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[Closed] What do you do for a living and do you enjoy it?

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Works Manager of a Sub contract heat treatment/brazing company. The title seems to suggest I am somehow responsible for production - which is not the case, I am more of a site manager/Technical advisor I reckon.
I do not like dealing with those staff that just push the boundaries of doing enough but cannot seem to motivate themselves to do any more - albeit this is now a minority of people.
Secondly, I miss my days on the shop floor, brazing and playing with furnaces and fire - unfortunately this is not a financially viable option.
Thinking about it, I came through the ranks from floor sweeper to Manager and my happiest days were once I had reached a management level which allowed me to play with fire but carry little or no responsibility for people.
I like my job, my best mate works there too and he likes bikes.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:27 pm
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Train Driver, (started as a carriage cleaner then conductor)

14 years later and I still enjoy it, plus it pays well enough (for me anyway!) shame about the trains being as old as me and the silly shifts, but thats mitigated by a decent rest pattern.

Wouldn't know where to start if I decided to change career.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:36 pm
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Operational Technician for a midlands water company, in other words i operate a sewage treatment plant but only till Friday and after that I`m unemployed !! ... that's how much i liked it ๐Ÿ™‚


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:42 pm
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I'm starting to really not enjoy my job. I think it's because I don't like football and I don't drink that much that I'm seen as an weirdo now.

I'm thinking of something in the health and safety side of things next.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:43 pm
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GIS Analyst - consultant so move around a bit, current placement is interesting but I'm glad it's not forever


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:44 pm
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I sell teabags, coffee, biscuits and other such related goodies from my van. Love it mostly, though it can be slightly less than fun when the weather is rubbish.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:46 pm
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3 days ago I started as a postie. Enjoying it so far (even the location, Dudley, isn't as bad as I feared) gives me plenty of free time to work towards what I'd really like to do in the long term; a ranger for the NT


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:50 pm
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I run a genetics diagnostics company in the USA and UK focussing on IVF. In the UK we are the first company to offer the new higher accuracy Down's syndrome testing (Non invasive prenatal testing). At the moment I'm employing new people every month. 99% super interesting and with a great outcome for success of lots of healthy babies.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:50 pm
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Recruitment. Primarily management and internal training but I still keep my hand in with some sales and candidate work from time to time. It's a small ish company, 4 people when I joined, 33 now so I've kind of grown up with the place. I have days when I hate it and days when I love it but I've been here 10 years so overall it's good. The stress is high but the pay can be good to make up for it.

Frankly, even if I wanted to leave I wouldn't know what to do.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:57 pm
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houns... dont be fooled! they'll chew you up ans spit you out and not give 2 short about the consequences... unless you have a decent dom and som... unlike where i used to be


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 6:57 pm
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Web application developer.

I do love what I do - very rewarding and it's a constant learning curve!

Pays the Audi fuel bills...


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:00 pm
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Teacher, and I love it, I can't imagine doing anything else to be honest!

I did want to be a headteacher, and got myself into senior leadership, only to realise that I hated sitting in budget meetings and sorting out HR issues. I only taught one day a week in my job, and I didn't count that day as work. So I have taken a paycut and gone back to being in a small 11-16 secondary school where I will be head of Science. I can't wait to be doing teaching most of the time, with a small bit of management!

Students can be mad as hatters, and constant government 'support' is a complete pain, but I get to teach Science, and be a true geek ๐Ÿ˜€


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:02 pm
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Guess!
Enjoy my job but I have a good delivery around Staveley in the Lakes, mix of shops business units and houses been doing the round for 3 yrs meet loads of nice people even the guys in Wheelbase
that I have a brew and a natter every day with!

Hawkshead Brewery drayman?

How much beer do I win?


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:03 pm
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I'm a proctologist. It's good for looking up old friends.

Ah, my coat! I'll show myself out.

Quote and configuration specialist is my job title, for an IT distributor.

It's penance for all the baby seal clubbing I did in a past life.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:04 pm
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Energy management and M&E consultancy (operational, non design)
Smallish company (not mine) on the rise, I enjoy it very much.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:06 pm
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nice. What sort of stuff do you manufacture?

This is us (been working on a fancy new website for some months, so it's a little old school right now):

www.barefacedbass.com

Bass cabs and active PA cabs, with a guitar cab and PA subwoofer in the short-term development schedule, a bass amp, guitar amp and more cabs and PA wedges in the medium-term and a complicated patentable massive R&D project in the long-term. Exciting times, just got to not run out of money in the present!


