Hi,

Just kind of thinking over my working years -- wondered how it's going (went) for others

I'll start with mine -- maybe some of you will be kind enough to add on.

I was around electronics and (later) computers for almost the whole time. The computers were parts of various products -- mostly with some special hardware as well. It was always in a lab or specialized manufacturing environment.

Early on, I got into a little low level supervision -- it was not really a good match, and I never regretted getting out of it.

Anyway, throughout all the changes, I would usually end up as some kind of a lead worker. I'd have my projects, and I'd somewhat direct/help a few others. There wasn't a title involved, and it was fairly interesting ( although it was still work ).

But, I got to screw around with some fun tech stuff.

I was pretty lucky. I think that I would have hated most other options.

Never thought of it as a 'career' -- just hoped that they wouldn't catch on.

How about you?

hj

 

i started out with a degree in electronic engineering and design. but found out real fast i am not the type of person to be working with others, especially the stupid people that break electronics and needed me to fix what they broke.

as a teen and during school, i had a side job driving a truck.
i liked it. so that is what i did.
i ran a heavy equipment escort service for 15 years until the bottom fell out of tucking.
pay went from $100/hr per truck to $20/hr.
as the price went down, i slowly downsized, from 7 trucks and a car to one truck, and finally pulled the plug on the whole thing when it bottomed out at $20/hr.
then went back to driving for someone else.

i have been driving for a living either for myself or for someone else for over 45 years now

 

I've been in the same industry for over 30 years...been with the same company and it's successor for the past 17 years. No two days are alike...I really enjoy what I do!!! A wise old sage once told me..."You're going to spend most of the rest of your life working...you might as well find something you really like". I did!!!

 

I started to write a long dissertation about becoming a printer.
I won't bore you with details, but, I left one company near my home, and started a job as a printer in Washington, DC, back in 1974.

Come January 23rd, I'll celebrate my 40th anniversary with this company.

What was a Print Shop with 14 employees and a fabulous supervisor, is now a 2 man shop, with a different supervisor, that is just as fabulous!!! (After the man that hired me, retired after 59 years of service, they promoted a dipstick that LIED about his qualifications, and he proceeded to run the shop into the 'red' every year, for 8 years. They cut/transferred a fantastic bunch of talented guys, and put them into dull/dead-end positions, and showed that supervisor the door.)

I run this shop (Leadman), and my boss has told me, "It's your shop. You run it as you see fit. I'll be in my office, downstairs, IF you need anything."

I NEVER thought I'd stay 40 years in one company, doing the work I'm doing.
My days are mostly filled now, behind a computer screen, either typesetting jobs, having meetings with clients (admins to VPs, to the COO and CEO of the company), to running equipment, or ordering paper, etc.

 

I lost track of all the jobs I have had but here are some that come to mind. All of these listed either helped me form a work ethic, taught me a useful skill, or just put money in my pocket. But all were important in one way, shape or form.

• Paperboy - learned that committing to work seven days a week starting at 5:30 AM stinks.
• Waiter - learned that some people are never happy but that killing them with kindness is more fun than letting them get to you. Also learned to sneak beer from the bars.
• Sign maker - learned a bit of everything from sheetmetal work, welding, glass blowing, electrical
• Auto Parts Salesman
• 1st Mate on a commercial fishing boat
• Navy Meteorologist
• Army Radioteletype Operator/Combat Signaler
• Railroad Signals Draftsman
• Civil Engineer
• Land Surveyor
• Track Engineer
• Air Force Radio and Satellite Communications Operator
• Air Force Training Manager

I'm sure I forgot a few. I've been at my current gig as a Track Engineer for 15 years. It is fun and certainly not what most Civil Engineers do. I work nights maintaining 120+ miles of track. Something different every day.

 

Went to college and became an English teacher with a minor in Economics. Taught one year and the schools consolidated and I lost my job, along with several other teachers. Took the test for the USPS, was hired and planned to work there for only a short time. 31 years later I retired, then substituted in two local school districts as a teacher for two years. Got a call from the local County officials offering me a F/T position heading up a department. Took it, and left after almost three years. Now I am retired from all work, but am one of three township Supervisors in my township. Enjoying my freedom, but staying busy and still learning.......

 

My early teen years I picked up odd jobs mowing lawns, shoveling snow, cleaning out chicken houses, racking blueberries,etc.

At 16 I got a job in a restaurant as a dishwasher and other work that was needed. That turned into a full time cooking job.

At 18 (1979) I joined the Navy as a submarine cook. After 7 1/2 years I got out. For a year I sold cars, water systems and finally became the lead cook at a food service component.

1990 I entered the US Coast Guard and continued my military career. I retired in 2004.

I was hired to be the GM of a small family restaurant, I worked there for about 18 months then the uSPS called me and I went running.


Been carry mail now for 8 years. I wouldn't call it a dream job but it's a very good job with decent pay and bennies. I can retire in 12 years so I won't be job searching anymore.

