What do you do for a living? or a Klondike bar

[catsmtrods]

HVAC tech that started as an oil truck driver at a local oil Co in 1977! I also make fishing rods but haven't sold one since 2008! I wonder why? 

[Mike220]

Hospital security guard.

Dream job is to be a firefighter though.

[njpines]

Many, many years ago, I received a BS in Broadcast Journalism and thought I'd magically become a famous radio DJ or news person. When that didn't happen, I went to work in publishing and was an editor of a division of the company that owned PC Magazine, PC Computing and many other publications. After that, I taught myself technical writing and worked for a telecommunications company writing user manuals, hardware and software installation instructions, etc. Currently, I work for a very large defense contractor on a long term (we're in our second decade) contract for the Army upgrading their entire logistics system from several 1970s-based mainframe systems. The system was fully deployed in 2010 and is one of the world’s largest, fully integrated supply chain, maintenance, repair and overhaul planning and execution solutions. It manages approximately $22.5 billion in inventory, including spare and repair parts to sustain communications and electronics equipment and systems, aviation equipment, missiles, tanks, armaments and munitions.  I'm still performing technical writing duties (specs, processes/procedures, plans, you name it) and am in charge of document management.

[debk]

Many, many years ago, I received a BS in Broadcast Journalism and thought I'd magically become a famous radio DJ or news person. When that didn't happen, I went to work in publishing and was an editor of a division of the company that owned PC Magazine, PC Computing and many other publications. After that, I taught myself technical writing and worked for a telecommunications company writing user manuals, hardware and software installation instructions, etc. Currently, I work for a very large defense contractor on a long term (we're in our second decade) contract for the Army upgrading their entire logistics system from several 1970s-based mainframe systems. The system was fully deployed in 2010 and is one of the world’s largest, fully integrated supply chain, maintenance, repair and overhaul planning and execution solutions. It manages approximately $22.5 billion in inventory, including spare and repair parts to sustain communications and electronics equipment and systems, aviation equipment, missiles, tanks, armaments and munitions.  I'm still performing technical writing duties (specs, processes/procedures, plans, you name it) and am in charge of document management.

Wow!!

Your job seems overwhelming.

[Splashdown]

Many, many years ago, I received a BS in Broadcast Journalism and thought I'd magically become a famous radio DJ or news person. When that didn't happen, I went to work in publishing and was an editor of a division of the company that owned PC Magazine, PC Computing and many other publications. After that, I taught myself technical writing and worked for a telecommunications company writing user manuals, hardware and software installation instructions, etc. Currently, I work for a very large defense contractor on a long term (we're in our second decade) contract for the Army upgrading their entire logistics system from several 1970s-based mainframe systems. The system was fully deployed in 2010 and is one of the world’s largest, fully integrated supply chain, maintenance, repair and overhaul planning and execution solutions. It manages approximately $22.5 billion in inventory, including spare and repair parts to sustain communications and electronics equipment and systems, aviation equipment, missiles, tanks, armaments and munitions.  I'm still performing technical writing duties (specs, processes/procedures, plans, you name it) and am in charge of document management.

My BA was in tech writing. 

[Gina]

Many, many years ago, I received a BS in Broadcast Journalism and thought I'd magically become a famous radio DJ or news person. When that didn't happen, I went to work in publishing and was an editor of a division of the company that owned PC Magazine, PC Computing and many other publications. After that, I taught myself technical writing and worked for a telecommunications company writing user manuals, hardware and software installation instructions, etc. Currently, I work for a very large defense contractor on a long term (we're in our second decade) contract for the Army upgrading their entire logistics system from several 1970s-based mainframe systems. The system was fully deployed in 2010 and is one of the world’s largest, fully integrated supply chain, maintenance, repair and overhaul planning and execution solutions. It manages approximately $22.5 billion in inventory, including spare and repair parts to sustain communications and electronics equipment and systems, aviation equipment, missiles, tanks, armaments and munitions.  I'm still performing technical writing duties (specs, processes/procedures, plans, you name it) and am in charge of document management.

BEAUTY AND BRAINS! 

[Karin]

JohnnyYuma, my husband was a Schwan's guy years ago.  Is it true what he tells me about the housewives?   

My background is in accounting, and I do financial analysis, currently for a wholesale food distributor.  The food industry business model involves everybody billing each other, then billing each other back for everything under the sun.  It's a complex tracking mechanism that involves such a minute level of detail, your head would explode (down to a sugar packet with a UPC as long as your arm, for instance).  I'm in charge of that for this company. 

I cut my teeth and built my career in the paper industry, with a stint in the semiconductor circus. 

[Johnny Yuma]

JohnnyYuma, my husband was a Schwan's guy years ago.  Is it true what he tells me about the housewives?   

