What do you do for a living?

Stikpusher,

I second Tanker! You guys have a tough job, my thanks to everyone in law enforcement.

You guys keep us safe.

I spent 5 1/2 years in the Army after high school (graduated in 1999) and got out with back problems.  Went to college on the GI Bill and I now teach high school US history and other social studies classes in a small school.

Working on my 18th year as a design engineer with Caterpillar.  

John

No Stik ;

   You are right there .Teaching military folks how to use prosthetics easily , and live with the change was a rewarding type of teaching  , I do believe . Funny though . I was never trained as a therapist  Or physiologist . I just went on Gut instinct and in doing so , drove their shrinks nuts LO.,.LOL . !

One year of Chemical Technology training made me decide I was a Graphic Designer at heart. Been doing that since spring of 2000.

Such a wide range of occupations here, and some very interesting ones at that.

After leaving school I had a couple of jobs while I was kicking my heels until I could join up. I then spent 22 years in the British army, Infantry, doing various jobs. I know do building maintenance at RAF Lakenheath.

Bish

Such a wide range of occupations here, and some very interesting ones at that.

Yes, this is fascinating. I read them to my wife and she is amazed at the diversity.

Steve

Read all entries and this kind of gives you the "oh I see why" on some of the names and their builds.  Also gives you potential resource persons on certain projects you may have on the pipeline.

Im a corporate lawyer working for a steel company.  Used to be a trial lawyer for 11 years until offered a juicy post in the corporate world back in 09.

And yes, the bosses have been urging me to build a model of one our the company's steel plants. From scratch.  I told them I'll agree. But Id have to work from home for about a year.  They havent gotten back to me on my counteroffer.  LOL.

allan

And yes, the bosses have been urging me to build a model of one our the company's steel plants. From scratch.  I told them I'll agree. But Id have to work from home for about a year.  They havent gotten back to me on my counteroffer.  LOL.

Good luck!

BTW I build architectural models on occasion. I charge $ 125.00 per hour. No I'm not soliciting the job, but think accordingly.

Ahaha. Honestly, I dont think I have the patience, or skill, to build a miniature of any of our company's mills.  And I dont think they'll take my work-from-home proposal seriously too.

Commercial carpenter,35 years. Retired

I am retired now, but was a scientist/engineer in the Aerospace Industry.  Interestingly, I found a large percentage of my peers were model builders- mostly flying models, as I did before I moved to a weather-challenged state.

Now I supplement my income writing an occasional article for model magazines to help pay for my modeling.

 I worked for my mother's brother who was a paint contractor while in high school and between semesters in my first college "career".  After uh, "leaving" the University of Texas in 1975 due to their disappointment in my grades (Austin, Texas held just too many distractions for me in the early 70s, ) I went back to work for my painter uncle.   In October of '76, I started learning the sheet-metal/tinsmith trade while working for a great guy in a small shop here in my hometown.  I worked there until 1990 when I returned to painting.

I worked for a couple different contractors until "the stars aligned" and I decided to return to college in order to become a teacher. My two children were then both in high school and after my wife and I attended an "open house/meet the teacher" night.  I remember telling her, "You know?  I believe I can do that job."  So, in the fall of 1994, I started the process of re-entering school for the first time in 20 years.  I started full-time classes at Texas A&M University in Jan. 1995.  That was a 50 mile one-way commute for me; on alternate days, I commuted to Temple, TX (30 miles) for my painting job.

I graduated from A&M in December 1997 (3.915 GPA-I am proud of the change from the .80 GPA I finally accrued at ol' UT back in the '75) with a BA in History.  I will be starting my 17th year as a social studies teacher, 7th and 8th grades, in a small, rural district about 20 miles away.  If all goes as planned, I can retire after the upcoming school year.

A we discussed before Tex, you and I have walked the same dirt, at different times, but the same areas. I graduated from a HS in Austin in 79, and my brother graduated A&M in 80 I believe.

technical illustrator and graphics artist. retired unless i get offered a good gig.

The majority of my full-time working career has consisted of supply chain/distribution, now in my 13th year. I have multiple years in most functions, with the notable exceptions being truck driving and inventory procurement (buying). I've spent 2 years managing a convenience store, and a year working with my dad helping to install a new 2-way radio system in the vehicles of the local electric company among an assortment of odd jobs. I've also been a part-time professional musician since 1990.

Dave

Let's see I started as a volunteer firefighter when I was 16 (my parents we city police and county sheriff thought it would keep me out of trouble), went full time firefighter/EMT when I turned 18. Joined the US Navy at 21 and served for 8 years as a Cryptologic Communications Technician and as a Boatswains Mate 2nd class (by my own choice). Went into building luxury yachts after I got out as a marine mechanic and a marine electrician, did that for 3 years until the economy did a down turn. Moved to eastern Oregon with the ex and went to college for Civil Engineering. Unfortunately life and divorce happened, moved to the surface of the sun aka Las Vegas and am currently working security to pay down debt to be able to finish my engineering degree. Been building models seriously since I was 12, had to take breaks when I was in with the exception of when I was stationed in England and Greece. Iraq and Afghanistan put a hold on my building for a while. Just started back up in the past three years, with the urging from my fiance and the docs at the VA. And recently I have gotten my fiance into the hobby as well, she has found that she likes building Gundams and SciFi kits, and aspires to own her own hobby shop.

