What job do you do?

[Bean]

I'm an Engineer, mostly mechanical but I also do a bit of application programming, tool/machine design and process improvement not to mention cost control. Its the benifit of working for a small global multinational company :roll: ............oh yes i also try to do some work as a youth leader when i'm not wood working

Bean

 

[DAZB]

Good old fashioned honest and hard working Joiner. Became a fully skilled Slater & Tiler after leaving school and moved into Joinery after 5 years . Self taught and 12 years later I've got my own construction company with a team of 6 tradesmen and do everything from Joinery through to Decorating working mainly for 3-4 certain Property Developers who give me 80% of my work right now. I also buy and renovate property for my own means and have a 5 bed detached house which I rent out ( I call it my pension fund ). I have a Workshop which is kitted out with all the machinery for window and kitchen manufacture too but I haven't had much time in it of late. I hope , in the New year , to keep a Bench Hand Joiner busy making windows , doors , kitchens etc...

 

[chiba]

Write Java on Oracle and manage a development team building websites for a financial company in Tokyo. Currently looking to move to back to the UK and find a job in the country someplace, because 7+ years of concrete life has finally (and quite unexpectedly) got to me. :shock: Need some green! PM me if you're hiring... :wink:

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Well, I used to be a furniture designer and maker full time. I showed, and still show my work in galleries and the like, and continue to build to order when I feel in the mood and the price is right. There are advantages to being an amateur I've discovered-- such as being choosy about what work and clients I take on.

I closed my business in the US to move back to the UK to take up a job offer teaching the subject full time-- there's only so much of life in America a full blooded Brit can take, ha, ha.

Now I do designing and making on the side to suit my full-time work, and write articles on the subject from time to time.

I often think that being a self employed designer/maker is easier than teaching. It's almost certainly less work.

But I do get a real kick when a student 'gets it'. Slainte.

 

[Drew]

I started of as a joiner and drifted through stacks of jobs sometimes to different aspects of my trade but most times to please myself (fishing instructor on the Spey and things like that). Went back to Uni over twenty years ago (sob) and qualified as a stained glass artist and have enjoyed being a self employed skint artist since.

Drew

 

[tx2man]

I am a Bio-Technical Transport Consultant :lol:

TX

 

[kityuser]

blimey, apart from the obvious chippies we have a hell of a lot of "professional" people in here!

I get the feeling that (like me) most people enjoy the "rawness" of woodworking after all that mucking about with computers and transistors and stuff.

after all..... a bit of wood does`nt crash or need upgrading (constantly).

a more interesting extension to this thread would be:

"what do you do for a job, and what would you like to do........"

personally I love my job, but given the time and the right break I`d love to go pro on the guitar.

steve

 

[CYC]

We have a seriously strong brain power on this forum.
With all those impressive titles I am too shy to tell what I do for money

"what do you do for a job, and what would you like to do........"

I would love to not have to worry about money and spend my time renovating hold houses in France (at my own pace :wink: ). And then feel it up with home made furniture.
Better go get one of those Lotto tickets...

 

[Anonymous]

"what do you do for a job, and what would you like to do........"

steve

University lecturer and university lecturer My perfect job (apart from the long hours!!)

I would never consider woodworking/furniture making as a career, it's my hobby!!

 

[Aragorn]

I'm an acupuncturist. Four years training and a couple of years in practice is finally starting to pay off :roll: at the expense of my other job, mind you: woodwork
In a years time I hope not to need to do any woodwork for paying the bills. What job would I like to do? I'm already doing it

 

[Anonymous]

General handyman. "Glue it, screw it, do it" at your service

And BTW I note the learned souls we have on this thread who are from an IT background. Until a couple of years ago I had worked in IT for 25+ years. It was good at the beginning but got progressively worse - as far as I was concerned. Back in the late 70's people generally didn't have a computer on their desks, they had a terminal to a mainframe if they were of an elevated position within a company otherwise they shared a terminal in the middle of the office floor, and email let alone the Internet hadn't been invented.

