Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[killa_robot]

So, since I got my job I've been curious what kinds of things others around here do. I have a vague idea for a few of you, but even if we hear your job description, that doesn't really mean we know what you actually do.

And if you don't have a job yet, share with us your aspirations so we can tell you all about how they'll never happen.

Personally, my technical title is "Help Desk Level One", and I work at a small computer repair store (that no longer accepts computers in for repair, lol).

What this actually means though, is I answer 1-2 phone calls a day and either fix people's computer's remotely (we have software installed on all the ones we support that allow us to take control from our work), or have them brought in if they is likely a hardware problem.

Can't say anything bad about the job tbh. I'm technically hourly, but during my last paycheck I missed about 5 hours of work and wasn't docked any pay. I have lunch and breaks and can basically just leave when I want if I need to do an errand. I'm given work to do and then trusted I can do it without supervision (my third day there I was completely alone in the store). My co-workers are all nice people, and think I'm basically a god at what I do compared to the people before me.

With all that said, I was unemployed for about a year before getting this job, so it's a really nice change of pace to not only enjoy my time there, but be able to support myself and not feel useless. I'm now thoroughly convinced that getting a job is mostly luck after going through the application process enough times.

Anyway, what kind of work do you guys do? Feel like ranting or gloating about your job?

[Forge]

I do personally love my job and think half the ppl here know what it is already.

The English title was Diagnostic Radiographer, over here it is called X-Ray technician (Slightly different roles and I am a bit over qualified for what they do here but since I am more restricted here I also have less responsibilities so swings and roundabouts I guess).

In practice my job means I get patients, take x-Ray or CT scan or MRI scans then check the resulting imaging to hopefully find out what is wrong with them.

The main difference between the UK and here is that I used to do the first assessment and report on the imaging, whereas here we are only allowed to check the pictures then ship them off to the doctors to do the report. I do miss that part a lot however I still do the reports in my head to keep the skill levels up for when North America catches up lol.

Really what happens though is that I get to play with machines that can blast massive amounts of radiation at people or have a stronger magnetic field than the Earth itself. It's fun

[Sethaniel]

My job title is Assistant Manager! I work at a drugstore.  I have worked at a lot of different shops, restaurants, and service purveyors.

I love my job because I don't have to deal with customers too much, and no one oversees what I'm doing, so I can post on my phone all day.
When I'm not at work, I don't have to think about it.  Even while I'm at work, I don't have to devote more than a fraction of my thought process to what I'm doing.

I am over-talented but not over-qualified for my job.

[ItAintPretty]

Currently, and for the last decade or so, I've had my own machine shop.  I get to use all that trig that everyone always complained about back in high school on a daily basis.  I get to set my own hours and don't get assigned all the crap jobs just because I happen to be the low man on the totem pole.  I do those jobs, now, because there is no one I can pawn 'em off on.  XD

I know, I know, having your own business and playing by your own rules seems like a dream come true, but there is a dark side.  When you're working for someone else you don't have to take the work home with you, when you work for yourself you can't escape it.  I'm tethered to it and can't just take time off to go fishing whenever I want, because someone might show up and need something fixed; something that has an entire operation and several dozen jobs depending on it.  Sure, there is something about the feeling of taking a machine part that is no longer available and beyond repair -- making it better than original and seeing the customers jaw hit the floor in amazement, but then I have to deal with all the headaches associated with self employment.  All the extra paperwork and planning for the future so that so that I don't become stagnant and have to close the doors like so many others have done.

Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but self employment is not for the "faint hearted" or those that want to take it easy.  Most days, it's from the minute you drag yourself out of bed until you fall back in at night in total exhaustion.  I wouldn't trade it, though, for anything else I've ever done.

[3J]

I'm currently working in Finance for a company in downtown Vancouver. About half of my job has been administrative stuff, and the other half has been pretty cool. I've been modernizing and adapting their systems so that they don't have to do as much gruntwork in charging clients. I think I've saved them roughly ~40,000 per annum doing these projects and they were totally out of my job description. My boss is a really cool guy who tries to make use of your talents.

I'm done in a couple of weeks though, and I'm going back for a second degree (this time, in Computer Science). The eventual goal is either med school or working for a medical startup company. I should be done the second degree in two years because it's an accelerated program. I'm pretty excited for it.

What Seth said about being over talented but not over-qualified definitely resonates with me. It was pretty tough finding work this summer. What you find out about a Biology degree is that getting a job outside of academia, is Farking hard.

[killa_robot]

I'm currently working in Finance for a company in downtown Vancouver. About half of my job has been administrative stuff, and the other half has been pretty cool. I've been modernizing and adapting their systems so that they don't have to do as much gruntwork in charging clients. I think I've saved them roughly ~40,000 per annum doing these projects and they were totally out of my job description. My boss is a really cool guy who tries to make use of your talents.

I'm done in a couple of weeks though, and I'm going back for a second degree (this time, in Computer Science). The eventual goal is either med school or working for a medical startup company. I should be done the second degree in two years because it's an accelerated program. I'm pretty excited for it.

