What do you do for a living?

[Radarbrew]

Retired from the AF after 20. (BTW, thanks to all who still do the job) I was an ECM guy, kept planes from being hit by missles. Got a job in Alaska, my last posting, working an Electronic Training range for aircraft. Fix radars (hence the name), and in general try to "shoot down" aircraft with simulated missles and guns.
My job "office" is in about 2000 sq. miles of Alaskan wilderness, my radar door looks out over a valley and a hidden creek full of Arctic Grayling. My next door neighbors are moose, lynx, millions of squirrels, and a mated pair of ravens who come around looking for food. And the pay is good....

 

[BlightyBrewer]

Write f*&^#$ing software. After 30+ years, I am really f*#^$ing tired of writing software.

Sorry...I know I shouldn't shoot the messenger, and on top of that I should count my blessings.

Still tho...I really, really hate software.

Sorry El.P. Didn't mean to press my finger on that raw nerve.

 

[El Pistolero]

Sorry El.P. Didn't mean to press my finger on that raw nerve.

You didn't...SWMBO has had her thumb grinding into that nerve daily for 20 of those 30 years.

 

[anthrobe]

wouldn't happen to work for TEL would you??

Nope, Applied Materials.

 

[madrean]

i worked for amat when i was in college (PVD chamber build line). boy, i hated that job! (not that the place was bad, just didn't like what i was doing).

when i got all gradyuaded i got a job with TEL in austin.

3 years later, i got laid off!!! nothin' like the high tech sector.

 

[anthrobe]

i worked for amat when i was in college (PVD chamber build line). boy, i hated that job! (not that the place was bad, just didn't like what i was doing).

when i got all gradyuaded i got a job with TEL in austin.

3 years later, i got laid off!!! nothin' like the high tech sector.

I have been working on the Endura for 6 years now. Funny that a whole lot of final test guys are now making it out into the field for they are tired of the crap in Austin. If I could do it all over again, I would have stayed clear of semiconductor.

 

[Tony]

Im in Corporate Security.

My dad raced Greyhounds for a living, and I was into that until my 20's, then worked as a heavy line mechanic for Pontiac. I got tired of that and then worked on 4 X 4's in a custom shop. They closed down after a few years, and ended up doing light machine work on German fighter jet turbine parts until the job was farmed out to Canada. Then I decided to leave my blue collar roots behind and moved into the corporste world. I'll be doing this now until I retire.

 

[SWMBO]

I'm an army reservist. I do accounting for the messes, meaning I buy and sell a hell of a lot of beer. Canadian soldiers are hearty drinkers.

 

[SwAMi75]

I'm an army reservist. I do accounting for the messes, meaning I buy and sell a hell of a lot of beer. Canadian soldiers are hearty drinkers.

So do us yanks. They don't provide beer with our meals, though. It all comes out of our pockets.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

In Canada we have a hot water tap and a Molson Canadian tap. Unfortunately Molson Canadian is a megaswill lager so it's basically cold water.

Hey I used to be a reservist years ago when I was 17. 748 Comm, Nanaimo.

 

[Walker]

late to the game here, but I'm waiting for something to finish running on the compute farm @ work and have a few minutes.

I'm a computer hardware engineer. (BS in Electrical/Computer Engineering). This is a job that kind of just 'fit' me.... I have had a computer at the ends of my fingers since I was 8 years old (I'm 31 now). I had to beg for two straight years to get my parents to buy that thing, too! Of course, they now consider it one of the best investments they ever made in terms of preparing their children for the future.

I'm by far the 'black sheep' of my family. Not because I do things that they do not approve of, but because I am educated and have moved away from the small town of 900ish people where I was born. Most everybody else in my family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, neices/nephews) lives within 30 miles of each other in rural Ohio.

I currently work for http://www.nvidia.com, designing computer graphics hardware. I recently finished my work on Sony's PlayStation 3 game console, but (ironically) I don't play video games very much... maybe a few hours a YEAR.

I view my job as a means to an end. The work itself is fairly easy for me, but the schedules that I have to adhere to make for some FANTASTIC loads of stress.

I like my job... I don't LOVE it, but I like it, and it certainly pays the bills. I find my joy in my family and my hobbies, and if I can stick to my plan, I hope to retire a few years early and just go fishing for a decade or so.

-walker

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Write f*&^#$ing software. After 30+ years, I am really f*#^$ing tired of writing software.

Sorry...I know I shouldn't shoot the messenger, and on top of that I should count my blessings.

Still tho...I really, really hate software.

You and me both, brother! Started out enjoying it, did it too long, now I hate it. But I have resolved to do something else this year, hopefully within my company, but if not that's fine, too. It is nice to lead a comfortable life with time for hobbies.

 

[user 574]

Write f*&^#$ing software. After 30+ years, I am really f*#^$ing tired of writing software.

