UKC

I've been sitting behind a computer for over 4 years now, doing consultancy in the renewables industry... have been thinking it's getting on time for a change, and have been toying with the idea of a new career direction.

I'm not looking for a "how can I get into such-and-such", or "what would be suitable for my skills", just some inspiration as to what other people do that they find interesting and engaging (in any field whatsoever).

So - is your job interesting? What is it, and how did you end up choosing it? What do you like/dislike most about it?

Cheers

In reply to jalien:
My job is pretty interesting at the moment, I design manufacturing processes for a pharmaceutical company. That said it was bloody tedious for the previous 3 1/2 years with the the previous employer.

I'm generally here to solve unusual problems so I get all sorts of random requests ranging from chemistry, regulatory issues, electronics and mechanical engineering. I think I got the job by accident as I'm pretty sure I was interviewed for something more mundane. I love the day to day chaos of having dozens of things to tinker with, but a few more concrete goals would be nice!

In reply to jalien:

Radio engineering

awesome job if you like analysis and problem solving

plenty of travel off to South Korea for a week next week

zero days unemployed in last 19 years, final salary pension, and women find it irresistible

not bad hey!

In reply to Daithi O Murchu:

As in RAN Engineering?

In reply to jalien: ecologist in the renewables industry. I was on a windfarm all last night, up at 3am to look for black grouse and I am now back in the office until I finish a report. Its OK, like everything in life some days you're the dog and some days you're the lamp post.

In reply to Daithi O Murchu:

What degree/qualifications did you have?

I have a physics degree but to be honest my understanding of circuits and electronics was never a strong point

In reply to jalien:

I don't have a particularly interesting job, like most it gets repetitive after a few years. However this year (so far) I have worked and spent some leisure time in the following countries.

Cameroon.
Ivory Coast.
South Africa.
Mozambique.
China (here now)
Singapore.
Hong Kong.
Thailand.
Israel.
Georgia.

So it's not all bad I guess.

In reply to Trevers:

BEng in Electronics Engineering (Swansea)

MSc in Satellite systems engineering (Surrey)

you don't have to worry so much about the circuitry these days, ( unless your working down in the weeds for an equipment vendor/manufacturer) now my work is more network architecture orientated these but Yes have done my fair share of RAN design work

with a physics degree you'd be fine, its all radiation and waveforms of one form or another .

Has been and still is a massive growth area, ooodles of Jobs about all reasonably well paid

In reply to jalien:

my job is not particularly interesting, just a run of the mill Business Analyst but on the plus side I work at a University so get the perks of good sports facilities, indoor climbing, bouldering and tennis on my doorstep.

In reply to jalien:
I'm an author. It involves a lot of sitting behind computers, but it's also hugely rewarding thanks to interaction with appreciative readers - and there's nothing like holding a paperback you have written in your hand!

How did I choose the job? I didn't - it chose me.

I also work part time as a phone shop consultant, which isn't as rewarding but it does help pay the bills (writing isn't the sure fire route to riches many think it is!)

In reply to jalien:

I'm a Facial Animator (lots of "facial" jokes)

I'm currently working in Frankfurt in the week, travelling home to Derby most weekends and also sometimes in Manchester with work.

Keeps me on my toes!

In reply to ivebittenoffmorethanicanstu:

Do you do stand-in work for Karl Pilkington?

In reply to jalien:

What sort of career direction do you have in mind?

In reply to jalien:

My job's decidedly higgledy-piggledy but I like it - I'm mostly a freelance copywriter/editor, I do some arts festival management, and I also lecture on a BA photography course on an ad hoc basis. The setup I have isn't without its stresses but I haven't once dreaded Monday morning since I've set out along this path (about 18 months ago now) and I also don't have to cope with appraisals, which I used to dread to the point of nausea. I get to use all my previous skills and experience, and I do what I'm good at rather than fudging my way through things I'm not certain of.

