Question What do you do?

[Chilly]

Ok, so healthcare isn't critical for a functioning society....but if EVERY single nurse in all the london hospitals walked out on strike simultaneously.....a lot of people would die. Might help with overcrowding the population explosion and stuff....but still....

Only the sick or injured. The rest of us would be fine. It's brutal, but it's true. You turn the electricity off for more than half a day in London and the riots last year will seem like a bar fight in comparison.

 

[Turamber]

What you don't work for a local place and are considering working for a company from another country? I just don't know how you could have any passion for something that isn't from your own town.

Plastic accountant.

And yet I do and the German company have opened a branch in my hometown? If you'd managed to get a reference to 'turf accountant' in there it may have had comedic value. As it was... 0/10.

 

[rynnor]

Only the sick or injured. The rest of us would be fine. It's brutal, but it's true. You turn the electricity off for more than half a day in London and the riots last year will seem like a bar fight in comparison.

Plus without electricity you dont really have a health service - no cat scans, life support, monitors, x rays - the critically ill will mostly die in such a scenario.

Water is the civilization killer - drought destroyed the Aztechs and many others out in the deserts that once had water.

 

[Raven]

Turn the electricity off for a day round here and everyone goes to the pub and gets wankered. Gravity pumps, underground cellars and a good supply of candles = win

 

[Hawkwind]

I work for Panasonic Avionics in the In-Flight Entertainment industry. My current role has me managing the installation and account management of our Global Communication System (GCS) in the Middle East Region. GCS is basically hi-speed connectivity for civil and VIP aircraft and currently available on Lufthansa, SAS, Gulf Air, Transaero, Turkish Airlines and a few VIP customers. We have over 1500 aircraft signed up for the system modifications and also line fit options on A380, A350, B777 and B787. It provides a two way data pipe from the aircraft to ground via Ku Band Satellite. using the pipe we currently offer the following service:

• Live TV - BBC Eng & Arabic, Euronews and IMG Sport 24 (includes Premiership live games)
• WiFi connectivity
• Mobile Phone and Mobile data services - Just recently we purchased a majority shareholding in Aeromobile from Telenor. This adds mobile phone usage and GPRS/3G data to the connectivity sweet.
• Website info here

My function is as follows:

• Customer Liaison for all GCS issues both commercial and technical
• Assist customers with the installation design and make sure the customer specifications are adhered to (Hardware and Software)
• Assist with Certification and Regulatory approvals
• Report usage and profit share to customers
• Communicate activities to the regional customer base, additional satellites being added to our network etc.

I enjoy what I do and have worked in the industry for close to 15 years. Panasonic is good company to work for in my experience and I get paid very well. It is interesting and varied work. The only downside is perhaps a bit too much travel mainly in the middle East but also to US. Those 16 hour flights from Dubai can be a pain every few weeks.

 

[Tilda]

Did a law degree, qualified as a solicitor. Worked for a bit but found I was enjoying the medical side of the job the most. Now studying medicine in Norwich, just finishing up my second year! Loving life, hard work but so enjoyable!

(ps. if any norfolk bods have a spare monitor, mine is on the fritz )

 

[Ormorof]

medical side of being a solicitor? ambulance chasing?

i think we should have a "how the hell did you end up doing that" thread too, some pretty interesting jobs out there

 

[Vladamir]

Did a law degree, qualified as a solicitor. Worked for a bit but found I was enjoying the medical side of the job the most. Now studying medicine in Norwich, just finishing up my second year! Loving life, hard work but so enjoyable!

(ps. if any norfolk bods have a spare monitor, mine is on the fritz )

Lolwut, I just finished a 2 year MSc in Norwich, small world.

Qualified as a Physio in February, just sealed a job with a private company this week, career finally starting after 5 years at uni.

 

[Deebs]

Tomorrow I go to the Job Centre. First time in 26 years. Last time I was 17 and signed on for a great total of 4 weeks Need to as part of my claim for redundancy and notice monies from the National Insurance Fund as well as my payment protection insurance policies. Not looking forward to it if I am honest. Don't really want to.

As to what I do, IT. Infrastructure, security, design and operational support for 26 years. Have used Windows, Linux and Cisco solutions for a long long time. Also very adept on security solutions and know my way around Checkpoint and Cisco solutions. Anyone got a possible job?

 

[Edmond]

Can you use a power drill?.....actually, no dont answer that

 

[Deebs]

Can you use a power drill?.....actually, no dont answer that

Actually I am fantastic at drilling holes ....

