What do you do for a living?

[Mr._Graybeard]

Spent 12 years in the Navy as a submarine nuke mechanic, supervisor, and instructor before a medical discharge. Now I am a senior technical writer for a firm in the power industry (effectively what I do is tell companies what they've bought, how it works, and how to run it). I've been doing this for 8 years, picked up a B.S. in business management with a concentration in finance in the meantime and got serious about investing when I got out of the Navy.

Current goal is to be at least semi-retired in ~9 years (lots of 2-3 month contract gigs out there for my line of work).

So the Navy was a good career move for you.

 

[Cap_Scarlet]

This year will be my 30th year w*rking in finance of which 20 are with with same company (global big 4 consulting firm), which is pretty good for someone who was never that good at maths in school.

Moved around a fair bit and since we have been married we are now in our 12th (and hopefully final) home.

Have been earning good money for the last 15 years and managed to accumulate a good pot of cash which is now itching to be spent in early retirement.

My experience demonstrates that you don't need to be the smartest kid in class, you need to be confident, ask for what you want and, it would be fair to say, occasionally a bit ruthless.

 

[ikubak]

sammich and pizza maker
construction
seafood restaurant grunt and oyster shucker
adult beverage store clerk/supervisor
sales
tennis instructor
racquet stringer
CPA
internal auditor
fraud examiner
accountant

I probably left off a few odd jobs but as you can see, I chose to taste of life through a seemingly random series of occupations.

 

[exnavynuke]

So the Navy was a good career move for you.

Quite a lot better than I'm sure many people thought it would be when I first told them I had enlisted

 

[Tekward]

Now self-employed as a consultant and still a drilling USN reservist (8 years active duty, 30 reserve). I'm trying to find the balance point between enjoying my w*ork and time off. In 2016 I'll consult ~30 weeks plus 4 weeks Navy duty.

 

[brownhaired_girl]

Married the love of my life at 17. Happily married for 39 years.
Dairy farming with my husband for 11 years. I never did feel appreciated by those cows.
I have worked as an RN for the last 28 years. I started in pediatrics but I have worked in labor and delivery for the last 17 years. I haven't made an incredible income, and may not be able to retire very early, but I have gotten to share one of the best days of many people's life for the last 16 years and I have loved my job.

 

[RobbieB]

Very nice.

It's good to have a job that you like. You don't feel the need to count your dough every night to see when you can quit.

Good for you!

 

[Accidental Retiree]

I have worked as an RN for the last 28 years. I started in pediatrics but I have worked in labor and delivery for the last 17 years. I haven't made an incredible income, and may not be able to retire very early, but I have gotten to share one of the best days of many people's life for the last 16 years and I have loved my job.

Kinda makes me want to go back to school to be a labor and delivery nurse.

 

[Montecfo]

Let's see: Jobs I have worked:
Paper route
dog cage cleaner
greenskeeper
movie theater counter help
fast food counter help
fast food shift manager
unloading trucks
auto parts warehouse
fork lift operator
security guard
dishwasher
grill cook
waiter
accountant
CPA
tax manager
controller
CFO

As Zig Ziglar once said, "there is no waiting to get to the top, if you don't mind taking the stairs".

 

[2Pizzas]

Internal auditor for the last three years along with oil and hazardous substance spill responder
U.S. Navy active duty for 22 years. Mostly submarines where I did various jobs including teaching, marine equipment maintenance, project management, safety consultant, preservation specialist, quality assurance, cleaning person/garbage man, radiological technician.......
Strawberry picker
House/fence painter
Forklift driver

 

[aja8888]

Internal auditor for the last three years along with oil and hazardous substance spill responder
U.S. Navy active duty for 22 years. Mostly submarines where I did various jobs including teaching, marine equipment maintenance, project management, safety consultant, preservation specialist, quality assurance, cleaning person/garbage man, radiological technician.......
Strawberry picker
House/fence painter
Forklift driver

Strange, no pizza delivery man in the list?

 

[Marathoner]

Post-college, I worked as a CPA at a big-5 accounting firm, then at one asset manager for 10 years and I've been at current asset manager for nearly 5 years.

I bought my dream house three years ago, which has (as expected) turned into a bit of a money pit, delaying FI.

 

[TNBound]

Was in banking for my first 11 years out of college. Started as a teller and moved up to VP. Mergers and acquisitions in the banking industry led me to seek a job in state government where I've worked 25 years in finance and economic development. Been a great career, but will be going to the house this time next month.

