What do you do for a living?

I was an Aircraft Mechanic for 10 years(A&P) until my wife became ill and unable to care for herself,now I stay at home and I am paid to take care of my wife and mother.

25 years in the Navy/ Navy Reserve, E-1 to O-5.  Started as an Aviation Electronics Technician on the S-3A aircraft and graduated to shipdriver.  For the last 17 years I have been an IT System Analyst.

Rick

Just to add my list in here goes

Worked road construction then a bank for 13 years. next I went into insurnace for 10 years and been in IT for 5 now. At the same time I've worked in online games for 10 years (see the profile pic for a clue).

Only "real" job was the road construction since then I've been warm and dry all the time.

I dont get time to build much with two jobs now but once I retire (if I get there!) I'll have a stash to work from.

Phil

Heavens Eagle

Hey everyone, it's been a couple of years since I was on this forum.  (been busy elsewhere)

I am a watchmaker  and what that means is that I repair watches for a living.  Before that I was an electronics draftsman where I designed circuit boards and sheet metal for a small electronics company.  The fun part of that was that I also got to make all the prototypes by hand.     Before that there were several plain (BO-RING) drafting jobs that went back to high school.

Along the way there was some time spent going to school where I initially took a number of technology courses and then finally spent 2 years in watchmaker school.

The neat thing about all that is that the skills for building models and for watchmaking compliment each other and then there is knowledge and skills unique to each that help the other.

 

 

Hi, Heavens Eagle! Whereabouts are you in Memphis? I grew up in the Frayser area from 1966 till I left for the Marines back in 1984.

Gary Mason

Hey Gary!

Just got finished installing a new garage door opener.  The old one was basically Kaput!  Then a few other things in the garage needed doing since I was out there.

Vegging out now and reading e-mails so I saw your post!   

I work in Germantown and live in the Cordova area.  I suspect things have changed around here a bit since you lived here.

How 'bout that? My brother used to live in Cordova for many years, then moved to Fairview (just west of Nashville) about 5 years ago. And, yep, Memphis has definitely changed.......for the worse, in my opinion. just amazing how bad the crime is compared to when I grew up there.

What a cool post!

Thanks to all those military, police, EMT, Fire, etc.!  Tough jobs, exceptional people!

I went to the U of Florida for Aerospace engineering, decided, it was too boring and decided to see the world.  Did 21 years in the Air Force.  Was an F-15 Avionics Tech and finished my career as an Instructor Supervisor teaching avionics! 

Retired and continued government work by getting an engineering techs job with the NOAA/National Weather Service!  Love the job! 

Just recently I've become a single parent.....toughest job yet! 

Very interesting post!  Thanks for doing it!

Eagle90

I was an electrical engineer and worked for Westinghouse Defense for 8 years before going to Hughes and working on terrestrial and satellite comms – although mostly on the software side in recent years.  I was very lucky and got to travel all over the world. 

I'll be 50 this year and I guess mid-life crisis set in : a lot of things changed at my job and I was feeling like life was too short, so last year I resigned and started my own IT company (which I've had for many years on a part-time basis). Along with that I started building again and became more active in our IPMS chapters!

I work as a seismic data analyst in the Oil & Gas industry.  Basically when a company wants to explore a new area for O&G they do something called a seismic "shoot" whereby they send sound waves into the ground that bounce back and are recorded on geophones (kinda like earthquake sensors).  The company i work for takes that raw data and creates a model of what it looks like below ground so they can decide exactly where they want to drill. 

Sounds kinda like what my brother does. All I ever get from his is "I find oil and gas", I suspect he does something similar.

USMC 12 years active/reserve. Infantry company commander.

Retired homicide detective, 35 years in the business. 

"I see dead people..........................."

Gaduated HS and worked as a shoe salesman for 3 years for the old Jordan Marsh stores here in Florida and yes I had a green Dodge just like Al Bundy. In the mid 70's I got hired by Dade County Public Safety Dept. (now callled Miami Dade Police) while in College and spent 30 years as  Deputy Sheriff there and retired.

