What Do You/Did You Do?

[OS OK]

Retired Electrical Contractor, specialized in installing factories to make corrugated board, box plants. When my company was young we wired every kind of machine you can think of, I enjoyed working along side with the Millwrights and steam fitters...they taught me a thing or two.
My specialty was AC DC motor controls and power distribution. Factory moves were a favorite. I've taken machinery out of 1/2 the US at one time or another and installed it on the West Coast.
Outside of a hitch in the USMC, electrical work is all I've done since 68 when I graduated HS. Roped houses and apartments back then...hated every minute of it.

[kodiak1]

Heavy Duty Mechanic, Truck Driver, Oilfield Consultant pretty much sums it up.

[dragon813gt]

Field Service Technician for a Swedish company specializing in air treatment. The product line is diverse and it's hard for me to explain it. To simplify it our equipment puts out air at the desired specs. Typically our units have desiccant wheels in them to control dewpoint. The industries that use our equipment is very diverse.

The patents the company holds makes for extremely efficient units. We're selling data center units to the tune of $200 million an order because of this. Lately I've been working on our VOC abatement units. These are predominately used in semiconductor production and paint applications. But if VOCs need to be destroyed our equipment will capture it and burn it up in the oxidizer.

I'm a factory representative that gets sent all over the world. I'm either there for a startup, scheduled maintenance or to troubleshoot. This job is way more fun then my previous one. Was a HVAC service technician for a local company. Served residential through light industrial applications. I don't miss residential customers one bit.

[Hick]

Summertime Forest ranger during my college years, Then Navy Nuc engineer, and 34 years engineering with GE (and 30 of those years I worked on the side as a Square Dance Caller). Degree in Chemical Engineering and not once in my career had a job that required chemical engineering. After retirement from GE taught High school Math and science, then retired again and taught Junior High math & science, then retired again (third time's the charm?). Casting and load development come about a close to chemical engineering as I've ever been. I'm finally actually applying my education to something worthwhile.

[MT Gianni]

My first paying job was at age 5 on the family farm where we raised and sold tomatoes from a street booth and hay and Dairy. Started milking at age 6. Got a town job as a paperboy from 14-15 1/2, then went to work for Dad cleaning sewer drains. At 18 I went to school to be a Diesel Mechanic, worked in the trade for a few years then jumped for a Plumbing apprenticeship. Left that to work as a Serviceman/Pipefitter for a Gas Utility. Stayed with that trade through two companies and 36 years then transferred to Gas Measurement for the last 12 years. I will retire officially July 13 but have been running out leave since April and won't need to go back to sign anything.
In between I volunteered as a Sheriff's Deputy/Search and Rescue, spent lots of hours cooking for groups and wired the house we just moved into. Been married 40 years this year with all the work that entails [probably a lot less than my wifes' efforts]. Helped plant fences, pulled calves, baled hay and just renewed the CDL, though I hope I don't have to use it.

[Spoonerism]

I currently work in a hospital moving patients from room to room. I might stay in the medical field for now, but I'm looking for better work and better pay. If anyone in North East Tennessee is looking to higher, I would be interested.

[JWT]

I have been working as an engineer with industrial machinery since 1989. I started in PLC control designing, supervising construction, writing programs, and starting up paint process, conveyor, and tooling equipment. Before I hired in at GM in 1995, I worked on automotive, military, food, casket, chemical, foundry, and construction machinery equipment. Since I went to GM I have been in the paint process and conveyor worlds. About 10 or 12 years ago I moved to the mechanical side of the business. I spent that time running large projects for GM. So from about 1991 to 2016 I was constantly traveling to wherever the project was. For the last 6 months I have been working on writing standards for GM and sleeping in my own bed every night. I figure I have about 15 years left.

[Moonie]

UNIX/Linux server systems administrator.

[Beagle333]

Big yeller school bus driver for 4 hours a day. The other 5 are with a University in their energy plant.... 'something or other to do with utility location and AutoCAD mapping of it.

[Harter66]

I did an apprenticeship 4 yrs for an airframe and power plant license then 4 yrs on my own . A yr on a car lot . Over that time I spent 9 seasons on AT6 race teams as well . In 95' I went to work humping ammo for Uncle ...... Well all the boys and girls in blue and green anyway . I've got less than a yr here then I can go do something else till I drop one morning putting my boots on .

