# What's your occupation?



## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Where do y'all work/what do you do for a living? 

Just curious as I'd like to get to know everyone better, and start a conversation. Or, where do you want to work/what do you want to do for a living? 

I'll start with me of course. 

I've worked at good old McDonald's, Value Village and worked on my parents farm my whole life. 

I've been unemployed for over a year and thought it was time to send out some resumes (can you believe most places won't even take resumes? It's all online now) and I stooped low enough as to apply to McDonald's again. Hey, income is income right? 

I got a call back today for an interview at a truck stop/convenience store. I was thrilled! 

In a perfect world, I'd like to work for myself, with a small time (50-200 head) cattle operation and that's what I'm working toward. I was supposed to attend college for beef operations and management, and working cow horse training, but my current funds don't allow me to go, and student loans are screwing people hard right now. 

So I'm still working part time to rebuild our farm with my father, who sold off everything except the four horses when he got too old to maintain everything by himself. He wants me to succeed as only a father can, and were going to help eachother rebuild fences, barns and runs and help cover the cost to bring some animals back and rebuild a herd of cattle. In turn, he's going to leave me the farm in his will. In his opinion, whichever one of his kids puts the most blood, sweat and tears into it, gets it. 

So I'm slowly working to rebuild what we once had to carry on the family business. This spring I'll be ordering 50 meat chickens, 50 more egg layers, a few piglets and hopefully get my hands on a few bob calves or beef heifers. I'd like to be as self sustainable as possible, and am planting a garden and *fingers crossed* finance a good tractor. 

But as the saying goes, you need money to make money, so I'll happily stick with a cashier job until I can afford/be self sustainable enough to make it on my own.


----------



## IndiesaurusRex (Feb 23, 2011)

First of all, kudos to you for supporting your father and wanting to make a go of the farm. I know farming/ranching can be quite different in the UK/US, but I think the principles are the same, and farmers are some of the hardest working people I know, and it can be a pretty thankless job.

I am still in several grand of debt to Student Finance, the government run organisation who deal with student debt, and I know the situation in the UK is much better for students than it is in the US. I owe about £9000 in tuition, and the rest I got from grants from the government to pay for accommodation and living expenses. I was lucky and got into university the year before the tuition increases, so avoided them completely.

I currently work as an Equine Behaviour Coordinator, for a horse rescue/sanctuary. We have about 1500 equines, and I oversee the handling programmes of all the horses in our home sites (about 800 or so), and coach staff in correct and safe handling procedures. Not as big a job as it sounds, as many of these horses are permanent residents who know the drill, so my main focus is on preparing horses in ground work before our rehoming team work with them, and working with remedial horses who have specific issues, such as being needleshy or unable to trim, etc.

As an example, today my day consisted of going to one site, bringing in a horse who is under my remit for handling, as a horse who came in from a welfare situation with several behavioural issues. He came in with a buddy into our vet unit, so he could have a dental. Brought him in first thing, to allow him to settle. Then went off and spent some time with the farriers, doing some of the problem horses, before heading to my home site to do some CPD. After CPD, went back to the first farm, got my pony into the treatment room for the vet to sedate him, and stood with him for his dental. Whilst he was waking up, I went back out with the farriers, then came back and took him and his buddy back out to his field, so they could go back to their forage. I then spent some time liaising with the farm manager to explain what had happened with the dental, and that he would be due another one in a months time.

Every day is different for me, but there you go! A day in the life of IndiesaurusRex :lol:


----------



## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

Student. Day involves laying in bed deciding if I can skip class that day, driving an hour into the city only to spend all lecture working on my own projects, and calculating how many more days of not doing work I can afford before a deadline.


----------



## Caledonian (Nov 27, 2016)

I’m an Education Officer in a military museum based in my local castle. The Regiment has a close connection with the surrounding area so we’re an important part of keeping their history alive, promoting the modern army and teaching general military history. I’ve been there for seventeen years and, like all jobs, it’s had its ups and downs, so I’ve often looked around for other work. I was also shocked by the method of applying and the intensity of interviews; my original application and interview was on paper and a half hour talk with the Major over a cup of tea. How things have changed!
I’ve worked at my local supermarkets, been a trek leader at a riding school which was long hours in the saddle in miserable weather and volunteered with various organisations including the Riding for the Disabled. So, well done Whattatroublemaker for getting the interview as it’s so hard to get beyond the resume stage nowadays. 
I’d love to work for myself eventually. I looked at opening a saddlery when I was in my twenties. At that time, we had proper shops and everything wasn’t online but I think I was too young and wasn’t settled enough to take on the responsibility. I’ve even thought about taking some riding teacher qualifications for fun and possibly using them in a future business, but funding is also an issue.
Unfortunately, my mum’s family businesses, a haulage company and large nursery, were sold when her parents died young and although they had managers, she felt that she wouldn’t be able to cope. I’m not sure it would’ve been work I’d like to do but I’ve often wondered what things would be like now if she had kept them going. 
Your plans for the farm sound great and I hope you succeed.


----------



## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

I retired from the Army 20 years ago. Since then, I've worked construction, various transportation jobs, and as an historian at living history museums. For the past few years, I'm back with the Army as a civilian transportation contractor. We are emptying our apartment now in preparation for actual retirement. We are heading to our ranch in the Cordillera Mountains of the Philippines. 

Here we are ready to roll out last winter. 
Heavy crew ready to roll by Paul Mckee, on Flickr


----------



## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

Me personally I have done everything from drive a truck, to pipework to retail department management, I had my picture on Walmart's corporate website for 3 years ( even after I left..lol) Right now I have 3 jobs, I drive a school bus, I work for one of the biggest privately owned dairies in the country as a tour operator and welcome host and I work at a barn 2x a week helping muck/ feed etc


----------



## Paintedponies1992 (Nov 17, 2013)

Worked two years as an Explosive Ammunition Assembler for a factory, most of which was as a temp. When I was laid off due to lack of work, I found a full time job at a Chocolate Confectionary factory right in town where I live and have been there since March 2014. I'm on 12 hour continental shifts that switch from days to night. I'm debating right now if I should take some courses through the company for business administrations and find something a little less strenuous and better pay.


----------



## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

I work for a Fortune 500 company investigating internal theft, but most of what I do is project administration for several ongoing projects related to my department. Most of that has to do with safety/security, and preventing organized retail crime (yes, there is such a thing). 

Before this, I've done everything from retail, to banking, and then credit counseling and review for small business owners, and I do some freelance writing on the side for extra money. 

Ideally, I'm aiming to expand the freelance in the next few years, and maybe at some point go full-time with that.