Worked my way through high school working at a full-service gas station (remember those?)  Then worked through college at a local automotive parts house (before the days of computer anything). 

After graduating college with two degrees in geology, spent a few years as a high-resolution geophysicist, until the first oil patch bust in the mid-80's where they closed the company I was working for.  I then started working at a major oil company as a Kelly Girl, building up their physical records database (well logs, maps and seismic data).  Then I got hired on as a geotech with them, until the second oil patch bust of the mid-90's. 

So, I started working keeping these new-fangled computers running, and haven't looked back.  I'm now a unix systems administrator, supporting customers using just about all flavors of unix on their servers.  It pays the bills and keeps me off the streets.

Been building scale models off and on since I was about 5.  I don't get to build as much as I'd like, but have one heck of a stash for when I retire. 

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

The short short version. Never finished college. Hey sandbox. CCSU. Home Depot 4 years then auto body mostly vettes and commercial trucks joined postal service in 96 been a carrier ever since.  I guess the best thing is I still have the same size waist as I did in high school.   Walking 13-14 miles a day

technical illustration but now retired unless a cool gig appears. prior to that 16 years in and around the army in armor and teaching MILES starting with the original NETT.

Hmm...let's see how much I can remember.

I loaded crop dusters after high school (wet and dry chem) and then roofed houses. That got old so I joined the Air Force as a Aerospace Ground Suppor Technician. (I fixed all the equipment the crews used to fix the jets) Did my time and got out just before Desert Storm and became a technician for Ford at the Dealer level until I hurt my back doing construction side work. That moved me to the Ford parts department where I sold Ford, GM and Nissan parts for 11 years. 

Life tossed me a curve ball so I took the chance and changed my career over to a new opportunity as an independent insurance agent. I deal with Medicare and seniors only and I have truly found my calling, now at over 10 years. I love the work and I love the people I help even more. Truly wonder!!

I went back to school in 2000 and got about half my degree done and took 5 years off to focus on my work needs and management that I was thrust into. I went back in 2011 and finished my BBA in 2013, just for my own satisfaction and pride. Graduated with a 3.759 that I am very proud of. I am the first person in all of my family to get a degree. 

We certainly have a wide range of skills in this mottly crew. My hats off to all the law enforcement and retired military, as well as all the former military members of any length of time. We are certainly wired differently than the rest of the population.

BK

I was four years Canadian military, then 30 years police officer and retired in May 2014 as a platoon sergeant. Two UN missions, Kosovo, 2000-2001 and Haiti 2007-2008. Born and raised in Canada but I just don't want to see snow ever again so we now spend our winters in Florida!!

Danny

Great thread! I started off as a UH-1H Huey Crewchief in the active duty Army for 8 1/2 years, then got out in 1995 and went in the automotive business in the civilian world starting off working for my dad. I did that a year and then went to General Motors dealerships and I did that for a little over 18 years. I did end up getting into the Army National Guard in 2000 with a field artillery unit until 2007 and that was totally different than active duty I can tell you that. Now I work at a local refinery as a Fleet Maintenance Service Dept Supervisor and happy as hell to be out of dealerships.

" happy as hell to be out of dealerships."

BK

I'll see your and raise you one . LOL. Thank God is all I gotta say!!! It seemed like every week I was holdin' on for dear life to make an honest 40 hours.

mustang1989

I'll see your and raise you one . LOL. Thank God is all I gotta say!!! It seemed like every week I was holdin' on for dear life to make an honest 40 hours.

It was really fun many years ago, but it is an utterly miserable way to earn a living now. It sucks the life right outta ya. I feel you pain.

BK

 

Great life stories here. I love the fact that so many of you have tried your hand at so many different careers. Mine is much more straight forward but I am thinking about going back and getting an MBA. Anyway, I got my BS Degree in the mid 90s in the Earth Sciences. I immediately got a job after graduating with an Engineering/Environmental Consulting Firm where I began investigating environmental sites (assessing contaminated soil, groundwater, streams etc. and coming up with solutions to remediate them). After five years of experience and taking a couple of hard tests, I got my Professional Geology license. I have been doing that ever since.