In reply to estivoautumnal: I'm trying to work out what common link connects those countries, and hence what job you're doing that involves travelling to them. Oil? NGO/development work?

In reply to Jon Jones:

This sounds pretty specialised - is it computer-based special effects type stuff?

In reply to The Lemming:


That's kind of what I'm trying to work out. A bit of a "I don't want to spend the best years of my life in an office" moment. I'm also pretty aware of the time and money it takes to re-train these days. The point of this thread is just to help open my mind to the paths that others have taken, to help stimulate ideas.

In reply to jalien: I was working in manufacturing management about 12 years ago. Found some parts of the job really stimulating and couldn't abide other parts. It slowly (very) dawned on me that I could do the interesting stuff and not the other bits if I didn't mind being self-employed and moving around a bit. Which is what I now do, along with another hobby career that fits into the spaces between projects.

After a bit of time off I now quite look forward to getting stuck into a project in someone's factory and knowing that it's for a fixed, relatively short time helps me work better, too.

In reply to Jon Jones:

and light-heavyweight champion of the world. Very multi faceted.

In reply to jalien:
Countryside Ranger at Lulworth Estate, Dorset.

Pretty sweet gig being outdoors most of the time. Lots of teaching kids about rocks and geology.
Did an outdoor education degree which got me in to climbing instruction for a while, and now I'm doing more environmental stuff which is pretty cool.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

we look scarily similar

In reply to jalien:

I'm a paramedic. It's interesting since no two hours, let alone days, are the same. Also fun since no boss looking over what we do. And definitely not stuck in an office.

In reply to Caralynh:

I earn my living by dressing up as a giant owl and sitting in trees. Initially, friends of mine were sceptical and told me that it would never work out. I had them killed and have never looked back since. Yep, it's an owly life for me.

In reply to jalien:

I tinker with human body parts for a living.

Said parts are not attached to the owners at the time, I should add.

In reply to Tall Clare:

How did you get into that?

In reply to Caralynh:

I've got respect for you folk, my other half's dad was a paramedic for a while, and it sounds like a hugely stressful and under-appreciated role. They should be paid double in my opinion

In reply to nw:

I'd been copywriting and doing some editing as part of my previous job, so I thought 'why not' and gave it a go. Haven't drowned yet, though there have been some stressful times...

In reply to jalien: Soon to be working for a major middle eastern oil company in contract management, negotiation, conflict management. From the outside on paper the job only sounds ok but it fits my skillset perfectly. It will also radically change my position in the world as it will pay me, tax free, sufficient amounts to both save a comfortable portion of my income for the future and allow me spending money to effectively do what I want. Oh and there's about 50 odd days holiday a year which is also good. I'm really looking forward to it.

In reply to jalien:

I do drystone walling and hedge laying. I also do a bit of tour-guiding

I went on a couple of w/e courses whilst pursuing the great career of my dreams being an HR & training manager. When I eventually decided to give up and escape the rat race I got asked to do some walling and hedging. .

My entire working day is spent outside in all weathers - I love watching the wildlife go by, people passing and chatting, watching whats going on and so on. I get absolutely no stress from anyone either and I please myself when I work, how I work, or when I start or finish. Its Brilliant.

In reply to jalien: I love my job and find most of it pretty interesting.
I own a small buisiness in the air compressor and blower field, the management side is crap and I hate every bit of it but the service engineer side is great.
As well as working in all types of industry my main role is looking after a water utility company.
As well as routine service work I have to do a lot of diagnostic work and need a good understanding of both potable and waste water treatment. A big part of the job is working out what is wrong with the treatment process and why it caused the compressor or blower to fail

In reply to jalien: firefighter.lots of no action but when it kicks in,it goes mad.

In reply to jalien:



Yep, computer games at the moment. All very high tech!!

In reply to jalien:

Applications consultant. Anything from contingency measures and logistics in central asia to developing gear for high-demand environments. I do some stuff privately but also a company that does projects.
Interesting in lots of ways and a hugely varied spectrum of data and people. As much time in research as spent out there doing.