----------



## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

hoof trimmer for cattle: do my darnedest not to touch my horse's feet with anything but a hoof pick when the farrier is here we talk horse feet, race horses (his passion) and stupid people (wal-mart, sometimes it's clients, one never knows) love learning about the horse feet but think i'll stay away from the farrier industry and stick with bovine podiatry although down the line will be needing a career change for the sake of my body and hope to go into some sort of either small scale business management position or into something with veterinary marketing/sales


----------



## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

When I was still in school I babysat a lot, detasseled corn, and one summer packaged & boxed fishing reels in a factory. Out of school I went into banking but on occasion had extra jobs working at a grocery store, fast food place (anyone remember Burger Chef?), and a Speedway Station (gas & convenience store). Quit working in '97 and dabbled in the horse business. Some breeding, some buying youngsters to raise, train and resell, and some buying already broke horses that just needed a bit of saddle time/retraining before resell. During this time hubby retired from his job of being a cop, we moved from Indianapolis to the southern part of the state and we built a cowboy action shooting range on our farm so we also did that for 10 or 12 years (can't remember exactly). Now we are just bums other than caring for the farm and the 11 remaining horses that one or the other of us don't want to part with. Between that and the house if feels like more than a full time job so I don't know where we ever found the time to do all that other stuff. LOL


----------



## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I retired early. Hubby works. I tried working in the grape sheds at age 17, no thanks, to many odd looking spiders.I babysat and cleaned horse pens at age 13 -17 to purchase my first horse. I worked at pharmacies/drug stores, billed insurance for respiratory therapy, and then processed and adjusted claims for health ins.


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

JCnGrace said:


> (anyone remember Burger Chef?)


My first "paycheck" was from Burger Chef...it was $4 and change....carried it in my wallet for a couple of weeks....didin't know what to do with all that money......started there at 13 years old making .95 cents an hour....quit two years later (making $1.25) to take a minimum wage job of $1.65 and thought I'd hit the big time....

So, for the past 40+ years I've been a geek...currently a systems engineer/system integrator......dealing mainly with computer infrastructure, storage and virtualization.


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I started working when I was 13. Stuffed flyers in newspapers in a tiny shed without air conditioning or heat in the winter (we had to wear gloves which made it pretty hard). I then worked in restaurants and at a golf club where I served beer when I was about 15 (legal age here is 19). Worked in bars too, but mostly as a waitress for many years while I went to high school and then university. There are always jobs for people in the food industry, but they're pretty awful sometimes. Changed universities three times, took breaks in between and worked as a waitress some more. I looked around and decided I didn't want to do this for the rest of my life. Got into a field I liked at university and never looked back. 

So while it took many, many years, I am now a university professor. You'd be surprised how many of my colleagues are into horses too. I have a good salary, great benefits, job security, and a very flexible schedule. I always say I have the best job in the world, but hubby reminds me writing and research (40% of my job) don't get most people quite so excited. And then of course there are the many years of doing just research and writing to get there. But I didn't mind. I would have stayed a student forever if my scholarships hadn't run out. 

So while it was a roundabout way for me to get back into horses, it all worked out for me. I'm too old to do it the hard way - when I was a teen, I had a horse in a tiny shed without running water or electricity. I like not having to haul buckets of water over 5 ft snowbanks on snowshoes. Also, I think it's important to find something you really enjoy doing. After all, you'll be spending a pretty good chunk of your day doing it every day until you're probably in your 60s. Might as well do something you like!


----------



## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

My very first job was at a swimming pool supply company owned by my uncle. That same summer I typed stories for our local newspaper. Then, I started working at a pizzeria. In college, I worked at a daycare and babysat, then at an Applebee's. Finally I got a grown-up job as a teacher.  I sort of want a second job now to help fund my horse habit, but I'm not sure what that would be.


----------



## Kriva (Dec 11, 2015)

Growing up my family owned a few nursing homes. I helped out in any capacity possible. Office work, kitchen, cleaning, and nurse's aide when I was old enough. Nursing is not my forte'. Never followed in the family footsteps. Got into Accounting instead. I really love numbers! 

I started working for a state agency two weeks before I turned 21 as a clerk. Moved around some and ended up in the Accounting Department. Through years of hard work (no college degree), I am now the Financial Services Manager at another State Agency. Basically I'm in charge of our budget and manage the payroll and travel departments. I've been working for the state for almost 24 years now. I can retire in a little over 5 years when I'm 50. Full retirement, full benefits, almost all of my paycheck! 

Driving into a downtown city everyday to the same office, same desk, same people, same work gets a little old. But I've come too far to start over. And I really do like what I do for a living.


----------



## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

My first job was at Dairy Queen..and I stayed there for 5 years! I moved to another city to go to University, so worked at a clothing store there. Worked in a racehorse training/breeding and on the track for a few years. 

Then got into Insurance. The industry sucked me in and I've been an underwriter for over 10 years - in my current position for over 5. It isn't my 'dream job', but I get to work from home 3 days a week, have great benefits and flexibility. When I do have to go to the office, I have a nearly 2.5 hour commute there, but it is worth it cause otherwise I wouldn't be able to have an acreage with my horses.


----------



## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

If we're talking about previous jobs too... As a teen I worked grounds keeping at a golf course. Bought a saddle with my first paycheque. Did some odd jobs including butterfly breeding. 
Went to school the first time and got a job in a hospital working in diagnostics. Did that for 3 years at two different places, hated my life, and went back to school. 
All the while I have been doing something related to horses, be it stable hand, exercise rider, training, working student, ect.


----------



## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I have worked constantly since I was thirteen years old. My fallback "niche" is being a server, where I know I could easily make 38k a year wages and 14k tips (The average at the restaurants where I live, where it's a large food community.) I started doing restaurant work at a small cafe in my home town, and just kept going. I now have a killer serving/bartending/barista resume. I occasionally still work a few days as a cover set of hands, it's sometimes a welcome break.


I have also worked in residential rehabilitation, which I found to be my own personal hell. More because of the situations management put us in, and if I found another place that was well together and functioning I would probably do it again.

After that I did a lot of social media marketing for some hotels and private businesses, which is what I would love to do if I ever get too crippled to ride.


Full time though, I am living "the dream" as a professional horse trainer. During all those other jobs I always gave lessons and rode the horses in training, but it was never my main income. I apprenticed under some really incredible trainers who gave me the opportunity to go to larger shows and meet some more famous people and make connections. I admit I have been backing off a little to sort of figure out what I "want" to pursue in my competition career (cowhorse which would require moving, or steady as I go with the barrel racing which will not) but I fully intend to keep taking steps towards having my operation here be a success.


