MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Safeguarding/Security/H & S - Public Sector
Yes I enjoy it. I like working for da people.
Money is fairly good, generous holidays and a pretty secure position
Oil company.
Yes, mostly, though plenty of frustrations.
Much more than I deserve given some of the other far more noble jobs posted here.
It pays my way and it corrodes my soul.
pretty much this. I design solutions for HMRCs PAYE system.
What do you guys do for work?
I work with them computer things as an automation and managed file transfer specialist. So play with Unix, muck about with shell and perl scripting, various IBM systems management products and some other funky stuff.
Do you enjoy it?
Weirdly, yes. Very much so. I get given problems to solve and make them work, automatically. Its like one massive sudoku.
How much do you get paid? I get paid peanuts.
Pretty well.
Talk to me.
Hello. I'm wearing a bra and knickers and a pair of wellies.
Lower completion engineer
Get to travel to all the shitholes of the world
Good for seeing places i wouldnt go on holidays. Dont visit the same place too often
Office bores me to tears after a couple of months so good to get out
Own a gift shop.
I get to eat lots of chocolate and commute off road.
Don't get paid a fortune but we manage to live a very nice life style.
I wear a few different professional hats, but the one that pays the bills is assistant principal in a college.
It pays well (though not as well as it would if I lived across the Severn), but it is draining and I work w-a-a-a-a-a-y beyond what I should in terms of hours spent in the office, and worrying when I am out of it.
In fact, I think I will start a new thread to discuss this. 🙁
Paramedic fast response driver. Currently seconded as clinical advisor to 111. I wouldn't say I love it, but its better than anything else I've ever done and the pay is pretty good (though less than drac, he's a mod!
Ex GF mum worked at Scottish at prestwick. I'd already signed off and passed selection for the polis. They were dragging their heals so she suggested I apply online for NATS. Brilliant job. After arborfield I was posted to 4bn which was still at bordon. Did the skiing season then signed off. I was an 8 year lance jack being treated like a tech spanker straight out the factory. Worst posting I've ever seen.
Well, er, Jacko and the Badger bought it at the first Ypres front, unfortunately. Quite a shock, that. I remember Bumfluff's house-master wrote and told me that Sticky had been out for a duck, and the Gubber had snitched a parcel sausage-end and gone goose-over-stump frogside.
I get to meet lots of - mainly - older people and nose around their houses. Or lots of younger vulnerable people. Or people who live in caravans or on boats.
I love it, though changes in legislation mean it's a finite career path.
I earn enough, but less than the minimum wage
I'm a medical writer, yes I enjoy it. It's interesting and I get to use my brain.
Well, er, Jacko and the Badger bought it at the first Ypres front, unfortunately. Quite a shock, that. I remember Bumfluff's house-master wrote and told me that Sticky had been out for a duck, and the Gubber had snitched a parcel sausage-end and gone goose-over-stump frogside.
😀
Work with computers and x-ray equipment in hospitals
It's good, but NHS politics are a pain
Money's reasonable
However, one day I'll sneak a spider into one of the rooms, irradiate it, make it angry then when it bites me I'll have super powers. unfortunately I live in a town with very few tall buildings, so the web slinging opportunities are pretty limited
Chocolatier three days a week, Bike shop the other three days, on my day off i work/visit at a mates farm.
Enjoy all my jobs, using the 3.5 x salary rule i could get a mortgage for £55k, so nae chance of ever affording a house but i'm not interested in money nor the need to own a house, as long as i wake up and not hate the thought of work it's a good day.
I'm currently at university studying business and accounting hoping to one day run my own business and investments
Strangely enough I enjoy the maths most the time, some of the management talk can drag on though. Loads of time for riding in S Wales too!
I get paid £10k per year from the government which I pay to the uni and my landlord
Drill holes in walls, hang doors,fit security stuff,and ots more, act as an unpaid social worker sometimes(cried after meeting a customer last week and hearing her story),and the week before after finding out another customer had died.
Also as a sperm donor, because sometimes people call me a wker.
Durhambiker, you are the Ringtons Tea man & I claim my £5!
Nurse.
After 20 odd years I'm good enough to be comfortable at it, although every day can be a school day.
I notice the typical British reticence to say how much money people earn, but my wages are in the public domain; I'm a top band 6, and get £34,189 as a basic wage, plus an increased hourly rate for working nights and weekends. I work 3 out of every 4 weekends, and do approximately half my hours on nights.
