What do you do for a living?


Been trying to break out of the Civil Engineering drafting circle by what it says under my user name, but CN won't have it. They've laid me off 3 times in 2 years...So someone is trying to say I'm an AutoCAD Draftsman and that's all I'll ever be...:(
 
Hi, I have just joined up here. Living in the UK I need all the help I can get - smile. In fact I have been building US outline since I was 11.

I spent 20 years in the City of London trading currencies and then 20 years writing software for bank trading rooms. Finally, my employer decided that at 56, I must have forgotten all I ever knew about trading and had lost the ability to write software so they let me go! Since then I have had my own woodworking shop for a time but now am the owner of SBX Model Shop in Ipswich, UK. We don't sell railway stuff, just plastic kits.

David
 
Kept man. Domestic engineer. Laundry systems specialist. Kitchen cabinet arranger and organizer. Executive chef. Babysitter. Professional layout builder and installer (professional since I get paid in trains).
 
A little bit of everything at work...I work for Cumberland Farms.

If you're not from the Northeast or Florida, you prolly don't know what Cumby's is....we are a family owned convience store chain that owns our own gasoline company(we own Gulf).
 
IT support for a regional group of Community newspapers owned by Media General. 6 papers keep me on the road a lot.
Someone mentioned retirement? I will never retire because who can afford to live on Social Security, if it's even available when I am eligible in about 8 years?
 
:)Active: Model Train Operator and empire builder.
Retired: Director of Training/Instructor for Manufacturing Technology, large Community College.
Retired: Engineering Technician, medium and heavy manufacturing.
 
Military Psychologist (Industrial/Organizational) in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Retired just months shy of 30 years of service in 2004. After a year off, I have been teaching a 400 level course in "Leadership & Ethics" part-time over the internet for the Department of Continuing Studies of the Canadian Defence Academy. I have to grade three major written assignments and monitor a discussion forum much like this one. I have also taught undergrad Intro Psych classes in the classroom at two places.

Aside from that, I spend lots of time on this computer and these forums, mow lawns, sand and paint, domestic cleanup,...the usual. To keep fit, I cycle weather permitting, and otherwise run 14 km in hilly terrain three or four times a week. Oh, I chop all my firewood, too. :D

-Crandell
 
Hydronic heating systems technician. That is steam and forced hot water systems. 35 plus years most of which were my own company and 17 of those as a state certified tech school teacher in that trade. Semi retired for 5 years and strictly teaching these days.
 
"Boy Toy" and I work hard at spending my Railroad Retirement check (according to Dingbat). In my other life I was a machinist for 39 years with IC/CN RR
 
Wow, there sure is a broad range of experience and talent here. No wonder so many people know more about things than I do. :)

Let's see, for me, started as a respiratory therapist, got recruited by the LA Sheriff's Department, was a full time deputy for five years. Decided to finally go back to college when I was 26 and graduated with a degree in psychology and hospital administration. Was the administrator of several psychiatric hospitals and long term care facilities. My company was building more hospitals and decided I should be in charge of construction. Learned project management and worked for them for another five years until I decided I knew enough about construction project management to start my own firm. Did contract work, mostly hospitals and utility firms, especially in hydro. Also taught project management to engineers, who never listened to anything I taught them. :D Had my firm for almost 14 years until my wife got leukemia. I retired in 2003 to take care of her. Couldn't get the cop out of my system, though, so I was a reserve deputy sheriff in Sonoma County, eventually getting involved with the helicopter/search and rescue bureau. My late wife was never sure if I was a business owner or a cop. ;) Oh, yeah, also had to become a paramedic to work the helicopter. Left California for good in 2005, planned to travel the country in my RV, met the second love of my life in Alabama, and got remarried in 2006. Was very lucky to have been an all-in investor in good times, so I have enough money to live comfortably on while in retirement, although I never seem to have any more time to work on my layout now than when I was working. :confused:

What do you think, Crandell, would I pass a psych background or not. :D
 
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22 years active duty Air Force, Fuels Specialist, retired 1 Aug 04. Currently contract aircraft servicer Simmon Army Airfield, Ft. Bragg NC.
 
Started out as a submarine sonarman and instructor for 8 years. Got out and became an industrial fire alarm technician, then product manager for Honeywell developing systems, now back in the field as a project manager for fire and nurse call systems. Computers and trains are my escape.
 
OK, imagine a computer that follows a oilwell drill bit down 15,000 feet, withstanding more shock than you can imagine and working in temps around 200c (not f).

Oh, and the "computer" has to fit inside a drill pipe.

I help design and build those.

Before that I helped design and built pipeline inspection 'computers' (aka smart pigs). Imagine a computer that swims in say, benzene or gasoline or polypropylene... for 400 miles, collecting data all along the way on the condition of the insides of the pipe. Tough to do...

before that I helped design/build notebook computers like the one I am using now. I started building computers in 1977 and initially specialized in 8" floppy drive manufacturing (yes, 8"). Those were considerably easier....
 
My present long winded title is Business Analyst/Technical Solutions Architect. Which means I'm over priced and under paid. :D Currently with a small consultancy in London which deals mainly with Government and banking systems.
 
Ex CNC set up operator,been retired since 7-1-08 for health reasons.
 



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