What were you before?

[RETIRED]

This weekend I reverted back to my old trade to save a lot of money.

I had to replace the fuel injector lines on my truck as they had corroded over the last 30 years and were starting to leak.

My original trade was an A grade mechanic and diesel fitter but gave it away about 30 years ago and took up my present occupation as a woodturner.

Fixing the truck reinforced part of the reason I gave it away.

This got me thinking as to how many here are still in the job they were trained for.

I know a lot of my friends are not.

How about you?

[Jim Carroll]

Electrical fitter by trade now a woodturner, most times.

[Optimark]

Finished my apprenticeship in gardening with a specialisation in landscape gardening in 1969. I didn't know what I was getting into when I started the apprenticeship, does anyone, and sort of decided after about 6 months this isn't for me.

I then had a special holiday courtesy of the federal government due to national service, anoher thing I didn't have a clue about; didn't like that either. Did my two years then escaped to normality.

I of course then went back to my previous job as suggested by the federal government, another mistake, the rose coloured glasses had slipped back on.

Did jobs all over the country as I travelled everywhere, loved it, but came back to Melbourne and fell into graphic arts, did that for 15 years, then got the sack due to the firm losing contracts,

Then I fell into rubber stamp manufacturing, did that for 21 years, finished up 12 days ago when I sold the business.

Now retired and hoping to fiddle in the shed, I am hearing the first rumblings of landscaping the back garden emanating from the boss.

Full circle it seems.

Mick.

[tea lady]

Fixing the truck reinforced part of the reason I gave it away.

So how many knuckles are barked?

I was a potter before. Which isn't so differant I guess. And worked for add companies as well making glazes.

Before that I was an apprentice Telecom technician. Was good learning about the stuff, but nearly died of bordem doing the actual job.

Before that I sewed t-shirts. I can over-lock a t-shirt in 2 minutes and 10 seconds. Quickly went crazy.

Before that I made wet suits at Ripcurl in Torquay. Was gluing the custom suits together. Slowly ment crazy. But at least I could go to the beach after work and wind surf.

[Phil Spencer]

Electrical Fitter, then sales now retired, the latter is definitely the best job I have ever had.

[chambezio]

My history is some what boring.
Was always building things as a boy, got an apprenticeship in Carpentry on high rise stuff in Sydney. I worked for the principle contractor so I was usually doing overlap jobs between the other trades. Didn't really do alot of real carpentry but learned a lot about other trades and how they fitted into the overall scheme of things on big jobs. That crowd went out of business after me being there 2 years, I managed to finish off my apprenticeship with another big contractor doing commercial stuff on a smaller scale.Finished my time with them and worked for 2 years with my original supervisor who asked me to work with him on commercial stuff again.
I had a mate who was doing domestic stuff in Sydney and moved to Tamworth to have a go in his own operation. I took the invitation to work with him. We were together about 6 months when he suggested I find some one else to work for.(We clashed a bit)
Did a bit of self employment but ended up on wages building furniture for an industrial caravan builder in Tamworth.
That lasted about 2.5 years when I and about15 others were put off due to not enough contracts.
Started in the white board cabinet making business building kitchens. vanities and wardrobes etc. After 8 years ended up as foreman and was running the workshop with up12 blokes at one stage.
That ended with me getting chronic depression and the Pysyc suggesting I should live on the dole. Just couldn't face going to work in the end.
After 18 months of that I suggested to a new psyc that may be I could work for my self. She agreed but 3 years of it was enough and now I have the designation of being...retired.
I am not happy with the situation but from day to day I can take on the world or shrivel up in a ball(all in the same week)So even working on wages is not a proposition.
My hobby has always been my trade or vice versa. I have a well set up workshop with machinery, tools, materials, stacks of ideas, time.....but more often than not a huge lack of incentive.
This last week started with me rearranging the workshop so I can finalise connecting all the machines to the DE System. By Wednesday my incentive left me and I have spent everyday since in front of the fire, TV and computer. Its areal bastard. But I have all the time in the world to get going again.....But when? Did I say its a bastard!!

