I used to work as an astrophysicist: Neutron stars, X-ray bursts, white dwarfs, origin of the elements, that kind of stuff.
What kind of work/job do/did you guys all do?
I've worked in electronics all my life.
When I started out in the field as a kid, hardware meant vacuum tubes, software meant punch cards, and calculators meant slide rules.
Telephone signals traveled through cables and television signals traveled through the air.
Retirement was something you did at age 65 after working for the same company for 40 years.
A lot has changed over the years.
When I started out in the field as a kid, hardware meant vacuum tubes, software meant punch cards, and calculators meant slide rules.
Telephone signals traveled through cables and television signals traveled through the air.
Retirement was something you did at age 65 after working for the same company for 40 years.
A lot has changed over the years.
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RobBennett
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:09 pm
- Contact:
I'm a journalist.
For years I worked on Capitol Hill covering tax legislation for tax newsletters. I loved that work.
However, my experiences covering tax and budget bills led me to the conclusion that politics is not the answer to our problems. I elected to direct my remaining energies to helping people handle their personal finances more effectively. I see huge potential in this area as much of the material available today is sub-par and overly influenced by marketing considerations, in my assessment.
I'm only partially retired. I am "retired" from corporate work. But I need to build up my internet business to cover my long-term expenses. I left corporate employment in 2000 with enough saved to go many years without bringing in a steady income. I now write on saving and investing at my web site and in internet columns and that sort of thing. I've published a book on saving (Passion Saving: The Path to Plentiful Free Time and Soul-Satisfying Work) and am working on one on investing (Investing for Humans: How to Get What Works on Paper to Work in Real Life).
Rob
For years I worked on Capitol Hill covering tax legislation for tax newsletters. I loved that work.
However, my experiences covering tax and budget bills led me to the conclusion that politics is not the answer to our problems. I elected to direct my remaining energies to helping people handle their personal finances more effectively. I see huge potential in this area as much of the material available today is sub-par and overly influenced by marketing considerations, in my assessment.
I'm only partially retired. I am "retired" from corporate work. But I need to build up my internet business to cover my long-term expenses. I left corporate employment in 2000 with enough saved to go many years without bringing in a steady income. I now write on saving and investing at my web site and in internet columns and that sort of thing. I've published a book on saving (Passion Saving: The Path to Plentiful Free Time and Soul-Satisfying Work) and am working on one on investing (Investing for Humans: How to Get What Works on Paper to Work in Real Life).
Rob
Programmer. I've been writing web apps professionally since high school. I've worked in a variety of places from tiny startups to massive corporations to my current remote gig. I really loved programming when I started out, but now I'm less fond of it. I don't know if having to do it all day for a living has sucked the fun out or if I'm just ready to move on to spending more time on other interests.
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Robert Muir
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:15 pm
I was a payroll clerk for 20 years in the Navy. It sounds boring as hell, but the military payroll system was as complex as the tax code and it could be fun in a wonky sort of way. Also, twenty years of explaining to people why they were getting paid what they were getting paid or why they were overpaid and that they had to pay back the overpayment gave me some fantastic communication skills that really paid off in my second career.
After leaving the service, I leveraged my paperwork administrative skills over a two year period into a computer network administrator position. Then in 2002 I used those skills to start my own sole prop. IT consulting gig. Basically I'm an out-sourced IT department for lots of small to medium size businesses who don't want to hire someone full time. This is where those communication skills I learned earlier really come in handy. Most IT guys have a very difficult time communicating with end users as hilariously displayed in the Saturday Night Live skits and in the Brit sitcom "The IT Crowd". So my clients are very happy with my work.
The great thing about having the IT skills (as I mentioned before) is that even after I decide to "retire" from my clients, I can use my skills for barter any time I feel like it.
Edit: Like HSpencer, at 50, I'm way past ERE, but it's fun reading and learning along with everyone else.
After leaving the service, I leveraged my paperwork administrative skills over a two year period into a computer network administrator position. Then in 2002 I used those skills to start my own sole prop. IT consulting gig. Basically I'm an out-sourced IT department for lots of small to medium size businesses who don't want to hire someone full time. This is where those communication skills I learned earlier really come in handy. Most IT guys have a very difficult time communicating with end users as hilariously displayed in the Saturday Night Live skits and in the Brit sitcom "The IT Crowd". So my clients are very happy with my work.
The great thing about having the IT skills (as I mentioned before) is that even after I decide to "retire" from my clients, I can use my skills for barter any time I feel like it.
Edit: Like HSpencer, at 50, I'm way past ERE, but it's fun reading and learning along with everyone else.
I helped design the Pyramids--no not really!
I spent 30 years in the US Army, Field Artillery, and Logistics.
After the army, wife and I and some partners bought four apartment complexes for the elderly and handicapped. Wife and I ran these for seven years until present when we retired. That and some jobs prior to the army gave me about 44 working years, which does not qualify me at all for ERE, but I am just along here for the ride.
I spent 30 years in the US Army, Field Artillery, and Logistics.
After the army, wife and I and some partners bought four apartment complexes for the elderly and handicapped. Wife and I ran these for seven years until present when we retired. That and some jobs prior to the army gave me about 44 working years, which does not qualify me at all for ERE, but I am just along here for the ride.
