What industry are you all employed in or self-employed in at the moment? (If you are) What do you think of it?

[TopHatFox]

Do you like it? Do you see it only as a means to FI? Would you recommend your industry or specific company to other ERE community members?

[enigmaT120]

Processed fruit and vegetable production. I doubt it's going anywhere. Pay isn't usually very good.

[themodernchap]

I work in the public sector in a government organisation which investigates complaints against police officers. I am an administration officer. The pay is good for the nature of the work seeing as it's not strenuous or intellectually challenging. It can be quite boring and I'm on a temporary contract so it's pretty dead end. I see it as a means to an end.

I'm hoping to retrain as an electrician in the next year or two though.

[chenda]

It can be a fairly flexible career in the UK, part time and contract work is available, and there's work in every part of the country. Pay isn't great in the public sector, private sector pays more but inevitably much more pressurised, sales driven. Self employment is not-uncommon.

[Dragline]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5s9lMzMhAU

As in the subject matter, not that particular branch.

It's worked out well for me -- still interesting and takes me to a lot of unusual places (I do international work), so I'm sticking with it for now. When I quit the practice, I may continue to teach the subject.

[7Wannabe5]

I am other-employed by a private corporation that provides substitute teachers for most of the public school districts in my region, and I am self-employed as a rare book scout/dealer. Neither pays very well, but they both allow for a great deal of autonomy, personal fulfillment, variety and little routine or boredom. I have also throughout my adult life frequently earned some part of my keep providing services or fulfilling the generalized role of homemaker/domestic-support-companion/chief-cook-and-bottle-washer-girl-Friday etc. For instance, I previously paid very little rent to occupy two rooms in the home of a platonic male friend who needed help because he was a kooky-slob, and my ex-H provided me with financial support when our children were young, and I currently have the options of moving into a luxury apartment in an affluent community with my 75 year old mother and paying no rent in exchange for driving her to doctor's appointments and doing most of the minor housework, or occupying a large suburban home with attached greenhouse and sailing vessel with a 61 year old man in exchange for __? etc. etc. etc. However, I am choosing to throw my life-energy towards providing/investing domestic support towards my own permaculture urban vacant lot project which also provides fulfillment, variety and little routine or boredom.

[disparatum]

I was in the Navy. I found it to be a pretty good deal. I majored in English but they trained me to be a nuclear engineer after I graduated. They didn't care about your major as long as you were sharp, and they teach you everything you need to know. I think I learned a lot of skills at a much younger age than I would have in any other type of job. You get a lot of responsibility that your peers in other professions won't. The hours were crappy, and it could be very stressful. You are not always treated like an adult. But everyday I learned something new (and/or looked dumb for not knowing already). You could easily get to FI within 5 years (they paid for my college and things like healthcare, dentistry, housing, are paid for and you don't have time to spend your money). I really, really liked the people.

I now work for a "research organization". I am doing a lot more math than I'm used to. Also learning new things everyday since I have no real academic background in what they do and have never done research, but they also teach you what you need to know (it is also a phd program and pay is not great). Jury is still out since I've only been at it a few months.

[bradley]

I work in public education, and I would not it to anyone. It's a means to FI. It's a stable government job, though the pay isn't necessarily extravagant

[steveo73]

IT in banking. It has its advantages but I really don't like my job at the moment.

[EdithKeeler]

I work in insurance. It pays well, with good benefits. I've done it for 29 years, though, so I'm ready to be done. Still, it's been a good means to pay the bills, and had I considered early retirement sooner and put things in place better, I could be retired by now. Lots of different areas in insurance--sales, underwriting, actuarial, claims. It also cuts across a lot of different fields, so you end up learning a lot of things about a lot of different stuff--finance, the law, different types of businesses, etc. I'd say that's the biggest plus--it can be pretty interesting. I'd say the biggest negative is that it can be VERY conservative, and a very "butt in the chair, desk in a cube, stare at a computer all day" kind of job.

[pukingRainbows]

Manufacturing.
It's pretty good. It's fairly active work which I like. I get a sense of satisfaction from making something tangible and it is an opportunity to hone my skills. I do view it as a path to FI, but also potentially what I will do post-FI as well.

[poleo]

Farming. It's what everybody should be doing!

[GandK]

When I worked I was, like steveo73, in IT in banking (software development). By and large I enjoyed my career in software development. I definitely feel like 20 years of it was plenty, though.

[Did]

I was a lawyer. I quit 2.5 years ago but 6 months ago I started helping an old mate with quasi legal advice but less than half an hour a week on average.