Without providing too much information, what do you do for a living?

[Maddy McCall]

What's your occupation? How long have you been doing what you do? Do you enjoy it (why?) or hate it (why?) ?

[Book Lover]

1. Big surprise - I make books

And I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't. Right now I make college history textbooks and do some book repair/layout/art on the side. It feels like forever, but has only been about 15 or so years.

What do *you* do for a living?

[Champ]

2. I'm unemployed

I hate it, basically the only thing I do is look for work and I've been doing it for the last week. I did data entry for a rebate fullfillment company(if you ever sent in a mail-in rebate for an HP product chances are it probaly went through us) I enjoyed it at first until my production was better then most of my co-workers but only made .25 more. I would have to type a riduculous amount for 4 consecutive weeks to make slightly more and I would have to get lucky with the offers because some offers are quick and easy while others can be time-consuming and frustraiting.

[Lindsey]

5. Associate Academic Dean at a Career College...Most days

I love it - I love the students that is and I love my job duties.

[BOSSHOG]

3. I'm a Bum

I retired from the military two years ago, spent the previous 18 years saving and investing. I spend a little time each week hanging out at my favorite watering hole solving all the world's problems. My wife got me a t-shirt in the French Quarter. "I'm retired, however I am a part-time pain in the ass."

But its not all a bed of roses. Being a bum means I get no days off, no holidays, no early Friday's off and the only way I know its Saturday is because my wife doesn't get up and go to work. I'm not fishing for sympathy.

Oh, aggravating conservatives. Full time job.

[lastliberalintexas]

51. Dang Boss!

However do you fit it all in your schedule? :)

[HEyHEY]

4. I steal propane tanks and sell them to campers

[Debi]

10. psssst Ashcroft is monitoring this board

:scared:

[HEyHEY]

12. Meh, he's not very smart...I'm okay

[Debi]

16. And Canadian...what the hell is he gonna do?!

:silly:

[Left Is Write]

6. I'm a stay-home mother, so I don't make the living.

As a side endeavor (really a self-supporting habit), I dabble in Creative Memories.

What I'd like to do is get some of my stuff published.

[NoSheep]

60. Creative Memories! That sounds interesting.

You may not earn money being a mom but I'm sure you're working. I don't have children and that's why! Seems like more than I could handle.

[Left Is Write]

62. Some days I do wonder how I handle it.

:)

Yes, I work pretty hard around the house, but it would be even more stressful if I were holding down a full-time job as well.

[NoSheep]

65. I bet!

[Debi]

7. Legal Secretary/Legal Assistant

since July 7, 1991

Love it (cuz I get to sleep with the boss ;))

No, really, because we get to help people whose lives are chaoitc. I also like making order out of disorder and my boss/husband is creative in how he organizes the files and the office.

[Shell Beau]

8. I'm in the oil & gas business!

Boring as hell but pays well!

[Trigger Hippie]

9. Receptionist

for almost six months. I hate it. I was an editor at a couple papers but got sick of journalism. I aspire to be a librarian.

:hi:

[SarahB]

11. I work in pediatric health.

I've only been doing this for 6 months, but I've been working with children in one way or another for over 10 years. What I do is a very good segue between my early childhood ed. degree and the nursing degree I'm working on. I enjoy it because I love children and I feel like I'm genuinely making a difference in their lives on a very hands-on level. It's something I could not have handled until I had my own healthy children though. I see a lot of sad stuff, but I'm not sad. I see far more joy and recovery. :)

[El Fuego]

13. Patent law.

I write patents, registered to practice before the U.S. Patent Office. I have an excellent job at my firm, but it is BORING BORING BORING!

I have to log onto DU every so often just to keep me awake.

[WeRQ4U]

17. Ive heard that about Patent Law...

Paychecks are A.O.K. but the intensity just isn't there. Give and take I guess.

[Lavender Brown]

14. Children's publishing

[WeRQ4U]

15. I'm a law clerk for 3 District Judges

It's not a requirement, but it's a good 1st job out of Law School. I get to see tons of different scenarios and I get to do a lot of the Judges' writing of opinions, orders, warrants.

And because I work in a fairly small area, I'm also a sworn Magistrate so I can sign warrants, do initial criminal appearances and bond hearings. I can approve complaints and authorize mental health proceedings. Not bad for a kid just out of school. Most of my law school buddies don't get that advantage. The benefits of a small district instead of a huge law firm.

