What do you do for a living?

[rak1]

I know alot of us who have been here for a while or came from another site kind of know what everyone does for a living but for the new members I thought it would be fun to start a thread on what do you do for a living. Anyhow, I thought I would start. Mary and I both work at the VA in Reno Nevada; I'm a Computer Specialist and Mary works as an Inventory Specialist.

[classic]

Been with the Boeing Aircraft Company since '79 and manager here at the Everett, WA plant since '87. My wife Beccy owns and operates her own hair salon. - Greg

[flash]

I am a maintrnance tech at a small private college .

[Hank70SS]

Software engineer for the last 20 years. The previous 16 years I worked as a computer service engineer maintaining mainframes.

Lynda worked part-time in various public schools and retired from that a few years ago. She works part-time seasonal jobs now. She's working at HD today for the company that supplies the flowers. Worked at Penny's during the holidays.

[Hank70SS]

Along the lines of getting to know each other, I'd like to see everyone add their first name to their signature. Just seems more personal and friendly when you can address someone by their name instead of 123XXX.

[grandsport]

Nuclear engineer,got fired for not paying attention to the freaking atoms I was splitting. Now in the used car business.Waving Extended warranties at cost to all forum members.

[BillsCamino]

Nuclear engineer...
Visions of Homer Simpson!!! Waving

[BillsCamino]

Been with the Boeing Aircraft Company since '79 and manager here at the Everett, WA plant since '87.

Been there a few times. :)

Supervisor, Machine Shop, Delta Air Lines, 22+ years

[shadowgray396]

Started as a NUG on a survey crew (New useless guy) and now I'm a License Professional Surveyor in Oregon in charge of 8 survey crews. Been doing it for 34 years now, and still with the same firm that I started with and I'm a Senior Associate of the firm. Also added my name to my signature Hank.

[Hank70SS]

Started as a NUG on a survey crew (New useless guy) and now I'm a License Professional Surveyor in Oregon in charge of 8 survey crews. Been doing it for 34 years now, and still with the same firm that I started with and I'm a Senior Associate of the firm. Also added my name to my signature Hank.

34 years, you don't look that old in the picture you posted. Must have started when you were in grade school.

Adding the name, thanks. A lot of the guys here have their name in the signature but some don't. It's hard to remember all the names if it's not there, then you feel like you're talking to stranger instead of a friend. Maybe just an internet friend but still a friend.

[grandsport]

Visions of Homer Simpson!!! Waving

You like comparing me to tv characters,eh? Make it Charlie Sheen next time.:p

[shadowgray396]

34 years, you don't look that old in the picture you posted. Must have started when you were in grade school.

Adding the name, thanks. A lot of the guys here have their name in the signature but some don't. It's hard to remember all the names if it's not there, then you feel like you're talking to stranger instead of a friend. Maybe just an internet friend but still a friend.


Started at age 21 out of College, got married a year later and still married to the same wonderful woman. Will be 55 in December.

[Rank]

I am Randy, my profession should be obvious.

[Rank]

...... and for a day job I build to the sky. Houses, Room Adds, etc .... licensed by the State of Cantaffordit since 1975 as self-employed Building Contractor..... and, of course at night-time I am Randy.

[grandsport]

I am Randy, my profession should be obvious.

I'm afraid to answer that!:)

[Highway Star]

Kind of not so proud of my current "profession"...bicycle technician, I guess. I assemble things at a sporting goods store...bikes mostly, build and repair, but also put together barbecue grills, furniture, gun cabinets, fitness equipment, etc.

I am on "lay off" (temporary or permanent TBD) from a large electrical and instrumentation contractor that handles construction and maintenance in the petrochemical manufacturing facilities down here. I had been in purchasing/receiving/procurement/materials for a while on a few different jobs in refineries like Shell Oil, Marathon Oil, Valero Oil, etc.

Formerly, I worked in food for quite a while, about 15 years. I've ran kitchens large and small, for every weekend and holiday, missed birthdays, easters, mother's days, etc. I've worked 110 hour weeks for a month straight, cooked for more than 10,000 people in a day, cooked for political figures/heads of state, and actors/celebrities, etc. I ran a hotel/casino kitchen that was open 24 hours. I had venues...lounge, sports bar, casino buffet, sandwich shop, coffee shop, seafood restaurant, room service for 300 room hotel, cigar bar, VIP lounge, hotel restaurant, 1000 employees meals a day, and all the banquet function rooms (weddings, reunions, political conventions, exhibitions, etc).


I guess I have a lot more to say about what I used to do. :(

[RBeckman]

I'm the Quality Manager for TRW Parts and Service North America and responsible for a plant here in Michigan and plant in Indiana, I've been with the same company for 23 years (it just happened to change names awful lot) when it was Kelsey-Hayes and then Lucas and then TRW in 1998. Before that I worked for GM powertrain for 11 years, so you can see my life has been all Automotive.