 

[Souschef]

Worked as a technician summers during college
Spent 50 years in aerospace with 20+ years at my last co. I lost count of how many presidents we had during that time. I worked as a Project Engineer, Spares Administrator, Program Manager, Cost Estimator, and Contract Administrator.
During that period I lost my wife of 30 years, and was blessed to find a kindred soul who was also widowed, and loved to travel as much as I did.
One day I said, "stick a fork in me-I am done". I just hung around in January long enough to collect my profit sharing which was 7% of my salary.
Two days later we were on a plane to South America on a tour of Brazil,Argentina and Chile.

 

[brett]

I started my carreer in accounting. First in audit with our IRS, next with CA firms.

I hated it. Fortunately we had no children at the time. Plus we wanted to move to the west coast. We sold our townhouse and prepared to go to Europe for six months, buy a van, and travel. Just prior to leaving I had a job offer from an IT company (NCR) that I had interviewed with months prior. It was IT sales but they required someone with a strong understanding of law firm accounting and law society audits. My sanity was questioned by a few folks. The offer came too late but the firm told me to call when we returned to the west coast.

At the end of our Europe trip, as we driving through Vienna on our way back to London, I saw a huge illuminated NCR sign on top of a building. Looked at DW and said that I would call then when I got home.

I did-within a week of returning home. Retired 35 years later from the IT industry. Various sales, management, and GM roles. Several organizations. My accounting and finance background proved to be a significant asset to me.

It was a great career and I enjoyed every minute of it. My advice to others is never spend you time working in an industry, for a company, or doing a job that you truly dislike. Chances are it will negatively impact your personal life and it will hinder your career.

My parents gave me some good advice. Get an education, some training so that you will never be a captive employee of any firm or industry. And never spend your life working at a job that you do not like. I heeded that advice and it has served me will.

 

[Milton]

Many of you are ,ready retired. If that's the case, what DID YOU DO for a living? How much money DID YOU MAKE AND WHAT % DID YOU SAVE?

Right back at you. It's rather bizarre that someone would request (actually demand, given the shouty capitals) such personal information without offering it up themselves.

 

[Viking]

My first career was in the trades. I was a switch man for the local phone company back in the days when most telephony equipment was electro-mechanical. The introduction of computerized switch gear eliminated about 90% of those jobs.

So I went back to school at 24 for a business degree, majoring in accounting and finance. Joined a big 4 accounting firm and obtained my CA designation. This was back in the days when articling students were paid next to nothing for the privilege of some day being able to make a good wage.

After 5 years moved on to consulting and then to government. Spent about a decade as Director of Financial Reporting for various ministries, and then 7 years as a principal auditor (executive position) at an Auditor General, leading the audits of multiple ministries and crown agencies.

Retired a couple of months after turning 53. Never looking back.

 

[Milton]

Never looking back.

But you just did ... in some detail!

 

[DrRoy]

As a teenager I worked at various things: picking strawberries, making plastic coated dish drainer racks, and putting safety stickers on ladders.

In 1981 I graduated with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering and got a Megacorp job at $24K/yr, now over $100K/yr.

Over that time I have saved between 15 and 30% of that income as spending needs varied with DW, kids, house, relocating, etc. The higher end has been since the house was paid for and the kids were on their own.

I RE at the end of March. 11 weeks left!!

 

[Luck_Club]

Right back at you. It's rather bizarre that someone would request (actually demand, given the shouty capitals) such personal information without offering it up themselves.

OP stated $85K combined early on. It is inspiring for young dreamers to see the many different paths available to financial independence.

My self: In home and telemarketing sales & restaurant work paid my way through college. "Graduated" and wanted nothing to do with sales and bounced around for a couple of years in various Marketing roles. Got back into sales on the technical industrial side starting at $30K per month draw vs commission in 1995. Grew slowly to about $100K by 2004 when I left to go out on my own. Started investing in rentals at the same time seeking 10% or higher leveraged yield with a 30% monthly cash flow cushion over the debt, tax and insurance payments. Maxed my earning in 2011 with around $300K top line revenue from the sales gig. 2013 got Ba**s chopped off by mega corp and was down to about 99K for 2014. about $60K in 2015 and back up to about $100K in 2016. Total gross taxable earnings since college, (self funded) about $1.7 Million, total net worth as of 2014 $1.2 million. High school class rank 212 out of 234.

In the peak years I put away tons (over 50%) and bought a toy or two. One year I put just over $100K into down payments on Rental property! I set my house to run on about $5K a month back in 2004 so you kind of get the picture. Through lifestyle creep and inflation we are probably closer to $6K, and as of yesterday I realized most, if not all, of that is my house and car insurance rates going out of control, and it is my current Kicking A** and taking names project.

Get inspired!

 

[6miths]

I'm retired. All the money I make is "unearned".

n+1

 

[Milton]

OP stated $85K combined early on.

Must be buried somewhere on pages 2+ of the (very lengthy) thread. It sure wasn't divulged in the original post.