Very niche, but lots of people doing same in their fields. Experience is key.

In reply to jalien:

Stay at home dad. Love every second of it, don't dislike any of it. Best thing going :0)

In reply to jalien: Last year I met a very cool woman who used to wash otters, and now works on dolphin health by analysing their breath. She's branching out into whale health by flying miniature helicopters through their exhalations. While zipping after them in very fast navy boats.

The moral of the story is that someone somewhere will always have a cooler job than you. I guess if you are an accountant then 95% of the working population have a more exciting job; if you are Darren Jackson, 0.00001%.

b

In reply to jalien:

After thirteen years of colleges/universities, I've ended up as a child therapist (currently working in a youth offending team). There's been lots of interesting jobs on the way, and I'm headed for intensive family therapy work. It's not boring, coz I work with kids of all ages. Although I'm directed by large organisations (NHS and local authorities etc) and their dreaded policies and targets, I have a good degree of freedom to work as I wish and develop new teams.

In reply to ben b:

Wise words.

The other day I went mountain biking above Malham, and the van parked next to our car proudly declared that it was that of a mole catcher.

In reply to jalien: Self employed Marine CAD bod with a side order of laser scanning survey work. Working with boatyards/engineers to develop full size Airfix kits for all sorts of boats and other large curvy structures and then provide dimensional control survey to make sure they fit together properly.
Love the variety of work and people - from Kings Cross railway station to superyachts in the US, measuring fish tanks in Shetland to Dolphin spotting boats in Gibraltar. Also the fact that I get to live where I want and theoretically get to decide which hours I work.
Downsides are a fair bit of travel, a lot of hours in front of the CAD PC, dealing with all the admin of running a company (much less now I'm a one man band) and the usual nagging guilt of not chasing work that most self employed people suffer.
Wouldn't change it for the world though.

In reply to jalien: I'm a mental health nurse, currently for a recovery team so working medium term with people to maintain and or improve their mental health. Previously I have worked in Psychiatric intensive care, secure services, Crisis Resolution Home Treatment, acute in-patients, older adults assessment, Early Intervention in psychosis and Assertive outreach. I've applied for a job in Child and Adolescent eating disorders.
My job has always interested me, I have never been bored. I have had the pleasure of meeting many many people all of whom have been interesting in that way that people are.
Down side is that working for the NHS is getting tougher and tougher and I wouldn't want to work privately. the scope to work with a variety of therapeutic models is greatly entertaining and I have for a long time been able to work with a strong sense of professional autonomy because I have chosen to work in many nurse led environments. I am very proud of what I do too.

In reply to jalien:

Currently team leader in a community team, treating young people (16-25 yrs,) with "first episode psychosis/schizophrenia," with the aim of reducing hospital readmission, and speeding recovery and coping skills.

I got into it after working as a teacher/care worker in a school for abused kids.

Best job I've ever had, I love it. It's Saturday today and I'll be going into work in half an hour. We work a roster covering 365/year, and extended hours, (8.00 am to 9.00 pm)

Sometimes making a breakthrough and seeing a kid put their life back together, succeeding at work/Uni/relationships/life in general, just gives me that feeling of having done something really worthwhile while getting paid for it.

Dealing with the complexity and almost otherworldly presentations which the conditions can give, is huge challenge.

A recent incident;





Downside of the job, which doesn't happen too often fortunately, is when a kid decides "enough is enough" or the voices become too powerful and they end their lives. Heartbreaking for us as we establish very strong bonds with the kids and their families, but almost inevitable with our client group.

In reply to ben b:

Accountant.

Actually, whilst I am a chartered accountant that's not actually my job as such, my being more the kind of management consultant type. Accordingly to literature, that means I take someone's watch off them and then use it to tell them the time, which is basically true, but its frankly alarming how many people can't tell the time using their own watch.....