My wife Leslie also works TRW as a system business analysis and has work there for about 22 years. We have been married for 18 years.

[piette]

I own my own electrical contracting company. I do all sorts of electrical work, but I much prefer the residential service work end of it, like remodels and trouble shooting, service changes and the such. I have wired so many new homes it just isnt a challenge and that gets boring. Also working on starting a firearms sales and indoor shooting range business as well.

[prostreet4ever]

I have been self-employed since '93,
owning a Painting & Decorating business...Waving

[Bowtie-Bri]

I work for an Auto Supplier. Magna Sealing & Glass.Its a division of Magna International of Canada. It used to be Donnelly Mirrors Inc. I've been there almost 25yrs.

[david1985]

I have being working in a software company for last three years.I work as an software developer.Its a very good company and just after college i got this job.so kind of feel this company is lucky for me.

[FlintTony]

Journeyman Plumber, Journeyman Pipefitter, Master Motorcycle Mechanic. I am the youngest Journeyman Plumber the State of Michigan has ever had. Got my card when I was 19 years old. Did a lot of traveling when I was a kid. Worked in Texas, California, Arizona, Tennessee. Opened up my own one man Harley Shop about 30 years ago. I've built or restored hundreds of Harleys through the years. Like to say I'm semi retired now. My wife retired from GM, skilled trades, almost 2 years ago. We get to do lots of fun stuff now.

Tony

[rak1]

Since everyone else is adding I've been at the VA since 1995 and me and Mary have been married since 1-24-04.

[dbradley]

Been retired for 3 years now. Spend my time moving car parts around in my garage :D.

[Derek69SS]

"Curtainwall Designer"

I design the frames for exterior windows of commercial and government buildings... mostly schools and hospitals right now, as there's not much private-sector construction going on anymore. I used to work on the REALLY big stuff (skyscrapers), but that industry is dead right now.

My wife is a nurse for the Mayo Clinic. :)

[rak1]

"Curtainwall Designer"

I design the frames for exterior windows of commercial and government buildings... mostly schools and hospitals right now, as there's not much private-sector construction going on anymore. I used to work on the REALLY big stuff (skyscrapers), but that industry is dead right now.

My wife is a nurse for the Mayo Clinic. :)
It's always good to have a nurse in the family; my mom was a nurse for 30 years before she retired in 1995. Mary use to be a pharmacy Tech but she decided to try something with more growth potential.

[Trophyman]

Owner of Raymond's Trophy & Awards
Nine employees.
Married for 38 years. 58 yrs old.
Retired homicide detective, then went in to trophy business.
It has been very "awarding"
Get it? "Awarding" instead of "re" warding? I kill me !!!

Randy

[grandsport]

If you kill you,do you arrest yourself?:p

[Highway Star]

If you kill you,do you arrest yourself?:p


Ha!!!:p:p:p

[Trophyman]

If you kill you,do you arrest yourself?:p


Now I have something to think about !!!
ALL NIGHT !!!!
Ha...... good one Gary.

Randy

[rak1]

Gary’s da man as an ex girlfriend would say. She taught me all the cool saying like "this is the bomb" that always sounded dangerous to me, and "your da man", etc. That’s when I decided I need to date people closer to my own age instead of ten years younger than me, and then I found Mary and it solved all my dating problems.

[1969SS396]

I own my own business. I am a licensed and insured residential building contractor.

[Hank70SS]

How's this economy affecting you Steve?

[1969SS396]

How's this economy affecting you Steve?

Hank, I guess I got lucky through mother nature and have been very busy.

A big hail storm hit our area July 3, 2008 and since that time we have done about 50 insurance jobs which were removing existing shingles, siding, gutters, windows, doors......basically anything exterior that the hail damaged and replacing with new.

One insurance company in particular was so happy with the good price I gave, quality of work and no customer complaints that they kept giving my name out to their insured.

We just finished the last house last week that we were awarded a contract on due to that storm. Now I have some other work that is not insurance related to do that customers are very patiently waiting for me to do.

Guess I have been very lucky, there are many others who weren't as busy as I have been.

[RBeckman]

Steve,

That is good to hear, it tells me that you are we respected as one of the thing this economy has done is weed out a lot of below par contractors. In my eyes if you made it through this mess you can make it through anything.

[Hank70SS]

That's great Steve. Way too many people in this state have been nailed by the economy. Nice to hear someone is doing well. Keep up the good work.