 

good advice.

back when i was around 15, my grandfather told me if you like what you are doing it is fun, not work.

i did not like life on the farm, so that was out.
i did like driving though, so i can honestly say over the past 45 years i have only "worked" a few weeks.
the rest of the time i just went out for a long ride in the country and once in a while would stop and drop stuff off for people.

 

Well, paperboy at 8 years old for around a year.
Worked at a Mobil gas station pumping gas, changing tires, oil changes etc, during high school.
Worked 89 days at the Chrysler Engine plant in Trenton in 1969. Found out fast standing in one spot and doing the same thing over and over made my brain rot.
Worked for Union Camp, paper mill, until I went in the service for 4 years, got out, and came back, for four more years. During that time, 1974-78, I became an electrician. On weekends, I worked for a guy that owned a tree farm, that's where the truck driving and heavy equipment experience started, I loved it, but not many bucks.
!978, I hired into a power company. I already had 4 years experience with steam plants thanks to the Navy, so it was a piece of cake, that is until corporate Amerika caught on to that industry, then it was all down hill. I lasted 29 years, turned 55, and basically said, FTW, and walked out. During that time, I was shift steward, chief steward, and at the end, plant committeeman. I also picked up welding, and carpentry, and got my Michigan Builders License. Bought property in northern lower Michigan back in '01 and built my retirement home on 20 acres of woods.
2006, went to driving big trucks again full time, after dabbling in them all the time at the powerplant.
Moved up here fulltime after quiting driving to tend to my sick wife. She passed away in 2011, and I went back to the big trucks, again. This time though, a little different, I'm in heavy haul, driving a 42 wheeler.
Got remarried to my exwife, yeah I know, I'm a poor learner.
Things now are pretty decent, I actually chose who I wanted to drive for, where I wanted to drive, and what I wanted to drive, everything from the local woods, to across the upper peninsula into Ontario. Plus I get to play with heavy equipment other than the truck.
There is so much truth in finding something you like to do, you truly don't work, just have fun. Yep, even when your stuck up to the axles, fighting with tarps at -20, driving in icy snowy conditions at 0300, can't get anything running because of the cold, falling on you azz and sliding under your truck because of the ice. Really though, I'm having a great time doing this, I should have said FTW 40 years ago!!!!!

 

I had a bunch of jobs as a kid, starting when I was 13 delivering The Detroit News.

When I graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering I went to work for Chrysler Defence, Inc. We built the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. We were sold to General Dynamics a few months before I left and went to work for Roush Industries.

I supervised building one off prototypes and did much of the engine development work, called tuning by most of you. I started working on engine tuning on EEC-IV systems in 1982.

I got a job at Ford at the start of electronically controlled automatic transmissions. That was 1988. After five years they made me the supervisor of an engineering section. I had 8-10 engineers working for me, tuning transmissions. That lasted until 2001 when I had had enough of manglers (managers) that seemed to think that if they could imagine it I could make it happen. I had to tell them that I was NEVER going to violate the laws of physics for them. That didn't go over well.

After quite a bit of research I decided I would be much happier as an engineer again. I told my boss to demote me back to engineer. I started working on on the TorqShift transmission tune as an engineer on September 10, 2001.

In 2007 Ford offered 85% of the workforce a buyout. I took a BIG load of cash and got out of there, along with about 14,000 others throughout the company. My plan was to take two months off, then look for a job. The phone was ringing and I had a job in three weeks.

Now I went to Getrag. It is a trans/axle/transfer case manufacturer based in Germany. I was working on an e-locker for the 2012 Corvette ZR-1. You know, the lightweight 638 HP car. We did most of our development work on racetracks, with race suits, helmets, HANS, etc. That was A LOT of fun!

But late in 2008 GM ran out of money, we lost our contract, and most of us lost our jobs.

I moved to Florida, bought an auto repair shop, and went to work.

In 2011 I got out of auto repair and started a direct mail marketing company. That's what I'm doing now. Maybe someday I'll retire. Maybe not.

 

Worked at a boys clothing store starting at 14. Shifted to a local grocery store stockng shelves at 15. Then landed my "dream" job at a local dairy farm/milk processor until graduation from high school and thus developed my love for the agriculture industry. Went to college for ag engineering, but the math was above my head. Changed to ag mechanics and, as a student assistant in a welding class found my penchant for teaching. Have been teaching ag mechanics to high school students for 29 years. Getting very tired of the political nonsense and the ever worsening attitude of students. But I'll soon be eligible for the pension so many of the general public think I do not deserve.

 

My list is pretty short right now since im just starting out. Ive worked for my dads excavating company the last few years. Maintenance work, fabrication, laboring, equipment operator, pretty much anything he needed me to do. I even got my CDL permit a few weeks ago. Im in my sophmore year trying to get a BS in Mechanical engineering, hopefully i can get an internship and not work for my dad. I like working for my dad and all, but this past summer i felt like i was the bosses son, just there because the owner was my dad. Im good at fabrication and working on the vehicles, but i cant do much driving the equipment. Id rather find a job somewhere else than take advantage of my dad.