We haven't had one of these threads in a LONG time it seems.

It came up in Seattle, so I figured it's time for a new one.

SO tell us org...what do you do for a living?

And...are you happy? Is it what you want to do?

I am a draftsman (technically).

In actuality, I'm a Fire Systems Engineer (without the degree).

That means that I design fire alarm systems for a living.

I also do drafting, and assist the sales team generate proposals, do site visits, and deal with the various fire marshals to submit plans, process applications, etc.

Not exciting, but it pays the bills.

I am happy that I can pay my bills, but NO it's not what I really would like to do for a living (that would be; Photographer).

I'm either a businessman with interests in finance and insurance, or I'm a disinformation agent for the Illuminati.

Graphic Designer.

In actuality, I'm a User Interface designer/Prototyper/Information Architect.

I like it in that it pays the bills, and allows me to work from home and more or less set my own hours.

Can vacation pretty much whenever I want as well.

What I'd really like to do for a living is be a professional photographer.

Just got a new Canon digital camera for my birthday, so that's still on the list *thumbsup*...

I write about clothing.

I do video/filmmaking for little indie projects. And for companies or institutions. No two jobs are ever alike, and I meet all kinds of interesting people!

I provide closed captions for the hearing impaired. I love it!!

I am a Special Ed. teacher who works with "Emotionally Fragile" students.
I teach English, but am also qualified to teach Social Studies.

I love my job; I'm starting my 25th year...
I used to play school with my dolls.

I also work part time as a bookseller at Barnes and Noble; contrary to the BS politicians spout, teaching does not adequately pay the bills.

I'm a freelance writer and freelance editor. I also do freelance copyediting.

I'm happy with it and it's what I have always wanted to do (well, being a writer is what I've always wanted to do; I didn't necessarily envision what I would be writing). It is fun in a lot of ways and frightening in others, but I love that I get to do it. And I definitely love the diversity of the things I get to work on and how I get to learn about a lot of interesting and varied things.

But deep down I sometimes wish I had become an investigative journalist or a foreign correspondent. That would have been cool.

I work for a law office in the area of family law.

It's not what I want to do forever.

I have been toying with the idea at working as a border officer.

Efan said:

I'm a freelance writer and freelance editor. I also do freelance copyediting.

I'm happy with it and it's what I have always wanted to do (well, being a writer is what I've always wanted to do; I didn't necessarily envision what I would be writing). It is fun in a lot of ways and frightening in others, but I love that I get to do it. And I definitely love the diversity of the things I get to work on and how I get to learn about a lot of interesting and varied things.

But deep down I sometimes wish I had become an investigative journalist or a foreign correspondent. That would have been cool.

Oh, no - not one of the Hyphen People! (Seriously, we used to have a copyeditor here who we called "Frau Hyphen.")

Do you get the monthly Q&A from the Chicago Manual of Style? They are deliciously snarky about a subject that is otherwise kind of dry.

Genesia said:

Efan said:

I'm a freelance writer and freelance editor. I also do freelance copyediting.

I'm happy with it and it's what I have always wanted to do (well, being a writer is what I've always wanted to do; I didn't necessarily envision what I would be writing). It is fun in a lot of ways and frightening in others, but I love that I get to do it. And I definitely love the diversity of the things I get to work on and how I get to learn about a lot of interesting and varied things.

But deep down I sometimes wish I had become an investigative journalist or a foreign correspondent. That would have been cool.

Oh, no - not one of the Hyphen People! (Seriously, we used to have a copyeditor here who we called "Frau Hyphen.")

Do you get the monthly Q&A from the Chicago Manual of Style? They are deliciously snarky about a subject that is otherwise kind of dry.

Please don't start calling me Frau Hyphen. I beg of you.

I do enjoy the CMOS Q&As, because I love it when copy editors get snarky. Most of my fellow copy editors get annoyed with me and roll their eyes at me because I a) often don't give a crap about the same things they do (I just could not care less about split infinitives) and b) I want to make every compound one word (like rainforest, for example; it just feels right).