Those days are long gone unfortunately. I preferred the good old days, much less stressful all round. Things like mobile phones have made things considerably worse because you can't jump in your car and have a peaceful 3 hour drive to a destination any more. And it used to be nice stopping off somewhere in the countryside for a quick bite to eat without your office being able to contact you.

Andrew

 

[Vormulac]

I always fancied being an International Man of Mystery, but the careers adviser said my physics wasn't up to it...

 

[kityuser]

andrew

I think that you`ll find thats synonymous of modern life. I`m seriously considering getting rid of my mobile, home pc, sky tv...... the lot.

Its all too stressful.

Books, woodworking, music (playing and listening) and lots of pets.
It HAS to be the way forward.

steve

 

[Anonymous]

Jack of all trades and master of a few :lol:

Primarily, international strategy consultant, mostly in the IT field these days. Also, bit of a property developer/speculator, and a hypnagogic imaging (tm) therapist (http://www.hypnagogicimaging.com). Oh yes, I do a bit of woodwork in my spare time, too... Getting ready to retire from the ratrace and just do what *I* want to do for a change!

What's wrong with turning your mobile phone off when driving or at lunch? I do -- and it's off between about 6pm and 9am. Unless of course it's for my convenience!

 

[Signal]

Seems I'm the only one working in IT who enjoys it so far :lol:

Started off as an electronics design engineer, worked at an company designing automotive stuff and lighting stuff. Then to Beechams, hated it,
then designing phones. Finally woke up an realised i was being treated like mud and went into IT, why I didn't do it in the first place lord only knows. Been behind a computer in one form or another for the past 28 years. Worked as developer in the city for a couple of years and then jumped ship and set up in business with a friend.

Do support and consultancy for SME and bespoke development and integration work and I love it

Signal

Perhaps we should do a poll to see how many IT Techos are into wood, thinks its a reflection on the stress of the job myself.

 

[Adam]

I'm an electronics engineer - doing hardware design. I like my job, but agree, creating things on a screen all day isn't quite the same as making something in front of you - and something which reflects your efforts immediately.

Adam

 

[mudman]

Another IT bod here.
After leaving college I sort of fell into IT. Started 16 years ago in the days of green screens and like Andrew says, it was a lot more fun then. Been a freelancer for the last 7 years or so and currently working as a Systems Analyst within the life and pensions side of a very large financial company.
Do I like it? No. Trouble is with a mortgage, wife and kids, you can't just chuck it all in and try out a different career (not if your wife has anything to do with it you can't).
Wouldn't mind doing woodwork for a living, if I was good enough. What I'd really like is to be in a position where I can wake up and say "What shall I try today" and not have to worry if it works out or not.

 

[Anonymous]

Your comments about the mortgage are very apt. And it is a problem. But fortunately we've got lots of equity in our house so can downscale to pay off the mortgage sometime in the next 5 years or so - when the kids have finished their education.

I was about to use the phrase "I was fortunate....", but on 2nd thoughts that wouldn't be very nice.

I found myself in the position nearly 3 years ago where both my parents passed away in quick succession, and got some inheritance. Not a huge sum of money, but it helped. Using that I was able to take some time off work without worrying about paying the bills. And it allowed me to get started doing what I do now. If I hadn't had that contribution I couldn't have made the jump.

But given a free choice I'd still be in IT and with a couple of parents to care for.

Andrew

 

[dedee]

IT Application Support - Finance Systems. Am more than happy to work a 9-5 (or less) Mon-Fri never wanted to work for myself - so far. Paid holidays, sick pay, pensions etc would be hard to achieve on a self employed basis.
22 years with the same company & I miss the old green screens and telex machines and VMEmail.

Andy

 

[mudman]

22 years with the same company & I miss the old green screens and telex machines and VMEmail.

Andy

Careful we may be heading towards the long drop into nostalgia here. :shock: