What Do You Do ? Why Do You Do It ? Would You Do It Again ?
Discussion
Design bits of cars (now the electric powertrain bits).
I like cars and the physical sciences so had my mind made up from about age 10. All future decisions based on that. My dad wanted to see me get my Chartership also, so getting that became a secondary aim (got it 2 years ago).
My other option would have been a surgeon. I like how the body works, and don't give a hoot about blood/guts.
I like cars and the physical sciences so had my mind made up from about age 10. All future decisions based on that. My dad wanted to see me get my Chartership also, so getting that became a secondary aim (got it 2 years ago).
My other option would have been a surgeon. I like how the body works, and don't give a hoot about blood/guts.
Tried Uni twice (architecture and engineering), been a farmer, a fisherman, nightclub bouncer, civil servant, technician, tree surgeon, landscaper, builder, housing officer, and several more, some quite successfully. Now semi-retired part-time postie and smallholder at 55.
Guess I've just got a short attention span.
I've found whatever you do, whatever level you start at, the cream (or s
t) will always rise to the top. It's not what you do, its how.
Edited to advice for kids:-
Almost anything is possible, don't limit yourselves to what you think you should do, do what you want.
Don't think about it too hard, I don't know what proportion of people actually end up doing exactly what they planned, but it's not very high. Just keep taking the road that you'll enjoy and if you don't get where you wanted, at least you'll have enjoyed the journey.
Guess I've just got a short attention span.
I've found whatever you do, whatever level you start at, the cream (or s
t) will always rise to the top. It's not what you do, its how.Edited to advice for kids:-
Almost anything is possible, don't limit yourselves to what you think you should do, do what you want.
Don't think about it too hard, I don't know what proportion of people actually end up doing exactly what they planned, but it's not very high. Just keep taking the road that you'll enjoy and if you don't get where you wanted, at least you'll have enjoyed the journey.
Edited by Vanordinaire on Friday 28th June 15:54
1. I am in Financial Services as a Project/Programme Manager (varies).
2. I enjoy the challenge of organising it, worked closely for a number of years with a fast growing firm, which was really enjoying. Lots of great projects.
3. My financially sensible head would direct me down this path again, but wish in a way I had followed my passion for music some more, I play guitar, piano and sing and feel that I could have pursued that further. However my fiance is a wonderful singer (RAM, and RADA) and performs all over and we spend a lot of our free time making music together, so I feel content with my balance.
2. I enjoy the challenge of organising it, worked closely for a number of years with a fast growing firm, which was really enjoying. Lots of great projects.
3. My financially sensible head would direct me down this path again, but wish in a way I had followed my passion for music some more, I play guitar, piano and sing and feel that I could have pursued that further. However my fiance is a wonderful singer (RAM, and RADA) and performs all over and we spend a lot of our free time making music together, so I feel content with my balance.
I left uni with a degree in chemistry, so worked for a company making rubber products doing testing and development, which got bought out. That company then gave me the freedom to work in various manufacturing disciplines like process improvement and 6-sigma (before it became a buzzword for this millennium). I spent around 10 years doing various things there, always manufacturing-related, I could spend half my day wielding a spanner upto my armpits in grease, and another half of the day in meetings justifying the cost savings in headcount / throughput by investing new machinery with a database analysis of stop time & process reliability. I helped justifying closing manufacturing operations down, and I helped justifying opening new ones. I travelled worldwide in the process, meeting lots of truly clever people along the way.
After that, the same company decided to implement an ERP system (SAP). With the background I had, I jumped at the opportunity to spend the next 5 years doing that implementation from a data perspective. Once done, I was made redundant (not a surprise), and went consulting in SAP migration, which I’ve been doing ever since.
I work / have worked in the background for household names, and B2B clients too. I tend to be quickly ‘hired’ when out of contract, not only because I know what I’m doing, but I have the real-world manufacturing experience to demonstrate I know what the implementation actually means.
I genuinely love my job, these days it’s as much about being a leader & training PM’s / coders as to how to do it, as it is actually doing the migration itself, the main downside of the job is the big consultancy firms, who tend to run these things & usually are billing the client for people who are still learning their job, but that’s life (and if I were in business in their format, I’d be trying to maximize my revenue too - that’s common sense!)
None of it was really planned in terms of a ‘career plan’ - I’ve been lucky in recognising opportunities, and then making the most of them.
