What Do You Do?

[MingsRevenge]

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.

 

[D7E]

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 .

 

[foreman Etexas]

I check gas wells for Marathon Oil Company 8days on 6days off(local) and a 365 farmer/rancher.....

 

[rsewill]

Interesting how many on this forum have worked for the government at some point in their lives.

 

[treman]

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.

 

[Don87]

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.

 

[okclumberjack]

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.

 

[Turbys_1700]

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...

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Navy Submarines A-Gang. (Machinist Mate).

Ming,

ET2/ss USS Bluefish SSN675 here.

Welcome to TBN fellow bubblehead!

David

 

[Mike476]

At age 13 started wet-sanding / taping off cars for my father to paint. At 16 pumped gas at a garage dad was working at as a mechanic on the side, he was in the RCAF as an aviation mech. After high school I started my mechanics apprenticeship and worked at a garage my father owned, but after two years of working in a pit 6 days a week I joined the RCAF as an aviation tech myself.

That was over 30 years ago, am still trying to decide what I want to do on retirement in a few years.

 

[irvingj]

Started out hanging around step-dad's auto mechanic shop at 14, built the engine for his XK-120 at 17. Tried college several times but found that it didn't agree with me.... too inefficient. Lottsa credits, no degrees. Started out as a math major. Spent 3 years as a Chinese translator for the USArmy (ASA), 1969-1972. Stationed in Japan 1970-72. More "mechanic-ing" after I got out of the Army. After another stint at college (Monterey Institute, Chinese/Asian Studies) in the mid-70s, I dropped out and then spent a year and a half repairing pinball machines, vending machines, and early electronic games. Got into HVAC in 1979, stayed with that until 1990. A few more college courses, then lost interest again. Have been an educational assistant for the past 20 years at a local middle school, mostly teaching/tutoring math, occasionally teaching Chinese. Still do just about all of my own auto/motorcycle repairs, now learning about 56-year-old airplanes. Hoping to retire within a few years.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I grew up on a farm, got a job with Brown and Root,Inc at 18 in 1968 and worked up to welder then got drafted into the army, then hardship discharged to go back to the farm when Dad had heart attack. Stuck with farming till Dad retired then went back to B&R as a welder then supervisor and then Quality Assurance Manager on heavy construction of Power Boilers and Petro-Chem plants. Worked stateside till 1980 then went to work in Saudi Arabia, then Venezuela and then back to the states to raise the family. The last 12 years I have worked foreign service jobs with KBR (formerly Brown and Root) in Canada, U.K, Peru, Mexico, Nigeria and Algeria. Retired in June last year and was enjoying retirement till Dec when KBR wanted me to come to Algeria for a 2 month assignment. I am still here but hope to go back to full retirement soon. Got a little 11.29 acre spread where I built my retirement home and raise a few chickens for eggs. I just bought some Pea fowl and may get into raising exotic birds for hobby when I finally get out of Algeria.

 

[Lt CHEG]

Currently I am a Special Agent working for the United States Government. Prior to this gig, I was a local police officer.

I am a chemical engineer by education. I also went on to qualify as a nuclear engineer. I worked professionally in the engineering field for the private sector, state, local and federal governments before realizing that what you do in engineering school is very different than actually working as an engineer. I don't really enjoy doing research, so I quickly decided that pursuing my PhD in the hopes of becoming an engineering professor someday was not likely to be a successful endeavor. So, since I always had an interest in law enforcement, and also enjoyed the public safety field as a volunteer firefighter, I figured might as well give it a try. The rest as they say is history. I do get to use some of my engineering skills in my current position which is cool, particularly when I get to train others which is something that I really enjoy.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Working as Navistar parts dept manager for the past 11 years , the 20 years before as a parts counter man. Funny thing is the parts manage themselves but the people ,

That's funny! :laughing:

 

[cowpatty]

Was enrolled in WYOTECH out of high school with dreams of being a high end auto mechanic....dad got sick so I hung around home instead. I ended up going to college nearby and got employment at the local bank. Worked my way up at the bank while getting my bachelors degree. Now I am a loan officer at the bank and have been there six years.

 

[RDrancher]

Started out working for a heavy equipment outfit back in 1974, then drove a concrete mixer for a few years. Got my concrete contractors license in 1987 and did that (both residential and commercial) until 2004 when I moved to Texas. I decided to stay as far away from concrete and employees as possible, so it took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to do. I got in with some ranch folks and hayed and worked cattle for awhile before starting my construction, grading and gravel driveway business here a few years ago. I haven't been completely successful at staying away from the concrete end of things but my business is exploding and I couldn't be happier!

 

[catskinner]

I work in a rare field now, I'm a factory worker in Michigan that relies on the products made local to make ours. :laughing:

 

[woodlandfarms]

I produce movies, commercials, tv shows and special venue projects. think of me as a general contractor, bring me your money, bring me your plans and I will get you a movie. Raised on a small farm in nw Wyoming, was exposed to farm life but as both parents taught didn't fully live it. Now playing catchup on all the things I have never learned and should have. Thank god for good neighbors who are tolerant of naivete

Carl

 

[brt]

I've been a full-time firefighter for 37 years (33 years with my current department). I can still keep up with the young bucks and frequently surprise them with my stamina, but it takes more recovery time (and beer!) than it did 20+ years ago. I'll be calling it done sometime this year. Can't wait to get started on that personal bucket list with no time constraints. That "Honey Do" list on the fridge gets longer every day now that more time to finish it will be available.

This forum is one of the best. Kind of like a bunch of guys sitting around in the garage and trying (sometime successfully) to solve all of the world's problems. Thanks for all of the great advice and problem-solving ideas.