- Thread starter F.J.
- Start date
I finished my 4 years aprentiship last September doing plating. Mainly working in oil and gas but also doing renewables. It's good money which keeps me going but I know it's not the job for me but I am on the books so will do for another few years. I enjoy the grinding and welding but not in that line of work. If I could weld cars every day I would. I do my own cars up and also help a local garage out when I'm free. Don't take money off him as its all experience for me.
Having read the thread so far I'm probably the odd one out here..
I'm a critical care nurse by trade and ended up working for the ambulance service in a teaching role. During this I trained as a Paramedic and now work as an Emergency Care Practitioner, essentially a paramedic with a few extra bells and whistles aimed at keeping people out of hospital.
The job is continually variable, you never know what is coming next and whilst it's generally nowhere near as exciting as Casualty would have you believe, you do regularly pause in the middle of a job and wonder if you are really doing this. You can be picking up and dusting off a fallen granny one one job and then ending up on a Sea King flying to a Major Trauma Centre on the next one.
I love what I do, but would love it more if we could get rid of the continual political pressure and meddling. I haven't had a pay rise in the last eight years but haven't been tempted with anything else.... yet.
I'm a critical care nurse by trade and ended up working for the ambulance service in a teaching role. During this I trained as a Paramedic and now work as an Emergency Care Practitioner, essentially a paramedic with a few extra bells and whistles aimed at keeping people out of hospital.
The job is continually variable, you never know what is coming next and whilst it's generally nowhere near as exciting as Casualty would have you believe, you do regularly pause in the middle of a job and wonder if you are really doing this. You can be picking up and dusting off a fallen granny one one job and then ending up on a Sea King flying to a Major Trauma Centre on the next one.
I love what I do, but would love it more if we could get rid of the continual political pressure and meddling. I haven't had a pay rise in the last eight years but haven't been tempted with anything else.... yet.
Daveleonard
Member
- Messages
- 31
Gents,
I might have somewhat of a dream job (for schoolboys) i am a moblie service technician, we make aircraft equipment out of orlando (aircraft loaders, pushback tractors,aircraft deicers) i get to play with all the big stuff and work alongside 747s and the A380 at heathrow and most uk airports all airside.
its long hours, hard work, poor pay and some of the people you have to put up with!
but i get to fab, play with hyds, and PLCs.
what FUN!
I might have somewhat of a dream job (for schoolboys) i am a moblie service technician, we make aircraft equipment out of orlando (aircraft loaders, pushback tractors,aircraft deicers) i get to play with all the big stuff and work alongside 747s and the A380 at heathrow and most uk airports all airside.
its long hours, hard work, poor pay and some of the people you have to put up with!
but i get to fab, play with hyds, and PLCs.
what FUN!
hillbilly234
Member
- Messages
- 91
twenty five years as a scaffolder have worn me out some,been welding since I was about twelve,love doing it,never had chance to do it as a job,trying to get there now.pretty good at repairing all vehicles,even hgv,have done some work as second mechanic in transfer stations near me.love problem solving.still time for me to get a welding job,as only 51 now.
did start an apprenticeship in the iron foundry in 78,but when Maggie thatcher got in they all closed down.
did start an apprenticeship in the iron foundry in 78,but when Maggie thatcher got in they all closed down.
- Messages
- 23,226
- Location
- Birmingham
I was a bit luckier, started mine in '76 and completed in 1980 just as the foundry closed so at least got my "papers".