This recent CMOS answer made me laugh:

A parenthesis that falls within a sentence is a disposable interruption; you mustn’t leave the sentence hanging with no end punctuation. On the other hand, if the parenthesis follows the end of a sentence and stands on its own, then its own internal punctuation is enough. (Need an example?) (Here’s another one.)

Herr Hyphen?

I'm an IT Project Manager. It pays the bills and then some. I don't hate it, but it's not my dream job. I'm not sure I know what my dream job is. That's probably why I keep at what I'm doing. It allows me to afford to do other things like travel (I just got back from 2 weeks in Morocco, I've done long weekends in New Orleans and Chicago and I'm taking my niece to Mexico this fall/winter) and I get nearly 5 weeks of vacation a year so it's not so bad.

I don't think I know what my dream job would be.

PurpleJedi said:

ThisOne said:

I never had the opportunity to become a full time mum and that's something I wish I could change go back in time and fix

I feel you

luv4u said:

I have been toying with the idea at working as a border officer.

Have you ever thought about being a debate moderator?

ThisOne said:

PurpleJedi said:

I am a draftsman (technically).

In actuality, I'm a Fire Systems Engineer (without the degree).

That means that I design fire alarm systems for a living.

I also do drafting, and assist the sales team generate proposals, do site visits, and deal with the various fire marshals to submit plans, process applications, etc.

Not exciting, but it pays the bills.

I am happy that I can pay my bills, but NO it's not what I really would like to do for a living (that would be; Photographer).

Hey PJ - remember my idea of making your job exciting where u design vag. penis and titty smoke alarms and fire extinguishers for the sex industry!!!! I was hoping to b reading about it this time

OMG, how could I forget?

...I bet something could be done with fire extinguishers...

PurpleJedi said:

ThisOne said:

PurpleJedi said: Hey PJ - remember my idea of making your job exciting where u design vag. penis and titty smoke alarms and fire extinguishers for the sex industry!!!! I was hoping to b reading about it this time

OMG, how could I forget?

...I bet something could be done with fire extinguishers...

Well figure extinguishers do release a white liquidy foam when squeezed

aardvark15 said:

PurpleJedi said:

OMG, how could I forget?

...I bet something could be done with fire extinguishers...

Well figure extinguishers do release a white liquidy foam when squeezed

CarrieMpls said:

Nothinbutjoy said:

CarrieMpls said:

I'm an IT Project Manager. It pays the bills and then some. I don't hate it, but it's not my dream job. I'm not sure I know what my dream job is. That's probably why I keep at what I'm doing. It allows me to afford to do other things like travel (I just got back from 2 weeks in Morocco, I've done long weekends in New Orleans and Chicago and I'm taking my niece to Mexico this fall/winter) and I get nearly 5 weeks of vacation a year so it's not so bad.

I don't think I know what my dream job would be.

* * I feel the same way about not knowing what my dream job would be. * I am a mammo tech.

...boobies!



Sorry.

Carry on.

aardvark15 said:

luv4u said:

I have been toying with the idea at working as a border officer.

Have you ever thought about being a debate moderator?

I'm an LMSW. Prior to getting my graduate degree, I worked with adolescents that had been removed from their home and were placed in residential treatment facilities. After getting my Master's, I went to work as a hospice social worker, did that for two years - moved to California to be a Program Director of an Adult Day Health Care facility, but the day I arrived Awnold "The Terminator" Schwartzamathingy signed a bill cutting funding to almost every social service organization and my job fell through after 3 months. Since that time I've been working with the elderly and disabled in South Carolina, enrolling them into a Medicaid Waiver program, providing case management, and monitoring other Case Managers work. Not what I want to be doing for the rest of my life, but it pays the bills for now and state benefits are pretty good.

Nothinbutjoy said:

Yeah...it's very glamorous.

But it is an important job that has saved/saves lives. (@)(@)

luv4u said:

I'm jobless at the moment, quit my job to further my studies.

Even though I obviously have very stiff financial constraints, I'm pretty sure the pay off will be rewarding, hopefully so yeah, I'm happy