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What do you do?

5K views 50 replies 30 participants last post by  smoking_rubber 
#1 ·
I'm looking for a new career path and interested in hearing what you do for a living. I know I'm a little late in the game to be changing careers but I feel there is no better time than the present.

If you love what you do and know of an opening, please let me know!
 
#2 ·
I'm a SrumMaster and basics can be learned in a weekend (certificate for approx. $1000). If you have experience as a programmer, it's an easy change. Money varies by region. Many large tech firms are moving in that direction. Especially good if you don't see yourself in the traditional workforce much longer (< 10 yrs). Personally, I'd love to make the change to a photographer, but it's too hard to make any significant money, especially when transitioning. Probably openings in Denver or any other large city. Definitely jobs in Austin, TX; probably other large TX cities as well. Definitely jobs on west coast too.
 
#7 ·
Wait... You RUN the SSD test lab?! That's a sweet job (to us nerds). What's the next big SSD tech breakthrough? Will I ever be able to afford it?
I'm just a student by the way, no cool career here.
 
#8 ·
I would love to be a student again. Enjoy it!

Someone is a scrum master...Nothing against you, but all I can say is that I hate Agile almost as much as I hate Mondays! .. no wait.. it's why i hate Monday's! :domotwak: I am already seeing the fruits of design... emergency fix after emergency fix... lol...Should be called Fragile methodology.

On a serious note, look at Project management (does not have to be technical) or QA testing. Both provide a viable entry into tech with little experience. I know there's a website that will hook you up to different levels of testing, with no pay, but it could be a starting point and gives you real experience for the next job. I don't recall the site but some of you QA folks might know.

You could start learning programming, but be prepared to live in books going forward. I would probably recommend Java, which is a decent language to learn and can lead to all kinds of cool development opportunities like android development, Saleforce development, nosql development... and on and on and on.... C# is another good language with solid opportunities. However, corporate america is really going all in with out sourcing (on shore, near shore and off -shore). It's totally commoditized anymore.


I am a DBA (developer/operations), which is an OK gig. Been at it for over 20+yrs so i don't know how hard it is to break into. Like development, it's also on the outsourcing track. ALso have to keep your head in the books to be any good and build a resilience to being outsourced.

That's all i have do ya.. good luck.
 
#11 · (Edited)
My screen name = Binary so yea, I'm in IT. And the sad thing is I understood Gremlins "lingo".
Anyway, IT is a great, wide-open field. Vast. So many opportunities and room for growth.
I really wish I had the patience to be a programmer, I could make some serious dough.
I've done a little of everything, started in Helpdesk, worked up to senior roles as MDT/DPM/Disaster Recovery/Cisco VOIP/Server/Exchange/Active Directory admins.
But the fun stuff for me is stuff like racking new servers, installing/configuring new Sonicwalls, setting up new Meraki Access points in a new warehouse and
mounting them to a 30 foot ceiling using a scissor lift, replacing a UPS, stuff like that.
Someone in India can't do it over the phone so there is always demand for onsite people that can do this type of work.
 
#13 ·
I started off in IT and realized early on that I mostly just wanted to be outside. I cut grass for a few weeks then fell in with a contractor doing room additions and replacement windows. I've worked for several other contractors, myself, and been with my current employer for 13 years in August. I consider myself a carpenter, but I've done a little bit of everything. Now I'm running a crew of 9 across all the trades.

 
#14 ·
Well I guess I'll throw in on this. I'm an account manager with a production chemical company in the oil field. I have had as varied a career path as one could imagine and when I got into this business I knew I had found my home. The oil field IMO may be one of the last great merit based ,meritocracy if you will, fields of opportunity of which absolutely anyone can enter at the lowest level and skyrocket to the top based on work ethic, intelligence, hell even good common sense, or any other number of qualifiers.
 
#17 ·
From the SM: We didn't really have a choice about the move to Agile. We were purchased by an equity firm and all their companies use it. We're not done being transformed either. If some of the changes had been implemented earlier, I might have stayed in my role as a developer. I think there are far more opportunities on the upside if you stay there. I wanted to go the DBA route also, but the schedule was ridiculous as were the on-call requirements. Now I have none of that. Strictly 8 - 5 and I'm done. What you said about the need to keep your head in the books is true as well. I got tired of upgrading my skills while my pay stagnated. At least now I have more free time. As you get older, that's more important.

A think tech firms like the idea of agile because they believe they can just interchange developers on the cheap. Everyone works on very small functions, procedures with the emphasis on incrementally learning what everyone else does. You retain a few highly skilled people (or one) on a team, and the new guys gradually raise their skill levels. Eventually, the top guys leave for more money so they just hire a newbie to take his place. Now the more skilled guys pick up the slack for the guy who left. Constant revolving door for developers. We'll track the statistics on bugs and error rates to make sure the code doesn't get too out of control.
Does it work? Not in my opinion, but it certainly allows the company to maximize their short term profits.
 
#24 ·
Your thread seems to have been hijacked...

Anyways, what do you currently do now? Maybe you mentioned it and I missed it. What do you want to do? Be at an office (some do - I don't)? Be outside? Be on commission (sales, or personal trainer)? Where do you want to be (live)?

I have lots of friends that make way more money than me, but they live in a state or city that has no life benefit for me (ski, mountain bike, camp, outdoor stuff).

I guess you need to figure out if your "2nd" career is for $$$$$ or to make enough to live comfortably until retirement. I always tell my boss "I work so I can live, I don't live so I can work."

I'm also looking at a 2nd career in the next 5 years or so. Go search online the top 20 jobs you can get with only a 2 year degree. I was amazed what was out there, the flexibility and the salaries.

With that, I'm a police officer. I love my job...it truly is a front row ticket to the greatest show on Earth, but it can drain on you. It's also not a field you really want to get into later in life unless you like working weekends, graves and holidays.

Good luck...remember life's not about the money, it's about experiences and memories.

Slowhite
 
#28 ·
That was me, about 2 years ago. I had 10 years in on the force, and was making good money. Aside from that, I was tired, and my life was sh--. I moved to Tennessee, and took the first job I could find. I am still searching for my second career. I have a bachelors, and health care administration experience. The sad thing is, the job market for ex-cops is no bueno.

For now, I am happy doing what I am doing. I make far less, but I am enjoying life much more. I'd like to get into HR, so I am working on getting credentialed.

Best of luck!
 
#27 ·
Regardless of which direction you go, if you don't like your job it's the wrong one. Life is way to short to spend a huge hunk of your awake time being miserable and pissed off. Don't be afraid to change. I was forced into retirement by a motorcycle wreck but I loved my job, working with large industrial HVAC, but it takes years of school and time but the pay was great. Hell, I would have done it for 1/2 pay.
 
#34 ·
I run a general aviation avionics shop.
We install, troubleshoot and repair communication, navigation, autopilot, radar etc systems in anything from small Cessna to big Gulfstream jets.
Pay isn't typically great, but I still look forward to going to work every day. Plus, it beats a real job!

Some random glorious pics I had on my iPad

Airplane Aviation Vehicle Aerospace engineering Aircraft


Helmet Pilot Helicopter pilot Personal protective equipment Helicopter


Hangar Airplane Vehicle Aerospace engineering Aircraft
 

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#35 ·
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