What Do You Do For Work/School?

[Colu]

I’m curious about the community, so tell me, what do you all do for work and/or school??

For the younger ones in school, what sort of future do you have in mind for yourself?

Anyone in post-secondary? What are you studying, are you enjoying it? 

And for those of you already working, what do you do and how did you end up in it? 
 

As for me, I work at a small, local print shop that also sells office and art supplies! I’ve been here for almost four years and while I may have started out front in the retail side of things back when I first started, I’ve since grown in to the role of being in charge of the printing! Aside from printing, part of my jobs includes ordering supplies and service requests, coordinating with the offset-press operator, and I also do most of the finishing (cutting, binding, stapling, glueing, basically anything that happens *after* printing to create the finished product)!

Prior to four years ago, this is an industry that was never on my radar and I could have never predicted that I would end up in it, but boy am I glad I discovered it! 
 

I graduated from it way back in 2011 and never pursued a career in it, but I actually originally went to school for aircraft maintenance. I guess sometimes we just never really know where life is going to take us haha. 

[Animedragon]

4 hours ago, Colu said:

As for me, I work at a small, local print shop that also sells office and art supplies! I’ve been here for almost four years and while I may have started out front in the retail side of things back when I first started, I’ve since grown in to the role of being in charge of the printing! Aside from printing, part of my jobs includes ordering supplies and service requests, coordinating with the offset-press operator, and I also do most of the finishing (cutting, binding, stapling, glueing, basically anything that happens *after* printing to create the finished product)!

Prior to four years ago, this is an industry that was never on my radar and I could have never predicted that I would end up in it, but boy am I glad I discovered it! 

Ooooo, a fellow printer. Before I retired I worked in in-house repro on all sorts of processes. Including high volume B&W (Xerox Docutech & 5090 I was ACT on both), dyeline, small offset, darkroom and finally digital colour. In the 48 years I did the job I did almost everything from site manager to operator to print finisher. Like you it wasn't a job I'd thought about doing or even heard of before I started, but it was a job I really enjoyed doing.

[Colu]

48 minutes ago, Animedragon said:

Ooooo, a fellow printer. Before I retired I worked in in-house repro on all sorts of processes. Including high volume B&W (Xerox Docutech & 5090 I was ACT on both), dyeline, small offset, darkroom and finally digital colour. In the 48 years I did the job I did almost everything from site manager to operator to print finisher. Like you it wasn't a job I'd thought about doing or even heard of before I started, but it was a job I really enjoyed doing.

That’s so awesome!

For the digital printing we’re running the Xerox Versant 280 Press with the booklet-maker. And then we also do large-format printing on a Kip 860. We do some offset printing too, but I don’t know much about that other than the press is quite old by now, we have a semi-retired guy that runs that one and comes in when there’s jobs available for it and the Heidelberg.
Slowly though, more and more stuff is being done on the digital press. Even just today I had to create a new file for the digital press because we no longer have the plates for a particular job for the offset press and it’s now more economical for me to run it digitally instead of doing it on the offset anymore. The majority of our offset printing is for duplicate/triplicate/etc forms like pre-trips and invoices and whatnot. 
 

It’s an industry I’m glad I discovered and I can’t wait to see all the different things I’ll end up learning along the way, and I’ve already learnt so much too!

[Sakura]

I'm in uni right now studying Marine Biology/Ichthyology, or simply just fish, I'm the crazy fish lady lol 

I have a few options for when I finish school but it's fairly far away, so nothing for certain at this point. I do field experience work with classes with local fisheries, Fish & Game wildlife services and the zoo aquarium. That's all just basically hands on training courses we need to graduate but it's a lot of fun too for the most part.
 

 

[Sakura Dragon]

I am a dog groomer and have been for five years. I actually went to/graduated college to become a veterinary technician. I decided against perusing that field and dove into the world of dog grooming instead. I love it a lot more.

