What is your occupation/job?

Remove all ads!

Title pretty much says it all yet was hoping on some more feedback and maybe getting some discussions going, some people might find out they're in the same field as others.

So, what is your job/occupation (if a student say so)? What does it entail? Do you enjoy it and if so why? Do you loathe it and if so why? Do you plan on making a career out of it by climbing the promotional ladder, are you already at the top or you don't see yourself with the same company/industry in some time?

In other words, tell us as much about your job as you are comfortable doing so!

I'll get the ball rolling.

I'm a financial advisor and insurance broker. Big flashy name for saying I sell insurance (namely life, income protection, health and so forth but I still dabble in car and house & contents) and investments. Yet I have to stay true to the 'advisor' part and actually ensure what I sell somebody is in their best interests, otherwise I could get sued since if I tell somebody they should buy this product because such and such it's considered a professional opinion.

I get paid based on commission and a renewal stream (I get paid a small amount of the monthly payments a client makes as an incentive to keep them with the company they're insured with or investing with). Since it's based on commission the pay obviously varies depending on how well you perform, you slack off you don't get paid.

I work all hours, I'm on call 24/7 for advice from my clients and at the same time I'm prospecting 24/7 for new clients. Eventually you get to the stage that your current clientbase provides you with enough renewal commission you don't need to sell anymore. This is good because every time you sell to somebody who isn't a client they become your client and the more clients you have the more downtime you spend answering their questions, assisting them with payment methods, convincing them to keep paying their premiums, giving them advice on if they should increase one policy or decrease another...

All in all a very interesting business to be in since no day is the same as the last. You need to be a "people person" and be confident in being able to talk to people without offending or coming off as a jackass. Being bluntly honest is the way I do business and I've found it's the most successful, people simply respect you for telling them exactly what a product can and can not do, the advantages and disadvantages. The best thing about this business I would have to say would be that your clients soon become good friends as trust builds.

All in all I'm happy with my job and I plan on staying in this industry till I drop dead.

 

I am a lowly grunt that is forced to wear an all white uniform alongside thousands of other grunts in a massive global company.

Ok, that's how I feel when I'm having a really bad day at work.

I work for Fairchild Semiconductor making microchips...more specifically: MOSFET and SYNCFET chips for "smart batteries" and other advanced power applications. My job in the chip making process is in Diffusion. I work in a clean room with horizontal furnaces (up to 8 per bay) that operate in temps ranging from 600 to 1300 degrees Celsius.

It keeps me pretty busy...but there are times where the work flow slows down, and I'll have 30 minutes to an hour where I don't have anything to do...which, when you don't have the internet or any paper-like products, can be quite boring.

But once I get through school, I'm going to try to become either a Production Tech, or better yet, a maintenance tech.

 

I'm a 'domestic goddess' to quote Roseanne, or house frau as I like to call myself. It's quite nice as I don't really do anything strenuous. I can get an outside job, but I don't have the funds to get the proper papers.

 

I'm a second grade computer engineering student. I chose it because I love computers and I also love creating ( It also has good money ). I think I will love my job. But being a computer engineering student in my university is very difficult, especially if you want a very good GPA. For example, last year, me and my teammates did 30 hours of non-stop programming for our project, one week before our finals. Sleep is a luxury in busy times. My average sleep is 5 hours in my midterm and final days. But I would choose studying here again if I had another chance.

 

I'm taking my practicum right now as a pre-requisite to graduating my BS-Economics undergrad course this December. I just finished my 3rd day (started monday) as an intern in the TNC Citibank in the Corporate Business Group Department.

Boring stuff. ESPECIALLY at the points when I have nothing to do. I don't mind doing repititious stuff as long as I'm doing something and am not just sitting on my ass without the options of reading, netsurfing, listening to my ipod or sleeping. Just frickin' sitting, starting at 8:30am and I have to wakeup at 6am. I'm starting to think that maybe banking is not for me and I may be better served by applying for a pharmaceutical/retail/merchandise firm when I graduate (Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, etc.). Then again, it may just be because I'm still an intern.

To quote Grey's Anatomy: "God, I hate being an intern".

I know EXACTLY how that is too. It's paying off though, I'm ending up graduating with a CGPA of 3.0something, not exceptional by any means but higher than a whole lot of people I'm guessing.

 

Student here. Studying political science and economics, with a tad of philosophy, history and classics in the mix. Half thinking of picking up Law, although that would mean spending an extra 2 years (assuming I started Law next year), which may be a bit too much when living off a government loan. Currently in my first year of my BA.

The pay is pretty terrible (what pay...), but the hours are good and it's certainly facinating! I'm one of these people who could spend all their life at university, if it weren't for the fees (and been forced to write thesis' and papers and... other work - it's the learning I love, the work is a downside).

Not quite sure what I plan to do afterward I've finished the BA. Thinking about prehaps doing a Masters in International Relations or even a teaching degree (1 and 2 extra years, respectively). The end goal at the moment is working in Foriegn Affairs and prehaps even central politics after that. But who knows what will happen in the next few years.

 

I am a Registered Nurse and I work in a ten bed Intensive Care Unit/Coronary Care Unit. I take care of the sickest people in the hospital. I assist with insertion of central intraveinous lines (big IVs that go in big veins in either the neck, chest, or sometimes groin area). I also assist with the insertion of arterial lines (lines that go into an artery and give us a way to easily draw blood for labs, and also gives us very accurate blood pressures).

