Do you know or friends have (or HAD) an unusual/cool job?

[Zeze]

I just work in healthcare IT... anyone with a cool or unusual job?

Please let's get lame jokes out of the way.

1: Oh- I was a day camp counselor freshman year in college for rich 7 yos. The day camp was situated in the beautiful rich boarding school campus during the summer. They were so adorable and I had a blast. My job consisted swimming pool, flirting with life guard, canoeing / turtle watching with the kids, snack time, etc. I got some action with my 16 yo jr counselor too.

2: I did temp work for a small agency as a receptionist. I was filling in for someone's maternity and it was dead middle of beautiful summer. I answered like 2 call a day and surfed the net for 8 hours @ $10/hr (not bad 9 yrs ago). My eyes were bleeding from sheer boredom and I think I beat internet.

 

[Beev]

I import financial data for our clients and set up new databases for the service reps, but it's not an IT job; it's considered "implementation." I actually like the position quite a bit because I can be IT'y and still do other database setup. I have some client interaction too, which is alright, but not my favorite thing to do . Basically, an advisory firm has their clients and we maintain their databases (hundreds, sometimes thousands of portfolios) and do quarterly reporting and billing.

So no, I do not.

 

[Gibson486]

For a whole month of my 2nd internship, I spent the whole time evaluating different audio amplifiers. It was awesome. I loved that job...too bad they moved to Texas.

 

[corwin]

Nope...that's why I've been spending so much time here the last 6 months or so...

 

[BoomerD]

Nope...not any more, but I spent 30 years as a heavy equipment and crane operator.

Sometimes the work was fun and interesting, other times...not so much.

I used to describe being a crane operator as "hours and hours of boredom, punctuated by seconds of sheer fucking terror."

 

[pontifex]

Nope...not any more, but I spent 30 years as a heavy equipment and crane operator.

Sometimes the work was fun and interesting, other times...not so much.

I used to describe being a crane operator as "hours and hours of boredom, punctuated by seconds of sheer fucking terror."

the same as what soldiers use to describe their jobs?

 

[BoomerD]

the same as what soldiers use to describe their jobs?

Pretty much...

 

[apac]

A friend of mine does lighting and pyrotechnics for the Ringling Brother's Barnum & Bailey circus.

 

[amish]

expatriate taxation. it isn't too glamorus. margins are razon thin, long hours at times, and unhappy assignees(taxpayers) are common. the executive director that hired me was really good at talking up the role.

 

[broon]

I was a valet when I was 16. That's how I learned how to drive a stick.

 

[GrumpyMan]

When I was a bartender I used to have to change the kegs once in while and it was pretty cool in there to keep the beer cold. I did nail a chick on the manager's desk though. If he only knew.......

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I work in a cool industry (sports). But my job isn't very cool (Sharepoint).

 

[Golgatha]

I played music and was a roller skating rink floor guard from ages 16-19. I've roller skated my whole life and still enjoy it. Sadly, the rink I used to work for is no more.

Also, I've worked on some government projects doing synthesis work, which were really cool, and I'd have to kill you (and might as well kill myself) if I told you about any of them.

 

[lxskllr]

I was a land surveyor. Nothing exciting, but I got to see a lot of nature, and worked in highly variable locations, from the middle of heavy industry, to so far out in the sticks they had to pipe in sunlight.

 

[Gibson486]

I work in a cool industry (sports). But my job isn't very cool (Sharepoint).

I think my friend from grade school has it made. He works in the background for the Kraft family. He started doing audio and video production during the Pats games, and now he travels with whatever team needs his services.

 

[SandEagle]

i programmed in COBOL during the Y2K conversion. that was cool, i guess

 

[Stuxnet]

I was a land surveyor. Nothing exciting, but I got to see a lot of nature, and worked in highly variable locations, from the middle of heavy industry, to so far out in the sticks they had to pipe in sunlight.

I've kicked around the idea of becoming a surveyor... spend all day outside doing some basic trig? SWEET.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I think my friend from grade school has it made. He works in the background for the Kraft family. He started doing audio and video production during the Pats games, and now he travels with whatever team needs his services.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe he should try getting a job with another team.

 

[Gibson486]

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe he should try getting a job with another team.

Hahahahaha... he could work for the colts, but you are supposed to go up, not down

 

[Texashiker]

I used to describe being a crane operator as "hours and hours of boredom, punctuated by seconds of sheer fucking terror."

I used to work in a heat exchanger fab shop. One day a truck brought in an exchanger that had been dropped from about 3 stories up.

A crane was moving the exchanger into place when a belt on the spreader bar broke. I Bet that was a heck of a sight to see, about 20 tons free falling for 3 stories.

 

[Gibson486]

I used to work in a heat exchanger fab shop. One day a truck brought in an exchanger that had been dropped from about 3 stories up.

A crane was moving the exchanger into place when a belt on the spreader bar broke. I Bet that was a heck of a sight to see, about 20 tons free falling for 3 stories.

I hope that ground was not finished....because it certainly would not be after that...

 

[lxskllr]

I've kicked around the idea of becoming a surveyor... spend all day outside doing some basic trig? SWEET.

You have to love the job. I did at first, then I came to hate it. I sometimes see people on a project, and I shudder thinking of doing it again. The pay is very low compared to responsibility. My particular specialty was construction layout. I fixed the engineers fuckups, and did a lot of re-engineering in the field. Mine were the last set of eyes that made sure something was right, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were riding on me being correct. You get the blame when things go wrong, and little of the glory when things go right. I was a god on the jobsite, but that and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee.

On the other end, you could be out in the country looking at 2,000' of greenbriars you have to cut through with machetes and brush hooks. You're looking for property markers that haven't been seen in 100 years, and dealing with irate neighbors.

On the plus side, you get to see a lot of nature, and finding an old glass dump in the woods was always a thrill. You get to explore old abandoned houses, and your time is very flexible. It's also a unique blend of thinking and manual labor that you won't find in many professions. You get to dress like you're homeless, and if you don't feel like shaving, you don't.

I'd have a hard time recommending the job, but if you have the right disposition, and don't love money, it can be a great career.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I work in a NOC. We kinda do a bit of everything from dispatching techs to programming phones. We oversee telecommunications across our access territory. There is probably around 1000 COs along with cell sites, microwave sites etc that we monitor. I don't know how unusual this job would be considered, but there is quite a lot of interesting stuff from phone switches, fiber transport, Internet connectivity, battery banks, cell sites, etc... We monitor not only the technology itself but the environmental stuff too. Temperature, voltages, etc. Even got an alarm the otherday because someone stole a generator. Everything is rigged with alarm points, we see everything. We are big brother.

I was actually a server tech for the same company working at the hospital (customer) but I got tired of it. I just found there was too much politics and red tape, and artificial stress. Though that's sorta specific to that particular environment because the IT manager was just a total wackjob. Everybody was telling me how I did a bad move, but even 3 months into the new job, I'm glad I made the move. I'm way happier where I am now.

 

[Rakewell]

I'm an Opera Singer.

Can't tell you what it's like singing at the top of your register, without a microphone, over a 45-60 piece orchestra.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm an Opera Singer.

Can't tell you what it's like singing at the top of your register, without a microphone, over a 45-60 piece orchestra.

I used to play UT2k4 with an opera singer. I always thought that was pretty neat. That's about nichey as you get in America, and a cool way to make money.