Day Jobs!

[Ben_Hillwalker]

For my sins I work in the drugs industry. My job is pretty much desk-based but with the odd bit of clinical research stuff thrown in.

However, I will be starting a new job in the next few weeks for a consultancy firm based in Guildford. Moving on to new jobs seems to be a bit of a theme here

 

[NatG]

as of a week on monday i will be a trainee engineer

at the moment i'm a proffessional bar proper upper

 

[Pantalaimon]

Next year I'm starting my study Forest- and Nature-management. Now I'm waiting for the employment agency to call and say that I can work at an arboricultural company as a treeworker. But because they have to train me for that, and I can only work for 9 months, I'm curious if they want me. Otherwise it will be a very boring job for the next 9 months. But then, my trip to Sweden!

 

[leanne82duke]

My job used to be a solutions specialist for HP but i then had my children.
my job now is full time mum and incapacitated (but not ill enough!! apparently), the powers that be have told me that i have to get a job (kids aged 2 and 4?! and husband in RAF) inconsiderate people.
so anyway i have decided to go back to college, cant bear the thought of sitting at the desk all day anymore losing the will to live, i need to be outside. any suggestions?
P.S i have crohns disease

 

[Mike Ameling]

My job used to be a solutions specialist for HP but i then had my children.
my job now is full time mum and incapacitated (but not ill enough!! apparently), the powers that be have told me that i have to get a job (kids aged 2 and 4?! and husband in RAF) inconsiderate people.
so anyway i have decided to go back to college, cant bear the thought of sitting at the desk all day anymore losing the will to live, i need to be outside. any suggestions?
P.S i have crohns disease

Private consulting is an option. But you end up having to really "chase" that next project! And you end up just swapping that job in an office for a desk at home - although your time schedule is more flexible (usually).

Small-job "commission" work is a possibility. Like data analysis or report and spreadsheet writing. Also writing tech manuals. Someone who can write a user manual for a computer application that can be ... followed and understood ... by a non-tech person is always in demand.

I have several friends that started doing day-care in their home. This allowed them to be there with their own kids, and also look after those of some of their friends kids - and make a little extra to help pay the bills. Plus having to pay day-care for their own kids while they went off to "work" would have cost most of what they were making! So they got to spend that time with their own kids, those of several friends, and those friends felt a whole lot better knowing who and how their kids were getting looked after. Finding good child day-care for infants is very hard.

Just a couple options to consider. Crohns, that's a rough one, especially when you remember all you used to be able to do. I had a friend that went through that. Maintaining a good mental attitude was the best way that she could cope with it. And being positive about what she could do, instead of the past - through good days and bad.

Enjoy the little things you can each day.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. With that college, there are always opportunities to pick up a little work. Things like Teaching Assistant, paper grading, workshops, research projects, helping teachers with their writing projects, part-time office assistant for a professor doing all that grading, reading, typing, filing, scheduling, and library research. There are a lot of situations that are not enough to actually/formally hire someone, but still require some assistance on a "private consulting" basis.

 

[NatG]

I'm a blacksmith.

I do mostly historical reproductions of original iron/steel work - from most time periods since iron was first used - with occasional forays into early Copper Culture work. I've got examples of my work on display or being used at places like the National Museum of the American Indian, Grand Portage National Monument, The Museum of the West, Fort Mandan, the Jamestown/Yorktown Volunteers Association, the Madison Historical Museum and Arboretum, the Museum of Welsh Life, the Viking Age Club of Minnesota, several Roman Legion units, and a number of small parks and historical sites. But most of what I make is for individuals interested in properly researched items to fit into specific time periods and regions.

I used to work for a small college writing their computer programs - for several decades. But 7 years ago I told them where to go and left. I get more personal satisfaction, and appreciation for my work now, than I did before. But, as you see, I went from one extreme to the other in ... technology. But I also had to get away from that college and their bad decision to buy a whole-college computer program/package - which leaped decades backwards in this modern computing world (the new package still uses a bad form of C and old Cobol to try to "put a dinosaur in coat/tails and teach it to tap dance"). They shoveled millions of $ into that money-pit, but wouldn't even pay an experienced computer programmer more than 30K a year. (They're now offering 35K, but no good takers.)

Life is much much less stressful now. I'm usually close to broke, but now I can laugh at it. And I only work a few hours a week - when I want to. That keeps the "wolves from the door", and keeps me in food and beverages. Anything past that is ... gravy! So life is good.

So I'm a blacksmith.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. NO, I do NOT shoe horses!

you have my dream job

 

[NatG]

I'm a blacksmith.