[Mulgabill]

Banking & Computers - Business System Development in the very early days of punch cards and tapes. A period of much change.
Ended full-time employment in Horticulture- Vineyard Production & Development (Qualified). That was the best job I had.
Last couple of years before retiring I worked part-time in Heavy Engineering making industrial and aircraft hangar doors.The worst job I had.

[Kev Y.]

I started my working life as a Painter and Decorator, lasted 3 years after my apprenticeship, then got into the power industry, now 31 years later I am just wasting time until I can retire.

Never did I expect to be a shift worker for 30 odd years.

[Ironwood]

I started my Diesel Fitting Apprenticeship when I was 16. Worked as a Diesel Fitter for the next 25 or so years, a few breaks here and there in that time.
Now I own a retail business, which my wife and I run, with the help of our 5 staff members.

[issatree]

Started out in a Hardware Store, a bit of trouble, & didn't like handling money, to much Arithmetic, then to work in the biggest Milk Power Factory around, great job with real people. Went to work for a family who had a car dealership, got treated like a serf.
My Mate had just joined the S.E.C. & said he thought I could get a job as well, & I did.
Spent 11 yrs in my home town, decided to shift to Geelong, Vic. Climbed the wrong type of Ladders, but was quite Happy, & stayed 33 yrs. all told, but had to retire because of Migraines, & was only 53. tried a few different jobs, for a few yrs, but they didn't work out.
Our Family had a small Hut at the Bay of Islands, near Peterborough, Vic.
A certain premier decided that these Huts had to go & they did. Crown Land.
There was an Old Miners Couch there, took it home & decided to do it up. We had been Married a while at this stage. Made a Lathe by putting the B & D Drill in the Vice, nailed a Block of Wood to the Bench with a pointy bolt for a Tail Stock. Cleaned the legs up with a Screwdriver. Found what I thought was a Real Lathe in the " Popular Mechanics ". Tools to be made in the next Issue. & Away I went. 32 Years Later, could not be Happier with my Choice of Hobby, & the Best Part of it is The People You Meet, through WOODTURNING.

[tdrumnut]

20 yrs as a Professional Firefighter in NZ, took early retirement started an upholstery business (learnt the trade from my father in law on my days off, then immigrated to Australia and got into Pest Control and more recently Property Maintenance till I fell off a roof last year, still recovering and hoping to start back at work in a few months.

[Scott]

Bachelor Polymer Chemistry/Technology then had an early midlife crisis and then did a Bachelor of Nursing followed by Bachelor of Critical Care. If I wasn't as old and didn't have a family to provide for I'd probably convert to Medicine (by the time I'd become a consultant, I'd have to retire).

[BobR]

Did 6 years in the RAAF in electronics. Loved it - but was not the life for a married person. Back then you could be moved every 2 years.

After the Airforce I spent over 30 years in the computer industry working for 6 different companies. Two of these companies were second to IBM at different stages - not one of the 6 exists today. Such is the IT industry.

I started out maintaining mainframes that required a room the size of the average house and were not as powerful as today's PC. There was no such thing as display units, disk drives, multi tasking, or online access.

As a result of these companies disappearing I went through three redundancies. As one gets older it becomes harder to find work, no matter what your previous experience has been; and I had done maintenance, support management, pre sales support, sales, sales management, product management,and account management.

Fortunately I recognised what was happening in the industry and salary sacrificed just about all my salary into a self managed super fund for several years. This enabled me to take early retirement and head off around Australia in a caravan in 2008. This is when the GFC hit so life is good, but not what is could be.

Wood working has only ever been a hobby as well as home repairs. But it sure fills in a day during retirement.

[snowyskiesau]

My experience is pretty much like BobR's - except for putting enough money into super . Airforce (hated it!) and then IT (including IBM)
Woodworking/metalworking are just ways to enjoyably pass the time. I'd like to be working but age and the economy make that unlikely.

[underfoot]

Apprenticed as a sparky ...then began a cycle of work (at anything) to travel for many years...
I stumbled into a patternmaking apprenticeship and then industrial design..I have loved every day of work since then ..
..now woodsculpture for the last 20+ years.