[chevguy65]

I am a dying breed, one of the few pc guys that has not been completely outsourced to China or India.
Although I have taken 25% in pay cuts over the past 6 yrs (most recent was 15% last March) and a reduction in hours and was asked to train my replacement at HP, to which I said NO.

I build and QA test websites, and PC's. Test printers and other peripherals.

[grandsport]

Good morning,my friend!Waving

[Ms Grumpy]

Hank, I guess I got lucky through mother nature and have been very busy.

A big hail storm hit our area July 3, 2008 and since that time we have done about 50 insurance jobs which were removing existing shingles, siding, gutters, windows, doors......basically anything exterior that the hail damaged and replacing with new.

One insurance company in particular was so happy with the good price I gave, quality of work and no customer complaints that they kept giving my name out to their insured.

We just finished the last house last week that we were awarded a contract on due to that storm. Now I have some other work that is not insurance related to do that customers are very patiently waiting for me to do.

Guess I have been very lucky, there are many others who weren't as busy as I have been.

It sounds like you take pride in what you do. And you do a good job. Two things that are hard to find in contractors now a days. Continued success to you.

[Rank]

It sounds like you take pride in what you do. And you do a good job. Two things that are hard to find in contractors now a days. Continued success to you.

Gonna have to disagree with you on that one Ms! Actually "pride" and "good work" seems to be a in-bred trait MOST of those contractors that last and are successful possess. Its usually the "new-guy" that ruins it for those that actually take this profession serious. I know in California the Contractor's Licenses are issued cronologically and most of the suspensions and revokecations are those with the newer numbers.

To ad fuel to fire of the belief that most contractors are inept are shows on HGTV like "Holmes on Homes" that find someone that might have had a bad contractor experience and then proceed to disassemble the guys work and allude to the rumor that most contractors do the same crappy work.

Watching that program in particular I can spot many techniques he and his crew use that I would never consider knowing that the end product would be substandard.

[Ms Grumpy]

I can say that we had more than a few contractors at our home over the years, and have even asked a few to leave. One because we found beer cans in the back yard. Another because we saw what a shabby job he was doing. Another because it took him months to even start the job after many promises and then he would not return our calls.

We have had the best of luck with local, insured, handy men. So to me, anyone who has numerous recommendations is someone that I would consider to come to my home.

[grandsport]

I find beer cans in my back yard all the time.:p

[Hank70SS]

Beer cans, maybe on the grill or the table outside or the end table in the family room but not out in the yard. They're worth 10 cents a piece here, I don't have money to throw around.

[grandsport]

Beer cans, maybe on the grill or the table outside or the end table in the family room but not out in the yard. They're worth 10 cents a piece here, I don't have money to throw around.

LOL,I GUESS YOUR RIGHT.:p

[rak1]

Only Diet Pepsi cans in my back yard. I do get one MGD 64 about one a month.

[MarMar]

If only gin came in cans <sigh>:beer:

[Rank]

We have had the best of luck with local, insured, handy men. So to me, anyone who has numerous recommendations is someone that I would consider to come to my home.

Insured? I am not sure what you mean. Insured for replacement if this handyman blows up your house? Insured if he falls off your roof and breaks his leg?

Dont know about your state but out here in Kalifornia that "handyman" can not legally enter into a contract for more than $500. I dont think you could get much done to your house for that. And, of course YOU would have to pay his his with-holding and payroll bennies , you know unemployment insurance, worker's comp, social security..... is that something you would do, I mean LEGALLY employ this "handyman" as opposed to hiring a qualified and established builder?

As far as the beer cans scattered through your yard, my feelings on that (although I havent drank in 25 years) beans come in a can and beer in a pitcher and anything any different is just wrong! LOL

[CarolinaSpeCAp]

Been in the insurance industry for 16 years, a corp ins auditor for the last 9, started a business appraising cars n guns about 2 years ago, also are a FFL (Class 1) dealer, NRA Basic Pistol, Refuse To Be A Victim & NC Concealed Carry Handgun instructor. Here recently a bulgin disc in my neck has taken me outta auditin as I can't take the keying but am still teaching and expanding the business.

[grandsport]

Been in the insurance industry for 16 years, a corp ins auditor for the last 9, started a business appraising cars n guns about 2 years ago, also are a FFL (Class 1) dealer, NRA Basic Pistol, Refuse To Be A Victim & NC Concealed Carry Handgun instructor. Here recently a bulgin disc in my neck has taken me outta auditin as I can't take the keying but am still teaching and expanding the business.

Note to self: never get Crystal mad at self.:p

[grandsport]

Or better yet,never sell Crystal a used car.;)

[CarolinaSpeCAp]

:D LOL U ain't right Gary......I kill all my enemies with kindness, then I don't run out of places to hide the bodies like before!! LOLOL

[rak1]

As little as posible...:p