Sorry...I know I shouldn't shoot the messenger, and on top of that I should count my blessings.

Still tho...I really, really hate software.

Hey El P. I'm in the market for some highly skilled programmer analysts with a disgruntled attitude who brew beer as a hobby. 1/2 my work force is disgruntled so you'd fit in great! Virtual office w/ VOIP works fine.

I got 20 years in the IT industry and I can feel for ya. The days of new technology interesting the heck out of me; keeping me up all night "playing" has past me by as well. That's why I like this hobby so much. LOW TECH! I've been thinking "What would I want to do" if I could just walk away from this industry. Hmmm... I need $ though too!

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

That's why I like this hobby so much. LOW TECH!

Me, too! My neighbor's always asking me, "Why do you make beer when you can buy it? Why do you roast coffee when you can buy it? Why do you swing a brush cutter when you could use a motorized whacker?" And I say, "Because I sit in front of a go##*!n computer all day long and I know these processes have worked for centuries and won't break! Now shut up!"

 

[Walker]

Me, too! My neighbor's always asking me, "Why do you make beer when you can buy it? Why do you roast coffee when you can buy it? Why do you swing a brush cutter when you could use a motorized whacker?" And I say, "Because I sit in front of a go##*!n computer all day long and I know these processes have worked for centuries and won't break! Now shut up!"

You should inform your neighbor that it is possible to buy pre-buttered MICROWAVEABLE toast in the grocery store (that's no joke.) Ask him why he bothers to make toast himself.

-walker

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

The funny thing is that he went to one of those "free daytrading seminars" and now thinks working at all is stupid. He's planning to quit work and just daytrade having learned in the last several months what selling short and options are.

 

[Kaiser]

What I do for a living?

right now, I switch between verifying/debugging a logic design and reading/answering on HBT all day . Good thing that the compile and run times are in the order of 5min.

I guess most of us feel the same about our high-tech jobs. It was exciting when we started and now it's mostly boring. But they pay good money to feed our families and fuel or hobbies.

I don't hate my job. Compared to most other jobs its actually a decent job (designing processors for cell phones). It's fairly interesting from time to time and my work hours are flexible. But, its only a job and I don't take it home.

I will see what the future brings. But once you have family, things are different. You cannot take as many chances anymore .

Kai

 

[Walker]

I don't hate my job (designing processors for cell phones).

Sounds like me, you, and BeeGee could start our own company. You make cell phone processors, I make video chips (some of which go into cell phones) and BeeGee writes software for those cell phones.

-walker

 

[ajf]

I brew for a living.

I work as a software engineer to get the money for brewing, but software engineers don't have a life. Ask E.P. or BeeGee.

-a.

 

[Kaiser]

I make video chips (some of which go into cell phones) and BeeGee writes software for those cell phones.

Do you work for Nvidia ????

I interviewed there before I came here.

Kai

 

[Darth Konvel]

Do you work for Nvidia ????

I interviewed there before I came here.

Kai

I currently work for http://www.nvidia.com, designing computer graphics hardware.

I went to school to program, design, etc (BS in CIS), but now I do more administrative stuff, and I'm not ever sure if I want to work tech for the rest of my life. Ah well :shrug:

 

[Walker]

Do you work for Nvidia ????

I interviewed there before I came here.

Kai

Yeah, I work for nvidia. I've been with them since Oct 2001. I worked out of their headquarters in Santa Clara, CA for the first 4 years, got sick of the Silicon Valley/Bay Area Attitude (me first! gimme! gimme! don't you know how important I am!?), and requested to move to the RTP area and work out of the Durham office. Moving here is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

-walker

 

[Kaiser]

LupusUmbrus,

RTFT! for myself .

I thought about that after I posted the note. I admit that I never read through the full thread .

Kai

 

[Kaiser]

Yeah, I work for nvidia. I've been with them since Oct 2001. I worked out of their headquarters in Santa Clara, CA for the first 4 years, got sick of the Silicon Valley/Bay Area Attitude (me first! gimme! gimme! don't you know how important I am!?), and requested to move to the RTP area and work out of the Durham office. Moving here is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

You may have even interviewed me in May 2004.

From what I head about the schedule pressure at NVIDIA, I'm surprised that you were able to get to 1600 posts since you joined the board .

Kai

 

[Walker]

You may have even interviewed me in May 2004.

From what I head about the schedule pressure at NVIDIA, I'm surprised that you were able to get to 1600 posts since you joined the board .

Kai

If you interviewed in CA, I might possibly have interviewed you. I was doing about 2 or 3 interviews every week for about 15 months. I didn't move to NC until Aug 2005, so if you interviewed HERE (durham), it wasn't with me.

As for the nvidia schedules and my (previously) prolific posting... I moved to NC right after finishing up a major project, and I was slated to start a new major project as soon as that project was ready for hardware contributions to begin.