[Colu]

On 2/28/2025 at 6:31 PM, Sakura said:

I'm in uni right now studying Marine Biology/Ichthyology, or simply just fish, I'm the crazy fish lady lol 

I have a few options for when I finish school but it's fairly far away, so nothing for certain at this point. I do field experience work with classes with local fisheries, Fish & Game wildlife services and the zoo aquarium. That's all just basically hands on training courses we need to graduate but it's a lot of fun too for the most part.

Never thought I’d meet a crazy fish lady! How did you discover this field of training? Glad to hear you’re enjoying it

On 3/2/2025 at 12:54 PM, CornedBeef said:

I wasted my 20s due to a mental health condition so I'm back to online college as an accounting major.

I'm trying to keep my grades above a certain level.

 

We all get our starts at different times in our lives, good for you! Any particular reason that you chose accounting? 

On 3/3/2025 at 2:04 PM, Sakura Dragon said:

I am a dog groomer and have been for five years. I actually went to/graduated college to become a veterinary technician. I decided against perusing that field and dove into the world of dog grooming instead. I love it a lot more.

I’ve heard that being a vet tech can be hard, which is understandable. That’s so cool though that you went for dog grooming instead! Do you get all different sizes and breeds?

[Colu]

14 minutes ago, CornedBeef said:

 

Thank you for the kind words.

I guess I chose accounting because it seems like a practical pursuit.  I did think of being a book proofreader or editor though.  But I was thinking it wasn't in demand.  Knowing accounting also helps in investing.  I love investing.  I make a bit of money while having fun.

Yeah, I think accountants (and bookkeepers) will always be in demand, smart move. Having a love for investing is such a bonus too, helps keep it fun for you!

Maybe once you’ve finished with school and settled in to a working routine, you might still be able to pursue proofreading or editing on the side in the future

[Sakura Dragon]

@Colu

It is difficult, as there is more that goes into it than doing general exams on patients. You are responsible for calculating medication dosages including anesthesia, giving those patients those medications with many having very specifics ways of giving (speed, location, species of animal, etc.), monitoring patients under anesthesia, monitoring patients as they wake up from anesthesia, inserting IVs, and so much more. In regards to grooming, I see all breeds!

[Animedragon]

44 minutes ago, CornedBeef said:

I think I might do game-related stuff as a hobby while finance is my main occupation.

Good idea. Making your hobby your job can be a mistake. I like taking photos, but I didn't want to be a photographer because I wanted,and still want, to have fun and take the photos I want to take not ones that people tell me to take.

 

@Colu I'm really sorry, but I totally forgot to reply to your earlier post. The set up you have sounds really impressive. The offset litho I used to run was a small Mulilith 1250 mostly using paper plates made on our Brunning 2000 electrostatic copier.  The thing I most enjoyed about the job was getting a whole load of files in various formats and merging them together to make a complete book. Being a creative sort of person it gave me a great deal of pleasure to look around at the end of the day at all the prints and books I'd printed and know that I'd actually done something.  I was once given the opportunity to apply for a regional managers post as my boss thought I would do well at it, I turned the offer down because I wanted to be a hands-on printer not an admin person.  It turned out to be a good call because the guy who got the job was made redundant 6 months later.

[Sakura]

11 hours ago, Colu said:

Never thought I’d meet a crazy fish lady! How did you discover this field of training? Glad to hear you’re enjoying it

I'm not really sure where my fish romance started XD My dad was always a big fishing person, he would take me out fishing with him when I was a kid and I went just because I wanted to see the fish. I got in huge trouble once when I threw his bucket of fish back in the water trying to save them LOL I also used to love to go to the zoo and stare at the fish exhibits for hours. I mean, I still do that but yeah lol ~

I really started my love for fish and marine life when I started watching Discovery Channels Shark Week. I've watched it every single year since I was 5 or 6 and never missed it lol As soon as I discovered that you could have a career helping fish, I knew I wanted to do exactly that and I've been determined to do that since then ^^ 

[DylanMax]

I didn't really do much today, my lectures was cancelled so I have been mostly indoors today.