Some of them are "interesting" , to say the least ....

Most of my customers are normal ol farm folks and a rather large Amish community ....

[Gina]

can lurkers see this stuff?

[CactusCarlos]

After working almost 10 years in Information Technology as a SysAdmin at a Big-4 accounting firm, I am now a Datacenter Specialist and the aforementioned Big-4 accounting firm is my customer for the past year and a half.  It's mostly grunt work, but I get paid well for what I do.  

And if you think it's a pain to call tech support and deal with Indians, try having them as coworkers.  

[Gina]

And if you think it's a pain to call tech support and deal with Indians, try having them as coworkers.  

I had the most AMAZING experience with ATT.  My son got his first cell phone 2 months ago.  Well texted I think 1 text every minute for most of December.  I got the bill and  it was huge!  I called ATT and I didn't ask for credit forgiveness just asked if I could change the texting limit or turn it off.  I got this American girl, Stacy, and she was phenominal.  She told me she was so sorry and she would look into my bill when she had a chance.  I got a phone call from her on Saturday and she said that she took off all those texts that my son went over the limit and credited it back to me.  OMG!  I felt so great, restored some faith for me. 

I got a text asking about my satisfaction and I gave her all 10's and then it had me repsond to what made the customer service so great.  I told them it was amazing to finally have someone I could understand and not leave me feeling more confused than before I called.  I hope she gets something out of it.  I gave Carmax dude a raving review and I saw him last week, and he told me thanks.  I said "Did you get a raise?" and he said "no, I got this pin".  It was a pin that said customer service hero.   

[debk]

can lurkers see this stuff?

unfortunately...yes.


but no where to move it due to post counts of several posters. only place it could go is to the fight club.   

[njpines]

And if you think it's a pain to call tech support and deal with Indians, try having them as coworkers.  

As a tech writer working with engineers, I have a ton of Indian coworkers. 

[Texacon]

In a past life I was a welder building tanks.  Water tanks, oil tanks, gas tanks, elevated tanks.  That kind of evolved into just welding on several different iron structures and we worked all over God's creation.

For the last 13 years I've been a Realtor.  I'm a broker/owner of my real estate business.  Right now ... I'm thinking of going back to welding.  My kids are grown now (which was the reason I got off the road in the first place ... so I could stay home and be a dad) and I'm feeling the call of the wild again. 

I have an interview with one of my old tankee buds to possibly go back into the field building and repairing tanks.  I'm kind of excited about it but I have a lot to do to make sure I can keep my real estate office open while I go weld and hang iron.  If I can make that side of it work y'all will see me a whole lot less on here.

KC

[CactusCarlos]

As a tech writer working with engineers, I have a ton of Indian coworkers. 

Your thoughts on them?

[debk]

As a tech writer working with engineers, I have a ton of Indian coworkers. 

The primary company I do reports for, is in Utah. Thankfully, the main QC department is there. However, the "first reviewers" are in India. Try explaining to an Indian that just because a house has 2000SF, does not mean it is not a dump!

When I was selling foreclosures, I would have to secure the property, get it winterized, trashed out, etc.  I was assigned a house that didn't look bad from the front. Inside was trashed, lots of broken windows (either inner or outer pane, but not both), everything but the tub and a broken up cabinet in kitchen was stolen. It was being used as a crack house and a block away is the projects. The police went with me one time, to "post" the house as being repossessed and told me I was on my own any other time I went back.

I get a call from India, from the guy on the first rung of the REO management ladder. His job was to make sure I was doing mine in getting the house ready to go on the market. He wanted me to board up all windows and broken level doors, leaving access only through the front door and no visibility into the house. I'm responsible for the safety of anyone going into the house. No way was I going to board up the house, with no way to see if anyone was in it, and having some other Realtor,  OR ME, go into a house that I had no idea if anyone was in there or not. He and I spent 45 minutes discussing this on the phone. I thought he understood that nothing else could happen to house unless someone set fire to it and he agreed to not board it up. I say thanks and have a good day and he says "you too, Miss Debbie...you get that house boarded up by tomorrow, yes?"  

I didn't board it up, it sold 2 weeks later and closed a week later, and I never went back to it.

They are very nice people and very polite, but it has to be much easier to talk to them in person than to try to explain some stuff over the phone!!!!

[Chris_]

And if you think it's a pain to call tech support and deal with Indians, try having them as coworkers.

Especially around lunchtime.

Curry is evil stuff... I put it in some of my recipes and started using it almost daily until the BO started.  I stopped eating it ASAP.

[njpines]

Your thoughts on them?

I've never really had any problems; they are usually polite to a fault.  I do have some difficulty understanding their speech at times but most of the time, their writing is fine, if somewhat British-centric.

