Whats everyone do for a living?!?

[OldMcDonald]

One of the few TBNers that is a full-time farmer. Primarily olives with a couple of side-lines and almonds planned to match the olives. Slowing down now at 70. Trees can mainly be farmed from the tractor seat.

 

[LD1]

Electrical Engineer that designs control panels and writes code for the controllers that run factories.

AHH, so YOUR the one......:mur::laughing:

I got an associate degree in automotive repair. But the later classes focused on higher performance engine and chassis design and building. But never worked professionally on autos.

Instead went to work for a company that makes corrugated boxes. Fresh outta school in a union factory I was doing production work. Running the machines and forklifts and rollgrabs. Wasnt long though and was in the maintenance dept. Multi-craft style. BAsically being an electrician, mechanic, machinist, welder, plumber, etc.

When the economy tanked in 2008, the company was sold and went from 24/7 operation with 4 shifts (12hr) down to a M-F 3-shift gig. Given the union factory, I did not have the seniority to stay. So I landed a gig at a factor that makes aluminum 12oz and 8oz cans. Was what they considered a MM1 there. Or Maintenance Machinist 1. Spending alot of time on mills and lathes and fabricating parts for upgrades or prototypes. Not long in I took more of an engineering role designing parts and sizing components and drafting them as well as actually making them. I really enjoyed that. Liked the variety, and being able to actually make what I was designing. Didnt have the disconnect from what an engineer designed to what the machinists had to fabricate to what the mechanics had to work on. I was basically given a problem, and told to come up with a solution, which I did start to finish.

That company got sold to another company, which lost a large contract and subsequently closed down. So now I am working as a multicraft mechanic again. Electrical, mechanical, welding, machining, etc. Learning alot more about PLC stuff than I had the chance to at my last job, but its all good. All of these jobs I have worked have been 12hr shifts. Which I prefer cause I like more days off as opposed to working more days but fewer hours a day.

Also became a new landlord last year, and do alot of work with my tractor and backhoe as well as plow snow. Pretty much anything to keep me busy. My tax returns are a mess though:mur:

 

[firemech]

Retired firefighter after 25 years then had a dumb moment and bought a marina. There is no such thing as nice quiet marina to operate semi-retired just a small hectic marina north of Huntsville, Ontario:thumbsup:

 

[xzcVAbc5]

AHH, so YOUR the one......:mur::laughing:

But I'm not one of those "head in the clouds" engineers that has no idea how what I do actually works in the real world. I actually start up most of the systems that I write code for. When you have to suffer through the programming of your own doing and have to make it work you get a lot better quickly. It also doesn't hurt to work in an organization that has several "been there, done that" engineers that you can learn from and ask questions.

I don't know what machinery you're doing PLC programming for, but from learning over the years it never hurts to have plenty of timers whether you're buffering an input signal, delay starting something, or delay turning something off. You can always type in a different number and change the time and not have to make a program change on the spot.

 

[Duwop]

US Army Pershing ll Missile then took gig at Truck Driver in Downtown Chicago for a year, started roofing at 22 fell off roof broke neck and back at 28 continued to roof and picked up a Roofing Contractors License at 32 became roofing contractor on the side while roofing for the largest roofing contractor in North America semi retired and picked up HIC/CIC Licenses basically remodeling contractor and continued to roof until 47 when I joined the ranks of disabled/ retiree, I miss working and the fellowship of construction workers of all trades while adjusting to retirement on our mini farm where I enjoy growing food. I don't miss being the boss of crews as stated by others really seemed more of babysitting spoiled brats with no direction or goals.

 

[tcreeley]

Now retired after 9 yrs in human services and recently 26 years as a high school spec ed teacher - running a resource room for ED, LD. ADHD, Aut Spectrum.

My body gave out - needed a cane - tough to just walk into the classroom from my truck - arthritis!

Loved every minute of it, except the sp ed paperwork! Kids and staff were great!

 

[mikehaugen]

AHH, so YOUR the one......:mur::laughing:

I got an associate degree in automotive repair. But the later classes focused on higher performance engine and chassis design and building. But never worked professionally on autos.

Instead went to work for a company that makes corrugated boxes. Fresh outta school in a union factory I was doing production work. Running the machines and forklifts and rollgrabs. Wasnt long though and was in the maintenance dept. Multi-craft style. BAsically being an electrician, mechanic, machinist, welder, plumber, etc.

When the economy tanked in 2008, the company was sold and went from 24/7 operation with 4 shifts (12hr) down to a M-F 3-shift gig. Given the union factory, I did not have the seniority to stay. So I landed a gig at a factor that makes aluminum 12oz and 8oz cans. Was what they considered a MM1 there. Or Maintenance Machinist 1. Spending alot of time on mills and lathes and fabricating parts for upgrades or prototypes. Not long in I took more of an engineering role designing parts and sizing components and drafting them as well as actually making them. I really enjoyed that. Liked the variety, and being able to actually make what I was designing. Didnt have the disconnect from what an engineer designed to what the machinists had to fabricate to what the mechanics had to work on. I was basically given a problem, and told to come up with a solution, which I did start to finish.