I'm not an angel.
It's not a vocation.
Intensive Care nurses swear more than any other occupational group.
Some days are grim, grimmer than you can imagine, and certainly grimmer than I would ever discuss on here. (I really have seen things you people wouldn't believe)
Some days are tedious and never end.
Some days are fun, largely due to the people I work with, but sometimes due to the people I am privileged to look after.
It's good, but tougher to do as I age.
LBS monkey, it's okay but not challenging and only £15K - for deputy manager.
Also been lawyer, loudspeaker designer.
General dog's body at a small Aerospace company, bad pay but good hours, i have plenty of time for bike riding & coffee drinking.
software developer for a global company that makes doors. I enjoy my work, it keeps my brain active.
work from home 4 days a week, which sure beats the 30 mile each way commute across Bradford & onto the M62 & M1
1 week in 4 I also get to play at being on-call out of hours helpdesk. Phone can ring at any time from 10pm Sunday to 10pm Friday.
pay? market rate I guess
restless - Member
Drac - Moderator
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/999-whats-your-emergency
Most of the timeA decent wage.
I work in the control room.
Really enjoy it, but don't get paid very much.POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST
Work for the sister, via an agency £7.50 ph. I'm minted. 🙄
Good post & good on you crikey
Self-employed management consultant working mainly with small, local charities and social enterprises, and occassionally public sector organisations. Can be interesting if working with people / organisations who are making a difference. Money has been poor over last couple of years as a result of government / local government budget cuts as most organisations I work with are funded by them. Feel as though I could be using my skills and experience more fully at the moment.
I'm a trustee of two charities (chair of one) which are voluntary roles, and also do voluntary work with the Prince's Trust training young people wanting to set up their own business in marketing.
Recruitment manager looking after 17 recruitment consultants for a tech recruiter.
The hours are long and the work is very stressful, but when it's good it's brilliant, when it's bad I wonder why I do it.
Pay is ok. I think I'm worth more but then so does everyone I suppose.
Pik n Mix - I used to do similar before teaching. I studied meiofauna (freshwater) 63-1000 microns which included some ostracods at the lower range. After my PhD I decided enough was enough and moved to the macrofauna!
Engineering Manager for a tyre manufacturer....
Job is pretty interesting though travel & working hours requirements would better suit someone without a family. 🙁
Pay is ok but would accept more 🙂
Principal Mining Engineer for an international consultancy.
So I get to travel to some interesting places around the world......and get paid for it 8)
Pay is good.
Wow. No IT managers. Hopefully this will stop that ridiculous and incorrect stereotype.
Me? I'm an IT manager. 😉
Do I like it? Yeah, it's very interesting although I struggle to get my hands dirty nowadays. I used to be the guy who could fix problems everyone else was scratching their heads over. Now I just order people about. I create and manage huge national and global computer infrastructures. Many of you are my customer. Don't worry, you're safe. 😉
I get paid quite well for the responsibilities. Can't complain really. I work very hard to do the right thing while many of my contemporaries only want to progress. This approach rarely makes me popular or gets me moving up the chain but I don't mind.
And I waffle a bit.
I teach in a further education college (business, IT, employability and communication skills) for three days a week. This is the difficult bit (much of my work at present is with students undertaking foundation learning or on alternative curricula from schools, some attending pupil referral units part-time) but helping youngsters achieve is a great feeling. The pay and conditions are OK but not getting better.
Two days a week, and during some holidays from the FE teaching, I teach environmental education and outdoor activities (D of E award, climbing, cycling, hillwalking and navigation) for a number of private and third sector organisations and sometimes freelance. This is less onerous but also, usually, very rewarding. I get to work with different types of kids - primary school, brighter, less "challenging" - which gives good variety to my work. The pay varies from OK to rubbish.
Sometimes, especially in winter, I don't work outdoors so much but with 2 kids under 3 this suits me as I get to spend time with them.
Generally this balance works out OK but the FE teaching workload and politics can get silly. There's always something you [u]could[/u] be doing "out of school" to do a better job and usually something you [u]have[/u] to do to avoid doing a bad job.
I work for a big bike manufacturer as a brand manager.
