Do you enjoy your job?

[Complete Turf Care]

In another thread, some were discussing how much they enjoy their occupation.

1. Do you enjoy your job? Or if you are retired, did you enjoy your work?

2. What type of work do you do?


I enjoy what I do most of the time. I own a small business. We build and maintain athletic fields. And I sell 3 different lines of highly specialized equipment for sports turf and golf. Growing up, I wanted to farm rice and soybeans. That didn't work out, but now I 'farm' grass on sports fields.

My biggest headache is finding and keeping employees.

 

[workinonit]

I am a self-educated electrical engineer and work for a very large global company based in Pa. The sector of the company that I work for makes process control systems for industrial purposes and the specific division I work in manufactures, installs and commissions voltage regulators for commercial steam turbines primarily for the power industry. I absolutely love what I do, especially now that I work for them and work and travel from home. It's basically semi-retired. The part that I have grown to detest is the travel. Flying has gotten to be such a hassle. So much so that if it's an extended installation I have increased my driving radius to 8 hours. Of course a ton of our work in in the west and mid-west so that is impossible. I plan to work 4 to 5 more years if all works out. You can't quit the gig I have.

 

[RalphVa]

I'm a retired chemical process engineer. I travelled around the world doing work in service to people and plants that made solvent-based lubricating oil. I worked for a large oil company and its licensees of its technology. Came back and worked for 4 years at the USA's largest wax manufacturing plant to keep from returning to the main research and engineering office to do more world travelling.

Very much enjoyed my work but also enjoy being retired. They called me twice to come back to do some work in Thailand and in Pakistan. Nope. Did I miss working they asked. Nope.

Now retiring from being master gardener newsletter editor for 16 years.

Ralph

 

[mjarrels]

Was a career Navy Chief Petty Officer. Single for the most part, just traveled the world on aircraft carriers. Never a dull day. Was always told that the live expect of a retired chief was seven years beyond retirement. Retired in 1997 and I am still very active at 66. Yes, life is good. I've seen things that were good and I've seen things that I never want to see again. Most people would love to spend a couple days on an aircraft carrier, I spent many years on six and lived through it all.

mark

 

[fried1765]

Was a career Navy Chief Petty Officer. Single for the most part, just traveled the world on aircraft carriers. Never a dull day. Was always told that the live expect of a retired chief was seven years beyond retirement. Retired in 1997 and I am still very active at 66. Yes, life is good. I've seen things that were good and I've seen things that I never want to see again. Most people would love to spend a couple days on an aircraft carrier, I spent many years on six and lived through it all.

mark

I spent time on an aircraft carrier.....as a Navy pilot, but was mostly land based.
5-1/2 years in the Navy. (The CPO's ran the Navy)
33 more as an airline pilot.
Retired 20 years ago as an international 747-400 captain.
In my opinion, this small town, only child, did OK.
Will be 80 in November.

 

[Egon]

I liked any job I Had as I also liked to eat!

 

[ArlyA]

Best job I did was 20 years of ski trail grooming. Didn't pay squat and I did some sled trails after doing XC thing. We of course ski and loved that type of work and would do it again in a millisecond. I'll attach a few photos which will not convey how the world looks in the early morning light, seeing snowshoe hares etc, etc. I was educated at this job.

 

[Citydude]

I retired in 2012 from 34 years of coal mining. Looking back, I enjoyed running equipment far more than managing people. Maybe that’s why I’m a wannabe hermit and get away from people?

Now my job is developing 23 forested acres where we will build our future home. Now I have my dream job. Hard work but very satisfying.

 

[ArlyA]

I retired in 2012 from 34 years of coal mining. Looking back, I enjoyed running equipment far more than managing people. Maybe that’s why I’m a wannabe hermit and get away from people? Now my job is developing 23 forested acres where we will build our future home. Now I have my dream job. Hard work but very satisfying.

I spent a few years in the powder basin in the early 80's. Seems like most of those mines have been sold or closed or and have new names now. Was Amax the largest mine there back at that time? Worked on a 27 yard payloader bucket while there!

