What is your occupation?

[Grunt]

Who?

That's odd, can't remember now.

[Cliff Rogers]

friends and a family?

[masoth]

I've had only three "jobs" - publishing company storeman, a soldier, and a local government bureaucrat. If the experience doesn't qualify me for retirement I don't know what will.

soth

[Burnsy]

This looks like a great place to stop lurking and show my face. I am a jack of all trades master of none who puts up with 11 and 12 years old swearing at me so that I can be paid to have lots of holidays and knock off work at 3.00pm. I spend this extended leisure time working for others to try and keep up with what everyone else except public servants is earning. This is generally done through undertaking landscape construction jobs, preferentially timber based.

Prior to taking up my chalky role I ran my own landscape construction buisiness for four years as a filler while I decided what I wanted to do other than the Environmental Management roles that I had been undertaking in the mining sector for the nine years previous. In the end it seems the older I get the closer I get to where I started which was wanting to leave school at 15 to become a chippy. Something I was told I could always do later after I had been to university and got myself an edumacation.

Having been a "tradie" I do enjoy not having to be outside when it is 44 degrees or pissing down with rain but still having the choice to do it when I want to knowing that I will still be paid at the end of the week even if I don't.

Oh and great forum guys.

Cheers,
Mike

[rat52]

Carpenter by trade.

self employed most of my life in commercial construction and currently working towards retirement as a site superviser.

I like it most of the time. The work is ok. It's some of the peopleyou have to put up with that make it difficult.

You do what you know best and can earn the most money at.

Besides, the government refuses to pay me to live in a manner to which I am accustomed.

[Jedo_03]

Originally Posted by Wongo
Tell us
1. What you do for work
2. Do you like it
3. Why


I'm with Allied Health -Qualified Speech Pathologist
I work with all Adults...
Primarily I'm a dysphagiologist - I assess patient's swallowing abilities after they are admitted to hospital with stroke (CVA), progressive neurological conditions, head and neck cancer, dementia, confusion, or just plain old age... (just to mention a few...) (swallowing and feeding problems are more common than you imagine - and the sequelae of dysphagia is aspiration pnuemonia and possible death) That's about 75% of my hospital and community workload.
Next, I'm a tracheosophageal-fistula-specialist: looking after people who have had their larynx (voicebox) surgically removed - ususally due to throat cancer. Simply put, I'm the health technician who removes and replaces the voice-prostheses in these patients (well - a lot more than that...)
Next, I look after tracheotomised patients - people with holes bored in the front of their necks with a plastic tube inserted so the poor buggers can even breathe... (Not too many in my remote area - they usually get sent to the big city...)
Next, well I provide a consultancy-service to people who've recently had radiotherapy and chemotherapy... All those radio-active rays and harsh chemicals leave people with swallowing problems, dry mouths and dry throats...
Next, I provide 'speech' and 'language' therapies to people who have lost their capacity to "talk properly" - stroke, Parkinsons, MS, MD... etc etc...
And a LOT more...

Of COURSE I like it...
I'm a proud practitioner - deep and wide skills base - evidence-based-practice - and I strive to do the best for individual people.
Downside is the effin beaurocracy of the health service - and the legions of wonkers in managerial positions who know shat all about my job and couldn't care less about it... Shame on all of the bastard bean counters who treat us as "business units"
Time was when 'Patients come first'...
Not any more...
Beaurocracy and dogmatism and egoism reign now...
Selfish, self-centred, egoistic managers, only interested in their career pathways...
Laterally it's good - Doctors and Nurses value what I do...
It's warm and fuzzy when a physician says "well done" or when a patient or the family says "thanks"
And it's interesting - challenging...
I'm heaps proud of what I do...
People appreciate it...
Pity the f'heads managers don't - but what do they know... F-All...
There - I said it
Nearest to me (far as I know) is Felder...
Jedo

[la Huerta]

was doing lawnmowing for about 10yrs, never successful because it was just a crapy job and i could'nt find anything else i was willing to commit to...always liked building stuff as a hobby but was'nt that good at it, i then saw some rustic dining tables in a shop that cought my imagination, and wanted to have a go at building them, hated the lawnmowing by then, i kept teaching myself woodworking through using this forum, google, books and lots of mistakes...

now i do furniture design and custom furnituremaking, no more lawnmowing !, don't make a good profit yet but as i get better i find i can charge more and business is growing...

...and most importantly, i love my job, i can think up furniture designs and build them, i was depressed when i was doing the lawns but not anymore...

i'm now teaching myself website construction too (web 2.0 style), and finding that very exiting, and do it when i can't make sawdust, like night and weekends...

if anyone needs a website built , redesigned or improved or just needs some help, , just ask, happy to assist so i get more experience...

La H

[Metal Head]

It's some of the peopleyou have to put up with that make it difficult.

You do what you know best and can earn the most money at it

Hi Rat,

I am in a fulltime job now that I earn the most money I ever have - a whooping $50,000 (give or take a few $$$) - but it comes with working with some of the laziest tradespeople I have ever worked with. They are seen by the Boss as top tradesman - obviously he hasn't seen that many in his life. He never gives me any feedback on the extra work I do so once my probation is up I will join the lazy club - no extra $$$ for breaking my neck.

At the end of the day it is easier (if you can afford it) to do a less well paid job and be happy in what you do.

MH

[DIY DAN]

I've been the following

Telegram boy, shop assistant, lift mechanic, electrician, electrical engineer, electronics salesman, sales manager, party shop owner, owner of electronics importing company, retired, and now owner of D.I.Y. Woodworks.

Did I enjoy them? No, except the last one. Should have done this 30 years ago.

Why? I had no interest in the subjects, they were just a way to make a living. The last one involves passion for the subject. I just love wood and in making objects in wood.

DIY DAN

[la Huerta]

I



Why? I had no interest in the subjects, they were just a way to make a living. The last one involves passion for the subject. I just love wood and in making objects in wood.

DIY DAN

my point exactly...

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

1. Procrastinator
2. Let me think on it.
3. Money's just a way of keeping score... and I'm playing a different game.

[SPIRIT]

im a kept man
wife gets the big bucks and l sit at home most of the time watching Dr phil

[Audiowizard]

Tell us
1. What you do for work
2. Do you like it
3. Why


1) Radio
2) Yes
3) Where else is 4 hours a full day of work.

[BobR]

Retired. Before that - 6 years in the RAAF in electronice. Then into the IT industry. First as a main frame hardware engineer, followed by systems programming, a little applications programming, a stint in marketing, finishing up in sales. Started when a main frame filled a large room and was not as powerful as current day PC. Saw the first disk drives come into the industry - as big as a washing machine and only held 250K on 20 surfaces. Remember punched cards, paper tape, 1/2" tape drives on metal spools.

These days I spend 6 months in the caravan travelling around, and 6 months at home in the shed. Will be off again in 8 weeks

Did I enjoy my work? Mostly yes.

Why? It payed the bills and gave me an opportunity to do a large amount of international travel.

[Shedhand]

im a kept man
wife gets the big bucks and l sit at home most of the time watching Dr phil

So Spirit, where in NZ do you come from?