As for whether I like it...yeah I like it. It goes in waves as to how much I actually have to do. I don't have a ton to do right now because many of the judges and lawyers are out of town at CLE classes. That's why I doing a lot of DU this week. When it's busy, I like it.

[Jersey Devil]

66. Great job, isn' t it?

Did it myself here in NJ many years ago. It was a one year gig and though it didn't pay much it was terrific experience finding out what judges think and watching some pretty good (and bad) lawyers in action.

Plus at the end of the year I got some pretty good job offers.

[WeRQ4U]

72. Yeah, pretty sweet gig out of school.

No pressure really. No work to take home.

Mine's a two year position. They like me here so hopefully a few judicial signatures will get me a decent job afterwards.

[flvegan]

18. Real property (real estate) title law

But NOT a lawyer.

[GOPisEvil]

19. Mid-level government drone.

:)

[Texasgal]

33. And we love you for that!!! : )

Were you guys off for flag day tuesday?

[GOPisEvil]

39. Ha! No.

If the 19th were a weekday we'd have the option of working or not, but it's a Sunday, so we lose it.

I *am* off tomorrow though. Taking leave. :)

[Semi_subversive]

20. I work for the government

and I'm here to help you. Management with the California Department of Insurance. Twenty-nine years with the State of CA. Knowing we're here to protect the consumers is a plus, but there's good and bad just like anywhere else.

[sir_captain]

21. Clinical research

Pays the bills til I get to medical school next year.

I enjoy it and what we're doing is very important--I've been working for this particular study for almost six years.

[Texasgal]

22. I'm the head RN at a

Lasik eye surgery facility. We have over 20 surgeons. I love my job! We help other people and give them the gift of sight. It is truly heartwarming to have the patient lift their heads after surgery and cry because they see the clock on the other side of the surgical suite.

I've been an RN for 15 years, I've been eith this surgical group for 8 years.

One more plus, the 2 full time MD's are sexy! :)

[gulfcoastliberal]

58. No offense, but

Do they ever start crying because the procedure went wrong and ruined their eyes forever?

[Texasgal]

61. Rarely.

Our facility has a 96% success rate. Haven't had one we couldn't fix.

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Special ed teacher

for 12 years. Teaching 25 years in all. I really love it because it is so much more enjoyable for me to work with kids than to spend the day with adults. Every day is a new adventure. And the rewards outweigh the frustrations.

[Debbi801]

24. I'm a technical writer...

Overall, I like what I do. It can get very boring at times, though. And it gets frustrating to watch things you've developed never make it out the door.

[catmandu57]

25. I'm a natural born cripple

but before I detoriated too damn much I worked as

busboy
dishwasher
janitor
orderly
emrgency med tech
plumber
electrician
teacher
auto mechanic
Then graduated with a bsw expecting to enter the ranks of peers and profesionals, but ms caught up big time, and people weren't hiring cripples, so, now i draw ssi and fill my time being a pain in the chimps* big stinking ass.

[Lady Effingbroke]

26. I'm a sacker at a grocery store,

while working my way through school. It only pays minimum wage, but the managers and my co-workers are all very nice. :hi:

[supernova]

27. Technical Editor

I edit technical manuals written by programmers and SW engineers, a lot of whom are ESL writers.

It's a lot of fun because I get to play with words all day. :-)

[Zomby Woof]

28. I am a poopyhead

Been my occupation for 38 years. :-)

[Bunny]

29. I help people with disabilities learn how to work, so they can get jobs.

I've been with the same company for 19 years - today is my anniversary, in fact (holy crap - I just got four more weeks of vacation! - :woohoo:). I enjoy it very much.

[MissB]

30. I'm a basic soccer mom

I have a degree in Civil Engineering, but I walked away from my career several years ago.

I've been staying home for a few years. I enjoy spending time with my kids. It is easier now that they are a bit older - they play together and do not require my constant companionship. They are both school-aged and the youngest will be in school full time this fall.

I miss my career. I still stay in contact with my former employer and may be able to return to my career this fall. One of my former co-workers is trying to go half-time, and I'd like to work not more than half-time.

I also miss adult conversation. Most stay at home parents can identify with that. I've never been much into play groups, but having the kids in school has helped me meet some adults with similar interests.

[redqueen]

55. Are you going to try the job-share thing?

Good luck!

I was a SAHM for 2 years... would have loved going back half time... my youngest is going to school this fall and I feel like I cheated her because I wasn't at home as much as I was with my older child.

[Droopy]

31. Truck driver for 8.5 years

I've been with the same company for the past five years.