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:09 pm
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I'm a medical writer. It's really interesting but stressful.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:11 pm
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After 20 years driving a desk doing H&S and facilities management in the south east I jacked it in last year and moved to Scotland.

Now I work for halfords as a cycle technician. Despite the occasional abusive customer I'm much happier and get lots of time to ride and walk in proper mountains.

I want Matt_outandabouts job though!


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:15 pm
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I make and repair nice jewellery (self employed)for a living, really love the work but dealing with people is the difficult bit , I do wonder what percentage of customers are total numptis ,for the most part I am up and down like monkey on elastic. But very nice feeling when I make something that is absolutely right for customer


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:16 pm
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I remember the days, when on nights out with the lads...

We where either dolphin trainers or biscuit designers...

It used to work !!


Ha. We were steeplejacks and church bell tuners. Those worked too ๐Ÿ˜†

Up until about 3'o'clock this afternoon I was a production technician/control room operator on an offshore oil & gas platform in the North Sea. Price of oil and a financial backer terrified of a UK "BP Macondo" style incident meant that the plug was pulled about 3 months ago and the place is now being decommissioned. Got my notice a couple of weeks ago, but then today got told of a new project. I'm now a production technician/control room operator in a gas terminal.

I enjoyed the offshore lifestyle cos the time off was immense and the money pretty good too. I suppose I'll get used to the onshore life soon enough.

Also training to be a BSI auditor for medical device manufacturers, which is what I think I'll end up doing full-time within 12 months.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:22 pm
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Self employed fitting woodburners and chimney relines etc.
Really enjoy it, always plenty to do and I only have myself to worry about. Manage to make enough money with plenty time off when I fancy it.
No two are the same, I enjoy the variety. Customers are almost always really nice too, I've only had a couple of irritating ones over the past few years but no proper nasties.
I always enjoy taking a few minutes out on a roof to chill, especially on sunny days by the sea ๐Ÿ™‚

Get right grubby sometimes though...


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:34 pm
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I'm a Consultant Automotive Technical Specialist.

Sounds dull, but means i get to scoot around in, for example, one of these:

[img] ?itok=l1g_ztyV[/img]

Even if every day of doing 200mph test track laps is followed by 3 weeks of data reduction and analysis behind a laptop.

As you can imagine, i hate every minute of it........ ๐Ÿ˜†


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:34 pm
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Manage a large antiques / furniture shop and have my own business wheeling and dealing / restoring / upcycling and generally buying and selling stuff.
Its ok and the hours are nice but doesnt seem to be making me a fortune.
This time next year though Rodney....


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 7:46 pm
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Flash ****s.

Stockroom manager.I don't call myself a logistics manager... Like some . I'm very good at it. If you know what it is.

I love my work, often loathe the job.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:01 pm
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Recently moved from IT management in FMCG and before that manufacturing to education. Head of IT for trust in Manchester. At 50 wanted a change. Which it is!!!

I want Postierich's job though.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:09 pm
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Teacher, some good days, some bad days and some holidays. ๐Ÿ˜€


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:15 pm
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Quality Inspector, for now a cosmetics firm lots of lovely ladies in the office but I spend most of my time in a warehouse ๐Ÿ˜•

Previously Quality Supervisor (Manager without the pay!) in manufacturing, prior to that Quality inspector in the semi conductor industry.

I love it as every day is different, pay could be better as always though.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:17 pm
 LHS
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Run my own design / analysis consultancy. I am very passionate about it and it pays very well so I can have lots of nice toys sitting in the garage like what MaxTorque was driving but I haven't really had a life for the last 5 years so don't actually get to enjoy any of it. Spend half my life on flights between the UK, US, Middle East and Asia so some months I forget what my wife and kids looks like.

Working on exit plan from this particular venture into something where I can be more choosy about what I do yet still maintain the passion.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:22 pm
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So it's not true - you don't all work in IT. Seems like teaching is a popular choice for the average mountain biker.

I'm a manager for a large UK based premium car manufacturer - specifically developing engine control systems and in the lat 2 weeks have moved to a role developing hybrid vehicle technology. I like the role, am comfortable in it, can commute by bike which means a lot to me, but am looking forward 6-7 years when I can scale back and do 3 days a week working and 4 days leisure.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:26 pm
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I manage a Resourcing team for a large construction company. Until recently that meant I was a recruitment manager, now it's a mix of strategy, planning, relationship and project management (while another team entirely do that actual bums on seat type stuff).

It's very challenging, which I enjoy, and I get a lot of freedom to work the way I want. I'd just change my (internal) customers for some more grateful ones!


