Viewing 36 posts - 41 through 76 (of 76 total)
  • Don't make your hobby your job…do what you love?
  • timber
    Full Member

    I couldn’t afford to do my job as a hobby, but the job pays enough for my hobby.
    If it was the other way round, I would still do the same 2 things. It mostly equates to being outdoors with shiny bits of metal.

    forester and bicyclist.

    samuri
    Free Member

    I got my first computer when I was about 13. That was over 30 years ago. I loved it then and I love working with computers now. Yeah, there’s a load of crap that goes with it but computers will always be something I’m interested in, treat as a hobby and I’ll be happy to carry on working with them till I retire. Pays quite well too. I could have earned a lot more selling my soul in easier trades but hey, you make your choices.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    The job I have is shite

    This I something I would find hard to get my head round, I couldn’t spend 40 hours a week doing something I didn’t like doing.
    It’s not about having a desirable job either, I met somebody at a factory last week who used to work at the coal face (literally) who absolutely loved it down the pit.

    toppers3933
    Free Member

    I used to work in a bike shop. I left to do other things. Missed it, so i’m in the process of opening my own bike shop. We open a week tomorrow. Can’t wait.
    Its in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, in case you were wondering.

    sambob
    Free Member

    Cheers Rich, I spoke to Rob the day I saw the notice up but someone else had got it I think, keep meaning to drop in and let them know I’m still looking. You 3PCX’ing?

    yunki
    Free Member

    Mrs yunki needed a change of career after our first son was born 3 years ago..
    She was working in high end catering and that often meant 16 hour days and late finishes..

    Post natal depression and a desire to actually spend time with her new son encouraged her to set up her own business making and decorating cakes for weddings, birthdays and suchlike..
    She’s never been happier and never looked back..

    Won some prestigious awards in 2012 and shortlisted for more next year, full diary and already taking bookings for 2014, and now fully kitted out business premises plus a number of fully booked instructional courses over the winter..

    She finds it a bit hard to switch off occasionally though, but she’s always given 110% to whatever job she does..
    I’m not entirely sure that we’re making any money yet though.. 😕

    Kevevs
    Free Member

    toppers3933 LIKE! good luck mate. Mrs Yunki sounds ace!

    user-removed
    Free Member

    Yet another photographer here. I was a not very serious hobby photographer – landscapes mostly. Had all the gear and a small idea. I woke up one morning and decided to take it a step further, so I jacked in my job as a driver and spent a couple of years doing A levels in photography, studio management and related stuff.

    Carried a few bags, made tea for some Edinburgh types and got an insight into how it could be. So I went of to uni and got my BA Hons in photography. I didn’t just want to be a photographer – I wanted to understand the history of art (and specifically the history of photography), I wanted to work with sculptors, fine artists, video artists and assorted other skint doley types. I lived the subject for six years, but really didn’t learn anything until I jacked off formal education and went into business.

    Nearly eight years since I started up now – can’t imagine being anything else. I’ve carefully avoided using the word ‘passion’ here, as every single wannabe photographer insists on banging on about how passionate they are. No you’re bloody not. You might be a bit excited with your brand new 50mm lens, but immersing yourself into a subject for six years,with a single-minded determination, slowly inhaling whole libraries worth of info and imagery, then exploring in detail what you’ve learnt – that’s how you develop passion.

    Can you tell I like my job?

    Landscape photography is still close to my heart – I organise forum meets once a year (different forums) and enjoy learning new tricks from talented amateurs in surroundings ideal for relaxing and drinking beer.

    toppers3933
    Free Member

    Cheers kevevs. Its an adventure.

    richpips
    Free Member

    Cheers Rich, I spoke to Rob the day I saw the notice up but someone else had got it I think, keep meaning to drop in and let them know I’m still looking. You 3PCX’ing?

    No 3pcx at all this year, have to be elsewhere. You off to watch?

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    I used to work in a bike shop. Enjoyed it just to see the fun bits but otherwise it had very little to do with my enjoyment of bikes. Now I’m an engineer and I engineer in my evenings/weekends for fun. Job and work is different because you have to do one of them, so it doesn’t matter if you hate it or love it, it’s just easier if you love it.

    motivforz
    Free Member

    Started a new job just over a month ago, doing what was a passion/interest of mine. It still is and now I get to see the professional and business side of things, all the tech insights, and the work that goes on behind and into what makes my hobby/interest what it is.

