What is/was your occupation?

Many of us regulars have become virtual friends. Since all is fairly quiet on the western front around here, I thought it might be an opportunity for us to learn more about each other. In a few words, what is your occupation if you still work or what did you do before you retired? Throw in anything else you want to share about yourself if you so desire.

I was an ATT communications technician working on mainframes and broadband until I took very early retirement in 1999 when I was 50. The only claim to fame I have is, in my state I was the second female in that job position. I wish I'd been first, but what the hey. We can't all be be famous and the paycheck was the same. Since I quit, I have gotten old and fat on our 15 acres and outlived most of my friends. My old philosophy of always working my tail off to get everything done has changed to one of doing just what I have to. I put off everything I can. Why work when I can sit in my backyard, drink a cold beer and listen to the birds and the wind while avidly reading my Kindle. The work part of rural living will still be there tomorrow. The grass only grows back and laundry can be done when I run out of clothes.

Oh, I think I must participate and set a good example so this thread doesn't die.

I'm the VP of engineering at a communications company and I work in a wonderfully diverse environment. I am one of only three female engineers that I personally know. I sure wish there were more of us.

I spend a lot of time mentoring young engineers when they rotate through our company on work terms with their universities and it's very rewarding. Other than that, I like to mess with my computer, cook, bake, and do other stuff. I like to hang out here and try to answer questions, though I don't have the depth of knowledge that some of you folks have.

I guess my advice should be taken with a grain of salt. lol

I'm a Web Developer and Visual Artist. I also do some social media marketing for some clients and small businesses. :)

Physics education, but went into IT. I was a software developer and architect for large distributed systems (physics experiment data acquisition systems), embedded systems, device drivers, etc on custom micro kernels and Linux/Unix. A software engineer for telecommunications equipment management systems. Led development and operation teams for large scale in-house near-line storage systems (100s of on-demand Petabytes of scientific data in automated robotic tape libraries with tens of petabytes of integrated disk cache).

Retired for years now but I was a TV, video, recorder, domestic electronics repairer. Started off in 1962 as an apprentice with a TV/radio rental company called 'Rentaset', later to become merged and then renamed to Radio Rentals. Stayed with them for much of my working life, apart from the last 10 years of it when I went self-employed. A bench engineer mostly, fixing the items that had to be brought into the workshop. I also used to enjoy spells of going around customers houses as well. When self-employed, I looked after a number of local second-hand TV/video recorder sales shops. I took their more difficult repairs away to my own home-based workshop. All ancient history now and a way of life no longer around. Not much is repairable these days. ..or gets repaired even if it is.

So no grounding in computers at all. In fact, I used to wonder how people could spend hours sitting at the monitor so engrossed with what was on the screen. Then I bought one when I stopped work 26 years ago (aged 52) ...and now I know.

I had just started my 38th year in Public Works before retiring at 55. Five months later I went back part time and I'm still there.

I was an in home TV Technician (TV repairman ) for almost 30 years before retiring at 59 (the TV repair business died mostly). I was never educated in electronics. I started out on mechanical stuff (turntables, cassette tape players, speakers, etc.), then was offered other stuff and just went from there. I worked on Walkman, Amplifiers, CD players, Fax machines, Massage Chairs, Microwaves, Nintendo, Gameboy, Music keyboards...everything but TVs, lol

When the company I worked for had a slowdown and I was laid off, the service manager at a TV Dealer/servicer asked me if I wanted to try TVs. Back then everything was component level (Diodes, transistors, resistors, etc.). Eventually it became board level/modules. The beginning of the end started during the dot com bust when 1st Vizio appeared with low price TVs. Eventually there was a glut of cheap Chinese TV brands and the TV business became untenable

I got to see the glory years with new technologies coming fast and furious. Went from CRT direct view TVs to CRT projection, LCD, Plasma, LCD projection, HDILA, LCOS, DLP, Laser...eventually LCD and Plasma (flat panel) TVs won out, with Plasma going by the wayside. Since then, the OLED has been the only newcomer (Samsung has QLED, Quantum Dot...but they are LCD based)

A Guy

A little different path here.
I was a B52 Crew Chief from 1970 thru 1974, USAF.
Worked several years as a Tool and Die maker.
Went to work as a Millwright at a large aluminum rolling mill around 1976. I worked up to Maintenance crew foreman after five years.
Ten years later I moved into Maintenance Planning for the same company until I retired after 36 years.

@glasskuter

I think I should have done this : !!!!!!


Cheers
jimbo

Retired USAF for 20+ years as a [GroundRadioRepairmen] Worked in Geodetic Survey, Minuteman Missiles, Forward Air Controller with USArmy in Vietnam and once in a while worked in my given radio repair field for Air Trafic control towers, long haul HF, VLF. Back in Civilian life, Cad draftsman, Cable design for ATC control center rehab. Volunteer for Local Hospital for 13 years doing reports, spreadsheets. Served as Director for our HOA for 13 years. Now retired with 3 children, 6 grandchildren and 5 GGrand children and still married to the best woman ever for 60 years.

I've worked quite a few jobs, but my #1 favorite was a Fund Raising company in Fort Smith, Arkansas! We would set up fundraisers for public school groups, such as band, choir, etc. . I worked there for almost 5 years. It was stressful, but awesome. I got let go. I was falsely accused of stealing money right after a newhire was brought in. Now i'm disabled