What's your job and do you enjoy it?

[highland145]

Surveying with your geography degree?

1 consumer finance
2 100% ojt
3 stay the hell away. If you aren't the owner, pretty sucky.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

1. Senior Support Tech for a Fortune 500 Company
2. 2 Associates Degrees
3. Customer service is challenging some days, but always changing and never a dull moment, so I enjoy it!

 

[soulcougher73]

1. Engineering Technician (aka Draftsman)
2. Got an Associates degree from local community college in Drafting.
3. It sort of depends on the job if i like it or not. In my current job somehow i got pegged as a civil guy which is about my least favorite of the disiplines to work on. But overall i like this type of work.

 

[Gooberlx2]

1) Sysadmin for a lab

2) Some schooling (cs minor)...it wasn't my resume that won me this job. I transitioned to it from an analyst position when I was able to demonstrate and improve on how poorly we were setup. Lots of learning through experience in my case.

3) I do enjoy it for the most part. I don't know if I actually get much satisfaction though. I used to be a biologist working at an aquarium. It's not nearly as exciting or fulfilling as that was, and it's much harder to keep slim sitting on my ass all day. I am happy about the much better pay.

If certain circumstances were different, I'd probably join the peace corps or something.

 

[rasczak]

1. Canadian Forces
2. Lots of training and waiting.
3. Yes, most of the time. I get paid to fire machine guns, throw grenades, and spend most of my time either standing around or sleeping outside.

Not a bad gig. The perks are great.

Don't forget about the tank!

1. Sys Admin
2. OTJ training
3. I like it. I get to muck around with computers all day.
4. zero perks.

 

[Gibson486]

1) Journeyman Electrician/Fire alarm manager (Design/program/management for fa systems)
2) 5 year electrical apprenticeship
3) Sometimes. Working in construction is rewarding but can be very stressful, and is rather volatile.

Volatile is correct. It is the nature of the business. When I left my last firm, I took a contact who was the middle between the contractors and engineers with me. I talked to him and he just told me, "Yeah, the nature of this business is volatile....it is not for everyone. It can turn a person around if they do not reflect and tell themselves it is just part of the job".

Being on the engineering side of things, the goal was to always put out documentation where there was only enough information for the contractor to get an idea of what was needed and nothing more. Everything was up to interpretation. Due to bid law on public projects, you cannot mention means or methods, so you have word things in a way to prevent cheap labor.

My final project, it was on the other side. We were contracted to provide materials instead of specifying them. I can see where the volatile nature comes from. The whole object of this game is to not be in the red and be as far way from it as possible. What better way to prevent that than a change order? So what do you do? You low bid to get the job knowing very well what you will get a change order. It is a little known fact that you will make more money in change orders because you are no longer subject rules of public bidding. The only rule was that you had to charge a "fair amount". Well...fine, the MSRP for a flow meter can be $11,000....no one pays that price. Contractors have a multiplier of something like .4 (they pay 40% of MSRP). Firms that are not contractors pay something like 70% of MSRP and less if they have developed a relationship. People off the street pay something around the order of 80% MSRP. So, all I had to do what justify the cost of the change order...so all i had to do was mention the off the street price....then the contract stipulates how much we can over charge for materials and labor. It is usually something like 5 or 10% of "cost". I think on this project alone, I must have grew 20 more grey hairs.

 

[Corporate Thug]

1) What is your job?

Attorney

2) How much education/training was involved?

JD


3) Do you enjoy it and why?

Enjoy challenges; see sometime new everyday; travel. Downside: long hours, fairly shitty pay for the hours

 

[Kabob]

Surveying with your geography degree?

I've considered it, but not sure if I'd enjoy it as much.

 

[dpodblood]

1) Application support specialist for a medical software company.
2) 2 year IT diploma.
3) Not really. It's quite boring most of the time, and I mostly deal with the same issues day after day. I like our clients, and my co-workers, but the job itself is mundane most of the time.

 

[iGas]

I love my current job, it is fun and salary is good.
Journeyman plumber/gas fitter/refrigeration mechanic (7.5 years apprenticeship).
Job description: geothermal specialist.

I also have a degree in industrial design, and computer science.

 

[shortylickens]

Booty wrangler.
Not fun at all. Too much stress.

 

[Kroze]

Wow there are a lot of people on this board with college degree.

 

[Martin]

1. Mobile Software Engineer
2. 4 year engineering
3. It's pretty cool when I do what I like doing - designing and making mobile apps. Dealing with bullshit from bosses, PMs and regulation agencies is not, and can sometimes take up a lot of time.

 

[Martin]

1. Home automation
2. OJT... always... never ending... for 20 years... Dear God...
3. I love it. I get to play with crazy toys in houses that 99.999% of society can't even afford to look at.

And you live in Hawaii, no? Well, you win this one

I'd go do watersports every day if I was you.

 

[duragezic]

1. Applications Engineer mostly for Rapid Control Prototyping
2. BS Computer Engineering plus the previous ~2 year job exp I had doing embedded software and Matlab/Simulink was helpful
3. Just started last month but I like it quite a bit so far. Primarily deal with automotive companies but small part of the company business is in aerospace.

 

[Wyndru]

Wow there are a lot of people everywhere with college degree.

ftfy

 

[Buttzilla]

1) periodontal/oral surgery assistant
2) BA and MS, currently applying to dental school
3) love my job, patients are awesome when you communicate effectively with them.

