What was/is your Job/Career?

Posted by: Popeye on 26 December 2018

As per the title and for those of you retired do you miss it?

I will start by saying I am currrenty still working and will be for many years yet unless I win the big one. 

I have my own Plumbing and Heating company but specialise in Heating. It’s just me now but had two other engineers but got fed up with the agro and decided to go back on my own. 

Cheers

Posted on: 26 December 2018 by Huge

Chemistry Lecturer
Government Scientist (biopolymer physical chemistry research)
Computer Programming (data acquisition & mathematical modelling)
Computer Programming & Computer Systems Design (financial services)
Retired

I don't miss it (but I miss some of the people)
Now writing games (N.B. NOT computer games) and working for a mental health charity (voluntary work with some really great colleagues).

Posted on: 26 December 2018 by Tony Lockhart

Aircraft spanner monkey. 

Been doing this since leaving school, with a couple of short lived diversions. 

Buccaneer, Hunter, Tornado GR1, 4 and F3, airliners, Apache. 

Yes, I should’ve stayed in education (did two weeks of A Levels in Maths, Physics and Geography, looking at uni for physics, the urge to join up was too strong) but I’ve had a right old laugh and some great experiences. Another five to ten years here would see me happy, so fingers crossed. 

Posted on: 26 December 2018 by antony d

I work in the wine trade for a London based shipper (we look after a number of family owned wineries from around the world) we then sell into various trade sectors - who then to a number of trade sectors - high street, on trade to wholesalers cash & carry etc

but I started in hotels and restaurants from early 1980's until 2000, then moved into wine trade

selling is the easy bit,making money - that is the key!

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by bazz

Fisheries patrol officer on the east coast of Oz, a life on the ocean waves for 38 years, retired, then took up an offer to train Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste guys sponsored by the feds, which was very rewarding. Eventually retired from that 10 years ago.

Still in contact with some of my former colleagues, a few of whom treated the job as an extension of their hobby and don't cope too well with retirement, most doing fine.

For my part, while I enjoyed the work and the lifestyle, zooming around coastal waterways in the dark and boarding foreign fishing vessels with Navy guys toting assault rifles, if I never set foot on another boat again it will be too soon.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Gazza

Have a Chemistry degree, started work for a company called Murex who refined metals such as Tungsten, Niobium, Molybdenum, Tantalum and others. Moved to Ford Motor company where I started in Materials engineering, then became  the fuel specialist in powertrain. Was lucky to work in Detroit for 3 and a half year working with U.S EPA on sulphur control in fuel. Moved back had a few promotions and ended up Director of Emission and fuel economy compliance.....Ford had a department to prevent a VW style mess Up! Finished off managing the Alliance between Ford and Oil company BP. 

I am now happily retired. I pop back to Ford now and again to see a few friends. Have a coffee and watch everyone madly rushing around with laptops, bits of paper......do not miss that at all.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by thebigfredc

Fluffier.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Suzy Wong

C.Eng., M.I.E.E.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Dungassin

Consultant Anaesthetist.  Retired.

Don't miss it.   With free time decided to learn how to play guitar properly (still trying!). SWMBO doesn't understand why I have to have so many guitars.  

Grandkids keep me very busy.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Rich 1

Service engineer, that's the official title but properly known as a 'gas fitter' (precision engineer to the nearest 1/4 of an inch!) followed by manager until retirement. Same company all my working life, Southern Gas Board, British Gas, Transco and finally Scotia Gas. Loved my job as I'm a people person but love retirement more. Rich 

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Ardbeg10y

Started my carreer as a school drop out.

Got a job as system administrator (needed somthing, was good with computers).

Was hired by a company from silicon valley within months since I apparently could install the weirdest software on any platform. Got to know for the first time in my life that I was able to do something useful and have brains.

As a result of that, regretting having messed up my school carreer - I did auditions for a study at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague in my late twenties. Finished my education there - got a BMus degree I'm most proud on. Still appointed organist at a liberal / liturgical church for 1 day per week.