 

[Citydude]

I spent a few years in the powder basin in the early 80's. Seems like most of those mines have been sold or close or and have new names now. Was Amax the largest mine there at that time?

Yes. The Belle Ayr mine was the first in the basin and the largest until Arco built the Black Thunder mine in the mid 80’s.

 

[kenmbz]

When I worked as an electrical engineer I loved my work, moved to Wall street and computers and I loved my work.
As I got older was forced into consulting by outsourcing and H1B and am now a program manager, like the work, but not anywhere as much as I used to.
Been all over the world, still like traveling, but don;t want to go back to three weeks on the road out of four, fun when I was younger, not so much now.

Egon - always add some fun to the threads - that's a good job right there ! I would never be a chef though, wanted to be when I was younger, but saw the life of friends who were chefs and the 6 days, 2-3 shifts was not for me.

 

[Tomtint]

I have had my business since 1985. Back then, we primarily tinted cars and other vehicles. I enjoyed seeing and getting to work on all the new models every year. Today some 35 years later, our business model has changed drastically. We apply security film to schools to slow active shooters, Blast mitigation film to airports and give buildings to mitigate the effects of flying shards of glass after a explosion..etc. I don’t enjoy that scope at all. We also produce one off custom printed films for all types of corporate office space type places. Often times with specific colors and or branding incorporated into the design. That facet of the business I do enjoy. There were a number of years where film was being widely utilized as a ECM on large buildings and that is still a need, but it’s so comoditized that it’s very hard to be profitable in that arena. I have a couple more years at the most and I’m clocking out for the last time. I’ll move on to something that I enjoy all the time.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I have enjoyed my career or the most part; always liked college. Started as a Microbiology Technician in an industrial research laboratory; worked my way up to a Research Chemist doing chemical analysis, X-Ray Spectroscopy and process improvement. Law school at night; worked for state DEQ for 18 years as Supervising Attorney doing pretty much everything...and pretty much everything needed to be done at that time, the agency was new. Two years as an Administrative Law Judge; retired...do woodworking, BBQ and driving my John Deere X350, herding my dogs and loving my wife of 57 years, my girls and grandkids! Oops...up until the virus, spent a lot of time at the Elks Lodge and piddling with my 1960 Impala!

 

[mrmikey]

Enjoy my current job, title is Equipment Coordinator, fancy name for I order and spec equipment for the province, been doing that 6 years now. Before that I was a weldor/fabricator in our welding shop which I miss, not so much the welding part but the fabricating as it was always something different somebody wanted. This position is a lot easier on the body but harder on the head .....dunno which is worse LOL..........Mike

 

[fried1765]

Yes. The Belle Ayr mine was the first in the basin and the largest until Arco built the Black Thunder mine in the mid 80痴.

Are we talking about surface coal mining?

 

[ArlyA]

Yes. The Belle Ayr mine was the first in the basin and the largest until Arco built the Black Thunder mine in the mid 80痴.

Are they still operating?? New names? I can't recall which mine my friends worked at. I had a buddy who wanted me to work on a drag-line being assembled there with him. Didn't look like all that much fun!

 

[ArlyA]

Are we talking about surface coal mining?

Of course.

 

[nbking]

I did 12 years in the Navy, AE. Then worked 14 as a contractor for the Navy with Raytheon, L-3, and a couple others. Now I mix paint at Kelly Moore, it's a pretty good job. But I do miss working on the planes, worked on A-6's, F-18's, and the Super hornet.

 

[Citydude]

Are they still operating?? New names? I can't recall which mine my friends worked at. I had a buddy who wanted me to work on a drag-line being assembled there with him. Didn't look like all that much fun!

The original Amax mines changed hands six times while I was there. Three times after I left. The latter three sales were influenced by bankruptcy.

All the mines in the basin are limping along. They have been sold or restructured the last five years so I really don’t know who owns them anymore. It’s pretty sad.

 

[Citydude]

Of course.

I’m pretty sure the picture is of the Black Thunder mine. If it is, my neighbor in South Dakota used to run that dragline.