----------



## 6gun Kid (Feb 26, 2013)

Let's see first job stacking hay in the summer, then while in college I worked as a dude wrangler, outfitter, and ranch hand. All while competing as a bronc rider in the CPRA and IPRA. Worked for the fed, briefly, as a range manager for the Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Big Thicket National forest. Then after Bill Clinton took my job, I worked as gravedigger/sexton for a local funeral home while I studied to be a Paramedic, then I was one for Huntsville Walker County EMS. Then as a Medic for the Texas prison system, which morphed into a job as a Correctional Officer (pay was better for dealing with the same a-holes), that led to a job as a Gang Intelligence officer and part of the East Texas Violent Gang Task Force. While I was at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice I dated a dialysis nurse at the prison, she got me a part time job as a tech. I left the LEO life to start my own business in mold remediation, made and lost a fortune (went from no regulation to over regulation in the course of 3 years) and when it was all over I was able to walk away breaking even. So, while looking for work I ran into one of my co-workers from the dialysis clinic, who said she was at a free world clinic and they were hiring, so here I be 13 years later, a patient care technician at not one, not 2, but 3 dialysis clinics!


----------



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I decided to take early retirement when we moved to the US, my DH has to travel with his job and we didn't have the support network here that we had in the UK to make it easy for me to work and have someone on site for the horses and dogs
I mostly worked with horses when I was younger and then went into the UK Care sector and was a manager of a residential care facility for the over 55's with mental health problems (amongst other things!)


----------



## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

Started out volunteering at a local barn in exchange for riding lessons. After that I worked on my mom and dad's gas dock in their marina and was the bus kid at my grandma's restaurant (in our marina). Left to go to one school, came home hating it, and left for another.

While at the second school I worked in the deli in our Ag building, worked on the research farm out there, and worked for Equibase (the company that puts race programs together for all the horse racing tracks).

Moved back to Michigan for a research job where I learned A LOT. Got married, moved back to Kentucky where I picked up a different research job. Now I'm in my latest job (will be 2 years here in August) working as a contractor in a Fortune 500 company as a Genomics Researcher. I LOVE my job and the people I work with, so I'm hoping to be here for a good long time!


----------



## Hoofpic (Aug 23, 2015)

I do a bunch of stuff, but thankfully we are getting me some help so I have some duties taken off me, and then I can focus entirely on below (more so the first image than the second).

Here is me.










and


----------



## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I work in Magazine Fulfillment. We manage data bases for Magazines and take care of sending files to printers, mailing renewals and invoices. Creating reports for marketing purposes. I deal with printers, the USPS, publishers and circulation managers on a daily basis. I have a degree in Animal Science that never went anywhere.

I worked babysitting and breaking horses from Jr High through HS and then went to college where I waitresses to pay the bills- I worked at breaking 1 or 2 horses every summer when I was home from college. I have worked various odd jobs as an adult in addition to my regular full time work. Those jobs include working at a convenience store, waitressing and mowing local township cemeteries. Hubby and I still mow cemeteries on the side and my daughter and clean a local vet clinic 3 times each week. She wants to be a vet and this job helps her get access to our local vets (4 at this clinic) and view operations and other animal visits.


----------



## Kay Armstrong (Jun 28, 2015)

Have been a full time residential realtor for 15 years. Before that several sales jobs selling, concrete vaults, and electrical products. Before that several restaurant/fast food jobs.


----------



## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

Started out like many babysitting; then worked for my Dad who was a pilot by updating his flight manuals with the new pages. Worked in Admin for the Corps of Engineers (a civil low level entry position) for a short period. In college worked a little bit, usually in the student food center. After college worked for a small off-shoot of Mitsuibishi Motors - me and 7 little Japanese guys. Did all the admin work including keeping the checking account. They were the best to work for. They moved their offices across states and got me a job in a law firm before they left. Went to law school - worked full time and went to school at night. Had no life for 4 years. Worked for a law firm after law school for a few years then got my current position as a Research Attorney for a Superior Judge at the Superior Court. Love it! Am in my 20th year now!!


----------



## aubie (Aug 24, 2013)

Never really thought about it before but kinda interesting I guess. Wide spectrums like working in a church to bar tending. I've seen tons of dead bodies. In one hospital job I had to explain to a woman what exactly AIDS was, and why her son would not be getting better. I've had to start funeral arrangements for a couple who wanted one for their still born child. Had a patient one time that while having hip surgery, kids burned his house down with firecrackers on the 4th of July. And everything in between. I gave myself and cared for each and every one. I wonder sometimes how things would have been different if I had been more traditional, business minded.


----------



## Luce73 (Dec 7, 2012)

As a teen I babysitted and delivered flyers (from 13 y/o), then at 18 I worked in an office supply store for a year (Saturdays and holidays), and then I moved to Argentina lol. Here I started out as a game tester (Fifa 12,13,14) and then I started studying computer science and started freelancing halfway through my first year. have been doing full-time jobs in web development at different companies for the past 4 years or so. Currently working remotely for a US company  

Still a student as well, uni is free here and there is no time limit so most people in CS take it easy as its so easy to get a job early on, and a full-time job doesnt leave that much time for school. Doing 4 sunjects this semester, but did only 2 subjects in all of last year


----------



## ThoroughbredBug (Jan 18, 2017)

I've always worked with horses, mainly care (feeding, turnout, blankets, stalls, waters, etc) but also was an at home groom for two trainers catching, grooming, tacking and lunging up to 6 horses. I've done my share of housesitting and barn sitting, and worked at a cattle ranch one summer a few years ago just for the heck of it. 

I currently work at a dog boarding kennel/daycare/groomers as part of the exercise staff, taking dogs out for a potty, a walk, play session, or training session. I handle so many different breeds and types of dogs, and while I certainly am not 'dog people' (I'm horse, parrot, and hedgehog people, for the record lol) I do love it. I walk up to 10 miles in a shift on gravel, in sand, and on grass and it's great exercise. Handling some of our 'regulars' will certainly get you buff too. When I have to get 3 massive Bernese mtn. dogs out to the play yard 5 days in a row, 2 times a day as they try to play with each other_ on the leash _it gets you a good workout. I don't want to toot my own horn or anything, but a few of the kennel staff have expressed how impressed they are that my 5' self can manage the big dogs just as well as one of my co-workers can, who is a 6' buff-as-all-hell tough German guy lol After I told them it's nothing compared to offloading 1 ton of 3-wire bales from a flatbed alone, they understood where I was coming from. I also get to take out plenty of sweet older dogs, who usually get a quick potty, then back to their run for a cuddle session. Very therapeutic to have two massive Goldens cuddle with you and love on you :loveshower:


----------



## aubie (Aug 24, 2013)

There is something special about Goldens.


----------



## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

First job while in High School was at a lunch counter (65 cents an hour this was in the 1950"s) then in a bowling alley setting up pins, younger people will say what kind of job is that but actually kids did this in the old days.

Then after school a job in a small office, then as a Lab assistant for several years, then in a Medical Clinic, then at a Hospital for a few years. 

After that a few years working for a Veterinarian as an assistant.