DrNik
Heath Robinsons long lost son
- Messages
- 1,455
Well me... Hmmm
Left school hated it,left with a few qualifications,worked as a plasterers labourer for 5 years,went and fitted tow bars for 2 years,flitted to and from America for a few years. Fixed up cars,worked in a jam factory, then decided to work as a self employed maintenance man, then bought a sandwich round sold that and now I buy and sell anything, as my mortgage is low and outgoings low, I'm enjoying life (I always preach about how most people have lost sight of life). It's not all about the money, oh and I'm not a doctor, bought it off the Internet, always make light hearted conversation at a party and keeps them guessing,
and hell yes I love my job lol
Left school hated it,left with a few qualifications,worked as a plasterers labourer for 5 years,went and fitted tow bars for 2 years,flitted to and from America for a few years. Fixed up cars,worked in a jam factory, then decided to work as a self employed maintenance man, then bought a sandwich round sold that and now I buy and sell anything, as my mortgage is low and outgoings low, I'm enjoying life (I always preach about how most people have lost sight of life). It's not all about the money, oh and I'm not a doctor, bought it off the Internet, always make light hearted conversation at a party and keeps them guessing,
and hell yes I love my job lol
chunkolini
celebrity artiste
- Messages
- 9,601
- Location
- Swansea
Twenty odd years working with people with learning disabilities.
Started at the bottom (literally)
Got my degree in the field. did the VSO thin in Africa, achieved nothing and had a fantastic two years in West Africa.
Came back to Britain and got a real job, got promoted. Had an evil boss and colleagues.
Around this time wifey sent me on a night class in welding to get me out of the house one night a week, started dabbling in sculpture and liked it.
Refused to apply for promotions or do any more courses, then dropped a day a week to pursue the arty thing.
Bosses did not approve, things go so bad I was on the brink of either cracking up or doing in the boss and so called colleagues. A spur of the moment decision in a horrific three hour criticism session (they were euphemistically called Staff Development) led to me resigning to see if I could make it as an artist.
I figured three months and I would be working in Morrison's. But things could not have got worse.
Seven years later I am still pretending to be an artist and mostly as happy as can be. Still cant believe that this is real.
Bonkers.
An interesting mixture of backgrounds here.
Started at the bottom (literally)
Got my degree in the field. did the VSO thin in Africa, achieved nothing and had a fantastic two years in West Africa.
Came back to Britain and got a real job, got promoted. Had an evil boss and colleagues.
Around this time wifey sent me on a night class in welding to get me out of the house one night a week, started dabbling in sculpture and liked it.
Refused to apply for promotions or do any more courses, then dropped a day a week to pursue the arty thing.
Bosses did not approve, things go so bad I was on the brink of either cracking up or doing in the boss and so called colleagues. A spur of the moment decision in a horrific three hour criticism session (they were euphemistically called Staff Development) led to me resigning to see if I could make it as an artist.
I figured three months and I would be working in Morrison's. But things could not have got worse.
Seven years later I am still pretending to be an artist and mostly as happy as can be. Still cant believe that this is real.
Bonkers.
An interesting mixture of backgrounds here.
Premiershipman
Member
- Messages
- 868
- Location
- Isle of Man
Did the full A Levels, degree in Biology and returned to the IOM to a computer computer learning more about pc maintenance and web design, boss wasnt nice at all to put it mildly and so left to go to an insurance company.
Lasted only 6 months as i did not like the work in IT programming.
Moved to my current employer in 2001 and been here ever since and have worked my way up to deputy IT manager and mainly look after the banking system databases with about £2 billion in accounts as well as helpdesk work.
Feel like i am doing the IT manager's job most days but without the high salary, promotion is now non existent due to strategic reviews etc and don't expect to get better anytime soon.
But with a wife and 3 kids to support I am just taking the money and doing what I need to do.
Shady
Lasted only 6 months as i did not like the work in IT programming.
Moved to my current employer in 2001 and been here ever since and have worked my way up to deputy IT manager and mainly look after the banking system databases with about £2 billion in accounts as well as helpdesk work.
Feel like i am doing the IT manager's job most days but without the high salary, promotion is now non existent due to strategic reviews etc and don't expect to get better anytime soon.
But with a wife and 3 kids to support I am just taking the money and doing what I need to do.
Shady
KemppiFrog
Member
- Messages
- 4,298
- Location
- Aquitaine
Ok.
Had a decent education, and got a place at Kings to de Mech Eng. My maths was less than OK, so I fluffed that. Tried a few other courses, one in building const and some eng stuff. Meanwhile, ran the trailor works that was a spin off from my old man's boat stuff. (I learned to weld at 11, as I wanted a better soap box/kart than the wooden ones on pram wheels).