[malmapus]

32. Network Engineer at a NOC or Datacenter

I've been here for a year (longest I've held a job since ** took office). I love it but the pay could be better, I'm making what I made when I first started IT back in 97, less than half of what I made in 2000.

Hopefully will change soon, I have an interview today with another company for pretty much the same position that pays a little better.

[progmom]

34. I'm a buyer.

I like a lot of things about my job - I work in a field I am passionate about.

[MissB]

35. I used to be a buyer!

I loved spending other people's money.

[Squeech]

36. Computer programmer

Mostly I do what they call "management information systems" on large IBM mainframes, in archaic languages like COBOL. The idea is to take large volumes of data and slice and dice it into aggregates from which management can hopefully discern trends and make intelligent decisions. That's the theory, anyway. Been doing it since 1980, except (like an idiot) I sat out the Y2K debacle, when panicky users were throwing large dollars around :dunce:

The good part about it is that it sharpens the mind. It's like doing crossword puzzles, except there's something of a creative component too. There's an elegance to a well-written program, and one hopes to capture that.

But over time it gets pretty tedious. I'm anxious to retire, and get into ZombyWoof's line of work.

[billyskank]

44. Another programmer

I just started working for Weatherbys, the administrators for UK and Irish horse racing.

[northzax]

54. you work for Weatherbys?

excellent!

[billyskank]

59. True blue.

For about two weeks now.

[patcox2]

37. Legislative afairs for a non-profit.

He he he. I write pro-business laws and try to get the legislature to pass them.

But mostly I do legislative affairs and legal and regulatory compliance assistance and education, including writing texts and seminars, and courses, conducting classes and seminars, writing articles.

[NightNurse]

43. I'm the Vice President of Nursing

at a terrific Catholic Hospital:loveya:

[dubyaD40web]

38. Webmaster for large Telecom Co.

Oh, and owner and CEO of my liberal site:

[ghostsofgiants]

40. Professional slacker at the moment

[Maestro]

41. I won 100 million in the Texas lottery

and spend my time posting on DU.

[Maestro]

42. Or I am in education.

It just depends on what reality I am in.

[VaYallaDawg]

45. Media buyer at an ad agency.

Been doing it for 26 years. Love it totally because I'm surrounded by completely wacky, off the wall creative types (all many years younger than me) who constantly see the world in new ways.

[Redstone]

46. I own an advertising agency.

Redstone

[unhappycamper]

47. Read books, usher concerts, see my grandkids in GA & go to the beach.

Official profession: retired.

This morning I went to the Bayside Expo center to a Yokohama Tire Show n Tell & got to drive five 2005 Mustangs (with different tires) thru an obstacle course. Drifting is fun.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

48. violinist

I had my first lesson on Columbus Day, when I was 8 years old...just about 38 years ago.

I played my first freelance gig when I was 10, and got $10 for playing a solo for my general music teacher's church.

I love being able to express my innermost self through music. I love exploring the literature, and I make it my business to love every piece I perform, at least until the final performance.

I love the variety of jobs that I play...from the different genres to the unusual venues. Weddings, recordings, funerals, big-name pop singers, small community orchestras, performing as a soloist or as 1 fiddler out of 40, as a 1st violin or a 2nd violin...all these experiences offer something unique and wonderful.

I love working with a bunch of really beautiful people that I consider family as much as any blood relative. When a member of my freelance family is in trouble or needs a shoulder to cry on, I make myself as available as possible, and chip in what I can; because making music with someone is as profoundly intimate an experience as sharing your deepest thoughts with someone.

The one thing that's a downer is the element of risk involved. Those of us who are lucky enough to have insurance pay for it on our own. There's no such thing as a "paid vacation", and holidays are the best days for gigs.

Seems a small price to pay to not spend a third of my adult life in rush hour traffic on the Washington Beltway, though. :D

[xmas74]

49. 9-1-1 and a night auditor.

5 years for the first and on and off for 13 for the second. Do I like it? Sometimes for the first and no for the second.

[trackfan]

50. I have a sinecure

with an entertainment company. I don't really have anything to do here. That's why I'm playing on the internet all day.

[redqueen]

52. Billing

I hate it, because I get yelled at when clients don't pay. Like I'm supposed to know why they're not paying. Grr.

I'm changing my career though... going into nursing. Yay! :bounce:

[NoodleBoy]

53. landscaping monday and friday,

then contributing to the political realignment of "a" state in between.

[I Have A Dream]

56. Computer programmer

10 years

I both love it and hate it. When things work, it's extremely rewarding. When things don't work, lots and lots of time can be wasted over something like a typographical error.