Took a couple of years off to have a child and worked on the farm during this time, pigs, farrow to finish.

After that I had a small Produce Business for about 12 years, that was hard work!!

Then back to a Medical Clinic and my last job for 18 yrs was at Medical Laboratory until my retirement when I married my wonderful Hubby.

After our marriage, for about 12 years I worked on the farm with Hubby until this year when he has finally retired, at 79 yrs.


----------



## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

In High School my first job was working for a guy in the summer installing sprinkler systems. The days were long but the pay was pretty good. My hair turned almost white from sun bleaching, and I sported a sunburn'ish color almost the entire summer. That is when I learned I am not made to "tan" per say. 

After High School I joined the U.S. Navy and became a Search and Rescue Aircrewman (rescue swimmer). Did that for eight years. I didn't have any formal swimming instruction before joining. Learned it all from the list of schools they sent me through before going to my first Squadron.

It was a great job that I really loved!





with some really bad days...


These days I'm a Software Developer. I sit on my butt all day and make software and go to meetings for a living. I enjoy the problem solving, deconstructing it into parts, behaviors and conditions. The best part is not when you make something with no bugs, that is nearly impossible. I get a lot of satisfaction out of people thinking the software I and my team make is easy to use and just does what they wanted it to. It sounds strange to people not in this business, but a lot of thought went into everything from the font to the colors in any piece of software you really enjoy using. That is the part I like and once and a while I have some good ideas. 

Turns out sitting on your butt for a paycheck, getting older and being an active rider are not a good combo. I am finding myself turning to some exercises, stretches and strength building from Dressage and whatever I can find. Maybe they knew something about that. 

Enjoyed reading these.


----------



## carp614 (May 24, 2016)

First job was working as a camp counselor at boy scout summer camp

I was Red Cross Certified as a Lifeguard and worked at swimming pools in the summers after that. 

Delivered pizzas in college till I flunked out. Decided to go work for Uncle Sam for a while. 

6 years in the US Navy. It was nice and quiet for most of the time I was in. I went to school full time and finished my MBA a month after I was honorably discharged. 

Pharmaceutical sales for a couple of years (boring) then I got a change to do some supply chain consulting and never looked back. 

Ever since then I have worked as a Supply Chain Consultant; Demand, inventory, replenishment, and manufacturing planning. I've worked for a software company for the last 4 years and have really enjoyed it. No plans to move.


----------



## DanteDressageNerd (Mar 12, 2015)

When I was 14 I worked as a barn hand cleaning stalls and that sort of things, when I was 16-17 I worked for an Indian (from India) family, 18-20 I was a working student and rode, worked with a ton of different horses. Was a part of breeding, training, developing, etc. At 20 I went back to college for a degree in international studies and business administration with an emphasis on economics (one of my passions). I also rode a ton of different horses, went to Germany to ride, and did a lot of rehab type work, as well as helping with newborns, going to inspections with the babies, etc. Then at 22 I went into the Marine Corps because it was my dream and it felt like something I had to do. I did tons of speeches, worked mostly on satellite equipment so reading the interconnect diagrams to set things up, manual patch paneling with measuring the input and output frequencies, some coding stuff which wasn't really computer science, building programs coding but basically navigating satellites to connect to and asking you're not latching on, why? You're working now, why? God forbid you breathe wrong and it stops working with some equipment lol. And getting the data to transfer, etc, etc. Then because of my injuries I ended up doing a desk job and basically being a sort of secretary who also gave briefs to the CO and XO and worked with the chain of command. 24-25 I was medically discharged (chronic tendenitis, degenerative disks, arthritis, etc) which I agreed to because they told me I'd never go on deployment and I thought why would I stay in when I can get out and go back to school? I wasnt going to be able to reenlist, deploy or do any of things I signed up to do. Up to and including my life I took and still take seriously. 25 went back to school and 26 in school for computer science but it's not something I love doing. It's frustrating, puts my anxiety on edge and honestly building programs has put me closer to shaving off all my hair than almost anything else I've ever done, so I've decided to become a high school math teacher. I LOVE math and I LOVE teaching. I love helping people and explaining the details that might be missed for that person to REALLY understand math and how it works. It's all about the process, same with dressage and developing horses. I love seeing people succeed and setting them up to succeed and knowing I made a difference in someone's life, even if they never acknowledge me or say thank you. I don't care but to know I made a difference matter to me. And if I can make someone see the value in math and develop a passion for it, that would be very fulfilling. I also have a pretty thick skin and I remember when I was in the Marine Corps, I used to be told I had a lot of sass and attitude for a white girl :lol: I was very respectful but I think I got away with quite a bit because I had a good reputation and was very well respected for my intelligence and bearing. I was told by a higher up who was a DI, I carried myself with a pride, dignity and authority he respected and admired and has full confidence I'll go on to do great things as a civilian. I remember it shocked me because I had never heard him say anything nice to anyone, he was a very intense man and was really quite hard on me. I learned a ton from him but it was intense, the amount of pressure I received from him was incredible but he was impressed by how well I took it and kept bearing and focus. He wasn't unreasonable, he just wanted to see if I'd break. I had officers ask me for leadership advice which honestly surprised me and also was a mentor and it was honestly a very important part of my life, even though it wasn't the career I wanted I got SO much out of it. And honestly a lot of the time it was miserable, early mornings, intense PT, field days until 3am to get up at 4:30 and PT for 2hrs which was insane. The inspections, the humiliation, and basically everyone is in pain all the time. At some point you're just surviving on willpower.

For a current job I basically break, develop and train horses. I develop young dressage horses. And love the environment of being around vets, trainers, chiropractors, saddle fitters and the constant transfer of information and learning. It's honestly a really good learning environment and I LOVE all the different perspectives because I can ask a ton of questions and watch horse after horse after horse and work with multiple horses and see the development and compare/contrast how things work or not and ask experts questions all the time. I LOVE it. I'm constantly learning and developing.


----------



## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

jgnmoose said:


> These days I'm a Software Developer. I sit on my butt all day and make software and go to meetings for a living. I enjoy the problem solving, deconstructing it into parts, behaviors and conditions. The best part is not when you make something with no bugs, that is nearly impossible. I get a lot of satisfaction out of people thinking the software I and my team make is easy to use and just does what they wanted it to. It sounds strange to people not in this business, but a lot of thought went into everything from the font to the colors in any piece of software you really enjoy using. That is the part I like and once and a while I have some good ideas.