That company got sold to another company, which lost a large contract and subsequently closed down. So now I am working as a multicraft mechanic again. Electrical, mechanical, welding, machining, etc. Learning alot more about PLC stuff than I had the chance to at my last job, but its all good. All of these jobs I have worked have been 12hr shifts. Which I prefer cause I like more days off as opposed to working more days but fewer hours a day.

Also became a new landlord last year, and do alot of work with my tractor and backhoe as well as plow snow. Pretty much anything to keep me busy. My tax returns are a mess though:mur:

Yeah, I think I remember you starting a thread years ago about the box plant... if I remember correctly I went through the same (Weyerhaeuser-IP) but I was "fortunate" enough to keep my job. Well, turns out maybe you were the fortunate one as it seems you have made the best of it.

I still work in maintenance for International Paper. Before that I worked in a quickrete plant, which is where I got my start in maintenance. I've been where I am now for 8 years now and I'm feeling like I've reached a plateau. I'm multi crafted (as they say- jack of all trades... master of none) and feel like it has made me a well-rounded mechanic/welder/electrician/plumber.... but I think I've gone about as far as I will at this place. I have really focused my attentions on the electrical/programming side of things, and so far they have recognized that and I usually end up with the "special" projects or issues, but there isn't enough of it to keep me interested in the job much longer. If I'm not learning new things I get bored easily.

I see in my future possibly getting some more schooling and possibly doing something like automation retrofitting, possibly robotics. But what kind of schooling? I'm thinking maybe computer science. I really feel that it is something I could be good at. If anyone has any suggestions about some type of path to take from here I'd love to hear them. I don't want to hijack, but feel free to pm me.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Well by tradition I'm a 8th generation cattleman/farmer on the original farm settled in 1824. I cowboyed and trained horses to help pay for college. My degree is in Agriculture Education. My business card says I'm a Agronomist/ Animal Scientist. (No need for livestock without grass, or grass without livestock)

 

[Mendonsy]

I design, build, and install industrial control systems.

 

[kcflhrc]

Telephone Technician for 35 years, complex business stuff, no residential.

 

[k0ua]

Telephone Technician for 35 years, complex business stuff, no residential.

What brands do you normally work on? I was a tech for 21 years, then a sales engineer for 13 focusing on Business telephone systems. Mostly Nortel and Avaya, some Mitel

 

[joemd11]

I did 6 years in the Air Force flying refueling tankers. I'm now on my 18th year flying for an overnight package delivery company. It is fun and rewarding, but crossing multiple time zones and alternating between day/night schedules is starting to take its toll on me. Hopefully I can hang in there for another 6 years and then I can do some real tractoring!

 

[LD1]

But I'm not one of those "head in the clouds" engineers that has no idea how what I do actually works in the real world. I actually start up most of the systems that I write code for. When you have to suffer through the programming of your own doing and have to make it work you get a lot better quickly. It also doesn't hurt to work in an organization that has several "been there, done that" engineers that you can learn from and ask questions.

I don't know what machinery you're doing PLC programming for, but from learning over the years it never hurts to have plenty of timers whether you're buffering an input signal, delay starting something, or delay turning something off. You can always type in a different number and change the time and not have to make a program change on the spot.

Various MFG equipment as well as robots. I dont do any of the programming. Our "engineers" do that. What we as maint. mostly is use it as diagnostic tools. And sometimes make small tweaks to pressure inputs, or timers. The beef I have in our facility is lack of labeling and lack of prints. Its easy to watch the program and see that I:2/06 is not being made. What the heck is that? No print in panel cabinet and no label on PLC. Not all of them are like that. Some of the programs are better labeled and some panels have current prints. But with hundreds of panels and hundreds of programs through out the facility, it can be a PITA at times. And no point in complaining about lack of prints. The answer we get from the eng. dept is.....its all on the shared drive, just look it up:laughing:

Well, in the interest of trying to not create excessive downtime, it would be handy to have a print right there. And not have to go to a computer (which does little good unless its right there with you). OR go to the shop and get the laptop. Not to mention just trying to find the print. Ever go through a "shared" drive on a large companies computers. Folders and folders, layers upon layers. It You can spend an hour and maybe not even find what you are looking for.

Yeah, I think I remember you starting a thread years ago about the box plant... if I remember correctly I went through the same (Weyerhaeuser-IP) but I was "fortunate" enough to keep my job. Well, turns out maybe you were the fortunate one as it seems you have made the best of it.

Yep. That was me. Weyerhaeuser/IP deal got me. Was your plan also an IP plant?