    I can see why it could become a conflict, but as long as you’re learning, are passionate and interested, I don’t see how it could? Same as any job I’d imagine as said above, if the people/activity is painful, it doesn’t matter what the topic is!

    somafunk
    Full Member

    Always loved bikes, playing on bikes, working on bikes, talking bout bikes, fixing bikes etc. I’ve had the chance a few times over the past 20odd years to get more involved ( ie – full time job) rather than the odd day once in a blue moon helping out whether that be servicing, building or guiding etc but never took the offer due to other work commitments that i felt obliged to sustain – not any more though as i handed in my notice last week of a job i have dreaded doing for over of 5years+ and i’m now a bike shop bum,mechanic,coffee fetcher & drinker,shiny bits salesperson,sweeper upper/hooverer and a general font of all knowledge that there is to know about bikes with regard to the common velocipede in it’s many forms.

    So called money means “jack-shit”, i never had it in my previous job nor any job i’ve ever had if i’m honest but i don’t care bout earning loads of cash or buying a house, not now, in the past nor future. I’ve already been thanked profusely by customers for the servicing work i’ve carried out on their seemingly newish but very tired bikes, i think i may have sold someone on the idea that a new Lapierre is not out of the question, i’ve brought forks back to life, and people have brought me fresh coffee and cakes for free as they were passing the shop and just called in to see what’s going on, and there’s been invites to the pub for a drink after work which i had to turn down t’night as i was still in the shop, buggering about with bikes.

    Started work this morning at 8 am, finished tonight at 10pm but could’ve really finished way sooner if i rushed all the jobs but why would i? – i was enjoying the work. I built up a Gorgeous Orange Ibis Mojo SL Carbon (25.15 lbs) t’night for someone to pick up t’morn, got everything done to my satisfaction as i would do to my own bikes down to every cable having the same “jagwire” logo showing in the same place relative to the cable stops and every fastener torqued up with antisieze compound or grease as required – forks set up with correct air pressure and sag, rebound/compression damping adjusted for style of riding the bike can expect and Copter’ tape cut to shape and applied to prevent every possible bit of cable rub – gears go up/down with a lighting fast “snick-snick” and when i was finished i thought “yeah – I’d be happy if someone handed me that”.

    I should’ve done this sooner but better late than never – for once in my life i can say i enjoy my work, and i’m happy 😀

    Kevevs
    Free Member

    haha you are my hero right now somafunk! nuff respect.

    somafunk
    Full Member

    Cheers Kevevs 🙂 Compared to the hatred i had built up for for my previous workplace i find it utterly bewildering why i put up with so much shite for a minimum wage over the past few years?, a sunday afternoon used to be a thing of joy as i used to get out and do stuff but recently it had become depressing as i knew what i faced the next day. I guess it’s all to easy to become complacent with what you have and what to expect, as time passes you can almost convince yourself it’s not all that bad, you still have a job after all and most folk in this area would jump at the chance of working where i used to.

    It was strange being profusely thanked today (friday aft) for a servicing job i did last week, the full sus trek was in a very poor state, so bad i decided to strip the cranks off, strip rear mech, front mech and throw them all in the degreaser whilst i set to work on new cables/housing, servicing the fox floats with new seals and wipers, new fork oil, new cassette,chain, strip & degrease/repack headset/hubs/bb, true up a bad rear buckle and adjust preload on shock/forks – rebuild everything including greasing all linkages, unfortunately i wasn’t there to give the bike back to the customer as i had to work my notice out at the shite job but she came in today to thank me profusely as she’s rode it 3 times in the past week which is more than she’s ever ridden in a week, “it rides better now than it did when it was new” was her comment. I don’t care how much i’m paid or what some work snobs or wage slaves may think of me when i say i work in a bike shop as comments like that are worth so much more than a massive pay packet, for the first time in years what i’ve done at work has made a difference to someones life.

    Yep….think i’m gonna get on rather well with this job 😀

    petefromearth
    Full Member

    I’m an engineer too (mechanical)

    A few years ago I worked for a big engineering firm and became really frustrated with the amount of actual engineering that I was doing (or anyone else for that matter). It was so disheartening to see what looked like decline in the industry, the majority of skilled technical work being sent overseas, and huge assets being sold off. Among most of the workforce there was a general feeling of acceptance that engineering, wherever you are, is just as shit, so you might as well sit and wait for retirement. I nearly jacked it in to be honest.

    I went to a company with a completely different outlook. There were a few raised eyebrows, but I am way more enthusiastic and challenged by what I do now. I think engineering is now what I love, which I couldn’t have said before.