The interim between projects ended up lasting about 4 months (longest 'break' I have ever had... they usually are measured in days, if not hours.)

During that time I was doing odd jobs for various projects (some verif here, some timing work there, some ECOs over here, etc) and I signed up to be a post whore on this site and was brewing a batch every 1.5 weeks or so.

My new project kicked into full-gear around thanksgiving time, and I've been very busy with it since then. My posting and brewing has dropped off considerably in the last couple of months.

-walker

 

[Kaiser]

If you interviewed in CA, I might possibly have interviewed you. I was doing about 2 or 3 interviews every week for about 15 months. I didn't move to NC until Aug 2005, so if you interviewed HERE (durham), it wasn't with me.

No, I interviewed here.

My new project kicked into full-gear around thanksgiving time, and I've been very busy with it since then. My posting and brewing has dropped off considerably in the last couple of months.

I think I noticed this. When I joined (Oct 2005) almost every other post was by you. And then it got quiet.

Kai

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I'm actually trying to get out of SW dev this year as I mentioned, probably something more technology planning oriented, but certainly more abstract than actual coding. The trick will be not becoming a project mgr which ain't my bag.

 

[user 574]

I'm actually trying to get out of SW dev this year as I mentioned, probably something more technology planning oriented, but certainly more abstract than actual coding. The trick will be not becoming a project mgr which ain't my bag.

Man, and I wish for the days of developing again. Instead of managing humans and projects. Grrraaaaaa!!!!!!

 

[El Pistolero]

Man, and I wish for the days of developing again. Instead of managing humans and projects. Grrraaaaaa!!!!!!

The only thing worse than writing software is not writing software.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I think imagining things that people could do with software without actually writing or being responsible for it could be quite all right.

 

[user 574]

I think imagining things that people could do with software without actually writing or being responsible for it could be quite all right.

My best would be to imagine the need, write it and make recurring cash out of the sale of your efforts for the short-term. Then, having someone like Gates or Symantec love it as well. They buy you out for millions and you kick back in your beachfront home with beer brewing goddesses assisting you in your hobby.

Vicously slapped back into reality so I can continue to write my report on why this field automation project is falling apart .

 

[mpetty]

Another IT brewer reporting in. I'm an IT manager at a small food distributor of about 60 employees in the middle of a turn around. Capital is so tight and there wasn't even a standalone IT department until October '05.

Fu** IT this crap isn't worth the 25 grand they pay me. Maybe if I made market price, but no, probably not even then. On the other hand, there's no dress code here (bunch of hippies).

...

Ok now that my little rant is over... I've been thinking I'm just going to throw up a website with a ton of content and make my money from Google Adsense then retire myself to Thailand and live in a Corona commercial for less than 300 USD/month while I make regular updates from a counterfeit Blackberry.

 

[subwyking]

im an airborne arabic linguist for the air force. just got done flying on a training sorty today. we had problems with the pressure pack on the jet. the internal pressure kept increasing randomly. (imagine how a ballon looks after you blow it up, deflate it, blow it up, deflate,.... after do it over and over again.) it feels like i just got beat with a bag of bricks. gonna miss all you guys when i go play in the sand box in a few months. but most of all the wife and kid...

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Keef halach? (or something like that)

 

[subwyking]

we have an official method to typing arabic in roman characters. i believe what your trying to say is

KIF HALK QM

which means, "how are you?" or literally, "how is your condition?" to that i would say:

BOIR CMM _HKRAN

"Well, thank you."

O=ch (not ch as in "child", but ch as in a horrible sound )
_H=sh
QM=question mark
CMM=comma

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Yeah, I'm not that advanced. Had some Arabs for officemates in grad school but drew the line when a Palestinian wanted to draw up a marriage contract to one of her friends if I would give up pork and alcohol (wtf ). "Her father owns a Subway and Brueggers Bagels, you would be wealthy! Please reconsider!"

I did learn how to write my name in Arabic which freaked my Mom pretty well.

 

[subwyking]

that was one of the first things i learned. all my friends and family wanted to know then how to write their name. i dont speak it much anymore, just a lot of listening and reading. its a shame. i really dont want my speaking skill to die.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Looks like there would be a lot of demand for speaking Arabic in the armed forces these days, but beats me!

 

[Beer Snob]

I'm pretty knowledgable on Hebrew. Oh and the "CH" sound can be made by ... lets see.... it's a gutteral sound kinda like clearing your throat... or... like when you are about to spit and make that gargle sound in the back of your throat (I know... sounds real gross, but if I can get a 7 year old to make the sound you guys should have noooo problem ). It is by far probably the hardest sound to make in the Hebrew/Arabic language. It is just not a sound that we Americans would say is polite so it has some emotional barriers ("I can't make that sound in front of you... ").

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I've found there are a lot of sounds in a lot of languages that I can't make because I'm from the South (including sounds in English). At least that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.