Next to that still most busy in software. These days I'm specialist in performance of enterprise applications. Have never found a query which cannot be run in less than 2 seconds after tuning ...

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by ewemon

Started out in the Civil Service then moved into music for a large number of years (still have a lot of contacts in it) followed by running a restaurant for a friend then moved into the Baking Industry. Due to retire in 2 years

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Eoink

Left college with a Physics degree, started in 1984 in data communications around the beginning of the industry, on the UK’s first public data network (it had opened for business in 1981). Stayed in the comms field all my working life, running, designing, supporting networks, pre-sales for large outsources, now running a technical risk management team for large outsourced corporate networks. 

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by rodwsmith

I taste, write about, teach about, and consult about, wine.

Awful, just awful.

I used to work with Antony (above). In fact his out-of-this-world hi-fi is just possibly my fault. Sorry Ange.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by MDS
Dungassin posted:

Consultant Anaesthetist.  Retired.

Don't miss it.   With free time decided to learn how to play guitar properly (still trying!). SWMBO doesn't understand why I have to have so many guitars.  

Grandkids keep me very busy.

Now I understand the forum name. Brilliant!

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Bruce Woodhouse

NHS GP for 25yrs in the same town, with many of the same people as my patients. A special job IMHO.

In late 2019 I will intend to start my 'post-work career', or retirement as some call it. Much I will miss including some great colleagues but much I look forward to as well. A positive choice, with a fair few factors behind it.

Bruce

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by winkyincanada

Mining engineer. Mostly operational and technical management roles earlier in my career, but now consulting. Work primarily on economic analysis, optimisation and valuation of mining projects.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by ChrisR_EPL

Concord pilot, astronaut, porn star.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by AndyP19

Only two jobs and one of those was a paper round.

Retired two years ago at 55.

Now listen to music, play guitar, work in the garden and try to do 100 miles a week on my bike.

Life is peachy!

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by thebigfredc
ChrisR_EPL posted:

Concord pilot, astronaut, porn star.

I don’t believe you - genuine pilot of said plane would know it ends with an e.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by French Rooster

free lance sniper and occasionally florist.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Don Atkinson
thebigfredc posted:
ChrisR_EPL posted:

Concord pilot, astronaut, porn star.

I don’t believe you - genuine pilot of said plane would know it ends with an e.

....... and a REAL astronaut would have sorted the last Brain Teaser within 2 minutes of posting........ 

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by ChrisR_EPL
thebigfredc posted:
ChrisR_EPL posted:

Concord pilot, astronaut, porn star.

I don’t believe you - genuine pilot of said plane would know it ends with an e.

Yeah, but I was in from the start. You’ll recall this obvs, but I never saw eye to eye with Benn.

One of the items under discussion was the name of the aircraft.

The Cabinet approved the project in principle and declared that the aircraft should be called the ‘Concord’ (English spelling – without the ‘e’).

Over the next few years a controversy raged over the spelling – there was a concern that, if the French spelling (Concorde) was adopted, the common assumption would be that the aircraft was primarily French in origin.

The argument continued until Tony Benn as Minister of Technology, resolved it in 1967, in favour of the Concorde spelling.

????

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Mike Sullivan

Professional Civil Engineer, currently co-owner director of a small consultancy, but returning to my previous set-up as self employed Consultant. Currently managing a major Shared Path (cycleway/walkway) in Whangarei, NZ, and various road safety projects. Specialize in Project Delivery and road safety. Looking for 5 years to retirement.

More importantly, father to our lovely daughter. I’m semi-retired from some international advocacy around her community, which is around prenatal testing for Down syndrome (ha, so that’s controversial, but she’s worth it. As I say, she doesn’t need to justify her existence). Typing as listening to “A prefect life”, by Steven Wilson, says it all!

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by docmark

I'm an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist in the Lower Mainland, which includes Vancouver.

Posted on: 27 December 2018 by Southweststokie

CEng,M.I.Mech.E. Mechanical engineer in the power generation industry, both UK and overseas. The last 24 years nuclear related. Now happily retired but miss the people and sometimes the buzz.