I do mostly historical reproductions of original iron/steel work - from most time periods since iron was first used - with occasional forays into early Copper Culture work. I've got examples of my work on display or being used at places like the National Museum of the American Indian, Grand Portage National Monument, The Museum of the West, Fort Mandan, the Jamestown/Yorktown Volunteers Association, the Madison Historical Museum and Arboretum, the Museum of Welsh Life, the Viking Age Club of Minnesota, several Roman Legion units, and a number of small parks and historical sites. But most of what I make is for individuals interested in properly researched items to fit into specific time periods and regions.

I used to work for a small college writing their computer programs - for several decades. But 7 years ago I told them where to go and left. I get more personal satisfaction, and appreciation for my work now, than I did before. But, as you see, I went from one extreme to the other in ... technology. But I also had to get away from that college and their bad decision to buy a whole-college computer program/package - which leaped decades backwards in this modern computing world (the new package still uses a bad form of C and old Cobol to try to "put a dinosaur in coat/tails and teach it to tap dance"). They shoveled millions of $ into that money-pit, but wouldn't even pay an experienced computer programmer more than 30K a year. (They're now offering 35K, but no good takers.)

Life is much much less stressful now. I'm usually close to broke, but now I can laugh at it. And I only work a few hours a week - when I want to. That keeps the "wolves from the door", and keeps me in food and beverages. Anything past that is ... gravy! So life is good.

So I'm a blacksmith.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. NO, I do NOT shoe horses!

you have my dream job

 

[loz.]

My job used to be a solutions specialist for HP but i then had my children.
my job now is full time mum and incapacitated (but not ill enough!! apparently), the powers that be have told me that i have to get a job (kids aged 2 and 4?! and husband in RAF) inconsiderate people.
so anyway i have decided to go back to college, cant bear the thought of sitting at the desk all day anymore losing the will to live, i need to be outside. any suggestions?
P.S i have crohns disease

My heart goes out to you stuck in Cartoontown.

Get yourself over to Burford and Asthall for lovely villages

( And dont let your kids mix with the locals )

Oxfordshire is quite flat - so not much hillwalking etc, but -linky

 

[Mike Ameling]

you have my dream job

Be careful what you wish for. You might get it!!!!!


It is a constant worry and struggle to be ready for that next bill payment. You end up doing a lot of ... chasing ... to make that next dollar.

And a lot more of your "time" you never get paid for. You generally have to work from the idea that you spend at least as much time doing all that "other" stuff as you do working at the forge on a project. So for every hour spent actually beating up iron, you spend another hour or MORE doing all this other stuff associated with that work. It's all part of running your own "business".

Years ago, a blacksmith friend got what he thought was his ... dream job. He was a museum curator for a city library/museum. But then he became the site manager for a living history village, that went from a fur trade era cabin, through a frontier farm, on up to a late 1800's farm and village. But he ended up spending most of his time writing grant proposals, begging for money at fundraisers, doing maintenance/repair himself because they couldn't afford to hire it done, etc. etc. etc. Giving tours and talking with tourists were his "break" from the rest of the work. And the only blacksmithing he ended up doing was shoeing the horses used to pull the tourist trolley/wagons around - because they didn't have the money to hire it done!

He got his "dream job", poor soul. He lasted 2 years there before he left. It still haunts him.

So be careful what you wish for --- you might get it! For me it's been pretty good - so far. But those little "emergencies" that pop up can really kick you back - like back in June with flooding, lose of one part-time blacksmithing "job", and a dead vehicle. It's hard to build up any ...reserves ... to fall back on when you are "officially" making and living on less than $5K a year. But I also don't have a mortgage or wife/kids to worry about supporting now.

But I am fairly content with things as they now are.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[NatG]

Be careful what you wish for. You might get it!!!!!


It is a constant worry and struggle to be ready for that next bill payment. You end up doing a lot of ... chasing ... to make that next dollar.

And a lot more of your "time" you never get paid for. You generally have to work from the idea that you spend at least as much time doing all that "other" stuff as you do working at the forge on a project. So for every hour spent actually beating up iron, you spend another hour or MORE doing all this other stuff associated with that work. It's all part of running your own "business".

Years ago, a blacksmith friend got what he thought was his ... dream job. He was a museum curator for a city library/museum. But then he became the site manager for a living history village, that went from a fur trade era cabin, through a frontier farm, on up to a late 1800's farm and village. But he ended up spending most of his time writing grant proposals, begging for money at fundraisers, doing maintenance/repair himself because they couldn't afford to hire it done, etc. etc. etc. Giving tours and talking with tourists were his "break" from the rest of the work. And the only blacksmithing he ended up doing was shoeing the horses used to pull the tourist trolley/wagons around - because they didn't have the money to hire it done!