After receiving J.D. and taking the Bar, I immediately entered a monastery. Six years later, I realized I wasn't a very good monk; so I became a prosecutor instead. For the past nine years I've worked as an in-house counsel for a non-profit association. I am working now only because of all those years with $0 income (drat that vow of poverty). As soon as I can retire, I plan to do so.
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RobBennett
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:09 pm
- Contact:
"After receiving J.D. and taking the Bar, I immediately entered a monastery."
I'm impressed.
I've participated in thousands of threads over the years. I am confident that this is the first one I have been on that contained comments by both a former astrophysicist and a former monk! What are the odds?
I also have a J.D. And I can say that doing what it takes to get a J.D. caused me to give some serious thought to joining a monastery too!
Rob
I'm impressed.
I've participated in thousands of threads over the years. I am confident that this is the first one I have been on that contained comments by both a former astrophysicist and a former monk! What are the odds?
I also have a J.D. And I can say that doing what it takes to get a J.D. caused me to give some serious thought to joining a monastery too!
Rob
CPA since 2004 (in public accounting since 98) - employed by a small firm with 10 employees. I do mostly tax work for small businesses and individuals along with some financial accounting. I've done just about every tax return possible - non-profit, estate tax, gift tax, corporate, S corp, partnership, payroll, etc.
I've probably read a lot of the newsletters Rob used to write for
I've probably read a lot of the newsletters Rob used to write for
lol.. you guys are really making me want to get a J.D.
I used to be a computer programmer, lost interest in it as soon as it became a job, then did software architecture/design stuff, tried consulting, got bored, did an MBA (in finance -loved the courses, hated the thought of becoming a corporate rat), did a bit of digital marketing, and now work as a technology strategist (aka a powerpoint pusher). Now seriously considering going back into software architecture consulting in order to make the money and go ER.
I used to be a computer programmer, lost interest in it as soon as it became a job, then did software architecture/design stuff, tried consulting, got bored, did an MBA (in finance -loved the courses, hated the thought of becoming a corporate rat), did a bit of digital marketing, and now work as a technology strategist (aka a powerpoint pusher). Now seriously considering going back into software architecture consulting in order to make the money and go ER.
Lawyer, recent grad. Not so sure I chose the right career, but I'm not complaining. My job as a clerk to a federal judge is fairly boring, but maybe the actual practice of law will be more fun. I didn't particularly enjoy my summer associate position either. Only time will tell. If I find I can't take the boredom, I may apply to a certain federal agency to become a field agent.
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George the original one
- Posts: 5406
- Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:28 am
- Location: Wettest corner of Orygun
Electrical designer, technical writer, and government IT analyst. As an IT analyst, I've been in user support, server support, programmer, and helpdesk. Currently am team lead for the helpdesk of a 6,000 employee local government.
When I was in college, I knew that I didn't want to be a programmer because of how often programmers have to reinvent the wheel (seriously, very few applications are new and often new programs of old applications have not even been improvements). I was also certain I wouldn't end up working for the government, but... well that went by the wayside as soon as I realized that local government work offered the highest stable income.
When I was in college, I knew that I didn't want to be a programmer because of how often programmers have to reinvent the wheel (seriously, very few applications are new and often new programs of old applications have not even been improvements). I was also certain I wouldn't end up working for the government, but... well that went by the wayside as soon as I realized that local government work offered the highest stable income.
I am currently working as a technical consultant that implements software interfaces for systems using one of the most widespread ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) packages. Before i was writing programs/creating reports and documents inside that ERP package.
Originally i was only participating in projects in my home country, but the last 4 years my assignments bring me all over Europe and Canada.
Originally i was only participating in projects in my home country, but the last 4 years my assignments bring me all over Europe and Canada.
I'm an entrepreneur--I have a small transcription company in Manhattan. We do transcription and translation for lots of different clients--attorneys, filmmakers, journalists, etc. I've never had a boss since finishing my History B.A. seven years ago, and will retire in five, when I'm 37.
I did my business as a side thing through my 20s while basically slacking off and doing creative projects. The business isn't my passion, but I'm going to ride it to ERE.
I did my business as a side thing through my 20s while basically slacking off and doing creative projects. The business isn't my passion, but I'm going to ride it to ERE.
I am still working as a Design Engineer (Mechanical). I spend most of my time creating concepts in metallics and non-metallics (injection molding, etc).
I enjoy the creative side, but I resent the minimal amount of vacation time (and I have always taken the max allowed) specified by company policy. They don't let us buy weeks off.
Throughout my life, I have always taken time out for myself (summer vacations, etc.) and made life/job changes to keep it interesting. The lack of this has made the last seven years of short vacations less than two weeks difficult to bare and I dare say it is starting to make me crazy! Luckily, I get three weeks next year...tear
The lack of freedom in this area is making me want to be a contract engineer and has kept me focused on ER. Only this year have I started taking true ERE measures by selling the house!
I enjoy the creative side, but I resent the minimal amount of vacation time (and I have always taken the max allowed) specified by company policy. They don't let us buy weeks off.
Throughout my life, I have always taken time out for myself (summer vacations, etc.) and made life/job changes to keep it interesting. The lack of this has made the last seven years of short vacations less than two weeks difficult to bare and I dare say it is starting to make me crazy! Luckily, I get three weeks next year...tear
The lack of freedom in this area is making me want to be a contract engineer and has kept me focused on ER. Only this year have I started taking true ERE measures by selling the house!