That's what I want. Love the problem solving and figuring out work around or how to do X when you have Y and Z preventing it. Finding and fixing the bugs is fun, but maybe that's just because I don't have anything in production. 😉


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

jgnmoose said:


> These days I'm a Software Developer. I sit on my butt all day and make software and go to meetings for a living. I enjoy the problem solving, deconstructing it into parts, behaviors and conditions. The best part is not when you make something with no bugs, that is nearly impossible. I get a lot of satisfaction out of people thinking the software I and my team make is easy to use and just does what they wanted it to. It sounds strange to people not in this business, but a lot of thought went into everything from the font to the colors in any piece of software you really enjoy using. That is the part I like and once and a while I have some good ideas.
> 
> Turns out sitting on your butt for a paycheck, getting older and being an active rider are not a good combo. I am finding myself turning to some exercises, stretches and strength building from Dressage and whatever I can find. Maybe they knew something about that.
> 
> Enjoyed reading these.


People like me really appreciate people like you! I work with text analysis software in my research (similar to data mining, but with a digital humanities approach) and I REALLY appreciate well produced software! I correspond regularly and sometimes even Skype with the creators of the top three programs I use to discuss glitches and ideas, and am happy to say we've developed a symbiotic relationship where they can sometimes adapt some of my ideas to the software by adding new functions. Which is like magic to me, lol. As a humanist, I'm good at saying "It would be really cool if there was a software program that could do this!" but I have no idea how to actually bring it about. I've seen more than my share of puzzled, annoyed looks on programmers' faces in my day, but also many who find a way to get it done. They rock.


----------



## Luce73 (Dec 7, 2012)

jgnmoose said:


> These days I'm a Software Developer. I sit on my butt all day and make software and go to meetings for a living. I enjoy the problem solving, deconstructing it into parts, behaviors and conditions. The best part is not when you make something with no bugs, that is nearly impossible.* I get a lot of satisfaction out of people thinking the software I and my team make is easy to use and just does what they wanted it to. It sounds strange to people not in this business, but a lot of thought went into everything from the font to the colors in any piece of software you really enjoy using. That is the part I like and once and a while I have some good ideas.
> *


OMG YES! THIS! Exactly the reason I love this job  




jgnmoose said:


> Turns out sitting on your butt for a paycheck, getting older and being an active rider are not a good combo. I am finding myself turning to some exercises, stretches and strength building from Dressage and whatever I can find. Maybe they knew something about that.


Not sure being older has much to do with it >.< I started Tai Chi and am really loving it, it's really low impact but really improves balance and flexibility! Plus they have a total focus on leg and ab strength, which it super useful for riding too  I've also bought a bike to get to the barn (5km one-way) so that is helping too!



ApuetsoT said:


> That's what I want. Love the problem solving and figuring out work around or how to do X when you have Y and Z preventing it. Finding and fixing the bugs is fun, but maybe that's just because I don't have anything in production. ��


Finding bugs in production sucks, but the satisfaction when you find the solution well into your 5th hour of panicked overtime is worth it (almost...)


----------



## Captain Evil (Apr 18, 2012)

Everybody has such different lives! Wow.
@IndiesaurusRex What a cool job! We hear a tiny bit about Gypsy cobs in Wales and England being turned loose to fend for themselves, while over here they sell for thousands of dollars each. I’m sure the story is not that simple, but I thought it would be great to ship ‘em on over...
@ApuetsoT The most honest assessment of student life I have ever read.
@Caledonian I lived in Edinburgh for a year, and loved loved loved it, and I loved Edinburgh Castle!
@Paintedponies1992 Could you combine your talents and start your own business featuring exploding chocolates?

After many false starts and dead-end attempts to find a job I could do, enjoyed, and that would pay for my horse, I would up as a child psychologist, making $33,000 a year - more than I ever dreamed possible! It did pay for Djinn but not much else. 

After years of that, I staggered up to Maine, failed at teaching, got married, and wound up as a:

Boat Captain:









Marine Naturalist:









Dive Safety Officer:
-making sure my divers remain undamaged...









-ensuring that the skiffs are not overloaded...









-ensuring that no diver shall ever get trapped under the ice...









-ensuring that diver equipment is properly maintained...









We also do boat salvage









dive for scallops...









underwater videography...









and take photos of it all. 
And that's my job.


----------



## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Captain Evil said:


> Everybody has such different lives! Wow.
> 
> @IndiesaurusRex What a cool job! We hear a tiny bit about Gypsy cobs in Wales and England being turned loose to fend for themselves, while over here they sell for thousands of dollars each. I’m sure the story is not that simple, but I thought it would be great to ship ‘em on over...
> 
> ...


This is just.. awesome. Great job!


----------



## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

DanteDressageNerd said:


> I LOVE math and I LOVE teaching. I love helping people and explaining the details that might be missed for that person to REALLY understand math and how it works. It's all about the process, same with dressage and developing horses. I love seeing people succeed and setting them up to succeed and knowing I made a difference in someone's life, even if they never acknowledge me or say thank you. I don't care but to know I made a difference matter to me. And if I can make someone see the value in math and develop a passion for it, that would be very fulfilling.


First of all thank you for your service in Uncle Sam's Misguided Children (feel free to jab back with a "Squid" remark lol). I love Marines, but have to give them a hard time. It is what makes *us* (USN and USMC) special.

I quoted this because it is so crucial. Thank you for that. I took a college course that was talking all about pointers arithmetic and bitwise operations, and we hadn't even learned how to print a simple message to the screen with C++. 

I think I and most of my classmates wanted to just do something cool we could show our friends. Software Engineering didn't really "click" with me until I could see how I could make that cool thing.

Math was sort of the same way. Why am I solving for "x"? What the heck is "x" and why do I care? Now, if I need to get the distance to an enemy space ship using the Pythagorean Theorem so I can know when my ship is in range to shoot them, that is super fun to learn. 

I think most subjects are actually cool and interesting, the nature of the delivery matters.

Okay, back on topic.


----------



## Samson5261 (Jul 25, 2013)

My first job I got a paycheck from was at walmart. Worked there for 5 years and then got a job at a govt contract agency. I hated that job, just sitting at a computer waiting for work to come in. Them timing my bathroom brake and if I even dared look at my neighbor I would get talked to about not working. I swear I could feel that place sucking the life out of me! I left there after 3 years and went back to walmart. That is where I am at now and will be for the foreseeable future. I love most of the people I work with and I do enjoy my job. I always dream of having a job with animals but it's just not something I see happening.


----------



## horseylover1_1 (Feb 13, 2008)

I am a full time Realtor. Worked a good 11 hour day today so far with no breaks and I'm still working. :shock: 

My husband is a full time freelance photographer. I do some work with/for him.

I have also picked up some horses to train. I would love to do that full time someday. Still a pipe dream right now, may or may not ever be reality, but I guess you gotta start somewhere!


----------



## edf (Dec 20, 2013)

I am a medical assistant at the county jail. So, if you break the law in my county- I may just do your intake.... LOL.