    I’m happy to keep bikes out of it for now – maybe one day…

    richmars
    Full Member

    I didn’t realise I did my hobby at work, but reading some of the above it’s true.
    I’m an engineer as well, and like making stuff at home. I work for a very small (about 20 people) company, where I design stuff, get it made, put it together, and install it, and I love it. Over one day I could be designing stuff on CAD, putting bits together, then writing some control software to make it all work. I’m very lucky.

    avdave2
    Full Member

    Once I began working as a photographer I began to take less ans less pictures for myself. I’ve been out of the industry for 17 years now and don’t take many pictures anymore, mostly just family stuff and pictures for clients in my present job. I’ve never really understood the huge numbers of amateur and hobbyist photographers who spend most of their time taking shots that are indistinguishable from commercial photography, for god’s sake do something different, the pros are taking these pictures because they are paid to not because they have any great merit. I still really enjoy taking pictures while both fulfilling a brief and trying to look at things a little differently if I can. I’m not being paid specifically for the shots which gives me a lot more freedom.

    Anyway in answer to the question by all means pursue your hobby as a career but expect your relationship to that hobby to change. It won’t necessarily be better or worse just different.

    I now do a job I’d never thought of as a career and really enjoy it. The hours can be long and unsocial but I get to travel a lot and see a lot of places I wouldn’t otherwise get to. I’m spending this week in Vienna and I’m just back from a trip to Rome, Moscow and Paris. And I haven’t taken a single snap of anything other than the exhibition stand I’m looking after. If i want a nice picture of where I’ve been I’ll look on line where someone will have been kind enough to wait hours and hours to get a very nice shot I can look at. 🙂

    _tom_
    Free Member

    My job isn’t really a hobby as such but it’s something I do really enjoy. The novelty does wear off after a while though and it becomes the “daily grind” so I’d rather not have something like working in a bike shop because I think I’d hate working on my own bike and let it fall into a state of disrepair quite quickly.

    geologist
    Free Member

    Engineer here too, Sat Comms for me. I work as a systems engineer for the biggest defence company in the world. When a new system needs installing or one needs repairing, I will go out to it. I am lucky enougth to be paid to travel the world almost weekly doing an exciting job, to some very exotic places, and to some sh*t holes also.
    I could be fixing video recorders in a factory somewhere, so I count myself as one of the lucky ones.

    However, I am away from home everyweek, I have a 3 yr old, so its horrible, I miss him so much in the week.

    But its a desicion we have made as a family, We have opted for the way of money, and to be comfortable financially. I will bide my time and look for a similar job, where I can commute from daily, but these are rare in sleepy south Shropshire.

    I would love a job in a bikeshop, or working for the RSPB, but in my life, that wont happen.

    shooterman
    Full Member

    Al, as you know I am a lawyer too and 41 yers old to boot. I have been unhappy in my work for a few years and I have very nearly jacked it all in on a couple of occasions.

    However, I assessed what aspects of my job were making me unhappy and what I could do about that. My conclusion was not to just jump into the first job that came along and to really create a set of criteria for a job. In my case I think I would like to go public service in an exclusively litigation role.

    In relation to the hobby / job quandry, I think a woman I went to law school with has it cracked. She was interested in beauty etc. She worked her ass off in private practice for a couple of years, started a beauty salon and employed a manger and then, when she had it up and running, went into the CPS (PPS here). So she now has a rock solid income in a good public sector job and has her “hobby business” and won’t be ruined if it fails.

    airborne
    Free Member

    I worked in IT as a project manager in an office for around 15 years and earned a very good wage – £50k in 2002 with good perks but became more and more disillusioned and felt trapped. I had always wanted to be an airline pilot so started doing some light aircraft flying in my early 30’s and realised I loved it every bit as much as I thought I would. I jacked in the IT job and borrowed against the house to retrain as a commercial pilot for 18 months. I then spent 18 months back in IT while trying to get a flying job, after we nearly lost the house etc etc due to the financial pressures and thankfully did get a flying job with a decent company. I have been airline flying for nearly 6 years now and am really happy I made the switch although I still don’t quite make the money I was making ten years ago in IT but then I don’t dread Monday morning the way I used to either.

    My advice for what it’s worth is to consider which is most important to you – money or happiness at work. For me it’s a no brainer and I feel really passionate about what I do and love flying a sophisticated and sexy airliner across Europe, seeing sunset over the Alps etc. The equipment is cool, it’s occasionally exciting, the views are stupendous and on balance I probably get more time at home than I used to. I’m on call today, so just need to be able to get to the airport if they needed me within 90 mins so frankly I’m off to ride my bike – and this is a ‘work’ day!