 

[TXHokie]

1. IT Security/Forensic/eDiscovery
2. I have a non computer related BS in Engineering. Job is helpful from previous experience as database admin, sysadmin, web developer, and database programming.
3. Of all the jobs I've had, I liked this one best. Tho in doing computer forensic I run across stuffs I wish I hadn't seen. But digital sleuthing is interesting whether it's hunting malware or search for bad activities. The eDiscovery part get me involved with attorneys and scrapping data for legal cases - also take me traveling to interesting locations and man - those legal people sure eat well and can drink. Money is not bad - at least I get compensated for overtime.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Server tech, currently full time for one client, a hospital. I like the actual work, but I can't stand all the politics and red tape. I applied for a NOC job for the same company, I'll get to work in the central office, wear jeans and tshirt, get awesome hours (shift work) with lot of time off, and get paid the same as my current job. It's like the must cushy job in the company.

It's been like 3 months since I got the job, but they're taking forever to transfer me. The job itself probably wont be that exciting, but I'm sure there are side projects and stuff, and all the other perks make it worth it. The nice thing is, no more holding on to tickets. See a problem, do some basic troubleshooting, and furrnt it off to the proper people to deal with it. No more dealing with stupid outlook calendar issues and other crap like that. Can't wait!

 

[Eos]

Since I'm still in school, I'll give my wife's info:

1) What is your job?

Family nurse practitioner in a small clinic.

2) How much education/training was involved?

BS in biology, Masters in nursing with FNP emphasis (two year program at Vanderbilt)

3) Do you enjoy it and why?

Absolutely. She gets to spend more time treating the patient unlike doctors who are so often rushed from room to room.

 

[gar3555]

1. Electrical Controls and Automation Engineer
2. BSEE - but that played only a roll of getting job. On job education near 100%
3. Yes I enjoy it (for the most part anyway)...because I get to play with stuff like this.

4. VOLS suck ass!!! :biggrin:

Electrical Controls and Automation Engineer as well
BS Computer Engineering - same for me(got job with degree, learned way more than I did in school)
I do enjoy it most of the time.

I work for a systems integrator, not a production facility. I am a jack of all trades, master of none. I have worked in the automotive, plastics/oil and gas, pharma, food, waste water, steel, milling(including quarry operations and CNC) and grain industries.

I have done conveying, process, robotics, tooling and even integration into SAP and OEE type software.

All that and I have only been working 6 1/2 years.

 

[Gibson486]

Electrical Controls and Automation Engineer as well
BS Computer Engineering - same for me(got jrob with degree, learned way more than I did in school)
I do enjoy it most of the time.

I work for a systems integrator, not a production facility. I am a jack of all trades, master of none. I have worked in the automotive, plastics/oil and gas, pharma, food, waste water, steel, milling(including quarry operations and CNC) and grain industries.

I have done conveying, process, robotics, tooling and even integration into SAP and OEE type software.

All that and I have only been working 6 1/2 years.

I did consulting on controls in water and waste water for three years....i did not even get a quarter of your experience because we never coded a dam thing I did all the non-hardwork stuff like figure out flows, specing instruments, telling our integrators what algorithms to use. Luckily, I have a BSEE, so I at least was able to look at a few tutorials to see how ladder logic worked and understand it. That said, most of the integrators only had an associates. When I wanted to do more complex stuff like using fuzzy logic to control aeration, they just gave me this blank stare. Consulting sucks.

 

[Muse]

1.) Software Developer
2.) Bachelors in CS
3.) Most of the time I really enjoy it because I get to solve complex problems, but sometimes stress goes through the roof

Similar, but I'm unemployed now. I was working in database development, programming, administration, a variety of jobs. Have a degree in math, but many of the most successful people in my field majored in their higher education in humanities or whatever. It just takes intelligence and a willingness to commit to what's required, totally. It's fascinating, TBH. I do really enjoy working out problems. Yes, at times it can be very frustrating working with computer systems/software, as most people here know. But it's by a wide margin the most satisfying work I've ever done in the corporate world. Also, the best paying. And when I was getting jobs, it was so nice to have head hunters calling me rather than me having to try to figure out some way, any way to get a paycheck.

But software development, at least from my perspective, is an ever changing panorama and you need to continue evolving, learning, moving to the next tools and software. It's not easy keeping up with it.

 

[Engineer]

Electrical Controls and Automation Engineer as well
BS Computer Engineering - same for me(got job with degree, learned way more than I did in school)
I do enjoy it most of the time.

I work for a systems integrator, not a production facility. I am a jack of all trades, master of none. I have worked in the automotive, plastics/oil and gas, pharma, food, waste water, steel, milling(including quarry operations and CNC) and grain industries.

I have done conveying, process, robotics, tooling and even integration into SAP and OEE type software.

All that and I have only been working 6 1/2 years.

:thumbsup:

I worked in the automotive tubing industry for the first 17.5 years (in their tooling plant). Now working for a smaller system integrator, I get to see far more other industries out there, but many in the area are still automotive (supporting Toyota and other automotive mfg. in the area).

 

[Gibson486]

Similar, but I'm unemployed now. I was working in database development, programming, administration, a variety of jobs. Have a degree in math, but many of the most successful people in my field majored in their higher education in humanities or whatever. It just takes intelligence and a willingness to commit to what's required, totally. It's fascinating, TBH. I do really enjoy working out problems. Yes, at times it can be very frustrating working with computer systems/software, as most people here know. But it's by a wide margin the most satisfying work I've ever done in the corporate world. Also, the best paying.

my cousin has a degree in math. Do you need to do programming to do something with that degree (Aside from an actuary)?