What Seth said about being over talented but not over-qualified definitely resonates with me. It was pretty tough finding work this summer. What you find out about a Biology degree is that getting a job outside of academia, is Farking hard.

So what I'm hearing here is that you're finally going to be able to properly automate Continent

[Drakilian]

During the summers I work in construction (my father owns a construction company, he gives me a job as one of the various helpers).

I intend to pursue a career in either Law or Finance. A close friend of mine has aspirations for us to start up a law firm together after we get enough experience working in the business.

[Ugilick]

So what I'm hearing here is that you're finally going to be able to properly automate Continent

A desirable conclusion to reach.

[Tanstaafl]

Nice to know that you're God at your job Killa. That's what I aspire to as well

Currently my summer job is basically homework-tutoring for kids my age and below. It only gets bad when I'm forced to worth with an obnoxious wannabe-youtuber of a 6th grader, but this year I got out of that deal because a friend of mine was willing to pay me to help him with an entire course he's taking so he can try to skip (after being held back.) Pay's great because the course is online so I can help out whenever I want and while watching stuff.

Currently interested in Biomedical Engineering, particularly bionics and the like. It's a field that's expanding with the times and also a big thing in Israel were I to eventually move there, and helping develop usable prosthetics for handicaps is just a really important thing to do and something I'm passionate about. That said I've really wanted to go in the medical field, either in pathology or surgery, but spending over a decade in college is just a very scary proposition, so I figure I'll just go for an EMT license and Paramedic after that so I still have that sort of experience but without having to dedicate so much time to it. Still got time though haha.

[Forge]

3J... What you said about a biology degree (I typod 'degree' and the auto-correct changed it to 'Regret' so true) is so true. My first was Molecular Biology and genetics... Then you basically get told "Unless you want to do research in this field, work in academia proper in this field or teach this subject... You can't get a job.

So I worked in a coffee shop while I looked up medical degrees that involved cool machines as well as people (never wanted to be a doctor, don't know why but I just know it wouldn't fit my personality).

Also that's awesme news that you'll be running continent again more automated! I'll tell everyone!

IAP, that's pretty cool, I wouldn't have the drive to be self employed, I'd slack off too much and go bankrupt lol. And Seth... Sweet job, even if you get landed really crappy shifts...

[3J]

I fully plan to automate Continent and Commander in the future. I think I hit solid gold with those games and they're among the best that most people have played, so it would be silly not to pursue them in the future. If I've got a talent, it's for making really good games, so if I can make them and also make them automated, that's definitely the next step! Just got to learn to code better haha.

[Not Aman]

Yey!

[Not Aman]

I'm a Yeshiva Bachur! I learn and leech off the kindness of others, and when they don't give me what I want, I talk about how theyre killing God's presence on earth!

Plan on being an ER doc though. Need to decide which way I wanna go at it though. Israel offers a millitary program with 6 year Medical Program for an equal time in the millitary as payment, while also offering room/board for those in the program. Pretty good seeing how I want to live in the country (and join the millitary), but living away from the family would be tough.

Pther way is just going through basic American Med studying. Worry there that I'll never be able to move to Israel if I go that way.

[NightShadowBlue]

Right now, I'm a frequently jobless college student.
This trend is probably going continue since for some reason I decided that having two creative writing courses and two literature courses along with my psychology senior seminar would be a fantastic idea.
I also have to study up for the GREs because I plan to start grad school next fall.


Eventually, I'm going to be a clinical psychologist. I will likely work in community mental health after I get my Master's degree. I'll work my way to being able to have my own private practice certification. At some point, I'll go for my doctorate because it is well worth it money-wise.

I really want to help people out. I just don't like people suffering. I could never be anything in the medical field as I hate dealing with vomit, saliva, poop, and pee. I don't like needles much either. Plus I like learning what makes people tick. I've always been good at predicting people's actions and generally at guessing what people are thinking about. It seems like the only path career wise that I could really take.

[3J]

Right now, I'm a frequently jobless college student.
This trend is probably going continue since for some reason I decided that having two creative writing courses and two literature courses along with my psychology senior seminar would be a fantastic idea.
I also have to study up for the GREs because I plan to start grad school next fall.


Eventually, I'm going to be a clinical psychologist. I will likely work in community mental health after I get my Master's degree. I'll work my way to being able to have my own private practice certification. At some point, I'll go for my doctorate because it is well worth it money-wise.

I really want to help people out. I just don't like people suffering. I could never be anything in the medical field as I hate dealing with vomit, saliva, poop, and pee. I don't like needles much either. Plus I like learning what makes people tick. I've always been good at predicting people's actions and generally at guessing what people are thinking about. It seems like the only path career wise that I could really take.

Cool plan!