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:28 pm
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I'm a medical writer. It's really interesting but stressful.

Most of the editorial vacancies near me seem to be for medical writers, you should be able to swap jobs if the office politics are the stressful bit!


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:31 pm
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Engineering manager in a big modern flour mill.

I love the engineering bit but the corporate ballcocks just makes my teeth itch.
We could make 50% more money if we didn't have whole rafts of faceless drones requesting utterly pointless information that they have no idea what to do with once furnished with.

It pays reasonably well though the 3am phone calls I could do without.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:36 pm
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I'm a mechanical building services engineer. For a local authority now.

Do I like it, well, I have to share an office with ****ing architects, qs's and (worse) sparkies. [i]And[/i] the pay is shite. But, the work/life balance is great (flexi time/9 day fortnight).

Private practice was more varied (and interesting, used be qualified low carbon consultant and breeam assessor. Enjoyed the hospital engineering side of things the most though) but it was mental at times. Too old for that shit,

Volunteered to be the engineering BIM man, see how that goes (always loved the draughting side of the job).


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:53 pm
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I'm a Children's home manager for Children wiEpilepsy, Autism, Learning Disabilities and challenging behaviour. Really enjoy it! Stresses with staff and generally funding issues - apparently local government have no money, who knew! - and not great pay, but it's a good way to spend my work time...


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:57 pm
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Brewer at a small hampshire micro brewery .
Do I enjoy it? Yes , when its going well and we are busy enough to keep busy .
I dont like it when we are quiet.
At least I get to make something and other people seem to like it
Flexi hours , but most weekends have go in , poxy yeast doesnt know its a sunny sunday and needs monitoring.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 8:59 pm
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Soldier. Not popular with some, but I thoroughly enjoy my job, even in the face of obvious issues.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:03 pm
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Freelance engineer / land surveyor.

Left my corporate nonsense job about 4 years ago to set up as a freelance engineer etc., not looked back yet, doubt I will.

Just finished a hydro and wind farm job, great job, clients (private ones) were a total nightmare in a rude arrogant ignorant sort of way but other than them, I can't complain. Contractor i was on for has been a regular source of work on and off though otherwise I'd have walked.

Suppose the clients hated me though as I was responsible for surveying rock extracted, which cost them more. Ho hum...


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:03 pm
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Offshore ROV Pilot in Norway.
Enjoy the work and the time off is a bonus as I work 2 weeks on and 4 weeks off ๐Ÿ˜€
Being paid in krona is a bit of a pain at the moment due to the strong pound. ๐Ÿ™


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:03 pm
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Cobrakai - do you work at Swanwick?


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:05 pm
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Singletrackmind - which brewery?


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:06 pm
 bubs
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Actuarial consultant - the job would be easier if I was an actuary.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:14 pm
 2bit
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Event Production manager. Mostly great apart from the hours (during events triple figure weeks are common & don't see the family (or the back of my eyelids)) and pay (not quite as great as I'd like or been paid previously for in London).

Its nicely varied with lots of site visits (velodrome yesterday, dolby atmos studios next week), interesting & lovely colleagues and a variety of interesting large public events in various spaces.

Previous events include Velothon Wales, Half Marathons, Childrens Literature Festivals, large sporting fanzones etc plus lots of smaller events. Currently working on the World Half Marathon and number of smaller projects.

Much much much prefer it to the corporate event work I used to do in London but do miss the money & amazing venues - the Tates, NHM, V&A, Science Museum, St Pauls Cathedral etc etc


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:18 pm
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Reward Consultant.
I tell companies how, how much, when and why they should reward their employees with cash, bonuses, benefits, etc.
I like the work, but putting a roof over the head of three and food in their mouths means I probably should move on.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:19 pm
 beej
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Technology Innovation Manager for a telco. Involves finding out about new technologies, figuring out if they might be useful for us or our customers, getting prototypes and proof of concepts built, running internal and customer trials, putting together business cases and then trying to get someone to turn it into a real product. Plus talking to big customers about future technology and how it might help them.

It's a cross between a technical project manager, an inventor and Mystic Meg.

It's got lots of freedom to explore what I find interesting, I get to meet people from lots of different industries (football clubs to uranium enrichment) and play with new kit and services I've had built. On the down side only about 5% of what I do will ever become a commercial product.


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:36 pm
Posts: 341
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Access control facilitation technician. thinking about retraining as a Funeral Facilitator,


 
Posted : 26/08/2015 9:37 pm
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