What do you do for a living? And Why?

[YankeeVol]

Get some of the $950,000 back we paid them to come beat us.

Slowly but surely lol

 

[Creeker]

I’m currently the Program Coordinator for a technology based non-profit that works to bridge the digital divide in the state of Tennessee. We have one program that serves all 95 counties in the state(program I work with) and another that serves 80 of the 95, along with some other community based programs in various parts of the state under our umbrella.

 

[superdave1984]

IT security. Because I can do it the rest of my life and it pays well.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Virtucon Industries CFO. Holding the world hostage for $1,000,000 ransom.

 

[kiddiedoc]

Been snooping around VN a little today. Saw this thread from a good while back and thought I'd throw in my .02.

My first job was flipping burgers at Sonic when I was in high school; and then for most of college I slung sandwiches at Subway. Did some summer missions work in Orlando area for two summers in college and worked at Fun Spot running rides.

Got my teaching degree at Tech and taught high school history. The problem with that is that you've got to either be a football coach or related to somebody important in a school system to keep a job doing that. I have neither of those things going for me, so I was let go of two teaching positions. Went back to Subway and managed two stores over a two year period, and then got back into education...where school #3 let me go in favor of somebody else's cousin.

By that point I'm damaged goods to a school system, but a new prison opened up about 40 minutes from the house. I started teaching Adult Basic Education there and did that for four years, until I transitioned to teaching a career management class for the next four.

Back in March, I was promoted to Education Counselor. I'm in charge of setting up HiSet testing (similar to GED, just under a different company) for inmates and verifying any previous education they may have.

Education in corrections is unlike anything else there is. No two days are alike at all. I've seen a little bit of everything. The pay is okay; not terrible, not great. What's rewarding is seeing some of these men achieve something they didn't think they were capable of and getting a chance to make something of themselves.

Are you, perchance, familiar with the Careerscope software by VRI? My dad was President of the company and is in the process of retirement/consulting. They do a lot with prison rehab/return to society, specifically finding jobs former inmates world be suited for.

 

[UnkieVol]

Virtucon Industries CFO. Holding the world hostage for $1,000,000 ransom.

We make steel, petroleum products, and volatile chemicals!

 

[UnkieVol]

Are you, perchance, familiar with the Careerscope software by VRI? My dad was President of the company and is in the process of retirement/consulting. They do a lot with prison rehab/return to society, specifically finding jobs former inmates world be suited for.

I've heard of VRI but I really don't know anything about it.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

We make steel, petroleum products, and volatile chemicals!

Yeah, baby, yeah

 

[BarrythesnoUT]

I’m just interested in learning more about folks.
Did you start your career for the money/lifestyle?
Do you have a job you love?
What brought you down this path to find this job?
Is it something that just gets you by? Or fills you with a purpose?

I started out my life in a grocery store at the age of 16. It taught me to be very responsible with my money and how important living within my means was. When I graduated high school I went to get my 4 yr Business Admin/Marketing Degree. While in college I was at a buddies house and he told me how he just made $5,000 after taxes selling cars and I was amazed.

That day changed my life, I went an applied at a local dealership and actually got the job. First 9 months in the business (19-20y/o) I made about $35k and set back enough to pay all my tuition for the remainder of school. From there, I couldn’t find anything that would be even close to the $50ish I was making in the car business.

Over the next 5 over so years I finally touched 100k in an year and hit a milestone I never knew was possible. Feb 2020 I decided to leave the biz because I never truly enjoyed it and it was causing problems with my relationship. 60 hr weeks Mon-Saturday for 5 years straight put a strain on my relationship. I had the money and 0 debt so it was the time. A month later the world shuts down

Fast forward through all the sad,mad,bad, and whatever else rhymes with that… times. Now I’m doing something I absolutely hate just to get by. I went from thrills of sales. The adrenaline rush of getting the close. To a B2B sales job that is more order taking than sales. I’m miserable. I can’t go back to the car business; because it’s just not healthy for my well being no matter the earning potential.

Did you love your career when you started? Or was it a process you had to grow to enjoy? Recession or not, I know there’s money to be made out there. I just want to find something that gives me purpose and fulfillment.

My journey has been a winding one. Got halfway thru college as a communications major then dropped out for a long time. Worked in automotive logistics for 5 years then production for 13, ending as a supervisor on 3rd shift for a couple of years. I was miserable. Luckily, during that time I had gone back to school to finish my degree. Got my business degree and turned that into a job in import/export with my company.

I love my job. Pulling in decent money, but more than that, I don’t dread going to work each day. My stress levels are pretty low. My relationship with my wife and kids is better. I’m starting to get back into shape. I worry about myself and my work, not someone else’s.

 

[Volfan1000]

I’m just interested in learning more about folks.
Did you start your career for the money/lifestyle?
Do you have a job you love?
What brought you down this path to find this job?
Is it something that just gets you by? Or fills you with a purpose?

I started out my life in a grocery store at the age of 16. It taught me to be very responsible with my money and how important living within my means was. When I graduated high school I went to get my 4 yr Business Admin/Marketing Degree. While in college I was at a buddies house and he told me how he just made $5,000 after taxes selling cars and I was amazed.

That day changed my life, I went an applied at a local dealership and actually got the job. First 9 months in the business (19-20y/o) I made about $35k and set back enough to pay all my tuition for the remainder of school. From there, I couldn’t find anything that would be even close to the $50ish I was making in the car business.

Over the next 5 over so years I finally touched 100k in an year and hit a milestone I never knew was possible. Feb 2020 I decided to leave the biz because I never truly enjoyed it and it was causing problems with my relationship. 60 hr weeks Mon-Saturday for 5 years straight put a strain on my relationship. I had the money and 0 debt so it was the time. A month later the world shuts down

Fast forward through all the sad,mad,bad, and whatever else rhymes with that… times. Now I’m doing something I absolutely hate just to get by. I went from thrills of sales. The adrenaline rush of getting the close. To a B2B sales job that is more order taking than sales. I’m miserable. I can’t go back to the car business; because it’s just not healthy for my well being no matter the earning potential.

Did you love your career when you started? Or was it a process you had to grow to enjoy? Recession or not, I know there’s money to be made out there. I just want to find something that gives me purpose and fulfillment.

I was a seasonal worker in public relations in Pigeon Forge during my college years and worked for Soo Knoxville for 19 seasons.

I mainly worked to help the public.

I was born with ataxic cerebral palsy and that is why I was a seasonal worker.

 

[VOLLeeann]

I dumped my ex and tired of working. Idiot pays my monthly stipend. As he should.

I teach spirit communication, I'm a medium. Much more.

 

[utvolpj]

I turned an econ degree into an IT career in logistics.

Why? Because it paid better

 

[WestTennesseeFox]

Sonic carhop and waitress in High School

In college I bartended and had internships, including one at Enron the year before they imploded.

Worked in commodities for 6 years, spent two years marketing large solar investment projects. I finally found my career calling as a contingent fee consultant, very similar to @Go aeiou. Did a lot of work with point of hire incentives as well as disaster related incentives. My former company got bought out in 2021 and I took early retirement package. Started consulting business in early 2022 primarily relating to business incentives.

Biggest piece of advice - Do what you enjoy doing, do it as good as you can, and treat people with respect along the way. The lessons and experience that I got reading people while bartending were vital in sales careers.

One more piece of advice - Life usually comes full circle so do not burn any bridges. For the past several months, I have been a broker for transferable renewable energy incentives.