If I had to sum up my ‘advice’ it’d be three things;
After that, the same company decided to implement an ERP system (SAP). With the background I had, I jumped at the opportunity to spend the next 5 years doing that implementation from a data perspective. Once done, I was made redundant (not a surprise), and went consulting in SAP migration, which I’ve been doing ever since.
I work / have worked in the background for household names, and B2B clients too. I tend to be quickly ‘hired’ when out of contract, not only because I know what I’m doing, but I have the real-world manufacturing experience to demonstrate I know what the implementation actually means.
I genuinely love my job, these days it’s as much about being a leader & training PM’s / coders as to how to do it, as it is actually doing the migration itself, the main downside of the job is the big consultancy firms, who tend to run these things & usually are billing the client for people who are still learning their job, but that’s life (and if I were in business in their format, I’d be trying to maximize my revenue too - that’s common sense!)
None of it was really planned in terms of a ‘career plan’ - I’ve been lucky in recognising opportunities, and then making the most of them.
If I had to sum up my ‘advice’ it’d be three things;
- Find something to do that you enjoy, but also are good at. If it’s not both, then move on.
- Don’t be afraid of change - look for the positives, not the negatives.
- The two happiest people I know are completely different. One cleans windows in the morning for commercial sites, the other is a Fund Manager in the city. The window cleaner plays a lot more Golf (as that’s his thing). Don’t make your life about your job. Work to live, don’t live to work.
HOGEPH said:
1. Helicopter pilot.
2. Where I was brought up was near the head office of the company I started flying commerically with, and had always seen them training over the house, and I can remember thinking as a 12 year old, that looks like fun.
3. Yes.
How did you fund that? A mate of my brothers decided he wanted to be a helicopter pilot so borrowed the £50k off his dad to get his license, I doubt my dad would be so forthcoming although he was a navigator on the helicopters to the rigs back in the 80s. He just wandered into Bonds or Bristows in Blackpool and asked for a job. "Have you been in a helicopter before" the boss asked. "Nope". So he took him up in a helicopter and threw it around trying to make him ill (and failed) then gave him a job on the spot. Bet that doesn't happen often these days!2. Where I was brought up was near the head office of the company I started flying commerically with, and had always seen them training over the house, and I can remember thinking as a 12 year old, that looks like fun.
3. Yes.
So what job do you do ?
I've always been in IT sales & Marketing
Why did you choose (or fall into) it ?
Chose it as it was very fast growing 30 years ago and I thought "I could have an interesting career in that". In the first half of my carreer I travelled all over the place. In the second half (family) I've managed to make it mush more London-centric.
Would you choose it again, if not, what would you choose ?
Yes, totally, And I'll see if I nudge my kids that way. London is full of fintechs these days and it's great to see the likes of AWS & Google pumping tech jobs back into the centre.
I've always been in IT sales & Marketing
Why did you choose (or fall into) it ?
Chose it as it was very fast growing 30 years ago and I thought "I could have an interesting career in that". In the first half of my carreer I travelled all over the place. In the second half (family) I've managed to make it mush more London-centric.
Would you choose it again, if not, what would you choose ?
Yes, totally, And I'll see if I nudge my kids that way. London is full of fintechs these days and it's great to see the likes of AWS & Google pumping tech jobs back into the centre.
V8RX7 said:
Talking to my children about their school choices, future jobs etc and of course they ask about mine, such small decisions with such long term consequences
So what job do you do ?
Why did you choose (or fall into) it ?
Would you choose it again, if not, what would you choose ?
Service Bus DriverSo what job do you do ?
Why did you choose (or fall into) it ?
Would you choose it again, if not, what would you choose ?
Chose it as wanted to do it from a very young age, that or police officer, firefighter, usual young boy stuff.
Needed a car licence first, so got that whilst working at Burger King. Then moved into shelf stacking, then onto ASDA home delivery driving for a few years.
When I felt competent enough to drive a bus day in day out, went for my PCV licence through the company I now work for nearly 3 years on, and best move I ever made.
It's as good as I thought it would be, I wake up in a morning wanting to go to work (most of the time).
Would choose it again, purely for job security and not being stuck in an office or 4 walls sort of thing.
Fine Art, Jewellery and Specie insurance claims. Basically deal with damage to artwork, armed robberies of armoured cars and jewellery store robberies worldwide.
Been doing insurance claims for over 30 years, the above for the last 13 years.
If I had to start again I would probably be a plumber
Been doing insurance claims for over 30 years, the above for the last 13 years.
If I had to start again I would probably be a plumber
Theatrical make up artist. (Yes, I'm male). Got into it through an artistic background (although my degree is not in fine art) and being quite involved in theatres and amateur dramatics since I was young.