    Two things that really helped me make the decision: My wife who was training as a life coach at the time had me do a collage of how I wanted my life to be in pictures ten years hence. I had pictures of an airline pilot, a Concorde, a house in the country, a child and my wife on mine. At the time I was an IT bod in an office and lived in suburban London and didn’t fly. She said to me: This picture of what you want bears no relation to your current direction and if you don’t do something to derail the train you are on you won’t get to the destination you want. That realisation was very powerful and kept me going through some big decisions. I’m happy to say that I now live in the country, fly planes and have a beautiful Daughter. Life isn’t perfect of course but I have achieved most of the main things on my collage. You should try doing your own collage – it really is powerful.

    Second I read a book by a guy called Po Bronson called ‘What Should I do with my life’. He was a Wall Street trader who bailed out and became a writer but the book basically consists of stories of about 30 people who derailed their train as midlife career changers and did something completely different – people became trout farmers, eye in the sky traffic reporters etc etc. It’s a great book even for people like me who normally pooh pooh all the self help type guides.

    Anyway, good luck whatever you decide.

    Go derail that train!

    Airborne

    sambob
    Free Member

    Nope, forgot to book it off work 🙁 Dad only fitted some working cranks this morning, pedal thread insert is loose in his Carbon K-Force cranks.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    I’ve never really understood the huge numbers of amateur and hobbyist photographers who spend most of their time taking shots that are indistinguishable from commercial photography, for god’s sake do something different

    If my “commercial” photography was indistinguishable from an amateurs I would have to contemplate a career change 😯 why would clients pay me if johhny in accounts has a camera and can take the same images as me?
    IMHO most amateur photography is miles away from good (not jobbing) advertising/design photography, you get the odd talent like PolarisAndy on here who is head and shoulders above the rest but the whole client/art director interaction and the production know-how is not something an amateur will deal with, a bit like being a good chef, buying the same ingredients and having a nice knife isn’t going to consistently serve 40 covers of top quality food, I guess that’s an example of the real difference between calling yourself something and actually being successful and making a living at it.
    But I’m not talking wedding/high street portrait stuff as that’s an area that good amateurs will encroach and often surpass the less able, after all you just need a DSLR and a beige action vest with pockets to be a photographer these days 🙄

    bencooper
    Free Member

    Perhaps this is because there’s a big difference between being good at the skill of photography, and being good at the art of photography.

    What I mean is that many people know what every button does, how to work out aperture, shutter speed and ISO, all about which lenses to use and when – but they don’t really have any artistic inspiration.

    I got good at the skill of photography pretty quickly, but I’ve still got a lot to learn about the art 🙂

    mboy
    Free Member

    What I’ve learnt (maybe I should write a “self help” book and make millions?) is that there are 3 aspects that make up a job… They are…

    -The Job itself (ie. what you actually get paid to do)
    -The People
    -The Money

    Most people are in a job where they like 1 out of the 3 aspects. I’ve worked in jobs before where I’ve loved the money, but not the people or the job itself. I’ve done jobs where the people were great, but the money and the work were crap. And I’ve done jobs where I’ve loved the work, but not the people or the money. If this describes where you are at as an individual it’s possibly time to think of finding something more suitable. If you like none of the 3 aspects of your job, then it’s time to literally throw the towel in now and find something else tomorrow, as the only way is up! Most of us reasonably aim for 2 of the 3 aspects, and if we achieve those, on balance we’re quite content. If you have a job where you love the work, the people and the money, then truly you are a very lucky sod!

    Relating this to the bike industry now that I’m working in it again is a funny one. First time I worked in a shop years ago, I liked the money (it paid well for a part time student job) but the boss was a nightmare, and we sold mainly pretty rubbish bikes. I got out after a few months and found something better to do. Currently working in a shop where I get on really well with the boss and the rest of the team, and feel a part of it already, and we have a good laugh and a joke, and also some really nice regular customers as I’m finding out. The pay is little more than minimum wage sadly, but I do also get to play with some nice bikes at least, so on balance it’s pretty good.

    simmy
    Free Member

    Always been well into Cars, trained as a Panel Beater, sold Cars, became a Delivery Driver and used to just “go for a drive” for fun.

    Became a Driving Instructor and love it.

    Still go out for a drive ( when Ive enough money for Diesel !! ) so its not done me any harm working in my hobby.

