'. Hhhhhmmmm?
Now I am struggling to make ends meet as I am living in a money pit!! And trying to make something I love doing pay well.

As my ma said to me 'If you don't enjoy your work, it ain't workin!'

Been great reading 'bout all you techies!!! Boy, am I glad I went blue collar!!

cheers all.

Neil

 

[wizer]

It's great hearing the stories of those who have had the courage to go after their dream whatever the cost. I certainly don't have the bottle to do that. It's also funny that not one of the IT guys said they liked/loved/always wanted to do/can't wait to get back to the office/etc etc :roll: :lol:

I see a lot of IT guys coming into the industry now who are disillusioned from day 1. Very few are excited to be doing what they do. Even the programmers and web devs seem to be de-motivated.

 

[seanybaby]

I'm an underwater ceramics engineer

What is one of those?? :?

Potwasher :lol: :lol:

 

[DaveL]

I`m a drain technician, :roll: i won`t go into details, suffice to say once i`ve handled a tool, most folks wont touch it.
Not such a bad thing, once had my van broken into & they didn`t take a thing. :shock:

That reminds me of when I went round Aldermaston. Standing inside a test reactor the chap pointed out that their shadow board of tools was complete. Nobody ever took a tool from there.

 

[CHJ]

I was a High Court Officer for 8 years. Basically a bailiff dealing with large company debts. It was soul destroying, .....

Having had the 'pleasure' of spending 4 months as a juror (foreman) on a company fraud case at Bedford Crown Court I can sympathize, for me it was a like doing an intensive short course in higher education; learning about a whole new facet of life (and low life) that I was glad I did. The thought of having to repeatedly turn round and go through the same set of hoops to satisfy the system however would not appeal at all.

 

[Smudger]

My first post......

I'm a vet working mainly with cows

Welcome to the forum.
Woke up yesterday to find these staring over the fence...

Cute, but ultimately edible.

 

[Vormulac]

Cute, but ultimately edible.

:lol:

 

[lemonjeff]

Ex Gunsmith, designed and manufactured competition handguns, until 1997 then some freelance design on small arms, now I do freelance engineering CAD (mechanical). Boring stuff printing and packaging machinery which is very slow at the moment.

Jeff

 

[PAC1]

My first post as well!

When I left School I completed an apprenticeship as a Bench Joiner. That was in the late 70's early 80's. When I finished the apprenticeship I embarked on a further 12 years of part time and evening study and ended up qualifying as a Barrister. I deal with Construction disputes, which is actually very rewarding when you win a case and a builder or subcontractor is saved from ruin. However whenever I can I sneak off down to my workshop and make furniture. It is great therapy.

 

[mailee]

Let me be the first to welcome you to the forum Pac 1. I am sure you will enjoy your stay here.

 

[Oryxdesign]

Well I'm sort of a woodworker, it's mainly MDF veneered and painted but occasionally I get my hands on a real bit of timber. I have found myself getting into hand tools over the last few years and although I don't find myself using them professionally much I am enjoying myself.

 

[joiner_sim]

Well I'm sort of a woodworker, it's mainly MDF veneered and painted but occasionally I get my hands on a real bit of timber. I have found myself getting into hand tools over the last few years and although I don't find myself using them professionally much I am enjoying myself.

MDF is horrible once it gets dusty! But... some great pieces can be made out of MDF. Using your tools should be enjoyable. Its a skill many would like to have but don't bother.

 

[TheTiddles]

Lead Product Development Engineer, I recon the longer your job title the less important you are...

Aidan

 

[hpl]

I trained in furniture, worked in a basic joiner shop for about a year and after being out of a job in the late 80's started up on my own as a woodturner. I now turn about 50% of the time and then work on other furniture work, like some of the other guys on here using lots of sheet material, but I do get to use solid timbers quite a bit as well.

Johnny B

 

[Shultzy]

It's also funny that not one of the IT guys said they liked/loved/always wanted to do/can't wait to get back to the office/etc etc :roll: :lol:

Well Wizer I have to own up to enjoying every minute of my work in IT. I started in Civil Engineering in 1970, got involved with mainframes in '74, moved into IT fully in '85, retired in 2006 as they made me an offer I couldn't refuse

 

[wizer]

I joined at the start of the Windows 95 phenomenon and loved the buzz, constantly learning. I feel the industry has stagnated since XP settled in. Perhaps I am seeing it from a support POV.

 

[TrimTheKing]

My problem is, when I started in IT, in a Local Support role in 1997 I was constantly fixing things and on a massive learning curve and that was tremendously enjoyable for a young man. Two years ago I took over management of the team and since then I enjoy what I do (well, mostly the people that I do it with, so to speak), but I don't get any real sense of achievement or self satisfaction out of it any more.

Work to me is the thing I have to do to allow me to live my life the way I want to, nothing more than that.

Cheers

Mark

 

[Rich]

I'm not a techie but I'm thankful for it, after all I would'nt be able to chat to you good folks without it, but at the end of the day, a computer will not jump off of a desk and make one of LN's benches or mailee's cutlery services, if IT ended tomorrow, good and beautiful woodworking would still carry on, that's not to decry IT, just being practical.

Regards,

Rich.

 

[quickthorn]

I'm a self employed hedge layer and forestry contractor.

 

[harryc]

Really interesting thread this one, esp if you are nosey

I have sold my soul to the devil and work for the largest Pharma company in the world, the one that invented the little blue pill 8)

Harry