 

[Aoami]

I don't envy you Deebs. I spent a fair bit of time in job centres in my late teens/early twenties due to moving around the country for various reasons. Never will you find a bigger shower of useless jobsworth arseholes than job centre employees.

 

[Killswitch]

I revel in the sheer glory of the job title of "Senior Infrastructure Architect" but I'm really a glorified Systems/Network admin. Third-line support, strategy, design and build of new datacenter locations, project management and consultancy services for new projects. I work for a pretty big IT Security firm. It's not very exciting but it does pay the bills and there are plenty of people without work who'd kill for that kind of boredom.

Next week I might be getting confirmation of a promotion to European IT Operations Manager (or some such) and getting the pleasure of managing staff in exotic locations and attending 5 hours of meetings every day. Yay!

 

[Jeros]

I'm a student, soon to by a min wage peon again as I figure out what to do with my life.

I have discovered money does not make me happy...... nor does it motivate me anymore, which has pretty much torpedoed by 15 year plan.

 

[TdC]

I revel in the sheer glory of the job title of "Senior Infrastructure Architect" but I'm really a glorified Systems/Network admin. Third-line support, strategy, design and build of new datacenter locations, project management and consultancy services for new projects. I work for a pretty big IT Security firm. It's not very exciting but it does pay the bills and there are plenty of people without work who'd kill for that kind of boredom.

Next week I might be getting confirmation of a promotion to European IT Operations Manager (or some such) and getting the pleasure of managing staff in exotic locations and attending 5 hours of meetings every day. Yay!

I feel your pain bro

 

[Ch3tan]

Tomorrow I go to the Job Centre. First time in 26 years. Last time I was 17 and signed on for a great total of 4 weeks Need to as part of my claim for redundancy and notice monies from the National Insurance Fund as well as my payment protection insurance policies. Not looking forward to it if I am honest. Don't really want to.

As to what I do, IT. Infrastructure, security, design and operational support for 26 years. Have used Windows, Linux and Cisco solutions for a long long time. Also very adept on security solutions and know my way around Checkpoint and Cisco solutions. Anyone got a possible job?

I'd say come and work where I do, but they've just bought a raft of projects and PCI contractors on board, and the non-contracting pay is fairly poor.

 

[Aada]

Tomorrow I go to the Job Centre. First time in 26 years. Last time I was 17 and signed on for a great total of 4 weeks Need to as part of my claim for redundancy and notice monies from the National Insurance Fund as well as my payment protection insurance policies. Not looking forward to it if I am honest. Don't really want to.

As to what I do, IT. Infrastructure, security, design and operational support for 26 years. Have used Windows, Linux and Cisco solutions for a long long time. Also very adept on security solutions and know my way around Checkpoint and Cisco solutions. Anyone got a possible job?

Be prepared to be made to feel like you're the scum of the earth when the Jobsworth sat behind the desks looks you up and down and rolls their eyes at you and believe me it will happen.

 

[Lamp]

I tell you what I DON'T do. I don't eat enough curry.

So there I was, on the way home, looking forward to getting in a Ruby, when I walk in and the Mrs is making a huge bolognaise. Don't get me wrong. I love bolognaise, but sometimes, nothing, and I do mean NOTHING...fills a hole like a curry. Specially one you've been salivating about on the journey home

 

[TdC]

Be prepared to be made to feel like you're the scum of the earth when the Jobsworth sat behind the desks looks you up and down and rolls their eyes at you and believe me it will happen.

last time (this is ages ago) I was in anything to do with jobs, the woman interviewing me burst out laughing when I told her I'd arranged a job all by my growed up self and would begin in two weeks time. it was only after she checked my documentation that she admitted she thought I was lying, and got cross when I mentioned I didn't appreciate her not having looked at my docs before the interview.

 

[Zarjazz]

last time (this is ages ago) I was in anything to do with jobs, the woman interviewing me burst out laughing when I told her I'd arranged a job all by my growed up self and would begin in two weeks time. it was only after she checked my documentation that she admitted she thought I was lying, and got cross when I mentioned I didn't appreciate her not having looked at my docs before the interview.

Similar happened to me when I told them the minimum salary I was expecting from a job. This was in the few months I signed on between leaving Uni and starting a job in London and I guess the jobsworth who interviewed me was expecting the same local chavs wanting 8k/pa

Joking aside, the Job Centre really was a grim & depressing place and I'm glad & lucky it's something I've never had to do since.