    But the MTBing breaks things up nicely 😀

    stevomcd
    Free Member

    I absolutely love working as a bike guide (and as a snowboard instructor & mountain leader).

    I think though that you have to be genuinely passionate about being a guide to love it, not just love riding your bike.

    wisepranker
    Free Member

    I spend my days at work riding about on a bike. I spend my days off work riding about on a bike. Suits me down to the ground 😀

    Aristotle
    Free Member

    I’d advise at least trying to do something that you really like.

    I’ve always been interested in how ‘things’ work. I enjoy learning about, experimenting and improving.

    I studied engineering (a very academic course), but foolishly resisted following my real interests during and afterwards. I’ve fallen into various jobs over the past 15 years, none of which have been particularly satisfying, for various reasons.

    Having worked in highly regulated, extremely slow (dull and stifling) industries in the past, I’m currently involved in the stressful unpleasantness of project management in a fast-moving, quick n’ dirty industry, which doesn’t allow me to be get involved in the technical things that interest me.

    I’ve now realised that I need to change this situation, soon, for my own sanity.

    Personally, I need to feel a sense of achievement and I gain no intrinsic satisfaction whatsoever from contracts, balance sheets, profit margins or just throwing things out of the door.

    There’s something to be said for working more at your strengths rather than struggling (and spending far too much time/effort) in a vain attempt to improve your areas of weakness.

    petefromearth – Member

    I’m an engineer too (mechanical)
    …..
    I went to a company with a completely different outlook. There were a few raised eyebrows, but I am way more enthusiastic and challenged by what I do now. I think engineering is now what I love, which I couldn’t have said before.
    Good on you.

    richmars – Member

    I didn’t realise I did my hobby at work, but reading some of the above it’s true.
    I’m an engineer as well, and like making stuff at home. I work for a very small (about 20 people) company, where I design stuff, get it made, put it together, and install it, and I love it. Over one day I could be designing stuff on CAD, putting bits together, then writing some control software to make it all work. I’m very lucky.
    Good on you too.

    RichPenny
    Free Member

    I’d always been fascinated by music and took an electronics apprenticeship after school so it made sense to combine the two. When the apprenticeship finished I worked for a retailer/distributor of musical equipment as a service engineer. That eventually got me in the door of a small mastering equipment manufacturer. I now work for an iconic uk hi-fi company and feel privileged to do so. I am a step removed from the music industry so perhaps it’s not quite the same. I do love working with so many genuine music lovers though.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    I did an engineering degree but spent much of my time at uni playing bass, writing music and being in bands. After 17 years of academia I was pretty sick of engineering by the time I finished my degree (too little practical application and purpose to our studies but that’s red brick universities for you) and so, following a false start at joining the dot com entrepreneurial boom I ended up in sales, eventually working in corporate forex at a blue chip corporation – quite interesting but it became repetitive and was pretty high pressure. Anyway, I’d always had a fascination with loudspeakers (and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and resonant systems in my degree) and wasn’t happy with the cabs I was using as a bassist, so started messing about with designing my own…

    That was about nine years ago. Later on I wrote up what I was doing on a couple of forums, others were interested so I decided to build ten cabs, sell eight and keep two and that would be it – little did I know… Just over four years on we have a little micro-factory, three of us employed full-time, customers worldwide and quite a good reputation amongst those that have heard of us. It’s pretty bloody scary and stressful at times and not terribly profitable yet but I feel it was the right move and I’m actually damned good at designing loudspeakers for anything and seem to be able to juggle the complexities of running a small UK-based manufacturer well enough to have survived thus far. About to belatedly enter the worlds of hi-fi, PA and guitar, which will be interesting!

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    Interested to know which companies you both work for ( having a passing interest in U.K. Hifi)

    RichPenny
    Free Member

    Your story sounds similar to Julian Vereker Chiefgrooveguru. He started the company I work for (Naim) when he was recording music and didn’t rate the quality of the equipment. I wish you the best of luck in your new venture 🙂

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    I was going to ask if you worked for Naim but didn’t want to offend if you didn’t 😆

    stavromuller
    Free Member

    Started my working life as a telephone engineer but I was crap at it and got sacked a year out of my apprenticeship. After drifting through several money only jobs, I retrained as a sheet metal worker which I loved but now after 36 years I’m trying to break into the cycling industry and I’m loving this even more but wish I’d done it when I was younger. My advice is don’t waste your life doing something you hate, if you can do something you care about, it’s much more rewarding

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