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.
 

 

[CornedBeef]

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.

 

[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?

[CornedBeef]

1 hour 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

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

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?

 

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.

[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

[CornedBeef]

55 minutes ago, Colu said:

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

I appreciate your kindness.

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

 

[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.

[CornedBeef]

1 hour ago, Animedragon said:

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.

 

That's also a good point.  I wanted a practical choice because I was afraid employers would not want me if I had a degree in a field that is not in demand.

It's a good thing I didn't go for a game design field because it's not as secure as accounting.

[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.