 

[Aada]

Aye it's grim, still when you see some of the people that come in there you suddenly feel a lot better about yourself.

When i was on the dole every week i went there was always someone kicking off because their beneifits had been stopped, made the day interesting.

Honestly though if you get made redundant think of it as an opportunity to get a job you actually want to do because usually when you are working you are never really looking for another job.

 

[TdC]

Joking aside, the Job Centre really was a grim & depressing place and I'm glad & lucky it's something I've never had to do since.

indeed. I feel exactly the same way. the general laws in the NL required me to go there, and I even had to look up where mine was as I didn't know. the woman I mentioned asked me why I was there since I had gotten a job already, and I felt really bad saying "because it's the law?". makes you wonder about people, doesn't it

 

[Moriath]

Tomorrow I go to the Job Centre. First time in 26 years. Last time I was 17 and signed on for a great total of 4 weeks Need to as part of my claim for redundancy and notice monies from the National Insurance Fund as well as my payment protection insurance policies. Not looking forward to it if I am honest. Don't really want to.

As to what I do, IT. Infrastructure, security, design and operational support for 26 years. Have used Windows, Linux and Cisco solutions for a long long time. Also very adept on security solutions and know my way around Checkpoint and Cisco solutions. Anyone got a possible job?

oracle always need systems people not sure what the job market is like here but were not to far away ... www.oracle.com im sure theres a jobs site off of there if it helps

 

[Raven]

I find Oracle terrible to use, whenever I am forced to use it via customer/vendor portals. I don't know what the fuss is about.

It must do some crazy shit behind the scenes.

 

[Moriath]

I find Oracle terrible to use, whenever I am forced to use it via customer/vendor portals. I don't know what the fuss is about.

It must do some crazy shit behind the scenes.

I'm not talking about oracle infrastructure I'm talking about the network and os that hold it together

 

[tris-]

I am a Trading Standards Officer.

My aim is to enforce legislation which carries criminal sanctions if breached, and to advise businesses on the law. The range of legislation I enforce includes Weights and Measures, Trade Mark/Copyright infringements (production and sale of counterfeit goods), Fraud, Product Safety, some general consumer protection Regulations concerning your average scum bag cow boy builder and a couple of hundred other pieces. This year I shall also be working around the olympic grounds at Stratford.

I investigate crims, commence criminal proceedings, recover £x thousands for old women who have been ripped off by door to door sales people, visit businesses etc. It is rather varied most of the time and the best part of the job for me is the enforcement work: smashing peoples front doors down or taking all of their unsafe toys that could kill your kids.

 

[Mabs]

I am a Trading Standards Officer.

My aim is to enforce legislation which carries criminal sanctions if breached, and to advise businesses on the law. The range of legislation I enforce includes Weights and Measures, Trade Mark/Copyright infringements (production and sale of counterfeit goods), Fraud, Product Safety, some general consumer protection Regulations concerning your average scum bag cow boy builder and a couple of hundred other pieces. This year I shall also be working around the olympic grounds at Stratford.

I investigate crims, commence criminal proceedings, recover £x thousands for old women who have been ripped off by door to door sales people, visit businesses etc. It is rather varied most of the time and the best part of the job for me is the enforcement work: smashing peoples front doors down or taking all of their unsafe toys that could kill your kids.

how on earth did you end up doing that ? sounds.. interesting

 

[Vladamir]

Shit tris I haven't seen you post in ages, good to see you're still keeping the bad guys in line.

 

[tris-]

how on earth did you end up doing that ? sounds.. interesting

I was stuck in a dead end job in a call centre. One day I looked on the local university website and found a degree (BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation & Consumer Law) which mentioned something along the lines of "how do you know you're getting a full pint of beer?". How did I know? I just took it for granted that it must be a pint, don't we all?

4 years later I completed that degree and got a job as a trainee TSO. I did further qualifications at work, the most recent being legal metrology and I recently recieved my certification from the National Measurement Office to show I am competent to be appointed as an Inspector of Weights and Measures. This is my main interest as the subject combines law, physics and maths, although we don't do much of it anymore. I have verified weighing equipment from your little shop counter instrument all the way to 40T weighbridges and the automatic stuff you get on packaging lines.

There is all sorts to be learned from doing this job from intricate technical details on product safety, to how to deal with different kinds of scumbags. I even made it on to BBC news about 8months after starting which was an experience!

 

[cHodAX]

Actually I am fantastic at drilling holes ....

Using your nose like a woodpecker is not drilling!