Tell Me About Your Job

[SeriouslyRetro]

Originally Posted by ttw

Retired mathematician and before that, university professor.

I am very impressed. From a very young age I wanted to be some kind of scientist, mathematician or university professor. I always had very high grades in math & science, but unfortunately I screwed up my last couple years of highschool (by skipping class too much - I hated highschool), so I had no chance for a scholarship. University ended up being way too expensive so I could only go for a couple years (not enough for a degree).

I got a job as a specialized computer programmer/consultant and after a few years I found that I was stuck in a very limited field with no chance of moving into anything else. The longer I stayed in the job, the more I felt like I was wasting my life. I quit and "retired" for a year. I tried everything I could think of to move into a different career, but it was impossible without a university degree in that field. To save up money for university, I got a job in consulting again, but hated every second of it. I calculated that with my current expenses, it would take at least 10 years to save up enough money to go back to university. So 10 years saving plus 8 years of university means I'd be old enough for retirement by the time I graduated! I (cleverly) decided to save time and just retire now. ;-)

Unfortunatey, lack of money is forcing me back out of retirement. (I'm stuck in a paradox)

[crimson]

I'm currently lazing about, waiting for an invitation to college admissions exams. I probably won't get into those colleges (computer science or social services) as I haven't bothered to prepare for the exams. I'll take the possible exams as a kind of familiarization for future admissions exams. What I'm really aiming for is to start comp. sci. studies in a vocational school next fall. It's not as demanding as a college (although they call themselves "College of Business"). The studies are supposed to last 2-3 yrs. You don't get a very fancy degree from them, but it's a start. What I have in mind, is to use that degree for applying to a real college in the same field afterwards.

My last actual work was last fall as a library assistant in a local library. I had thought the work there to be fun, but after three months I was totally ready to quit had my contract not ended by that time.

[Gopher]

I'm a research student, studying for a postgrad degree in computational fluid dynamics. It's a nice marriage of practical mathematics and physics, the kind of thing that an aero student like me would like. I should be able to submit before the year is out, but not before some interesting life twists. Don't know whether I'm going to go to industrial research after this, or go out into the real world, or go heavily into academic research. Interesting questions await answers!

So, I've got an analytical side, which is nicely contrasted by my creative side. That and computers do my work for me.

[sawscape]

I work for IBM in our Software Group. I'm mostly involved with business modeling standards and standards organizations. I was the main editor of a specification for a Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). None of this has anything to do with the Ph.D. I got in Cognitive Psychology--oh well. I am also married with two pre-teen kids. I spend a lot of time driving the kids to soccer or volleyball practice and such (including piano lessons).

My music background is rather meagre--I absolutely had no interest until I was 18--and includes mostly my own noodling with piano or guitar and (thank God for) music software. If I ever win the lotto or have some other windfall, I will definitely compose music full-time, whether or not other people like it or listen to it. If I could figure out a way to make a living at music, and support my family, I would do that.