I actually just got back into the hobby earlier this year. I originally got my start as a kid of the 80s building mostly armor but probably stopped soon after getting my Driver’s License. I was even featured in the now defunk Military Modeler Magazine with a dio of the M1 Abrams and a knocked out T62 (fictional of course). I miss that magazine and was sad to find it had gone out of business. But I am glad that FSM is around. Looking forward to many more years of modeling.

I've been a journalist most of my working life. I started out on motorcycle magazines and worked for several years road-testing bikes all through the 1980s (as well as writing columns and other pieces).

Then I got married in 1989 (still married to her, a great girl), and while I am still a motorcyclist after I got married I decided to keep motorcycling just for weekends, and do something else a bit quieter from Mondays to Fridays. And that's when I started working on gardening magazines, and have become a very keen gardener and garden blogger. That was until 2 years ago, that is. The gardening magazine I had been on for 15 years closed down, and since then I've been working freelance for whoever wants me, on any topic at all, from gardening to bikes, business and finance to art, travel and cars. They all pay roughly the same, but as I am 62 now, I'm really looking forward to retirement, as it seems like it's impossible for me to find full-time work. They're always looking for someone a couple of decades younger than me!

Fortunately, I have found a fair bit of freelance work on motorcycle magazines, so I've turned full circle. Several of the older editors remembered my work well, so I'm back writing articles for them and now have my own column in one of the mags.

Isn't Military Modeler now with Tamiya Publications? I still find the mag in Barnes & Nobles.

I have been working in a comic store for the last thirty years, and may finally be the owner soon. Modeling on and off since I was five, just turned 50 and think this is the golden age of modeling.

At the moment I am doing variuos Jobs. I work looking after Vending Machines as well as working in a Local Club. I will have my Hands full shortly as I have 2 solid Months playing Jolly St Nic at some of our major Department Stores.....Ho Ho Ho from Mark

Model builder since 8. Now 60. First job was airport attendant while also training to be an A&P. Got my pilot's license while doing all that. Flew 150's, 172's Citabria, Tri-Pacer, Cirrus, Archer and Comanche. I own and barely operate a PA24-180 Comanche. 

After A&P training and finishing up the degree work I wound up doing another 4 years training to be a tool and die maker. I worked the bench, machine shop, tool room, production trouble shooter, leader and supervisor. Spent 35 years in automotive T&D. Retired early in '12. Went back to the local airport and rediscovered that old cliche, the first answer is usually correct and got a part time, temporary, seasonal, almost trained job as airport attendant. It's my hobby job and keeps gas in the Comanche. 

I never quit model building although often I only found time in the winters. Now I am teaching 5 g'boys and 1 g'girl how to and building many more models for myself. 

I'd like to sit down with each and every one for a conversation. Your posts are all interesting.

I spent a few years wasting time after high school, then went to a marine college and studied Engineering for 4 years.  I graduated, worked worldwide on oil tankers for 5 years, then settled down in Canada with our Coast Guard.  Presently, I am a Chief Engineer one of their smaller oceanographic vessels, working 28 days on and 28 off.  12 hour days at work.  Home is my modelling time, usually 2 or 3 hours in the morning over a coffee while the dogs and I wake up.  Then it's housework and eventually preparing dinner for when my better half gets home. 

I had built a lot of plastic models as a kid, and started back into it to fill a bit of time and work on my patience, never my strong suit. I have been back at it for 4 or 5 years now, I think. 

Really interesting thread by the way.

Joined USAF In 1987, worked as a crew chief on A-10's and then F-15E's. Got my A&P license while I was in. Got out in 1995. Became an automatic and manual transmission builder for automobiles and light trucks owning my own business which I still work at part time. In 2000 I opened a second business building racing engines(specializing in 410 sprint car engines) and that is where I spend most of my time now.

25 year old Achitectural Draftsman.  Mainly work on details and constuction plan the window companies will use.  Work on Dealerships, Schools, Hospitals, Universities, and retails stores.

Use mainly AutoCAD, but have a large amount of expirience with Revit and presentation renderings.