[Gale]

Occupation: I work as a nursing assistant (or where I work at, a patient care technician (PCT)) at a hospital nearby me. I help take vitals, do blood draws, help people with going to the restroom, and other basic tasks to help the day go by smoothly. I'm basically a second pair of eyes for the nurse. If something goes awry, I'll let the nurse know. I've been working as a PCT for 2 years now, actually! And before that, I was a home health aide (HHA) for 2 years as well. I worked for a private company at that time, and helped clients out around the home (chores, errands, etc.). 

School: I'm currently in nursing school--2nd semester--going for my associate's in nursing (ASN). The program I'm in is 2 years so after this spring semester, I'll have next fall and spring to do. Thankfully, we're off for the summer. Predicted graduation is in May of 2026.

My mom was a nurse for 40+ years, and she inspired me to take up the profession. It's already hard work (both from working as a tech, and seeing what nurses have to deal with on a daily), but I think I'm in the right field. 

[Animedragon]

9 hours ago, Gale said:

Occupation: I work as a nursing assistant (or where I work at, a patient care technician (PCT)) at a hospital nearby me. I help take vitals, do blood draws, help people with going to the restroom, and other basic tasks to help the day go by smoothly. I'm basically a second pair of eyes for the nurse. If something goes awry, I'll let the nurse know. I've been working as a PCT for 2 years now, actually! And before that, I was a home health aide (HHA) for 2 years as well. I worked for a private company at that time, and helped clients out around the home (chores, errands, etc.). 

School: I'm currently in nursing school--2nd semester--going for my associate's in nursing (ASN). The program I'm in is 2 years so after this spring semester, I'll have next fall and spring to do. Thankfully, we're off for the summer. Predicted graduation is in May of 2026.

My mom was a nurse for 40+ years, and she inspired me to take up the profession. It's already hard work (both from working as a tech, and seeing what nurses have to deal with on a daily), but I think I'm in the right field. 

That's a really important and vital job you do, although I think nursing is more of a calling than a job. Two of my friends are retired nurses and a third is still working as a nurse in our local hospital so I know a little bit about what nurses have to do and deal with each day. I wish you all the best in your studies.

[Colu]

23 hours ago, Gale said:

Occupation: I work as a nursing assistant (or where I work at, a patient care technician (PCT)) at a hospital nearby me. I help take vitals, do blood draws, help people with going to the restroom, and other basic tasks to help the day go by smoothly. I'm basically a second pair of eyes for the nurse. If something goes awry, I'll let the nurse know. I've been working as a PCT for 2 years now, actually! And before that, I was a home health aide (HHA) for 2 years as well. I worked for a private company at that time, and helped clients out around the home (chores, errands, etc.). 

School: I'm currently in nursing school--2nd semester--going for my associate's in nursing (ASN). The program I'm in is 2 years so after this spring semester, I'll have next fall and spring to do. Thankfully, we're off for the summer. Predicted graduation is in May of 2026.

My mom was a nurse for 40+ years, and she inspired me to take up the profession. It's already hard work (both from working as a tech, and seeing what nurses have to deal with on a daily), but I think I'm in the right field. 

That’s incredible! Thanks for all the hard work you do. 
I hate hospitals, but it’s been always the nurses and their assistants that make it bearable for me to be there. 

[Gale]

1 hour ago, Colu said:

That’s incredible! Thanks for all the hard work you do. 
I hate hospitals, but it’s been always the nurses and their assistants that make it bearable for me to be there. 

Thank you! Trust me when I say that no one wants to be at the hospital. Not the patients, and DEFINITELY not the nurses and assistants (I can't speak for anyone else ).
 

[EiraSnow]

Hello Everyone. I am new to this forum. I currently work for a fiber optic internet company. And I have a child so I am also a full time mom. 

