What do you do? What did you do?

[GTM]

As a group I would think one characteristic many of us share (putting it mildly) is

Our preference to do other things with our time than work at a job.

If your still working, What do you do?
If retired, What did you do?

Specifics not necessary just general type of work.

 

[Hyperborea]

I'm still working and about 7 years out from retirement.

Software engineer / architect / project lead - built some of the most bleeding edge tech and some more mundane stuff too.  Developed products and code that I think everyone here interacts with every day.

 

[AGuest]

Me - Retired - Software Engineer - Software Development Manager - V.P. Client Services software firm.

At one time I was a COBOLaSaurus just like in Dilbert.

Not quite sure what the data gathering would pinpoint but what the heck. Replace COBOL with Assembler and that's my CV. ER - Programmer - Project Manager - V.P.Software Development.
FWIW, my COBOL cohorts have been advancing up the corporate ladder faster than my Assembler cohorts but to be fair it is a rather limited statistic based only on my experience.

 

[unclemick]

1966-1992, grunt mfg engr. aerospace - American SST(canceled), Skylab,Viking,Space Shuttle. Test articles,production start - mostly - flaps,heat shields, primer/foam, composites structure, etc. Make em and break em (test articles that is ) and watch the the number crunchers cry - heh,heh.

 

[GTM]

I am a white collar worker in the banking and finance industry.

I asked this question because I had a hunch most early retirees had good jobs or well paying jobs. That's probably why they can afford to retire.

I have the Paul Terhorst cassette and I remember him telling a story about a guy working his tail off to achieve what Paul already had and was giving up.

I wonder if the desire to quit is stronger with certain types of work. You would think a porter would want out more than a lawyer,
but maybe not

 

[John Galt]

Nope GTM, I think it makes no difference if you are a CEO
(like me) or a shoe shiner. I gave up more money, more
prestige, bigger houses, newer cars, the country club,
my wife, yada yada...............You either have the right
attitude or you don't. and you might have $1,000,000
or $100,000, or even less. If you want it bad enough
and have enough brain power, you will do it your way.
That's the key. Not retiring or working. That's not it.
It's doing what you want, and not just for today.........
but forever!

John Galt

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm - a while back we queried for INTJ's to confirm or reject the ER influence - posulated on REHP survey of personality types.

 

[AGuest]

I wonder if the desire to quit is stronger with certain types of work. You would think a porter would want out more than a lawyer,but maybe not

If you want a throw-a-dart guess, how about middle management?

On a broader scale, it's all about where you're in your career. ER is over-rated if you're enjoying and getting tremendous satisfaction from your job. OTOH, FI is never under rated.

 

[brewer12345]

I am a credit analyst covering financial institutions.

 

[Nords]

Retired

Navy-- submarines-- nuclear engineering, weapons, & military training instructor.

 

[John Galt]

Hey! I don't think I ever posted this stuff before, but
if I did, please cut me some slack as I am old and
have consumed an ocean of "Old Stumpknocker".
(no, not this morning)

Almost my entire full time work life was in
manufacturing (1963 --1993 and 1994 -1998).
A variety of industries, but the last 10 years was
military and aerospace. CEO, COO, CFO, sometimes
in combination. Also, bought, started, ran a couple
companies of my own. Yep, I was a busy guy.

John Galt

 

[John Galt]

And another thing................for those of you who are
wondering howcum with my employment history
I wound up with so little money, it's like this. I spent
most of it at casinos/horse tracks, on women and fast living. The rest
I just wasted

John Galt

 

[Jane]

When I was in school I interned as process engineer for chip and electronic parts manufacturer. Then after graduation I started working as junior power plant automation system designer. Then Intermediate power plant automation system engineer.

Our project structure is pretty laid-back. We do have project manager and project supervisor and then these people decide who should become engineering Project Lead. They usually pick someone who is at least Intermediate Engineer though so I got to "play" Project Lead couple of times (but no, no extra compensation for Project Lead).

Jane

 

[notTwain]

Count one more for aerospace engineering/middle management satellite design.

Still working since my trigger is stuck.

For me, my career started as a hobby in electronic design but slowly deteriorated to monotony - well maybe not slowly, more like the first few days of work. There are some moments of mental stimulation from work, but not worth the loss of freedom 5 days a week (I simply refuse overtime days).