Weyerhaeuser had this business model that we were the "hub" plant. (Mt Vernon OH). Since we could make boxes cheaper than other plants in the area. So they turned that plant into a 24/7 operation and if business was soft, we didnt suffer as they would pull business from other plants to keep us going. IP's model was everyone for themselves. So the business that was being brought in to keep us 24/7 went out the window. And ultimately down to M-F 3-shift.

Dad still works maintenance out there, but not nearly as good of a company to work for as Weyerhaeuser was. Some of the things Weyerhaeuser did was: Can only force saturdays, not sundays. Double time sunday or anything over 48, double time for holidays. IP forced a contract change and can now force 7-days, and no double time at all for sundays or holidays. And then a whole list of other things that just make people dislike working there. Changes to vacation scheduling and number of people allowed off makes it hard to get days you want. Not to mention during the busy season (pretty much april-sept), they are running 6 days a week. And they have the workforce structured so thin if anyone goes on vacation, that means 2 people will be working 12hrs that day or week. So a good portion of the workforce there works 6 12hr days a week just about all summer long.

Yea, I think ultimatly I ended up in a better place. Not sure if other IP facilities are that way. But the people I used to work with that are still there hate the place.

 

[Mike_Kanzer]

Neuropathologist - I look at people's brains to see what is inside.

 

[mikehaugen]

Various MFG equipment as well as robots. I dont do any of the programming. Our "engineers" do that. What we as maint. mostly is use it as diagnostic tools. And sometimes make small tweaks to pressure inputs, or timers. The beef I have in our facility is lack of labeling and lack of prints. Its easy to watch the program and see that I:2/06 is not being made. What the heck is that? No print in panel cabinet and no label on PLC. Not all of them are like that. Some of the programs are better labeled and some panels have current prints. But with hundreds of panels and hundreds of programs through out the facility, it can be a PITA at times. And no point in complaining about lack of prints. The answer we get from the eng. dept is.....its all on the shared drive, just look it up:laughing:

Well, in the interest of trying to not create excessive downtime, it would be handy to have a print right there. And not have to go to a computer (which does little good unless its right there with you). OR go to the shop and get the laptop. Not to mention just trying to find the print. Ever go through a "shared" drive on a large companies computers. Folders and folders, layers upon layers. It You can spend an hour and maybe not even find what you are looking for.

Yep. That was me. Weyerhaeuser/IP deal got me. Was your plan also an IP plant?

Weyerhaeuser had this business model that we were the "hub" plant. (Mt Vernon OH). Since we could make boxes cheaper than other plants in the area. So they turned that plant into a 24/7 operation and if business was soft, we didnt suffer as they would pull business from other plants to keep us going. IP's model was everyone for themselves. So the business that was being brought in to keep us 24/7 went out the window. And ultimately down to M-F 3-shift.

Dad still works maintenance out there, but not nearly as good of a company to work for as Weyerhaeuser was. Some of the things Weyerhaeuser did was: Can only force saturdays, not sundays. Double time sunday or anything over 48, double time for holidays. IP forced a contract change and can now force 7-days, and no double time at all for sundays or holidays. And then a whole list of other things that just make people dislike working there. Changes to vacation scheduling and number of people allowed off makes it hard to get days you want. Not to mention during the busy season (pretty much april-sept), they are running 6 days a week. And they have the workforce structured so thin if anyone goes on vacation, that means 2 people will be working 12hrs that day or week. So a good portion of the workforce there works 6 12hr days a week just about all summer long.

Yea, I think ultimatly I ended up in a better place. Not sure if other IP facilities are that way. But the people I used to work with that are still there hate the place.

I could have almost written this post word for word. The first part describes my job pretty well...especially the complaints about prints and labeling :laughing:

The second part describes my company well. Yes, we were Weyerhaeuser but the takeover was like 2 years after I started so I didn't have a great "feel" for the company yet, but I will say that the changes IP made were all for the worse... right down to losing the double time. The pay is alright and I get a lot of overtime so it makes for a decent yearly salary given my "credentials" on paper.

 

[JSanders10]

So, from the beginning?

Start out in sixth grade working at a gas station when the owner broke his hip. Worked the next three years at the local rural airport tearing down and rebuilding aircraft generators, starters and alternators which we shipped all over the world.

In highschool and college, in radio doing news and disc-jockey back when we still had "discs" to jockey, lol.
Out of college, for the US Senate (Adm. Jeremiah Denton at the time), then the local county government as an administrator.
In 1994, I started my own business in graphics and printing, been holding steady here since then.

I've never had a job I didn't like... always been fun and always something I looked forward to each day.

 

[davrow]

Neuropathologist - I look at people's brains to see what is inside.

That must be an easy job - most of the time you won't see anything! :laughing:

 

[grsthegreat]

Neuropathologist - I look at people's brains to see what is inside.

well..you sure wont find anything in my head...thats fur sure

 

[elbowroom]

25yrs as an engineer at a large diversified mfg company.

 

[Cub 7274]

36 yrs with Canadian National rail as a brakeman,conductor retired now!