Basically work in Business Intelligence, which is looking at information flows through an organisation and doing something about them.

It's actually quite interesting.

In reply to jalien:

I'm CEO of a youth work charity. Although currently spending more time with planners, HMRC and architects as we are about to take control of our a brand spanking new project building - value £7.5m!!!

This one - http://www.caiushouse.org/the-future/new-centre/

In reply to jalien:
keep your job but spice it up and join the royal marines reserves http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/Careers/Maritime-Reserves/Royal-Marines-Reserve...

In reply to Stanners:

Or gain your JeSMeL with RN AT!

In reply to jalien:

I teach orphaned chimpanzees how to regain their innate cheekiness. It's a bit like training guide-dogs but with more of an emphasis on random acts of violence and hurling faeces at passers-by.

In reply to jalien:

I'd like a job.

In reply to jalien:

I'm a (founding) director of a group of companies that are involved in various things, but mainly engineering consultancy in the digital TV industry, the development of video telephony products and the provision of video telephony based services to the NHS and local authorities.

What that means in reality is that I spend most of my time doing software engineering, half a day per week being in charge of HR for the group and a couple of days per month strategising.

I got into this by working as an engineer in a tech company that weren't open to ideas that myself and some of my colleagues were coming up with, so we quit and set up on our own. The first few years were very and to mouth and pretty scary. We've had to come to terms with the fact that as a bunch of engineers we're not especially astute businessmen. Do I enjoy it? Well the peaks are at least as high as the (very) deepest troughs!

The thing I enjoy best is that, being in charge of HR, I can make sure we don't have any bullshit "for the sake of it" rules. I get to talk to people who think they have problems and get to say, "no, it's fine with us if you work that way". The worst part is that sometimes people really do take the piss and you have to take them to task.

In reply to Tall Clare: Excellent - "Mole Catcher - Moles Caught Dead Or Alive" would look pretty Wild West on the side of the Bedford Rascal.

I have to say there was a certain frisson at the meeting of dull research scientists when the blonde SoCal marine biologist popped up to talk about otter washing in a soft West Coast accent. It just sounded so much better than mass spectroscopy <Sigh>

b

In reply to jalien:

I read somewhere recently (and I'm inclined to agree with it) that we generally place way too much emphasis on what we do and way too little on how we do it.

On a slightly less thought-provoking level though, I have done various things from developing/selling radioisotope detection systems to (more recently) teaching physics and chemistry. I am about to move to China to teach for 2 years in a top Chinese state school. Really looking forward to it. Last year I was teaching in the UK. so many bad things about teaching in UK schools, but also a lot of great things. Never a dull moment and no job has ever put me that far out of my comfort zone.

In reply to ben b:

Otter washing & Dolphin breath analyzer? Sure she wasn't in porn?

D

In reply to jalien:

I sell industrial perfumes in Africa. It's a fascinating product and the challenges are huge, been doing it for 30 years and only got into it by accident. Most of all, like anybody who's been there, I'm in love with Africa despite all her stresses and irritations.

In reply to ben b:

Same with Carol Kirkwood on BBC weather. I could sit and listen to her talking about occluded fronts all day. Sighhhhh.

In reply to jalien:
I spend most of my time administering toxic substances to people and/or exposing them to ionising radiation.
In addition I regularly get to stick sharp pointy things in them or sometimes cut holes in them.

Mostly people are better after I've done this than they were before.

Plenty of variety in the people, toxins and sharp pointy things so tend not to get bored.

In reply to jalien: I announce trains at Carlisle Train Station!!!

In reply to jalien:

1. is your job interesting?

Yes, very. Getting paid to do what I do (think, read, teach, write books) is a hoot.

2. What is it,

I'm a philosophy professor

3. and how did you end up choosing it?

Area of least incompetence. And lack of imagination; I came out of school, carried on doing what I'd done at school and did a BA, carried on doing what I'd done at undergraduate level and did a PhD, then carried on doing what I'd done at postgraduate level and (this was the big break) got my first job. Really I've just kept going in a straight line.

