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What's your Career?

Former Executive Chef

Followed the dream and went to Culinary School in San Francisco. 18 years later I am living in Colorado and Manage parties in mansions, event spaces, and awsome facilities. I'm not that guy with the cheesy vests or chef coat, but my uniform consists of a tuxedo. Also chasing a job as a personal household manager (butler). I throw parties for a living...it rough.:rotfl:
 
I am an IT Compliance Analyst. I work for a large cable company (the second largest in fact) and make sure that we are treating customer credit card data with respect and protecting it from the nasty hackers.

My little brother is 14 years younger than I am and asked me how I got into my field. I had to tell him the story of a down on his luck pool shark who had just finished my 4 years with the Navy and had very little in the way of documented skills. I was pretty mean with a cue though and would talk to anyone. So, the day after my contract work had run out I was playing pool in a bar with a slick dude (salesman) and after he got tired of getting beat he volunteered to buy beers. He asked me what I did for a living and I told him I did software and hardware support for a local support company. He asked me if I was any good, I said yes, so he got me an interview with the competing company that he worked for working at a large pipeline company (2nd largest in the US...seems to be a trend). The rest is history. I learned IT on a job (I had fibbed a bit on my qualifications so I had to learn fast) and moved from desktop support to server support on Novell and NT systems and then into IT Project Management and then into IT Compliance. Long story short, to my little bro, believe you can do it and don't let anyone tell you different.

Now I suck at pool but do alright bringing home a paycheck...pretty even trade.

I did try one day and figure out all the jobs I have worked at though. I got bored around 32 or so. Ugh...
 
I'm finishing my 37th and last year working for the City of Florence, SC. First 25 as City Horticulturist and last 12 as Manager of the Public Works Department. Clemson graduate and former Scuba instructor and cave diver. Live in an airport community on a grass airstrip and fly small planes for fun.
 
A&P Mechanic for a heavy maintenance and modification porvider for business and personal aircraft. I spend most of my days working on Bombardier Challengers (300 & 600). Used to work for an airline. That was alright, until the parent airline decided that they didn't want a feeder service anymore and layed us all off. When to heavy businees aviation mx, and have really enjoyed it. But, if most of you saw an airplane how I see them every day, you probably wouldn't fly.
 
Cool thread and very interesting replies. For me, Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering. I have worked for a large electric utility in the southeast since 1996. Started as a Substation Test Engineer in the Transmission organization testing protective relays, commissioning new substation equipment and working around power plants. Currently an engineering supervisor responsible for maintaining reliability of the distribution system, statewide. Lots of fun. I'm traveling across Georgia a lot and always on the lookout for Scramblers. The wife thinks it's a sickness...
 
ChemE

Very interesting thread.

I grew up in Indiana, got a degree in Chemical Engineering, moved to Arizona for a job in semiconductors, got laid off 8 days before I started that job, found another job in semiconductors that I worked in the Valley of the Sun for 5 years. While there, got an MBA and Six Sigma Blackbelt with a Master's certificate in statistics. Ended up an engineering manager before I took off from there.

For over 5 years now am located in Flagstaff, work as an engineer in product development for a medical device manufacturer and enjoy mountain biking and other hobbies related to living at 7000ft elevation.

All that said, prior to about 2 1/2 years ago I had no knowledge of cars, engines, nuts or bolts. The build project on the Scrambler has been a completely different education, and probably not much cheaper than the other educations.:D
 
I dont really have a career yet but my job is working at a target distribution center. actually most of the people who work here have 2 to 6 years of college and it pays better than anything in their field. so for 3 12 hour shifts a week i pull stuff out of racks or cut boxes. im hoping to get my own gun shop some day because i love guns. i was a supervisor for the sporting goods departments at a small chain of local stores from age 18-21. too much pressure being a supervisor at that age so i quit. but working as a sales associate at that company was great. i got to bs and sell guns and hunting/fishing stuff all day. some day ill have my little sporting goods store or be a big game guide somewhere. i didnt get into college since my parents screwed up my credit big time and i got refused for student loans. my mom cashed all 4 grand of my savings bonds without telling anyone and between both parents they just made too much for any significant financial aid. all this combined with the school i wanted to go to being more of a vocational school kinda put it on hold for a while. i do kinda buy and sell guns "from my personal collection" at the moment though.
 