[Colu]

That’s right, I’m bumping my own thread because I’m nosy and want to know what everyone does

We’ve had quite a few members join since mid-March  

[neverletmego]

I'm in college (University, really) right now. I don't know if I've ever said what my major was. Well, it's English. I want to be a teacher.

[Colu]

13 minutes ago, neverletmego said:

I'm in college (University, really) right now. I don't know if I've ever said what my major was. Well, it's English. I want to be a teacher.

That’s fantastic! Any particular reason you want to become a teacher?
Will you teach kids or teens? 

Edited July 3, 2025 by Colu

[Sakura]

Well I think you already know this Colu but I have a volunteer job over this Summer where I'm working with the seals at the zoo

[Animedragon]

3 hours ago, Sakura said:

Well I think you already know this Colu but I have a volunteer job over this Summer where I'm working with the seals at the zoo

And that job definitely has your Seal of approval 

[neverletmego]

6 hours ago, Colu said:

That’s fantastic! Any particular reason you want to become a teacher?
Will you teach kids or teens? 

I've wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl. My grandmother taught for many years before retiring and my mom is also a teacher. Also, I want to help mold the minds of those who will be our future.

Now for your second question. Hmm....that's a tough one. I suppose I could teach either. I want to get certified in the higher grades though. Some of my favorite teachers were from when I was in junior high and high school so I would prefer to teach teenagers. But if I'm needed in the lower grades, I'll get certified to teach young children. I really am open to either.

Edited July 3, 2025 by neverletmego
I needed to put suppose instead of supposed. lol

[Zeref]

UI Engineer and I'm dabbling a little bit in my companies Detection and Response team as a Detection and Response Engineer. 

[Heylel]

I graduated high school this year a year earlier than planned because I was bumped a grade when I was younger so I'm already out and studying at culinary school at 17. I work part time at a Boots store to help my parents cover some of the costs of my schooling. I mostly work on the weekends but occassionally pick up a few hours on the week days too. 

[efaardvark]

Tech support for the Deep Space Network here.  Really.  NASA badge and everything. 

More precisely I'm in the data systems integration and test group for the TTC (Tracking, Telemetry, and Command) software used at the Jet Propulsion Lab to process telemetry from the various robotic spacecraft, landers & rovers exploring the solar system.  After the developers are done developing and the testers tell us they're done with unit testing a new software release my group installs and configures it all in a flightlike manner on systems that parallel the actual realtime telemetry processing systems at JPL.  We run it that way for a while and compare it with the data produced by the flight software, noting any discrepancies and testing out new features.  When / if it checks out we also manage the upgrading of the flight systems and the transition to the new software.  We're on-call basically 24/7 to troubleshoot any problems with the software and are usually scheduled to support critical events like launches, maneuvers, and landings.

As for how I got here.. In between semesters at a community college I took a full-time, short term job changing reel-to-reel tapes at JPL for the Voyager Neptune encounter.  (This was back in '87 so reel-to-reel was still a thing. along with punched cards, line printers, dumb terminals, etc.  The Intel 486 processor and the Internet explosion were still a couple years in the future.)  The job was work a trained money could do and was only supposed to be a few months.  The encounter was a flyby event so after that the spacecraft would continue on to interplanetary (and eventually interstellar) space where nothing much happens.  Once all the data from the encounter was transmitted to the ground the tape-changing would drop from one every 5 minutes to one every couple weeks.  My job would end and I'd go back to school with a bit of tuition / book money in my pocket and several months of job experience at JPL on my resume.  Eventually I planned to transfer from the CC to UC Irvine and complete a C&IS/EE degree there.

But my boss liked my work & at the end of the Voyager job asked me if I'd be interested in a full-time job in realtime ops in the NOC there in the SFOF.  Wasn't at all part of my original Plan but hey, NASA, so I took it.  The pay was decent, I figured it would look good on the resume, it was good work experience, and if it didn't work out I could always go back to plan A.  The next 40 years were a blur.