4. What do you like/dislike most about it?
>
Like: I get paid to do what I want to do anyway; I can't really imagine doing anything else. And it's extremely flexible, especially because I work for the OU.

5. Dislike: bureaucracy

In reply to jalien: I iz a teecha innit, I iz down wid de kidz blud.

In reply to jalien: field biologist for a pest control company. Looking at insects through a lens. Love it

In reply to jalien:

I'm a mathematical modeller in a University health economics department. Basically trying to work out how effective and expensive various public health initiatives might be.

I imagine 95% of the population would find it tremendously dull, but I think it's ace

In reply to vark:

LOL

You sound like a Drug Dealer/Enforcer.

In reply to jalien:

Until January, I used to bring customers to people like Vark, to stick sharp pointy things in.

That was until I came across one too many of our rotund population. I have now become a customer of people like Vark, and may have to look for a far less interesting and physically varied job.

Desk jobs have their benefits, and I may eventually be chained to one once again after an 13 year absence from one. I'm just trying very hard to remember what the benefits are beyond a pension.

In reply to jalien:

I'm a novelist. It's great. Very insecure and badly paid, but obviously a wonderful way to earn a meagre living.

In reply to tim_leach: Are you trying to suck yourself off in your profile picture? TBH, I'm kicking myself for not trying technique, with a hole in the table, when I was 14...

In reply to Submit to Gravity: Ah, yes, the old table trick. Helps to make those last few tricky inches possible...

In reply to jalien: In reply to jalien:

Documentary Producer/Director - sometimes other. Freelance so can be unpredictable, but travel the world and get amazing access to peoples lives. Always find myself in some crazy situation. I always wanted to be film-maker so it's a dream. Get to play with cameras.

Egos. So many ego. Life can disappear when busy.

In reply to jalien: I fit taximeters to cars for them to become taxis, also 2 way radios (also I do first line of repair on them), and a few other things to keep the office bobbing along, been doing it for 20+ years and no longer like it, the money's not all that good either, but its a job

In reply to jalien:
I work in the operating as anaeesthetic or surgical assistant. I like gadgets
and I like people; wednesday a patient woke up and told me about flying as a young women on a biplane and working for Hawker Sidley in the early days of commercial flight. Another told me about seeing a Zeppelin flying over London as a child. another described meeting the philosopher Rudolf Steiner. I also meet many soldiers in for reconstructive surgery who have been in the wars.
I also work in the TA; went on tour in GIROA last year and helped in the hospital. The theatre work you can train for in two years. The TA takes a few weeks and you get paid for it. If you are already qualified in something useful to the army that helps you get in.

In reply to John_Hat:



Need a "like" button

In reply to jalien:
I'm a veterinary Anaesthetist

I like it because its like being a Human Anaesthetist, but I get better drugs to play with. And a far greater range of physiology. And less rules. Very rarely my patients try to eat me or crush me to death - which is fun.

There are surgeons though - which is a shame.

In reply to jalien:
Me and Mrs Num Num are in the Iron and Steel business.
She irons and I steal.

In reply to Dr.S at work:

It's just like being a human anaesthetist then. Although to be fair there are no midwives.



b

In reply to jalien: I do part time work moderating content on dating websites (a few thousand, both for serious relationships and just one night stands), I have seen a lot of very odd, weird and messed up things whilst I've worked there but its actually pretty interesting.

In reply to RBonney:

Stories? Examples? Go on, please!

In reply to jalien:

Did aerospace engineering, now on a graduate program. Currently a flight test engineer working on testing a big new jet engine installed on a bigger old 747. Got to sit in the cockpit for take off and landing today. Generally 50% paperwork, 50% problem solving and fixing things on-wing. I have learned that there is a strong link between how reliable a sensor is to how easy it is to access when something does go wrong.