For the most part I enjoy it. People think because i'm mad about bikes i'm lucky to have a job that I do, but there are plenty of times the age old phrase of mixing business & pleasure comes into light.
I travel a lot, so i'm away from home too much which I don't like. I do get paid well (very well considering it's the bike industry) and the perks can be great when the trips away involve riding along with lots of nice shiny new stuff which I don't have to pay for.
Sometimes I still wish my hobby wasn't my job though.
Intensive Care nurses swear more than any other occupational group
My lot are directly next to ITU - I'll suggest a comparative audit.
We usually swear [i]at[/i] them, tbh... mostly because they steal our patslides. 😀
Principal Mining Engineer for an international consultancy
where & when did you start out? I rather stupidly turned down a sponsored position at nottingham uni to study mining eng, always wondered what I'd be up to now if I'd stuck it out.
currently designing commerical & industrial flues & exhausts for boilers, chp engines & generators
😆
I went to work in a different hospitals ITU last week, because as well as being sweary, we are also in short supply. I spent all day on my best behaviour, never swearing once and was chatting at the end of the day with the sister in charge; she said that everyone was trying not to swear because they wanted to give a good impression...
Of course I told her to * off, the *ing stupid ********.
I would like to emphasise again the idea that I'm not special, I'm not any kind of wonderful person because of what I do; it's a job, I do it as well as I can, but I get tired, I get fed up, I get annoyed, I get despondent just like everyone else who works anywhere.
Estimator
I enjoy it sometimes (been involved in some great projects), but generally it's a bit dull. It really depends on the team I'm working with at the time.
Pays fairly well........no one in the construction industry wants to do the job.
I went to work in a different hospitals ITU last week, because as well as being sweary, we are also in short supply.
I will start to get paranoid if you tell me there was a discussion about the Towneley and cyclocross bikes while you were there.
Estimator
I can't escape the feeling that you stand and look at things and say 'It'll be about that much'.... 🙂
A nice version of Malcolm Tucker
It's better than working for a living
Not enough
I am a middle manager in IT for a big "blue chip" and drive an Audi. I think the answers to the follow up questions are blindingly obvious.
I will start to get paranoid if you tell me there was a discussion about the Towneley and cyclocross bikes while you were there.
😯
I am a middle manager in IT for a big "blue chip" and drive an Audi. I think the answers to the follow up questions are blindingly obvious.
For the STW bingo full house, do you actually have a 5?
[i]I am a middle manager in IT for a big "blue chip" and drive an Audi. I think the answers to the follow up questions are blindingly obvious. [/i]
Well that's two of us, although I have a Honda. Looks to me like most STWers so far are in the health service. Bizarre that the stereotype continues.
Sub-contract window designer, trying to put architect's designs into practice (or telling them it can't be done).
Always busy and at times very frustrating, generally enjoyable though and learning every day.
Rope access technician. Mainly on the Spinnaker tower in Portsmouth, dangling up to 170m in the air either cleaning or fixing stuff. The jobs themselves are pretty mundane but the setting and getting to them is really interesting and good fun.
Only been doing it for 6 weeks but so happy I made the change. Was a big jump and involved a fair financial commitment for the training and kit but it's been well worth it.
Pay is pretty good but I guess it reflects the job.
Was given my way into the industry by a good friend, otherwise I'd more than likely be scraping pigeon poo out of gutters or cleaning inside grain silos...
aerial satellite and cctv salesman on a trade counter.
love it to bits, spend my day supping tea with customers, watching porn and sport on the latest free media receiver, or talking utter bollox on here all day.
good wage for not much effort.
break into networks and computers, mostly banks/insurance companies and e-commerce stuff.
mostly varied and good fun, but some boring paperwork
yeah it's better then average as we know magic stuff.
I sell this software
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and consult in it, moved from the UK to Oz and now work for the Oz distributor. Currently part time working from home which suits me though it's taken me to NZ, and around Australia doing training and consulting.
Done stuff with food manufacturers, hospitals and heaps more
It has the usual work issues but generally good.
Earn enough but not loads currently
My job is to try to make the contracts we have more profitable, I try to find ways to bill for things the client hasn't paid for (or turn it off and save money) and find cheaper ways of doing what they have paid for.
When you find something that hasn't been thought of before it's a buzz.
Not all of my salary is taxed a basic rate, but if I got a 5% share of the savings I've found this year I would be very happy.
