What do you do for a living?

[JDeere]

I can't forget my time on a pig farm.

[clay]

Manufacturing for 5 years, out of HS.

Then I went to work as a CNA, worked weekends as a PBX operator for 2 years of Nursing School. I graduated nursing in 1976, worked 21 years as an ER Charge Nurse, 12 years as a Volunteer EMT, & A volunteer Firefighter.

I did a short stint with some "undercover work"...

I was medically retired in 1998!

My LTR of 10 years...we owned & I operated a Paint Your Own Pottery studio for 6 years.

I dabbled as a Open Cook in a pizza place, BBQ joint, and a couple other places.

My years in medical were the most rewarding as were my years in Rescue & Fire.

Now I just sit beneath the palm trees, do arts & crafts, about to become a Hospice volunteer, and am a proud parent of the cutest little red dachshund, named Hope. She is 10 & blind, BUT don't tell her she is...

[Martina]

People have done some interesting things. I am not working now. I am waiting to have my second knee replacement in two years. Oh well. I really can't work if I can't walk. Not in my opinion.

I am a high school Special Ed teacher. I usually teach Math as well. In California, I am credentialed in special ed and in autism. I am highly qualified in English and a few other things, but in CA, you can't teach General Ed unless you have a Gen Ed credential. That's weird because our Special Ed programs contain all the coursework gen ed programs do plus about a year more.

In Florida, I am credentialed in ESE (special Ed), autism, English, and Middle School math. So I could teach general ed English or math here as well as Special Ed. Different states, different laws.

The new federal law makes being highly qualified obsolete everywhere, I gather. I love how they force you to take classes and exams and then later, they don't matter. No refunds either.

I miss teaching, but I don't miss the bullshit from administration. I am so happy to see teachers walking out in the states where they have been treated the worst.

Anyway, I'll go back next year, in California. I need a few more years contributing to my pension before I retire. I am going to try to find an interesting job in an alternative setting located someplace sorta rural that is not the Central Valley. Those are my criteria. Should be doable.

[RockOn]

Software developer here ... love coding but the past couple years this boys club at work has become extremely toxic for me ... it is the people, their lies and getting away with unreasonable lies that has me bummed out.

I am certain I would not be able to tolerate the taste of ass in my mouth but watching others suck-up, lie to look good can be entertaining.

I tell the truth. I am mouthy. You can imagine where this places me. I accept my consequences and will not change.

Once I took off all the blinders and dismissed my denial, all the joy left but I can stand it four more years until retirement.

All good here.

[ksrainbow]

As I posted previously, my perfectionism for positive outcomes of our patients was rewarded with becoming the Quality and Assurance Coordinator for Patient Care.

Mental health care is at the forefront for many of us who serve this population. Some of us as I am: are in need of the services I provide. I can relate to and attempt to provide services to all seeking quality with compassion and positive outcomes.

Sometimes we are the bug...sometimes we are the windshield.

Ks-

[easygoingfemme]

I manage a women's housing program for my city primarily serving to house women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness due to domestic violence, addiction, mental health, or prison release. I'm also my agency go-to for walk-in emergencies and conduct all intakes for our housing programs. The hopeful expansion I'm working on right now includes a massive grant for rapid rehousing for individuals homeless due to domestic violence and acquiring a unit to house at least 8 individuals with children who are homeless due to domestic violence. Right now I only have one case manager in the program and we divide and conquer. I will need at least two more if I get the expansions.

[Orema]

I work in the Training and Development industry. I build courses on the internet and manage roughly a million electronic files created in Adobe Creative Suite by Product Developers.

My core skills are as a Production Artist and my forte is designing covers and inside pages of books. Though, it’s been years since I’ve been PA. Those are the skill that brought me into this company. Currently, I’m editing XML files to adjust hundreds of fields on the courses I build.

Some of my days are spent building courses, or I may have to change hundreds of trademarks (TM) to registration marks (®), or I may need to convert PMS colors to CMYK or RGB colors, or I may need to do a press check, or set up a document listing the specs for a die cut job, or recreate the live files when I only have a PDF.

One of the best things about my job is that it’s varied and I usually have short deadlines. Most of my teammates have deadlines that last 6 months to 2 years. My deadlines are usually from 2 hours to 3 months.

I have a lot of freedom and am given a lot of rope to either hang myself or to use it to get ahead. Seldom do I hang myself unless I allow my emotions to get the best of me. I see my manager once a week, if that, but often hear from her in email. We have a good working relationship.

I’m going to retire within the next 6 years. Sometimes I’m ready to retire tomorrow and other times I can see myself here for another 6 years. I’ve been here for almost 20 years, so what’s another 6?

[RockOn]

I could see myself going back to contract software (I am government now) after I retire but not full-time, say four hours a day ... and it would have to be a working from home arrangement. That could be a sweet deal plus calling my own shots (as opposed to answering to selfish self-seeking dicks who find many ways to goof off while pretending busy) would bring the joy back to the discipline.

[BullDog]

I am a freelance writer - I mostly write articles and business pages for websites.

I sell used books and other items on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc.

My latest venture is Shy (and one of her sons and daughter-in-law) and I are opening a thrift store - should be open in about a week. We are looking forward to running our business and helping out the local community at the same time. I can't wait!

[girl_dee]

What i do now is pretty much full circle for me, i work with numbers for a Home Automation company.

When I was 18 I got a job at a bank, entry level. By the time I was 30 I was an officer. I stayed in banking for many years and loved it. Then i wanted a change:

I bought a legal courier business and did that for 3 years.
Went back into accounting for a small company, then Katrina hit and I really went into a topsy turvy career roller coaster mostly in the healing arts.

Massage Therapist
Reflexologist
Reflexology Teacher
Hynotherapist
Reiki Level 2

Then my hands gave out and now I am back into accounting. I still love numbers.

[easygoingfemme]

Originally Posted by BullDog

I am a freelance writer - I mostly write articles and business pages for websites.

I sell used books and other items on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc.

My latest venture is Shy (and one of her sons and daughter-in-law) and I are opening a thrift store - should be open in about a week. We are looking forward to running our business and helping out the local community at the same time. I can't wait!

That's exciting! I hope your opening is a grand success and that the long term success of your store is strong!

[clay]

Originally Posted by BullDog

I am a freelance writer - I mostly write articles and business pages for websites.

I sell used books and other items on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc.

My latest venture is Shy (and one of her sons and daughter-in-law) and I are opening a thrift store - should be open in about a week. We are looking forward to running our business and helping out the local community at the same time. I can't wait!

Congratulations on the new biz venture, Bully & Shy!! Wishing you much success!