What Do You Do?

   / What Do You Do? #61  
Navy Submarines A-Gang. (Machinist Mate).
Welder after that. I am pretty sure I worked at most major oil field companies in one way or another. R&D department of Halliburton for a bit.
Since about 97 I've been working on computers. Network security engineer now. Mostly firewalls, switches, application load balancing equipment. Some server work when I have to. Tonight, I'm sitting in a data center working on VMware and a SAN environment while waiting for HP firmware to finish updating. It's like watching paint dry. But...this is what pays for my tractor.
 
   / What Do You Do? #62  
Mainly 1400 acre grain farm with 200 acres hay on the side and 300 odd custom combining for neighbours , Logging and snow removal in winter , Buy sell tractors .
Spent a lot of time in teens and early twenties driving backhoes /excavators part time and working large custom manure spreading/potato planting/silage crews when our acres were smaller . Had a brief period as a tractor driving instructor :), Have farmed in Wales / Scotland and canada .
 
   / What Do You Do? #63  
I check gas wells for Marathon Oil Company 8days on 6days off(local) and a 365 farmer/rancher.....
 
   / What Do You Do? #64  
Interesting how many on this forum have worked for the government at some point in their lives.
 
   / What Do You Do? #65  
Grandfather and great uncle built a boarding/training/grooming kennel for canines back in the early 40s father took over the day to day and I worked there for as long as i can remember up until My parents sold in 2000 ( I think I've picked up more dog crap than you could imagine).
After college I went and worked as an Arborist/climber for a couple years, now I work In land maintenance/management as a subcontractor at a federal lab. Tree work, snow removal, mowing, roads maintenance, maintain and run a small "herd" (less than 30 used to be 150+)of bison and alot of ecological restoration and prescribed fire. We also do all the ag contract support(fence line work and field tile repair/install) our site is almost 7000 acres, If you didn't know it you would have no idea you were in the west suburbs of Chicago. Its like a whole other world once your past the guard shack.
 
   / What Do You Do? #66  
Currently an over-the-road-trucker. I've done everything from cleaning toilets to building houses. sawmills to logging. Mechanic to cook. heavy equipment to pushmowers.
 
   / What Do You Do? #67  
My original life plan was to join the USAF as an MP, take college on the GI bill, then join the US Marshal's, however, a fairly serious accident when I was 17 left me with injuries that made me undesireable to the USAF. So, after high school I did some college and worked for a division of Zale's selling firearms and sporting goods. After a couple of years I decided to go into auto parts sales at the dealership level, and did that until Nov of 2008. By that time I was getting fed up with the 'politics' in the dealerships, as single owner shops are becoming a thing of the past and most dealerships are corporate owned now (at least the ones in large metro areas where you can make an attractive wage).

So at age 51 I retired, and to fill my time I opened a small engine repair shop, doing yard equipment, and light motorcycle and boat repairs, figuring that I would work 3-4 days a week. By May 2010 I was open 6 days a week, but working in the shop 7 days, 8-10 billable hours a day trying to keep up. Old story, too much for 1 man, not enough to afford to have an employee.

July 2010 I got a call from a small motorcycle dealer looking for a partsman, so went to work for them and shutting down my shop. Ended up as service manager and bike sales instead. Did that until Dec 2011 when the joys of working at a 7 person shop, with 3 of them being active owners with different ideas, sucked all pleasure out of the job.

Retired again to reopen my own shop again (in March) and keep it on a smaller scale, but before I could do that my BIL decided to open a franchise HVAC company. So, in a couple of weeks I'll go to corporate in Waco for some training, and first part of May go to KC for a few months or years to help him open up and get rolling.

Sorry for being so lengthy in my response, but that's just my way.

Ken
 
   / What Do You Do? #68  
RN since 1993 that stands for registered Nut or rectal nusiance how ever you want to look @ it, ICU ER just about seen it all.
 
   / What Do You Do? #69  
Worked in the furniture industry for 12 years...
Have taught full time in the community college system now for 18 years...
I was laid off one time for 6 weeks before going back to work at the company I left to go to another company...
I have really been blessed and fortunate...
In 7 years I will be 60 and can take retirement in the state system with 25 years...
That's the goal but I have a great job that I may stay on with until I am 65 or 70...
My outlook may change as I age or health concerns take over, but right now I want to work long as I can...
I have a great job, good income, great benefits, and live comfortably...
I have seen people retire too early and then struggle to make ends meet...
We have one instructor that works three days a week part time and is 75 and in good health...
Helps in the writing center and he is really good...
He told me that working keeps his mind working and young...
I hope that I can work like him into my 70's also...
 
   / What Do You Do? #70  
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