Oil industry
Design new techniques for Enhanced Oil Recovery. Work closely with numerous (funded) university departments all over the world visiting each at least yearly. Work with some service companies and get to give "Blue" a regular kicking which is always a pleasure.
Oil company staff so can be embarrassingly generous compared to "normal" and possibly more worthwhile jobs.
Dickyboy - Member
Principal Mining Engineer for an international consultancy
where & when did you start out? I rather stupidly turned down a sponsored position at nottingham uni to study mining eng, always wondered what I'd be up to now if I'd stuck it out.
Started out in the late eighties in County Durham. It has taken me all over the world, and still does.
I have two jobs, nights I work for Bosch in one of their factories, by day I sell wood and do gardening work
Estimator
I can't escape the feeling that you stand and look at things and say 'It'll be about that much'....
That's about right......just with plans, elevations and specifications. It can be good, I worked on one of the buildings in the Olympic village, but most often it's dealing with mundane minutiae that's hard to give a toss about.
Pik n Mix - I used to do similar before teaching. I studied meiofauna (freshwater) 63-1000 microns which included some ostracods at the lower range. After my PhD I decided enough was enough and moved to the macrofauna!
After picking 63µm today with a stonking hangover and after pinging 3 really nice forams as soon as I tried to pick them, macrofauna seem very appealing! That being said microfossils really float my boat.
Self employed Carpenter , Roofer. ,general builder
Money's shit
Conditions are shit
Wouldn't change for the world 😉
Nice to see the IT middle management demographic make a late entry 😉 I used to do that before now selling my soul to the highest bidder in the hired-gun world of the interim/contractor. It's not always enjoyable/risk-free/unstressful but at least I'm no longer making money for people I despised.
Anyone whoever worked for a large consultancy will probably share my pain!
It goes family, bikes, work. In that order. Took me a while to work that out.
I've got a job that's hard to describe even to people that I work with and tends to send them to sleep when I even try 😉 . The job title's even worse so I won't even go into that!
Basically I'm an SAP process specialist, which consists of IT systems support, project work, training, business analysis and development.
Been with the same company for long time mainly cause the company's been good to me and I've genuinely liked working with my colleagues. Unfortunately the organisation has shrunk so much in the last few years that I'm now working remotely from home with occasional trips to meet colleagues in London and overseas.
Love working from home because of the work/life balance and the time it gives me with my family, but hate the isolation. Love the challenge of making a difference to the business but my god it can also be tedious at times too.
The pay's alright but I'd never say no to a rise either!
[i]Anyone whoever worked for a large consultancy will probably share my pain![/i]
Yep, been there and done that. The only difference being they despised me more than me them and they kicked me out. Probably the best thing that ever happened but god knows how many years later and I am still in IT.
I lurk around A&E departments and the like meeting lots of folk who have self harmed or attempted suicide. I only do this part time, so have my fingers in a bit of property, appear to be a joint owner of a bar/ nightclub and I'm the process of setting up a micro-brewery with 2 others.
I love the nursing and the brewing, but the number of hours I have to put in overall wouldn't be great if I wanted to be a family man, or wanted proper sleep for that matter.
I could afford to give up the nursing, and at present the brewery is still costing me money, so I consider myself a very lucky chap.
micro brewery eh smell it? tell us more
Yeah, let STW take your brewery into profit. I presume you have an 'Orange 5' and 'Mincer' beer in the line up?
16 years as a research scientist, worked on the genome sequencing project at the sanger centre, then 10 years in cancer research,now cardiovascual science, contributed to really interesting work that will hopefully benefit people in the future.
Consider myself very lucky that I get to constantly learn new stuff and spend a chunk of my day reading scientific papers which I actually find fascinating. Attend seminars by some very clever people and for the most part the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. the work can be stressfull but I enjoy it.
The salary is a bit above national average, but recent cuts to science and NHS funding mean the usual merrygoround of 1-3 year rolling grants has got an awful lot harder - unemployed for 6mths this year and long term contracts are very hard to come by.
Not to mention loosing 7 yrs of pension contributions when the institute scheme went bust.
Id love to become an archaeologist but being a dad and homeowner thats not gonna cut it.
So im looking at starting teacher training next year in the hope of finding a more stable career.