[LSK]

57. Programming and IT

I have been lucky to be with the same company since 98.

[vikegirl]

63. Non profit

Policy Analyst

[Merrick]

64. Molecular biology research associate

in a university. and its pretty cool. I pretty much do my own thing (benchwork, running/maintaining the DNA sequencing lab etc). Everybody's laid back and also, amongst the 20-30 people in or closely associated with the lab I think there might be one conservative so you can call Bush whatever you want at whatever volume you wish.

[bigwillq]

67. I'm a sports writer

Been at it for 3 years.:hi:

[newsguyatl]

68. tv news producer

do i enjoy it?

depends on which week you ask.

lately it's been a resounding NO!

[taught_me_patience]

69. Analyst for entertainment co.

I predict how many DVD's we are going to sell.

[Orsino]

70. Network engineer.

Working trouble tickets, mostly, for an international Tier 1 ISP you've all heard of.

I fix the Internet when it breaks.

[Lauri16]

71. Customer Service Clerk

I love it........that could change after the 26th. I'll have to get back to you on that one.

[Left_Winger]

73. Teacher

8 years... Do I like it? There are good points and bad as with anything else. Overall, it's not all that bad.

[denverbill]

74. Cheif executive of the worlds fourmost democracy. n/t

[Nikia]

75. Quality assurance-Food processing

I do all sorts of things to assure that safe, tasty, wholesome food leaves our plant. This includes things like lab work, taste testing, checking rat traps, observing the production lines, and reprimanding people who chewing gum. It might sound alright on paper, but it is really awful. No one appreciates it when you save the day and may hate you for it because you slowed down production or threw away thousands of dollars of product. If you don't save the day, it is all your fault and people hate you even if it was actually their fault to begin with. I have been doing it for 4 years because I suck at interviews, have limited oppurtunities around here, and cannot afford to take a pay cut.

[Initech]

76. I work in the family business.

It's an architecture - engineering firm. I pretty much do odd jobs around the place right now while I'm finishing school.

[northzax]

77. I'm a futurist

ask me about flying cars sometime. -

[tyedyeto]

78. I'm in Food Service

Have worked in restaurants for almost 20 years now. I now have a management position and don't do as much table service as I used to. I also manage the catering end of the restaurant.

[Midlodemocrat]

79. Prospect researcher

for a fundraising firm in Manhattan. 5 years. I love it. Very interesting work, and it is somewhat altruistic. I enjoy learning about all the different charities in the world and what they do.

[RebelOne]

80. Copy editor for outdoors magazines

published in 48 states. I've been doing it for 3 years. Before that I was doing the typesetting until the department was phased out. Luckily, there was an opening for a copy editor. I love my job though I do not enjoy copy editing the hunting stories. I am anti-hunting and a vegetarian.

[Mr. McD]

81. Electron Microscopist

A micronaut, an explorer of the nanocosm. My background is primarily in biology though my current position involves some material science applications.

About 15 years.

The routine stuff can get a bit boring but new projects get me interested again.

[Terran]

82. I've worked on different aspects of homelessness

for two different employers over the past three years. Before that I've been an investigator, and worked in publishing for a long time before that. Jack of many trades here.

[Pacifist Patriot]

83. Sponge off my husband.

Just kidding! I'm primarily a homemaker, but I'm also in graduate school. I'm in the clergy but not contracted right now. Three kids are my highest priority. I do speak on occasion though.

[Dervill Crow]

84. Quality assurance/editor/trainer, medical transcription.

I've been doing that for 10 years and been in the medical transcription or health care field for 30 years. I love it a lot.

[Mutley]

85. Currently retail.

I've been doing it for 9 years. I hate it, mostly because of those customers who seem to think that I was born to serve them :eyes: I actually had a lady tell me that when I worked at Toys R Us. She said, "People like you were born to serve people like me." I could only walk away, or else I would have punched her.

[VelmaD]

86. Internal Auditor...

with the agency that runs the juvenile prison system in Texas. It isn't nearly as scary as it sounds. I do program evaluation. Make sure the programs to rehabilitate and educate and take care of the kids and make them productive members of society are running well and that our staff are doing their jobs and treating the kids right.

[sniffa]

87. i draw pretty pictures of newLy buiLt stuff

here 3 years. i used to do the whoLe process - design, occasionaLLy (very rare) buiLd, Locate buiLt stuff, draw the buiLt stuff, check against design pLans - before coming here.

i'd Like to go back to that sorta work when i'm done here.