----------



## IndiesaurusRex (Feb 23, 2011)

Captain Evil said:


> Everybody has such different lives! Wow.
> 
> @IndiesaurusRex What a cool job! We hear a tiny bit about Gypsy cobs in Wales and England being turned loose to fend for themselves, while over here they sell for thousands of dollars each. I’m sure the story is not that simple, but I thought it would be great to ship ‘em on over...


It's very rewarding, but can be pretty challenging! Fly grazing and neglect are two of the big problems, but are compounded by indiscriminate breeding. Whilst the market for them here is nothing like it is in the US, there is still demand for them. I think they're probably comparable to a bog standard unpapered QH, where price is dependant on training and looks.

I could go on and on, but I think it's just safe to say that the UK shouldn't be afraid of a cob decline crisis any time soon.


----------



## Werecat (Aug 23, 2015)

Loving this thread! 

I always adored the arts, spent all my time drawing and not paying attention in school hah! What got me started in my current career, is I used to take character commissions and build websites for players on MMOs (online games) when I was in Jr. High School-College, which launched me into the career I am in now (which is not related to that at all, but it taught me what I know about graphic design which I now do professionally). I am self employed and am contracted with 4 companies, but still have time to take separate business endeavors, though right now I am taking a small break from extra work as I get creatively burned out if I do nothing but work and little down time.


Rewinding back 12 years to my first job, I worked in a real estate office my mom worked at in NYC, stuffing rent envelopes and running errands/delivering documents/etc.

Second job, before I started college, I worked a few months at a pet supply store, also in NYC. It wasn't fun, my boss was a royal jerk, and I did it just to do something before I started college. I realized I had a huge love for chameleons working there, however I never came to own one. I did use my discount to stock up on some very nice brackish water fish though and had an amazing tank going at that point.

Started college, did that full-time for a while, but started working in another office, part of the company my mother worked for, but it was the personal office of the owners of previously mentioned real estate company. It was a much smaller office, I had my own desk, title, and made much better money than the first gig. I left that once I wanted to focus my time on graphic design. I left that job and college right around the same time. Actually, left college a few months prior and kept working to help make more money. I did blow a lot of that money on guitars and clothes, but also started to learn how to build a savings and be somewhat responsible haha.

Moved from NYC to TN with my parents when they retired with the goal of one day buying my own farm. Well, that was 7 years ago, and in that time I hit a few road bumps. One could say I went through a depression leaving my home"town" and all my friends/extended family (and at the time my sister) behind, and was without work for a little while but still continued to focus heavily on learning all the ins and outs of graphic design and their respective programs. However, in the meantime I worked at brick and mortar retail stores such as Blockbuster (did the closing sale on that store which was sad since I got along with all my coworkers), horrrriiible short stint at Pizza Hut (I can't stand waiting tables, and would probably die if I had to do that again), and then GameStop. 

During GameStop, I started working in the office of the parent company that owns two of the four companies I am currently still contracted with, and eventually left GameStop to focus full time on getting my real career going. I am very glad I went that route.

Now I do some illustration, but my main expertise is in web and mobile application design & developer direction. I've been art director/senior designer on several apps for iOS and Android, designed large destination sites for Balboa Island, CA, and several of the main beaches in South Carolina, as well as a couple of private jet charter broker sites. I also do a lot of print work, think posters, apparel, trade show booths, new car ads, etc. I am self employed so naturally I work from home, but part of the farm dream is to have my own office finally (I work out of my own bedroom, oy), where I can look out my window and see my horses grazing outside. 2017 goals! My main career goal is to start my own business, vs. just being self employed, but I'll get there eventually.


----------



## MasterShake (Mar 8, 2017)

Same here! I am a Psyc. Tech. I've worked in both prisons and hospitals. I also do hospice. Love my job. But do wish I was a professional stay at home and mess with my critters and do cratfs person. Oh well... I can dream.


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Working from home is awesome, but has its drawbacks. I organize my schedule so that I only teach 2-3 days a week (though that means really LONG nonstop teaching hours) and my other days, which are mostly dedicated to research, I work from home. And then of course there's the fact that I only teach September to April and work from home all summer (no, I don't get a four month vacation). That means I can go check on the horses many times a day. But it also means the line between personal time and work time is blurred so I end up working evenings and weekends sometimes and checking email way too often. However, I suppose you could say it makes up for other times when I should be working, but am procrastinating instead (like now... when I should be finishing up an article I promised to the publisher by the end of March). Last summer, I didn't actually take vacation time. I just worked part-time all summer instead. I figure putting in roughly a half-day's work for two months comes out the same as taking 5 weeks off. I do work full-time until the kids are out of school, but when they're home, it becomes pretty hard. But this means I never completely disconnect from work. Still, I wouldn't have it any other way.

And then there's the significant degradation of social skills that comes from never talking to another human being from 8 am (when my kids leave for school, but I'm not sure they count) to 4 pm. My sabbatical year -- when I didn't have to do any teaching, just research -- was glorious. But sometimes, I would forget how to have a conversation with a human being.


----------



## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I'm currently a Service Administrator at a communications company. We do cabling, phone systems, fiber, security cameras, paging, etc. I handle all the scheduling, service calls, purchasing, etc. 

HOWEVER...I graduated college in 2014 for Legal Studies. I was working at a law firm, but I got laid off, then found this job on a whim because I was unemployed for 6 MONTHS trying to find a new job. 
I will be looking into a law firm job later this year/early next year. I want to get a townhouse/condo first (right now I'm renting an apt & so sick of rent!).  That's my next step. Then new job.  I want to be a Paralegal.
I've been at this place for over 3 years. It's given me a lot of office experience & customer service experience. We are like a little family, it's a small business. I also help with legal stuff for the business.
I've also worked many other places, when I was 15 I started working, first job was McDonald's, then Taco Bell, Barnes & Noble, TGIFriday's, etc. I would not work retail or in restaurants anymore, I just can't do it! LOL. Unless I absolutely had to of course.

Very cool to hear everyone else's occupations. So awesome! :smile:


----------



## PaisleysMom (Feb 22, 2017)

I am a registered veterinary technician. I worked in an emergency and specialty hospital for about 4 years until I couldn’t afford to live on the salary anymore and I have now turned to research. I work for a medical device company and perform anesthesia and provide animal care on pigs and goats. There is a lot of backlash for companies that test on animals but after working in it- there are so many things that people do not understand. It’s very hard to talk to my friends about my job- even though our research is amazing and life saving for humans and animals. Our animals are cared for so well. I like to give the analogy that I could see this pig and it can feed a dozen people once, and tomorrow they will be hungry again. Or I can see this pig and use it in research to test or develop a product, drug or procedure, that might one day save hundreds of thousands of people’s lives. Every animal I use I thank before I euthanize them. They feel no pain during any portion of their time spent in our facility.