[mold maker]

The first 8 years I tried everything available from inventory control at an auto dealership to machine operator, without satisfaction. The next 39.5 was spent as a wood carver/pattern maker/mold builder for a plastics mfg. The third week of training the dept supervisor quit and I took over. After retirement in "07 I've done what ever fun things that came along, especially grandchildren.
As life winds down, loading, casting, swaging, loading, and shooting my new toys, are a full-time occupation.
I couldn't have imagined a better life, and wish you all could enjoy its equal.

[jonp]

I find this type of stuff very interesting. The guys and gals that get into casting their own boolits are the very creative type that typically try many types of jobs most of which are figuring out how to get things done or make other things.

Everyone here that has ever said "That doesn't look so hard, I bet I can do that" raise your hand.

[KenT7021]

Twenty years working helicopter weapons maintenance in the Army;thirty two years as a machinist and gunsmith for a firearms manufacturer.Now retired.

[308Jeff]

Amazing diversity, and interesting the paths we've all followed to get to where we are now.

I find this type of stuff very interesting. The guys and gals that get into casting their own boolits are the very creative type that typically try many types of jobs most of which are figuring out how to get things done or make other things.

Everyone here that has ever said "That doesn't look so hard, I bet I can do that" raise your hand.

I do as well.

I'll raise my hand to that. But, although I have found some things to be intimidating before I tried them, I've somehow managed to figure it out.

[therealhitman]

I am a musician. I work regularly on projects of all sizes as a Composer/Producer/Guitarist. I enjoy the flexibility of working in many styles on my session gigs. In the last year I have produced and played on an acoustic project, several pop vocal band albums, a space video game soundtrack and a super fun Prog Rock concept album (featuring Vinnie Appice of Dio and Black Sabbath on drums) for a Sci Fi Publishing and Film Production studio. I still perform live with several bands around the Northwest for corporate parties, festivals, NBA games etc. Pay is always good on the top tier gigs, but the amps keep getting heavier every year.
My day gig also includes running the business at the brick and mortar music store/school I have owned for almost 20 years now. I still teach some guitar and mandolin classes so I find myself at the store for at least a couple of hours most days of the week. Usually when people ask what I do I tell them I play guitar and hang out at the music store all day waiting to be discovered. Wife just rolls her eyes every time.

[trails4u]

Delivered newspapers, Sold auto parts, pumped gas, worked as a machinist building engines for a while....went to school and got a forestry degree while machining, and now have worked the last 22 years in forestry, resource management and rural economic development. It's been a wild ride and I still have no idea what I want to do when I grow up!

[Rick N Bama]

Paying jobs? Grocery Store part-time during my HS years then full time in the store until I went into the USAF. I then worked in a plant where we made Water Tanks for 6 months finally landing a job with the Phone Company. I worked at that for 31 years retiring in '02. Shortly after my retirement I went to work part-time at a Farm Tractor Dealership. Then the owner of a local Computer business found out that I knew how to pull comm wire so I went to work part-time with him helping build his networks. Finally both jobs played out in '11 so now my job is to keep Grandma happy.

[high standard 40]

I'm now retired. I've worn a lot of hats through the years to get here and have a lot of respect for those who know at a young age just what career they want and go for it. Up until the day I retired, I still couldn't think of a job that I would love to do. That being said, I think I rose to the top at every profession I ever tried. Auto mechanic, auto parts sales, sporting goods sales (both retail and wholesale), chemical plant operator, lawn maintenance, and cabinet builder. For the last 15 years before I retired I ran a small "mom & pop" video production business from my home which required me to be a camera operator, sound technician, producer, director, editor, graphic designer, etc, etc. I did it all. So except for the short 1 year stint in the chemical plant, all of my years working involved meeting and dealing with lots of people. Now I don't even answer the phone unless my caller ID tells me that it's someone that I want to talk to. I spend most of my time in my workshop. Wood working, metal working, casting & reloading, and shooting as much as I can.......and hanging out with the grandkids.

[ichthyo]

I am trained as fisheries biologist. What a great decision I made when I decided to go this route. I've been working for 37 years and I still look forward to going to work. I'm at the top of the food chain now so I get to pick and choose what I want to do most days. Nothing beats going out in the field with my staff and working with the fishes. My favorite activity is electrofishing. You never know what will pop up in front of the boat.

[DIRT Farmer]

Started out on the family dairy farm, USMC, some collage [forestry, never worked there] tractor mechinic wharehouse help, carpenter, concrete work, Ag storage and live stock confinment construction company owner cop for 36 years, paramedic for 20 years, coronor for 4 years. I have held mutiple jobs at the same time, some jobs paired well. Through it all I farmed, So just a dirt farmer