We also do lines that go into a big vein, and then feed through the heart and has a baloon on the end that measures pulmonary artery pressures which gives us very accurate information on wether or not the patient has too much fluid in their body.

I also deal with patients that are on ventilators, and patients that need medicine to either keep there blood pressure up or down. This entails taking vital signs often(soemtimes as aften as every two minutes) and adjusting the meds in accordance.

All of this of course means that I deal with patient's families while their loved ones are very sick and often don't survive. Therefore I often say, "I am death and death surrounds me"(not to the families of course)

It can be very rewarding dealing with families and helping them to let go of their loved ones. Then of course there are the really sick patients that get better, but that doesn't happen as often as I would like.

The money is really pretty good, and I like dealing with sick patients and using my assessment skills. I deal very closely with some very good Doctors and they actually listen to me, which never happened much when I was working the regular floors.

I also work part time at a state prison in their medical department. I work nights on the weekends there and only take care of emergencies for the most part.

I would like to find a job down the road that uses my nursing knowledge and computers, maybe in an insurance adjusters office or something.

 

Student. Currently in my third bachelor year, studying English and German. I like. Uni is a nice place and I'd love to spend my further life studying.

 

I'm a senior student at the moment, about to graduate very soon as MA in economics, communication, and information technology. Naturally, I already have BAs of these, but finnish students go straight for master's. I'm also a second year student for BA in engineering, specialized to programming. Yea, I study in both university and polytechnic.

What this means that I have a wide range of careers to choose from in the future. Economist is one of the most obvious choises, designer another (marketing/strategy/systems), and being a consultant is also an interesting option. But quite likely I will begin as a salesman and/or tech.support in some medium-sized company after finishing my year as a civil-servant (=no-pay slave in a government organization, like a university). Then it's all about finding a job from EU or New Zealand and getting the hell out from Finland.

 

Yeesh, so many students. I almost feel sorry for you guys.

 

I'm a Mummy
Not such a flash job as everyone else but in my view, the best one in the world

 

Electrical Building Services Design Engineer.

I design electrical (Power Distribution, Lighting, Fire Alarm, Lifts (elevators) etc) systems for buildings.

Mostly office based, with some site work and lots of meetings - particularly with Architects. Mostly 9 - 5(30) although it has a tendancy to extend.

Yes I like my job, I like to see the tangible results and I've got to work on some fairly major projects.

I'm currently a Senior engineer, progressing on the career ladder and looking for a promotion next month. Not sure what level I'll want to top out at - I enjoy the engineering and it tends to peter out when you get to director level.

Pay is reasonably good, but no-where near the level if I worked in the US, or even elsewhere in Europe.

 

I might, if I'm lucky, get a job as a part time cameraman in an independant and small movie production compagny of montreal, while I finnish my film studies at college. How is that not the coolest thing ever.

 

Currently, I'm a technical advisor. I plan drainage systems for buildings. I quote prices on roofs for conservatories and anyone else who wants a plastic sheet roofing (think football stadiums etc.).

I deal with all manner of enquiries and complaints (moanings gits!) about our products and I'm mainly kept busy with the phone.

I did say currently as I'm looking for another job at the minute. My pay here is shockingly bad and if it doesn't get increased soon I'm giving the place the laugh and handing my notice in.

The good side of it though, is that I can sometimes just toss it off and do nothing for the most of the day and no-one will grumble.

 

Polymer/Research Chemist. Eyes usually glaze over when I describe what I do, so I'll spare everyone the boring details. The work is challenging, I have a great boss who gives me a lot of freedom in my research, and I'm happy with my salary (I would always be willing to accept more, though).

Before that: Naval Officer, Surface Warfare.

Before that: Student (chemistry, what else?).

Before that: Food Services Specialist (I cooked hamburgers at McDonald's).

Before that: Newspaper Delivery.

I've been working since I was 12.

 

I'm a Senior Analyst Programmer and Database Administrator on IBM Mainframes.

Before that I was a Laboratory Manager based in South Africa for an multi-national Electronics Company specialising in Particle sizing, haematology, lactology, biochemistry and lasers.

Before that I did Medical Research for a multi-national Pharmeceutical company specialising in haematology, toxicology, neuropsychopharmacolgy.

Before that Student

 

Chemistry student...third year

But my true love is trading stocks. Between classes I typically jump on a computer to see how I'm doing or buy/sell.

Having a decent day so far...up 1%.

Check out MO (as long as you don't mind profiting on tobacco)...yesterday was the best day to buy (as I did), but it still has plenty of upside.

 

Student programmer, trudging through my classes day by day. I'll be so glad when it's over and I can go to work. (And yes, I have had work experience, and found it more fun than school.)

 

Studying economics at a "upper secondary school" level (I'm 18). The last year.

From time to time I work for a company that cleans carpets and oils wooden floors for other companies and stuff (like the National Bank of Sweden). The hourly pay is pretty damn good, but you mostly work on weekends and nights, for several hours more than just 9-5, usually.

 

@ Barmy,

Could you class yourself as a public health engineer? We're looking for them at the moment.