3 months later I'll be doing something else. 3 months after that, I'll be doing something else again. Good to gain wide range of experience, can be hard tog et your teeth stuck in.

In reply to jalien: I work offshore as an Instrument Eng on a survey vessel, we survey for hydrocarbons.
My rotation is 5 weeks offshore, 5 weeks at home.
Although the time off is great I hate my job. It's definitely time for a change, although the idea of spending the rest of my puff in an office fills me with dread.

In reply to The Big Man:

I should add, not a big fan of eating out, especially restaurants that are driven by profit not hygiene

In reply to stroppygob: The most interesting things are usually the photos, people really aren't shy about putting photos of themselves on the internet. Extreme piercings seem to be fairly common and I've seen fruit used in non-conventional ways. The are others as well but you'll just have to imagine.
Yesterday a woman wrote that her son came up on a sugestion list, which can't have been nice because she was on a sex site.
Obviously you get people who are cheating on there. One man I spoke to on the phone said his son had used his card to pay, but the account was for a 40-something man with his name. I assume he then must have told his son he was cheating on his mum, I think this was probably the most shameful response to getting caught.

In reply to ben b:

Midwives? happily not, we do have dog breeders though and they are absolutely fecking nuts.

In reply to jalien: I am an outdoor activity instructor and it's awesome, i plan to move onto higher levels of training but i currently work with kids mostly running taster sessions in various forms of outdoor activities

In reply to jalien: I'm a fluffer for Jenna Jameson!

In reply to jalien: The money isn't great, but the hours are good and the views are breathtaking!

In reply to jalien:

I like my job. There's variety and challenge, loads of interaction with people from all walks of life and a lot of job satisfaction. I can't imagine ever rejoining the corporate rat race.

I used to work in IT in investment banking, now I'm a self-employed plumber and gas engineer. I chose the job but it was always beckoning me - my dad was a builder and I've been on the tools since I was a kid. When I decided to change career the only real choice I had to make was which branch of construction trades to qualify in.

Pros are: choosing my own working hours, only taking the jobs I want to do, freedom!

Cons are: working stupid hours as every job you don't do is a customer lost to the competition, for life, taking every job no matter how nasty or mundane, for the same reason, being a slave to the relentless nagging guilt that every day off could be a day chasing new business or building the company profile, etc etc...

In reply to jalien: I'm working 800m below surface in a West Australian gold mine. Great job but mining companies aren't known for their loyalty to staff

Suitable skills: A BSc or BEng. Alternatively, a trade such as mechanic or electrician. 6 months ago there was heaps of work, but things change quickly. Good pay, but you have to save for the lean times (and future unemployment). Gold price is crashing... I could be back in the UK sooner than I think

In reply to jalien:

Have been a support/ care worker for almost 6 years with people of all ages with learning difficulties and mental health. Was a team leader for a few years but now work as bank staff picking up shifts as and when I want. Signed up to the royal navy reserves and have been in for almost 4 years. I'd say it's had it's up and downs and has been interesting but it's time for a change in regards to working in care!

In reply to jalien:
Helicopter pilot but it's lost its buzz (

In reply to jalien:

I work offshore. It's OK but I've been stuck on a rig with nothing to do for two days with at least another two days to wait before things start up again.

It can be interesting but I really just do it for the time off and the money.

I've worked as a game designer for the past 10 years - Even though it's a rollercoaster ride everywhere with it's ups and downs, I've always managed to end up in the good companies so have had the chance to work with multiple different types of games, do some of my own and ultimately bring a smile to someone's face.

I'm not from UK originally so being in this job has also given me this fantastic opportunity to now live here. Been wanting to come here ever since I was a little kid.

As far as the job goes, it's a thing of passion and if you have that and work in a good company, I doubt there's much out there that beats it. Flexible hours, great work mates and that mix of utter craziness and sheer professionalism. One of the few industries anymore where you need an equal mix of creativity and business acumen.