Im a Registered Nurse and Offshore Medic. I worked the NHS for 10 years - A+E, Coronary Care and management, realised it was shit and thought there must be an easier way to earn a buck. So i went offshore. 7 years later Ive worked all round the world, i earn more money than i ever dreamed possible, and pay no tax as well. So frankly its pretty damn good.I get 6 months a year at home in Blighty with the wife and kids, get to work in Australia which i love, fed, clothed and watered for the other 6 months. I have nigh-on zero stress, able to afford a beautiful house, a nice new Beemer in the drive, all the mantoys i could wish for, 2 great kids, a truly gorgeous better half and a few quid in the bank. Frankly life aint gonna get much better!
I work for a music education charity, and I run my own photography business, and I do some support work for a guy with special needs (and a few other bits and bobs).
Don't earn much at all by STW standards but I don't work full time. No pension/security either but mostly great fun and very rewarding.
smogmonster - am I reading that right, you only spend 6 months a year with your family?
Mechanical Design Engineer - just finished first year of work after uni.
Love it, completely out of my depth but really enjoy the process.
Enough to get me by, but less than market rates. I figure I'm getting better than average training at the moment though, so it's a long term strategy, although will be arguing for a payrise shortly.
Master Production Scheduler for a Hi-Fi company, a bit like playing Sim Factory.
Love the products that we make and thoroughly enjoy the job.
Pay is ok, perks of the job are good, canteen makes me fat but happy 🙂
Teach outdoor ed.
When you're getting paid to go climbing, canoeing, biking, gorge exploring etc, with kids who enjoy it, you can never argue with the pay.
My office is where most people play and, yes, I am quite smug about it
[quote=RichPenny ]Master Production Scheduler for a Hi-Fi company, a bit like playing Sim Factory.
Love the products that we make and thoroughly enjoy the job.
Pay is ok, perks of the job are good, canteen makes me fat but happy
You should try our Sim Factory stuff then!
Mining consultant
When I am in the office I hate it, when I am out on site I love it.
Not enough for what I have to put up with.
What do you guys do for work?
Another NHS employee: Hand & Wrist surgeon: Fix broken hands and wrists (trauma), treat others that have worn out (elective)
Do you enjoy it?
Love it! Varied, challenging, interesting patients with technically challenging operations and great team to work with.
How much do you get paid?
Can't complain but its been a long (and expensive) road to get here!
Talk to me.
I'm in London during the week, my family are in Suffolk and part of my heart will always be in the Lake District...
the place seems to have it's fair share of mining consultants!
Where in WA longmover, doing more with the east coast offices currently
Graduated in sport and exercise science this summer. Walked straight into a job, now finding said job is massively underpaid as I am being dumped with my managers responsibilities while he moves to Australia. I do enjoy the work, but not the city centre location.
Currently on the look out for a change, possibly TA officer and cyclist is the best combination I can come up with to get more time in the countryside and less time placating rich clients.
Instructional Designerd for a Software company.
i work from home in Northumberland, my boss lives in Detroit. it's all ok
Yes, lots
Cycle industry...been in it for far to long its got all silly !
Ex Exploration Geo.... hunting for work 😀
Currently wrench monkey paid and volunteer, and cookie baker 8)
Pays the bills
R.O.V. Pilot in the oil industry.
Norwegian sector of the North Sea mostly.
Interesting work and brilliant time off.
Get to play with one of [url=
😀
Grum, yes thats right, i spend a month at home and a month away. When im home i have no daily commute to mess with, no daily work, 9-5 rubbish plus commute. Im not knackered trying to squeeze in an hour each night before the kids go to bed. It genuinely works out a whole lot better. Make no mistake the day i leave is rarely much fun but the build up to me getting home is always brilliant, and we always do allsorts when im home - museums, holidays, days out, weekend breaks, parks, family bike rides, all that stuff.
RichPenny » Master Production Scheduler for a Hi-Fi company, a bit like playing Sim Factory.
Love the products that we make and thoroughly enjoy the job.
Pay is ok, perks of the job are good, canteen makes me fat but happyYou should try our Sim Factory stuff then!
I did raise an eyebrow 🙂 Email me some details please.
@mikewsmith based in Perth at the moment, i haven't had anything to do with the east coast so far. I spent a couple of years in West Africa and really enjoyed that.
I draw stuff using photoshop and illustrator.
Yep, love doing it
Pay varies as I freelance/contract - but usually 300 odd a day.