Maritime College- Conscription Army service- Merchant Navy (cargo ships, 3-rd Mate, Navigation) - all sorts of jobs done during the break-up of the Soviet Union (docker, waiter, croupier, bodyguard, etc.)-Head of Security with a transport/logistics company, immigrated to U.K. in 1994, worked for various private security companies until the end of year 2000, worked for an exhibition company called ITE Group Plc, organised various security and fire safety events in former USSR republics (in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine), was made redundant in May 2014 for spoken out laud anti-Putin views concerning Ukraine (though I am a very much Russian myself :) ).

A the same time bought the Copper State Models in Sept. 2011 together with my friend and business partner, moved it to U.K. and working hard trying to make it work introducing new topics/products using new 3-D technologies.

I have built my first scale model at tender age of 7 or 8, that was a 1/87 railway station and cottage for the Eastern German HO scale railway set. The next kit was 1/30 Russian KV-1s and bunch of others models (mainly ex-FROG/NOVO and Eastern German PLASTIKART) between 1974 and 1983. Got back to the scale modelling in 1988, true believer the God created a man and 1/72 scale and that everything else is secondary :).

Thanks to hobby-turned-business met absolutely amazing people from all sorts of walks of life for which eternally grateful to them and to the God for changing my life to the best despite tough material and emotional moments and challenges the life through at us from time to time :).  

Airline pilot. First officer on the 737. I exceeded my wildest dreams. A small, lumber mill town kid who would run outside and watch planes fly over, from my earliest memories. I started building airplane models at age 5. Enlisted in the USAF at 17 and got a great job as a crewmember. I've been around airplanes ever since, working up through the civilian route as a pilot, from Cessna 150 on up.  I'm 45 and still not sure what I'll do when I grow up.

Pretty interesting and impressive lineup of professions here. I always wondered what you folks did. Good thread.

panzerpilot

Pretty interesting and impressive lineup of professions here. I always wondered what you folks did.

Yes, I agree. It also gives me a point of reference to know were you guys come from, work wise that is.

panzerpilot

  I'm 45 and still not sure what I'll do when I grow up.

LOL, Snap.

Right after high school, I worked as a housekeeper at the Children's Hospital here in Ottawa.  After four years of that, I became a police officer, carrying on in my father's footsteps.  I completed my 30th year of service in September 2014.  I will be retiring on 29 February 2016.

Those four years at CHEO were better for my personal development and for my policing career than any university education could have ever been.  It taught me how to interact with people and that is the major part of a copper's job description.  I learned how to speak to people from every socio-economic, cultural, professional, age, maturity, etc background in what was usually a very difficult environment but more importantly I learned how to listen to to people.

When I retire, I will always count myself very fortunate to have had the privilege of serving my community and the citizens of Ottawa for 31 1/2 years.

Extended my service by a month.  Officially retired on 01 April 2016; no fooling!

US Navy Aviation Electrician, burger flipper, avionics tech, truck driver( lower 48), odd jobs, single color die cutter printer press operater, college student, now an A/P avionics tech. If I get bored with this job maybe I'll run for president.

I think I am the third microbiologist in here... PhD, did academic research for many years, also 14 years in US Navy (Reserves & Active Duty). Have been a college professor for the last several years, as well as writing articles in Biosecurity & Homeland Security. Recently moved to NJ, setting up my new work area/mancave and looking forward to re-start (again!) my modelling hobby after a 2-3 year break.

Started my working career as a retail clerk in a drug store during high school.  Worked in a railroad freight yard and car accounting after failing in my first year of college.  Joined the Marines and became a hydraulics mechanic on KC130's.  Went on to indoor destructive testing of experimental tires, from pitching machines to open pit mine tire sizes, at several different manufacturer and testing companies.  I also watched the mixing and calendaring of the rubber.  I sold paint and glass retail.  I worked in development and QC for an adhesives manufacturing company.  Now I use AutoCAD to draw the different parts that make up the various tires my current company test for the tire industry.

Have worn jump boots since age 18 while in various jobs. Have been a police officer for past 16 years, best job I ever had.

I see that we are a good community of different professions!

Another physician... More precisely - a surgeon. PhD. Working for 33 years in the department of vascular surgery.

Model making keeps my hands efficient and skillful - at least I hope so (this is a good explanation to my dear wife too).

Maybe they will , Maybe they won't ;

      But , you can't say you weren't aware of the offer . ! My charges range from $150.00 hour to a full bore Amount in three payments equaling time , times four !

Jump Boots aside ;

 Behind the badge Hmmm, Thank You Sir !