I greatly miss working in the ER full time. I still pick up shifts on the occasional weekend so I can keep up with my skills. That job was my heart and soul and I loved emergency medicine. I chose to be a vet tech totally understanding that we do not get paid very much or very fairly. But at least I can still have a little bit of both worlds – decent money and benefits, and then picking up shifts to do what I truly love.


----------



## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Hi All!

As far back as I can remember, I've always been a geek. Worked at TV repair during high school, and branched into arcade games (remember Pong?) during college. Majored in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Communications, but my first job after graduation was in the Semiconductor industry, where I was put in charge of the companies high temperature furnaces (~1000C), and (to a young geek), a really fascinating tool called an Ion Implanter. The Implanter is a combination of a mass spectrometer, a high voltage (400KV) particle accelerator, electromagnetic and electrostatic beam focusing and scanning systems, an electrometer-based dosage monitor, a fairly complex pneumatic/mechanical system for handling the Silicon wafers, and four separate ultra-high vacuum systems. "Mine, All Mine !!!" ;-)

Did this for several years until the parent company decided to get out of the business. Worked as a production/test engineer for commercial videotape machines (boring) for a while, and then at what I thought would be a dream job; developing the communications and telemetry systems for the Space Shuttle. The work was indeed interesting, and I learned a lot, but the company was obviously milking NASA and the taxpayers, and I grew frustrated. About the time I resolved to find something else, a rock-climbing friend and former co-worker invited me to join a startup Semiconductor facility in Boulder CO, the mecca of Colorado climbing at the time.

I became their lead "Equipment Engineer", working with my beloved Ion Implanters, as well as a broad array of high-tech Semiconductor process tools during the work week, and climbing in Eldorado Springs, Boulder Canyon, and the Indian Peaks/ Rocky Mountain National Park on the weekends. Life was Good.

Alas, the Semiconductor industry is a roller-coaster ride, and when rumors of massive lay-offs began flying, I found a job doing field service work for the company that manufactured the Ion Implanters I had been in love with.

The money was large, the work was fun, and I was very good at it, but I soon grew tired of the constant travel. A friend put me onto a job opportunity at the University of Colorado, building and running a Microelectronics Research Laboratory. My name was written all over this job, and I took a substantial pay cut to accept it, but it was an exceptionally good fit, and I remained there until my nominal retirement several years ago. I still land consulting gigs thru the U once in awhile, but I don't actively seek them out.

These days I'm mostly a full-time stable boy, and I have developed a serious fascination with my equines, and learning to communicate with them in their own language. I also amuse myself by hacking Android devices, and buying and refurbishing junk Subaru's from craigslist.

Steve


----------



## SansPeurDansLaSelle (May 6, 2013)

@PoptartShop I can give you the info for my old law office if you would be interested. It's a Civil Rights and Employment firm in downtown Silver Spring, the pay is not amazing but it's a great place to get experience and get your foot in the door. They are always hiring and a lot of the paralegals move on to great law schools, bigger firms, or federal positions.

I'm currently in my last semester of a Masters in French Language and Literature, I have primarily focused on the effects of post-colonialism and neo-colonialism in Francophone Africa, both West Africa and the Maghreb. I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with this yet, I have been doing freelance translation for a few years and I like it but it can get tedious and you don't have a ton of human interaction throughout the day. I would love to get into a federal position with the State Dept or CIA but with the hiring freeze that may have to wait. My father is also looking at new ventures now that he is considering retiring from his full-time position as a physician so we are looking at some real estate and tele-medicine opportunities that could prove to be interesting.

In high school and through most of college I worked as the primary weekend feeder at my school's barn to earn some pocket money and worked as Barn Staff during our summer camp teaching mounted and unmounted lessons. In college we kept our horses at a self care facility with our trainers horses so he did the morning work and I did the afternoon and then rode afterwards. I was also a TA for the Equine Science dept although I wasn't an Animal Science major. In 2014 I studied abroad in Lyon, France which cemented my love for the language, people, and culture and when I came home for my last semester I decided to apply to the Masters program. After graduating undergrad I worked in the billing and finance office of the aforementioned law office full-time for nine months and then continued part-time for my first year in the Masters program. This past year I quit that job to focus on my thesis and exams.

I also do a little freelance grooming work on the side working at horse shows, as well as clipping and braiding. I also judge local shows as much as possible and hope to eventually become an 'r' judge with the USEF.


----------



## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

I'm a dog groomer! Been doing that for 11 years. April of last year I opened my very own shop here in Ohio! Its been growing fast and I love working for myself.

I also work as an independent contractor for a marketing firm designing wordpress websites...mainly I just create the completely custom templates for their sites.


----------



## EmberScarlet (Oct 28, 2016)

As a teen in my fathers home, my job is to eat all the food, sleep too long, be a brat.... JUST KIDDING, LOL. I actually help out at different conventions, by making food baskets and bringing water/snacks to the vendors 3+ times a day. I also clean barns, exercise horses, and help with kid's programs.
As for what I'd like to be, I want to go to Canyonview, then heading out in the world to try to start my equestrian dream-job... although I'm guessing my dad is going to try to push me to be a commercial pilot, but who knows?


----------



## Hoofpic (Aug 23, 2015)

Kay Armstrong said:


> Have been a full time residential realtor for 15 years. Before that several sales jobs selling, concrete vaults, and electrical products. Before that several restaurant/fast food jobs.


That's awesome.

I know having previously worked for a real estate firm (not as a realtor), real estate is an incredibly tough market to crack and it requires not only a lot of hours and devotion to be successful as a realtor, but you also have to be made for it, in other words a good salesman. 

If I got a dollar for every person who walked into our door and joined the company as a realtor, because they thought it was easy money and an easy career, just because our home market was booming 1-3 years ago, (and trust me it was and it caused a huge spike in people getting into this industry), I would be rich.

I had realtors at the time tried to debate with me on this, but like I told them, a realtor is no different than a car salesman, you have to be made for it. At the end of the day, you are still selling and it's such a competitive market, that if you don't know how to market yourself and stand out from the rest of the competition, you won't take off as much as you would like. It's all about personal branding and making a reputation for yourself. It's not what your client can do for you, but what you can do for them.

But many realtors came on board, only to think that selling homes would be easy because there was such high demand for it in our city. LOL.

I met some really great people in this tenure, and had many valuable learning experiences. But the one thing I have to say about realtors is that, so many of them have such horrid organizational skills and time management, like it was absolutely pathetic. This was at least the case where I was (firm of over 600 realtors). 

There's also a lot of disrespect in the business and thankfully I never let it get to me. I've seen some of the ridiculous stuff in my life - everything from realtors completely losing their cool in the office and swearing at everyone and going on a rampage, to ones screaming at their clients, to ones who blatantly try to fraud the system by faking signatures on legal documents. Some CRAZY, but also very pathetic childish stuff! Like seriously, are we 12 years old?