Why? It's great fun. The people are great. I do more work with women and spending time with a pretty girl to make her prettier is a very enjoyable thing to do. The pay is OK (not stellar) but the working environment in the large London theatres is something you will not experience anywhere else.
Would I do it again? Yes, very probably.
Why? It's great fun. The people are great. I do more work with women and spending time with a pretty girl to make her prettier is a very enjoyable thing to do. The pay is OK (not stellar) but the working environment in the large London theatres is something you will not experience anywhere else.
Would I do it again? Yes, very probably.
I work for Asda, home shopping delivery driver... part time.
Why?
I started off in the motor trade in 99 having left school in 6th year with a good few highers to my name. I worked my way up through various roles, brands and cimpanies to become an aftersales manager with VAG. I was making good money, single, no real worries but a stressful job.
I was also writing freelance for some automotive titles. An opportunity came up to do it full time so I took it and a big wage cut and moved down south. Did it for two years, loved it but the industry was getting squeezed more and more with ever tightening budgets so I figured I could make more going freelance and moving home again.
I did that for a couple of years but in the end, it was getting harder to make money. I'd also met somebody, we'd got a house and I needed a more regular income. The writing fizzled out and I started a new role in salvage management and again worked my way up. I also parted with my ex, met somebody new and we'd got married and a baby arrived.
A couple of cruel hands in life saw us relocating, thus I resigned my job as did she and having had a few months off renovating our house, I needed to do something but we also wanted to avoid putting the wee one into child care for lots of reasons. So, I took a part time rile with zero stress, flexible hours which in turn means I'm able to be a Dad more than my last role afforded me and my wife opened her own business a few months back and also does part time hours.
We don't make a lot, but our outgoings are small therefore we don't really need much and the time our current role give us as a family and one on one with the wee boy who's now two, that's priceless for us. It won't be forever, he'll be starting nursery next year then school and my wife is growing the business and so in time, I'll look at something that I can again develop and progress. Granted, not really sure what I see myself doing.
I guess I've just never put my career first, I've never been driven by making lots of money nor do I need or indeed want a big house or new cars. I guess when I was in my 20's and doing OK, I was a but frivolous but priorities change and definitely changed when I became a husband and a dad. For me, at the moment, providing for my family isn't just bringing home a fat wage packet every month.
Why?
I started off in the motor trade in 99 having left school in 6th year with a good few highers to my name. I worked my way up through various roles, brands and cimpanies to become an aftersales manager with VAG. I was making good money, single, no real worries but a stressful job.
I was also writing freelance for some automotive titles. An opportunity came up to do it full time so I took it and a big wage cut and moved down south. Did it for two years, loved it but the industry was getting squeezed more and more with ever tightening budgets so I figured I could make more going freelance and moving home again.
I did that for a couple of years but in the end, it was getting harder to make money. I'd also met somebody, we'd got a house and I needed a more regular income. The writing fizzled out and I started a new role in salvage management and again worked my way up. I also parted with my ex, met somebody new and we'd got married and a baby arrived.
A couple of cruel hands in life saw us relocating, thus I resigned my job as did she and having had a few months off renovating our house, I needed to do something but we also wanted to avoid putting the wee one into child care for lots of reasons. So, I took a part time rile with zero stress, flexible hours which in turn means I'm able to be a Dad more than my last role afforded me and my wife opened her own business a few months back and also does part time hours.
We don't make a lot, but our outgoings are small therefore we don't really need much and the time our current role give us as a family and one on one with the wee boy who's now two, that's priceless for us. It won't be forever, he'll be starting nursery next year then school and my wife is growing the business and so in time, I'll look at something that I can again develop and progress. Granted, not really sure what I see myself doing.
I guess I've just never put my career first, I've never been driven by making lots of money nor do I need or indeed want a big house or new cars. I guess when I was in my 20's and doing OK, I was a but frivolous but priorities change and definitely changed when I became a husband and a dad. For me, at the moment, providing for my family isn't just bringing home a fat wage packet every month.
1) Regulatory Affairs (drugs)
2) Always enjoyed science at school, reasonably good at it, degree in Applied Biology. Realised I didn't like lab work, but didn't want to waste my education. Had never heard of RA, but fell into it. Enjoyable stuff bringing medicines to market to help make patients lives better, or at least more bearable & hopefully ease the carers & families burden
3) Would I do something different; really don't know.