Not sure why I never threw my hat into this ring, but here goes:

House painter through High School in PA, then off to the Navy as A Cryptologic Tech (Maintenance). 10 years in as instructor first at Ft Meade (for NSA), then Adak AK, Diego Garcia BIOT (love me some isolated rocks) and Ezdell Scotland. Got civilized and worked as as Customer Service rep on mini-mainframe computers at he Lockheed Burbank "Skunkworks" on an F-117a flight planning system (those TS clearances can get you in interesting places).

Now on the Eastern Shore of VA as an operator/tech/tour guide/whathaveyou in the Range Control Center at the NASA Wallops Island Flight Faciility. And unofficial unelected Mayor of Assateague Beach every summer :)
 
Great thread!

I went to college at New Mexico State, started out in engineering but had to switch to business because I could not get the hang of calculus... too obtuse. I graduated with a degree in accounting and immediately went to work for a mining company. I spent four years getting the hang of the corporate office when I learned that I did not want to end up in corporate America. I put my hand up for a position in Chile and have not looked backed. All told now we have lived overseas for the last 19 years, to be honest I can't see myself ever returning to work in the US, returning to drive my Jeep yes, work no. All three of my kids were born overseas and they are fluent in three languages. None of it would have been possible without a very supportive wife who loves living like a gypsy (no offense to gypsies).

Sixteen years in South America and now three in Indonesia. Oh, I also gave up the accounting racket and now work in the operations arena. My roles have varied over time but I am now the EVP of Technical Services. I love my job and cannot imagine doing anything else. We are getting ready to move to our next position and we are really pulling to get back to Peru!

Working for a mining company is like working for the military, you never know where your next posting will be! Exciting.
 
We are relocating to Charlotte in November to start my new job as a Transmission Coordinator. I will still be with the same energy company. Basically I will be monitoring and coordinating operations or switching on the power grid. Currently I work in the field writing and executing switching procedures in order to give maintenance/repair crews clearance on sections of lines or substation equipment. So it wont be like starting over, just going to operating remotely from a control center.

One of the things that I am really excited about is working 3- 12 hour days then being off for 5 days straight. Sure I will have to work weekends some, but 5 days off! No more excuses for dragging my feet on Jeep projects.

We put our house on the market last month and after 6 or 7 showings we received multiple offers! Signed a contract last Thursday for full asking price! Still in shock... Now we are beginning the search process in Charlotte. This whole thing has been like a whirl wind, but so far things are falling in place.
 
B.S. at Indiana University, J.D at American University. 3 years on Capitol Hill as an investigative attorney, worked for three congressmen and went from legal intern to Chief Counsel and Deputy Staff Director of a Congressional subcommittee in a little over a year and a half. Boss went to run for Governor of Indiana, I moved to Colorado to be a "real lawyer" in the corporate world. Lasted 10 months. Landed a job in the Gov's office, ended up a legislative liaison (government speak for Department lobbyist) for three different departments, started my own government relations business 7 years ago (my longest job by far).
 
Update- When I answered this two years ago I was a Parts Manager at a Ford dealership. I have since been laid off, hired at the local parts store, quit, and am now running a one man shop out of my garage building hot rods, restoring Jeeps, buying/selling on EBay, and generally enjoying myself. Funny thing is, I think I have less time now than when I had a job!
 
I work driving harvest mostly right now. Soon to be leaving the farming gig and heading into Fish and Game. Farming just aint for me anymore was great fun when I got to drive all the latest equipment but once I got my CDL they shoved me in a cab of a Peterbuilt and said haul harvest drive the lowboy move this tractor to this spot and it just sucks.
 
Radio Active Man... (i'm the one on the right and we are not in the reactor building when this pic was taken... )
 

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