But when you work for a firm that has that many people, trust me, you experience personalities of both extremes.


----------



## Hoofpic (Aug 23, 2015)

The one thing that I definitely do not miss about the real estate industry is the materialistic, superficial culture. Life is all about status symbols to realtor, the kind of car they drive, to what brand suits they wear, to the home they live in, to what schools their kids go to, to how often they go on vacation.

I can't stand the corporate egotistical atmosphere and the real estate industry felt scary similar. 

I'm not into brand names or materialistic items in life, as that's just not me. I wear hoodies from Walmart and $20 jeans 95% of the time, so people can judge me all they want. . Life is too short and valuable to be so worried about brand names and fancy emblems.


----------



## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

MasterShake said:


> I also do hospice.


Thank you so much for this service. It is extremely important. I cannot express how much I appreciated all that hospice did for my sister and our family when she was dying from cancer. I know it cannot be easy for those doing hospice, but it is an invaluable service for those they serve. 

On another note, I, too, am enjoying hearing about what everyone does!! Very cool, everyone, thanks for sharing!


----------



## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

yes I totally missed that those of you who do hospice work are miracle workers, and I have nothing but nice things to say about you


----------



## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Wow! I love reading about what you all do and seeing photos! You all live such diverse and exciting lives!

I got my first job while in college. I worked summers and holiday breaks at an equine vet near my parent's house. I mostly worked at the clinic cleaning stalls, feeding, turning out, doing treatments on hospitalized horses etc. Just things like changing IV bags, hand walking, changing bandages, and giving oral meds.

On summer I doubled up and worked at a small animal vet clinic in my hometown. I cleaned kennels, ran the in house lab, answered phones, assisted in surgery etc.

I worked full time for the equine vet for a few months after I graduated. I got a bachelor's degree in preprofessional biology (basically pre-vet/pre-med). 

Shortly after graduation I landed a job as a lab tech for my state department of agriculture. I got to do all sorts of interesting things there. My primary job was to test cattle serum for Johnes disease. But I got to culture bacteria, run a whole host of toxicology diagnostics, and assist in large animal necropsy.

I was in that position for about 3 years before being promoted to microbiologist. From there I worked primarily in the necropsy area, well as doing rabies testing.

I was a micro for a little over a year before I decided it was time for a career change. As fun as the job was, it didn't pay super well, my commute was long, and the hours were very inflexible. I was also at a dead end with no more opportunity for advancement.

I ended up landing a second shift position in the quality lab at a dairy. I had a lot of fun eating ice cream for dinner every night and playing food instead of deadly diseases. I made more money too, but second shift wasn't going to work out on the long term. After about 9 months I left that position for where I am now.

I'm currently a cocoa bean specialist. It's not nearly as fancy as it sounds. I work in quality for raw cocoa bean purchasing for one of the largest chocolate manufacturers. Most of my job involves picking apart and grinding up cocoa beans. I do a few chemistry type laboratory tests but nothing nearly as complex or high pressure as some of the things I've done in the past. I'm cross trained in the chocolate lab, where I'll test chocolate and chocolate liquor for things like fat, fineness and moisture and make additions to tanks as needed.

I don't anticipate changing careers now for a while. My job pays well, has flexible hours and I can work independently, which is perfect for me. I smell like chocolate all the time and can take as much chocolate home as I want. I really can't complain!

Right now I'm also in the payroll with the last boarding stable I kept my horses at. I left on good terms to a pasture board situation and will occasionally get called in to clean stalls when the barn owner is in a pinch.

I also clean stalls for my grandfather a few times per week for cash under the table. I used to keep my horses on his farm self care, but this arrangement takes some of the pressure off. I can board my horses fairly cheaply on pasture where they are now. This plaice also has a lot of well maintained trails and other dressage riders who let me hitch rides with them to shows and clinics. My riding instructor keeps her horses there too. Then I don't have to take care of any horses if I don't want to, but if I need some extra cash I can help my Opa with his farm as much or as little as I want.


----------



## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

@SansPeurDansLaSelle yeah, only problem is I am not very close to that area LOL. :lol:
What's cool about my job now is, we do work for a LOT of law firms. So it shouldn't be too hard to get into one.


----------



## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

I love hearing about everyone! It's truly fascinating! 

Working at mcdonalds I was miserable. Truly miserable. The atmosphere had a high school quality, and coming from high school into work that was just like high school didn't make me happy. Management put me in some horrible and uncomfortable situations. I quit on a whim after a year because I was terribly sick and they would not let me give my shifts to a girl who needed the hours to afford her rent. That was the last straw so I said "okay give me my papers." 

I found work at value village a few months later and honestly liked it but I was only seasonal, and the work was done when Halloween was over. The hours sucked and my paycheques were barely $200 every two weeks. 

Then I hit a wall where I did NOT want to work for someone. I dreaded going into public, I am NOT a people person. I thought "okay it's easier to be broke than put up with humans." I worked for a farm piling hay 12-16 hours a day 6 days a week over the summer, blew all my money on material things. 

I also made and sold rope halters for awhile, braided tack, dream catchers, etc. 

For the last few years I did photography as a hobby. I got quite good at it so I started charging for sessions, and that lasted until I had a downright awful client who threatened to sue me and called the cops to state I was soliciting to minors on school grounds. Realistically I met up with her daughter in my class (I attended the same high school she did) and got forty bucks off her to do a couples shoot for her and her girlfriend. Her mother caught wind of that and that was the result. Crazy that a 17 year old kid can't spend their own money right? So I completely cut th public off from my photography and strictly do it as a hobby now. 

On another note: I got the job! I sent in a criminal record check today and I start this weekend working overnights Friday-Sunday 11-7. I'll be alone through the night on cash! Yay!


----------



## Paintedponies1992 (Nov 17, 2013)

@Captain Evil We've actually talked about this at work lol that or rob banks with chocolate packed with explosives  lol


----------



## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

well if anyone has any ideas for a career change let me know.. I don't have any real trades, and am not super mechanically inclined.. I know enough to get myself into trouble.. like animals/ horses but not trained enough to make money at it. I love working at the dairy yet even full time its not enough to really say I make a good salary.. I would like to make similar money to I make at 3 jobs just lose 20+ hours per week of work, and like 10 hrs of commuting. Drove a truck before but otr driving does not appeal to me really hated working 12 hrs a day 14/15 days in a row and sleeping in a truck.. I let my CDL a lapse so to go back into it I would have to be recertified, and take a test again etc


----------



## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Hi Renny!

Look into 3D printing applications, and find something interesting. Research it, and note who is doing the development. Contact them, and try to get in on the ground level somewhere. This industry is in it's infancy, but will soon be a huge part of everyday life. You won't even believe what is comin' down the pipe . . .

Steve


----------