I'd like to share with you a paraphrasing of something a mentor said to me about being a doctor: People choose career paths for a variety of reasons. Often times, these reasons are idealistic. They want to help people, they want to do high-level tasks, they want to work under pressure, etc. Make sure that you choose a career path with daily tasks that you enjoy. For instance, if you want to be a surgeon to save lives and to work with your hands, that's great, but unless you enjoy cutting human bodies up, it's not for you. It doesn't matter how many other characteristics about the job appeal to you, you have to love the daily grind, or you won't be happy doing it.

To apply that to your future, he would say that you better make sure that you love holding conversations with people, and listening. That you love interacting with the less fortunate and the hurt. Most of all, that you don't mind when you can't do a damn thing. That the feeling of powerlessness doesn't bother you. It's well and good to like analyzing people, and to want to help, that's a very noble pursuit, but make sure that you're choosing a career path where the daily grind will be something you enjoy. I bring this up, because an older friend of mine is really antisocial, and he went into psychology for pretty much the reasons you indicated (great at analyzing people and wants to help) but he really doesn't like talking to people. Now he's really miserable and wishes he were doing something less social.

Anyway, definitely not trying to scare you away from your career path. For all I know, you're literally perfect for it, I just wanted to provide some perspective, because it really changed the way that I looked at planning a long term career.

[Sethaniel]

Wow, that's a great thought, 3j.  Something similar happened to several friends of mine. 

One loved math, she was good at it, she had real talent for for explaining it to,other people.  everybody told her, you ought to be a math teacher.
She lasted a year and a half.  Turns out relating to your peers isn't the same as relating to your students.  They didn't pay attention, they treated her like shit, then blamed her when they didn't understand the material.

Another acquaintance wanted to be a social worker.  Because she really wanted to help people.
And it turns out hardly anyone wants your help when you're a social worker.  They want you to go away and stop interfering in their lives.  And the ones that do want your help, they want things you can't or shouldn't give them.


Anyway, I guess part of what I took from it was that a lot of jobs turn out to be about something very different than what you imagine when you go into them, And that you shouldn't let what you're good at direct where you go.

1. I've met exactly one person in my life who said he wasn't good at understanding other people, and he was autistic.
2. Have you worked in community mental health yet?

[3J]

The social worker story really hits home to me. My sister wants to be a social worker and I think she's really, really, really cut out for it, but I wonder if she realizes how much help people won't want.

[NightShadowBlue]

Thank both of you.

I've been taking what undergraduate courses I can to prepare me on the reality of the career. I've done a course on the skills needed to be a therapist, which involved in class graded roleplays where one student was a client and another was a therapist. I took a course on Adult Psychopathology. Both courses were taught by a guy that was a professional in the field. He told us tons about what his experiences and others' experiences in the field were like. I talked with him one on one more than a few times about career advice and for more things from the field that he didn't mention in class.

I know Community Mental Health is going to suck. The professor explained that you usually got loaded up with as many clients as possible. You would have people show up for their first court ordered session and then never show up again. You would have addicts that came to you repeatedly that wanted to be clean, but just kept falling into the same patterns over and over again. You'll have people try to get you to say that they have a mental illness because they want a disability paycheck. You'll have clients that are doing great, but start to backslide because they start missing sessions because they can't take off work or they have to take care of their child. You'll have clients that are pedophiles or murdered one of their children. You'll have rapists. You'll have people confess things that you never wanted to hear. You'll have clients that just refuse to listen, but keep showing up day after day.

In spite of all that, I still want to do it. I understand that it won't exactly be the time of my life. However, it  is a step towards a private practice, which is something I want as an end goal for my career. Plus it will give me plenty of experience to  draw from when I do go into private practice.

1) That is true. Most people would say that they are good at understanding other people.
2) I haven't worked there yet, as it is hard to find much you can do without having your Master's, counselor license, or Doctorate. I tried to get into through my college's internship program, but there was no openings for positions in Community Mental Health that fit the requirements of the program that I could actually do.

[3J]

Sounds like you've done all of the research that it's possible to do! Good for you for taking all of the steps that it's possible to take.

[King Playa]

I flip burgers and burger accessories.

Hahaha, My IOP (intensive outpatient) counselor and I have enrolled me in a job training program through the office they have me doing all my treatment at. Still haven't decided what I want to do with my life besides indulge in carnal desires, but the people running the program have suggested I go into a field that allows me to utilize my natural people skills.

So it looks like I'll either be a motivational speaker or a con man. Ball is up in the air currently.

[killa_robot]

So, what would you motivate people to do?

[King Playa]

To become motivational speakers, obviously.

[BerkaZerka]

I bet you could fund something like that on Kickstarter. 

[King Playa]

Haha, probably. On a serious note, I'd probably try to help kids in trouble with the legal system/have substance abuse problems. Won't be easy to get into since I'm a felon, but my counselors all appreciate the perspective I bring into group and I've discussed volunteering there after I've graduated from the program with them, and they're for it as long as I get my own life on track first. So it'd have to earn my credentials based on opinion and recommendations more than education,  which while tough is certainly manageable.