- Joined
- May 16, 2021
- Messages
- 414
Got into the Machinist Union many yrs ago and retired from there.
How did you start in your job?
- Thread starter Pew
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My 6th grade teacher said I should get a job looking out the window.
So at 19, I hired on the railroad and looked out the window for 42 years.
So at 19, I hired on the railroad and looked out the window for 42 years.
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2021
- Messages
- 335
I left it out of my bio, but in there I spent 1 and a half years, but that consisted of two very cold winters. doing construction- framing and cement work. Brutal and it sent me back to school.
I have the greatest respect and admiration for those who do the hard work outside in all kinds of weather like you have to deal with. I make it a point to stop and look the public works employees in the eye and give them a wave or a handshake when I see them on the street. Life is better because of the work you guys do for us indoor weaklings. Thank you!
I kind of did. My dad tried to push my older sister and I into coding, specifically C++. His demeaner was extremely harsh though (try teaching a 1st grader C++ coding and calculus?!?!?) and whatever he pushed us to, we pushed back. I did end up with computers as a hobby and now as a career when he bought me a CPU magazine in 2006-ish that had the details and reviews of all the current hardware though.
Good to hear it all worked out and much better career.
Too many people unhappy at their job and afraid to make a career change, but that mentality keeps them at a miserable workplace for the next 20 years.
I had lots of jobs from McDonalds to start then to several jobs from truck driving to animal sales to liquor/wine sales. My animal health sales job ended and I turned in my company car and went to work for a local packinghouse called Morrell's. The packinghouse went on strike and soon after I obtained a job in a call center without any computer experience to speak of. After I learned collection and customer service life was good. I could move to a different job easily and I stayed in the industry since I was about 38 years old. My favorite working years were in an office environment working Monday through Friday 7-4:30 and off on Fridays at 1:00 pm. The previous jobs were from poor to good however some were much better than others. If I had a job where employees and upper management were not a good fit I would move on.
I was an aimless youth in high-school, too "smart" for college, and I couldn't wait to leave my home town so I did what dad did and joined the Army in 2006.
That got me into aviation but I didn't really do anything worthwhile with my life until 2019. I mostly like what I do now.
That got me into aviation but I didn't really do anything worthwhile with my life until 2019. I mostly like what I do now.
I dropped out of college in 1968 after one semester, and was working in a luncheonette when a friend told me of an opening for a lab technician in a local chemical company (Hatco). Since I loved chemistry I applied and started as a Laboratory Helper washing lab glassware. I progressed through the ranks of the Control Lab, then into R&D, and finally into Sales. Twelve promotions and 21 years after starting I was Vice President, Sales and Marketing, a position I held for over 16 years. I got to see the world, and retired at 56 in 2007 after 38 years with the company. I'm now approaching 16 years retired, and living the good life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia. Work, work, work - play!
Growing up I always wanted to work on cars. Only juniors and seniors in high school could take vocational, which was at another school about 20-25 minutes away, so sophomore year anyone interested had to sign up because classes filled up quick. What my “home” school neglected to tell me was they required us to go to the open house (the only school in the county that did that), I was sick the day they said that and naturally didn’t go.
So they come and tell me that I have to fill out for some more classes because I’m not in vocational, I asked why not since everything was filled out and they told me all that BS. My mom got involved and my school relented, but automotive was full. As was diesel mechanics, welding, CAD, and electronics.
They had one spot left for machining, and I wasn’t going to sit at my home school all day so I jumped on that. Turns out it’s pretty cool, been doing that, if we include high school, for 11 years now. Work for a great employer now, the only thing I’d change is my shift. I’m over this 12 hour night shift stuff.
So they come and tell me that I have to fill out for some more classes because I’m not in vocational, I asked why not since everything was filled out and they told me all that BS. My mom got involved and my school relented, but automotive was full. As was diesel mechanics, welding, CAD, and electronics.
They had one spot left for machining, and I wasn’t going to sit at my home school all day so I jumped on that. Turns out it’s pretty cool, been doing that, if we include high school, for 11 years now. Work for a great employer now, the only thing I’d change is my shift. I’m over this 12 hour night shift stuff.
Machining for what type of equipment / industry ?
In high school(1988) I took business computing I + II. The best part is learned Pascal , vi editor , bash commands and also Unix commands as they used a VT120 terminal.
I went to college for civil engineering did it for 5 years and hated it. Someone at career services at university realized I had all those skills and helped me articulate them into an amazing resume and my career launched into business computing/consulting building custom solutions.
I went to college for civil engineering did it for 5 years and hated it. Someone at career services at university realized I had all those skills and helped me articulate them into an amazing resume and my career launched into business computing/consulting building custom solutions.
My father was an electrician - and I would work side jobs with him in high school. I worked for a bit as an apprentice electrician while in college. Then I got a degree in electrical engineering and then I worked to get my engineering license.
I did electrical system design for commercial and industrial buildings for a dozen or so years. Last year I switched gears and now I investigate electrical engineering disasters for insurance companies. I enjoy the 50/50 desk and field time, but I do have to travel a bit. Sometimes when I’m crawling in the mud in a crawl space under a burned out house in a tyvek suit in 100 degree heat I wonder why I left a cushy office job - but I’ll take physical exhaustion versus mental stress any day of the week.
I figured I spent the first part of my career designing things and now the second part I can look at charred things and investigate what went wrong. I plan to go back to design part time to keep my skills fresh in that area.
I still miss the trades sometimes. When the wife wants a new ceiling fan I’m excited to go into the attic and run wire again.
I did electrical system design for commercial and industrial buildings for a dozen or so years. Last year I switched gears and now I investigate electrical engineering disasters for insurance companies. I enjoy the 50/50 desk and field time, but I do have to travel a bit. Sometimes when I’m crawling in the mud in a crawl space under a burned out house in a tyvek suit in 100 degree heat I wonder why I left a cushy office job - but I’ll take physical exhaustion versus mental stress any day of the week.
I figured I spent the first part of my career designing things and now the second part I can look at charred things and investigate what went wrong. I plan to go back to design part time to keep my skills fresh in that area.
I still miss the trades sometimes. When the wife wants a new ceiling fan I’m excited to go into the attic and run wire again.
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I don’t want to publicly say, but when I see a +/-0.001” tolerance I know the job is an easy one lol
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