2) Always enjoyed science at school, reasonably good at it, degree in Applied Biology. Realised I didn't like lab work, but didn't want to waste my education. Had never heard of RA, but fell into it. Enjoyable stuff bringing medicines to market to help make patients lives better, or at least more bearable & hopefully ease the carers & families burden
3) Would I do something different; really don't know.
1) MD of a company that manufacturers safety clothing for the marine industry.
2) I chose it because it’s my family business wanted to continue what my father started. Main thing for me when it came to choosing to commit to it was the realisation that I see work purely as a vehicle to achieving freedom. Freedom to work when I want how I want and the wealth to no have many constraints. I’m not actually there yet. But hopefully in the future will be. The last 3 weeks have illustrated why I do it. I have been stressed to the point of not sleeping recently, last Thursday decided I needed a brake got in my car with the family Friday to go to my parents holiday home in Switzerland. Ironically I have got more fixed out here than I would have done in my office.
3) absolutely it’s really challenging and satisfying. I’m probably not in the best position to give advice but the only thing I would say is what does that career give you? Is it wealth, freedom, your passion etc. I have friends who don’t really make any money but they travel the world skiing 7 days a week and others who do t have much time but loads of money but love it.
There is no answer as long as it makes you happy.
2) I chose it because it’s my family business wanted to continue what my father started. Main thing for me when it came to choosing to commit to it was the realisation that I see work purely as a vehicle to achieving freedom. Freedom to work when I want how I want and the wealth to no have many constraints. I’m not actually there yet. But hopefully in the future will be. The last 3 weeks have illustrated why I do it. I have been stressed to the point of not sleeping recently, last Thursday decided I needed a brake got in my car with the family Friday to go to my parents holiday home in Switzerland. Ironically I have got more fixed out here than I would have done in my office.
3) absolutely it’s really challenging and satisfying. I’m probably not in the best position to give advice but the only thing I would say is what does that career give you? Is it wealth, freedom, your passion etc. I have friends who don’t really make any money but they travel the world skiing 7 days a week and others who do t have much time but loads of money but love it.
There is no answer as long as it makes you happy.
ExIT programmer, designer, architect, director.
Fell I to it by accident because I was offered a job in London instead of the one in Taunton I had planned to take and London sounded more exciting in 1984.
I appear to have been successful in it, but can't say I ever enjoyed it except when I was a contractor. Wouldn't go into it now, it's a race to the bottom salary wise and all the interesting jobs have gone - so much automation these days.
Those interested 8n engineering I would point toward automation and robotics and AI. Otherwise I'd say become an accountant they almost always get paid well and have power over everything.even though they don't understand it
Fell I to it by accident because I was offered a job in London instead of the one in Taunton I had planned to take and London sounded more exciting in 1984.
I appear to have been successful in it, but can't say I ever enjoyed it except when I was a contractor. Wouldn't go into it now, it's a race to the bottom salary wise and all the interesting jobs have gone - so much automation these days.
Those interested 8n engineering I would point toward automation and robotics and AI. Otherwise I'd say become an accountant they almost always get paid well and have power over everything.even though they don't understand it
Oakey said:
HOGEPH said:
1. Helicopter pilot.
2. Where I was brought up was near the head office of the company I started flying commerically with, and had always seen them training over the house, and I can remember thinking as a 12 year old, that looks like fun.
3. Yes.
How did you fund that? A mate of my brothers decided he wanted to be a helicopter pilot so borrowed the £50k off his dad to get his license, I doubt my dad would be so forthcoming although he was a navigator on the helicopters to the rigs back in the 80s. He just wandered into Bonds or Bristows in Blackpool and asked for a job. "Have you been in a helicopter before" the boss asked. "Nope". So he took him up in a helicopter and threw it around trying to make him ill (and failed) then gave him a job on the spot. Bet that doesn't happen often these days!2. Where I was brought up was near the head office of the company I started flying commerically with, and had always seen them training over the house, and I can remember thinking as a 12 year old, that looks like fun.
3. Yes.
1: Service engineer for a dental equipment manufacturer
2: better than a warehouse job
3: nope, it's very high pressure and consequently high stress. What else would i be doing? Don't know really, i quite like the idea of being a commercial drone pilot or maybe a bicycle mechanic, something less pressurised and stressful.
2: better than a warehouse job
3: nope, it's very high pressure and consequently high stress. What else would i be doing? Don't know really, i quite like the idea of being a commercial drone pilot or maybe a bicycle mechanic, something less pressurised and stressful.
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