It would be good to hear some of John Gs fast living fast woman days - it almost makes me feel I am missing out on something (except for the gambling). That's almost a deterrent for FIRE.

notTwain

 

[Michael]

Millwright.

 

[John Galt]

Hello Rock Miner! I doubt a connection between
engineering/software types and the tendency toward ER. I do think I see some affinity in the INTJ
personality type. I can see now (only with hindsight)
that I was destined for ER, a slam dunk unless I
found some employment that I enjoyed more than loafing. I firmly believe that might have caused me
to continue on down the yellow brick road of commerce.
Alas, I was pulled away from rolling along with the big wheels by the
siren song of idleness, or maybe it was just that those wheels had started to come off? (That was 4 metaphors in a row with a couple of literary allusions
thrown in for those of you keeping track at home)

John Galt

 

[ESRBob]

Did the software stuff for long enough to realize I needed to interact more with people, so went to business school (MIT) and then did product design/marketing in the world of financial information for a huge multinational. Bailed on that after 8 years and started two web firms, one doing web design in 1994, the second doing virtual classroom/distance learning software in 97.

WIth the VCs blessing, I left in 2001 to start ER and they also wanted the chance to find someone who could make sales grow faster. (They never found anyone who could!)

So my path to ER was software, middle management, entrepreneurship.

ESRBob

 

[johnblake]

I'm also an engineer, actually, an electrical engineer. My specialty is digital signal processing. I worked on digital video communication (compression) for many years. Started off with videoconferencing, then moved on to IP (internet) audio/video delivery. Over the years I've learned to be a software engineer, working on embedded systems and PC software.

Now I windsurf, and surf the waves around Maui.

 

[John Galt]

For what it is worth.........I only know of one person
from my high school class who retired earlier than I.
As far as I could tell he never held a "real" job. What
he did have was a working wife and a very
"live off the land" bare bones life style. Most of our classmates are still working, but at age 60 neither of us being retired is all that unusual any more.

John Galt

 

[Zipper]

I was a teacher in London ON for 33 years. I'm an honours Geography specialist.

Been happily retired since 1997!

My family and I were on a teacher exchange to Australia in 1978.

I was president of the Middlesex teacher's union for a couple of years.

Mrs. Zipper, 5 years younger, works at the London Regional Cancer Centre.

*Note how Hyper and I spell centre.

 

[AltaRed]

Over 33 years on the job. An engineer by initial training but mostly in management for last 20 years on major engineering projects. Initially on nuclear power plant projects in Canada and then major oil and gas projects in the oil industry throughout the world.

Currently an ex-pat in Houston and initially counted down the days to eligible discounted (DB plan) early retirement. But once there, attitude to get out as quickly as possible has been replaced with the idea that I can leave whenever I want to and am FI to do so at any time. As a result, I am now having more fun on the job and take it much less seriously. :-/

That could last for another year or two before wife and I decide what it is we want to do in retirement but as I told my boss.... whenever the fun factor curve crosses the p*ss off factor curve, I am out of here.

 

[SDY888]

Me - 5 years as a Civil Engineer in design and on Site, followed by post-grad then into management, currently Contract/Commercial Manager for large Civil Engineering Projects.

SWMBO - 10 years as a CorpFin Lawyer, opted out after our daughter's birth earlier this year and is now in Corporate Training and Development.

On the side, a small(ish) property and real estate business.

 

[Bob_Smith]

I was a vocational counselor for 28 years - retired about 6 months ago at age 51. I helped people with severe disabilities who wanted to work and live economically productive lives - helped set up small businesses, provided career counseling, job placement - that sort of thing. I worked in/with schools, universities, and hospitals, and collaborated with employers, physicians, teachers, etc. The pay wasn't what most here would consider good, but it provided a great deal of satisfaction, terrific work hours, and an enduring sense of gratitude for what I have.

Management changed, the job turned to crap, and after about 3-4 years under the new regime, I bailed. Now life couldn't be better!

Also did a stint as a writer on the side. Did some magazine/newspaper articles and got a book published which did pretty well. That all lasted about 5 years and I may pick it up again. It is definitely work though, so I may not.

 

[GTM]

No porters or shoe shinners interested in ER?

How about government or city workers who receive good pensions after 20 or 30 years.

 

[Martha]

Lawyer and managing partner of a midsize lawfirm.