[Tucker]

Retired from GM.

My working life started when I enlisted in the Army in 1970. I was sent to Ft. Huachuca for my AIT where I was trained as a radar tech. after leaving the military, I went to school where I studied data processing. My field of studies included programing in COBOL,
fortran, RPG ll and of course Basic.

I started at GM in 76 as a end user. At the time of my retirement, I was part of a team that made arrangements for procuring all necessary engineering/design materials for new model prototype builds. It was during this time that I developed my great dislike of design Engineers. Anal as a description doesn't do them justice.

I retired in 06 as GM was shedding bodies.

For the last several years, I travel the country officiating for USPSA in major matches. My match fee and room are paid for. Sometimes transportation. if working the Handgun Nationals, my transportation, lodging, food and match fee is paid plus a Per Diem fee.

I shoot in a USPSA match every Sunday between April and December and I practice every Wednesday all year long. I shoot about 2K rounds a month.

I've had the pleasure of meeting/shooting with the biggest names in the shooting sport world.

[Jasonw560]

What monitors do you work with? I designed a board for the Philips MP50.

Mindray. Formerly Datascope.

[Boudicca]

Hmm, I always answer this question with "I mooch off my husband".  It wasn't always that way, but when I was pregnant with our first, I resigned from the Army rather than attempt one of those two active duty parent families so en vogue these days.  It was 1985 and we were stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, so there was no support system...we lived amongst Germans.  Well, I did learn passably fair German despite having acquired my BA in French.  I didn't want to teach and since my Dad was career Air Force the military seemed the right way to go.  Ugh, spent six years in 2 Armored Divisions, 2AD at Ft. Hood (Bleh) and then 3AD in Frankfurt where I met my wonderful husband.

Besides the Army, I did my three years of college with the work study program in the ROTC department, doing basic office paperwork.  I graduated at age 20 and looking back I was in no way mature enough to handle being a second lieutenant that young.  Ah well.  Who wouldn't do things differently from time to time if possible?

Besides the Army stint, I worked as a pension benefits analyst at the Plumbers and Pipefitters National Pension Fund while my husband was working at DIA and we were living on Ft. Belvoir, VA.  I enjoyed working there very, very much, but hubby did not want to retire on the East coast.  Being military intelligence, there really are limited job opportunities for his field.  So, back to Ft. Huachuca we went.  He's been retired for over 5 years now after a 30-year career and he achieved the pinnacle of warrant officer rank and retired as a CW5.  Because I have always been somewhat contrary, when we married I was a captain and he was a staff sergeant.  Ask me how much I gave a shit about what the Army brass might have done to me-the JAG lawyer I consulted beforehand told me it could mean a court martial.

It's long past water under the bridge.  I've carved out my latest niche in life here in Arizona, rescuing animals from various shelters and groups (and my cat Lucy from a dumpster).  We have lucky 13 under our roof and it actually does keep my day pretty full cleaning up after them and giving them all the love and attention they deserve.  Sometimes I babysit my grandson if he's down from Phoenix, but mostly I keep my local friendly vet in business.

So, compared to all of you who have shared your experiences, my work history is pretty much non-existent.  I like to think raising two kids to become productive tax-paying and law abiding citizens while supporting my husband's career has to still count for something.  But I will leave nothing much in the way of accomplishments when my life is summed up at the end.  And it's hard to feel good about myself sometimes with all the feminists out there insisting we women should do and have it all.

[Chris_]

I rewind electric motors, big and small, single phase, three phase and DC.

Do you get an employee discount?

[longview]

So, compared to all of you who have shared your experiences, my work history is pretty much non-existent.  I like to think raising two kids to become productive tax-paying and law abiding citizens while supporting my husband's career has to still count for something.  But I will leave nothing much in the way of accomplishments when my life is summed up at the end.  And it's hard to feel good about myself sometimes with all the feminists out there insisting we women should do and have it all.

Screw 'em. 

Not that you're seeking my approval, but...  I think women who don't work outside the home usually do so much for the community.  Like you caring for neglected animals.  I bet you've contributed in countless ways.  I also think husbands and children of women who can stay at home have an advantage via the support they receive from that wife/mother.

I only do what I do out of necessity.  It was never my husband's and my plan.  I do it well, but it's only second best.

[thundley4]

Do you get an employee discount?

Sort of.  However when my furnace blower motor went out, it wasn't worth my time to fix it. It was much easier and quicker to buy a new one. 


Let me guess you have some little motor from a car?

[Chris_]

Sort of.  However when my furnace blower motor went out, it wasn't worth my time to fix it. It was much easier and quicker to buy a new one. 


Let me guess you have some little motor from a car?

I was wondering what a 144v DC motor went for.  I have my eye on a Triumph Spitfire.