He got his "dream job", poor soul. He lasted 2 years there before he left. It still haunts him.

So be careful what you wish for --- you might get it! For me it's been pretty good - so far. But those little "emergencies" that pop up can really kick you back - like back in June with flooding, lose of one part-time blacksmithing "job", and a dead vehicle. It's hard to build up any ...reserves ... to fall back on when you are "officially" making and living on less than $5K a year. But I also don't have a mortgage or wife/kids to worry about supporting now.

But I am fairly content with things as they now are.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

there's always problems, but if you want to do something then i think you should just go and do it, there may be regrets in the future but it might also be the best thing you ever do

one day i will- one day

 

[leanne82duke]

Thank you Mikey, incredibly helpful i had not thought of any of those possibilities before, especially the college based ones.
i also think your job awakens the imagination, i can understand why people always see the "romantic" side of things with jobs like yours.
but then the grass always looks greener on the other side! x

Ioz- I take it you have lived in this pleasant part of the country before? lol
we have been stuck here for nearly 5 years now with no look of reprieve, have moved from out back and beyond in Lincoln, non RAF quarters in a beautiful village with miles of non civilised land right outside our back door, it was amazing. thank you for the link it is very helpful.

Discovering the forest- Did you have any jobs in mind that you wanted to do? or are you totally lost ? x

 

[Mesquite]

I'm what is known as an Unpaid Work Placement Manager.

Basically I organise work for offenders that have been sentenced by the courts to carry out work in their local communities for anything up to 300 hours. Great job, just wish they'd give us better resources to do it properly, especially as we were 20% up on offenders last year and I'm predicting a 40% increase this year. All because the prisons are full and the courts have to send them somewhere

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Im pulled in different directions to! I work as a support worker for the national autistic society, though im only part time now. will be taking masters in art therapy in september if i can somehow scrape the money together. But hat I aspire to do, and indeed make an attempt at everyday is to be a freelance artist.

I teach full time in mainstream but teach three Autistic spectrum kids, and more on the spectrum undiagnosed.

Nick

 

[sparksfly]

Hi chaps,

I really wish I could tell you I did something cool and outdoorsy working in a remote and beautiful wilderness. But I can't 'coz I'm a management consultant from Surrey.

Sparksfly

 

[firecrest]

I teach full time in mainstream but teach three Autistic spectrum kids, and more on the spectrum undiagnosed.

Nick

Cool. Im on the spectrum myself and so is my partner, who was one of the first diagnosed with AS in this country back in about 1989. We both work in this area because we both have first hand experience of how even those with AS who have been written off (my boyfriend was set for special school and a life in residential care was his prognosis) can surpass the low expectations given by to them by society. He now works as a Learning Disability Nurse.

 

[David.from.Holland]

I'm a civil engineer working at a small engineering company (there's only four of us) specialised in finite element calculations. We do bridges, large steel structures (stadiums and the like, for you British, we were involved in the new Wembley stadium roof and the Millennium Wheel), crane vessels and tons of other stuff. Analysis range from stresses and deformations to eigenfrequencies, buckling, fatigue, etc.

Nothing to do with bushcraft, but I love my work.

 

[High on Hex]

I've got a guitar shop in a small town. Never going to be rich but it's fun and easy. I was in the motor trade before. I made lots more money but the difference in stress levels is amazing.
No amount of money would tempt me back to a 'career'.

 

[Doc]

I am a doctor. Mostly general practice but I also have a hospital post in psychiatry.

I also earn a few shekels writing, and I help out a friend who is a gamekeeper -for enjoyment rather than money.

Oh, and I'm another one who says a silent thank you to Mike Ameling whenever I light a fire with one of his firesteels.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Cool. Im on the spectrum myself and so is my partner, who was one of the first diagnosed with AS in this country back in about 1989. We both work in this area because we both have first hand experience of how even those with AS who have been written off (my boyfriend was set for special school and a life in residential care was his prognosis) can surpass the low expectations given by to them by society. He now works as a Learning Disability Nurse.

Well we do Outdoor Learning an take everybody and so far canoeing has been great for AS and NON-AS to integrate and socialise better. We do 7 diff. activites inc. camping and bithy trips. A lot of AS child parents are aprehensive of OL but realise how much it helps kids with AS.

This Conf. must have been good. http://edubuzz.org/blogs/billstephe...achieving-excellence-with-additional-support/

Nick

 

[Aaron]

I design the patterns that go on biscuits - I am currently working 18 hour shifts getting the checkering right for the new custard creams