Working in the family is not allways ideal, so I tried a bit with a crop dusting company. Got the aircraft bug and moved to a start up air-taxi outfit as a temp low level mech. Three yrs later I was the eng manager, but not altogether happy with way the board was running it. So, friend running a farm in Portugal, broke his leg in a car prang. I decided to take 6 months off to help out. Then come back and get involved in another co. that did restorations on warbirds.
Well, I stayed 30yrs. Lots of different stuff, but always kept a workshop for fabrication. Other things were: running an antique shop, then set it up as a bar. Looked after some properties for a German shipping co. inc. their nice 70ft. yacht. Fixed other boat probs. Designed and built solar heating systems, plus wood stoves. Then designed and supervised garden structures for a big landscapers. I got to meet a lot of interesting and well know people.
All this sounds quite high powered. But, it was simply a lack of people there who would take on the tricky jobs (and deliver on time...)
Got fed up with the local system and decided to sell the house (plans to build in our view) Mrs. KF was not entirely happy there either, so we moved to France. Now working up a new business in the fabrication lark, not smooth going, but considering how Portugal has gone down the tubes, a wise decision.
Do I enjoy it. Yes! (but not always..) Would I have done it different? Well, I can't see any retirement with my feet up (now 65). So I should have gone the route many of my friends did, they are now comfortably retired (not sure if entirely happy) a few didn't make it to retirement.
Motto: If you don't like what is happening, don't be there. Nobody else is to blame.
KF
Had a decent education, and got a place at Kings to de Mech Eng. My maths was less than OK, so I fluffed that. Tried a few other courses, one in building const and some eng stuff. Meanwhile, ran the trailor works that was a spin off from my old man's boat stuff. (I learned to weld at 11, as I wanted a better soap box/kart than the wooden ones on pram wheels).
Working in the family is not allways ideal, so I tried a bit with a crop dusting company. Got the aircraft bug and moved to a start up air-taxi outfit as a temp low level mech. Three yrs later I was the eng manager, but not altogether happy with way the board was running it. So, friend running a farm in Portugal, broke his leg in a car prang. I decided to take 6 months off to help out. Then come back and get involved in another co. that did restorations on warbirds.
Well, I stayed 30yrs. Lots of different stuff, but always kept a workshop for fabrication. Other things were: running an antique shop, then set it up as a bar. Looked after some properties for a German shipping co. inc. their nice 70ft. yacht. Fixed other boat probs. Designed and built solar heating systems, plus wood stoves. Then designed and supervised garden structures for a big landscapers. I got to meet a lot of interesting and well know people.
All this sounds quite high powered. But, it was simply a lack of people there who would take on the tricky jobs (and deliver on time...)
Got fed up with the local system and decided to sell the house (plans to build in our view) Mrs. KF was not entirely happy there either, so we moved to France. Now working up a new business in the fabrication lark, not smooth going, but considering how Portugal has gone down the tubes, a wise decision.
Do I enjoy it. Yes! (but not always..) Would I have done it different? Well, I can't see any retirement with my feet up (now 65). So I should have gone the route many of my friends did, they are now comfortably retired (not sure if entirely happy) a few didn't make it to retirement.
Motto: If you don't like what is happening, don't be there. Nobody else is to blame.
KF
Apprenticed as a mechanical fitter, passed with ONC in Mech Eng. 18 months as operator at cement works (dusty sometimes dirty place but the craic was good and so was the place on reflection). Power Station Operations technician for five years, then Power Station Shift Team Leader since '97. Recently had to change employers as existing job was 'under threat', been at new place (power station again, same distance from home as old one), used to love it, and working shifts for the time off during the week, now hate it, hate the burocracy, hate the pettiness of fellow employees, hate shifts (evenings/weekends away from wife & kids), gas power industry going down the crapper (don't believe all of the press-fabricated 'power shortage' nonsense, gas power plant stood idle/ for much of the time or closing down nowadays).
As KemppiFrog says, if you don't what is happening, don't be there. If I can stand 3.5 more years the mortgage is paid, in the intervening period I will try to get my skills/training/knowledge to a point that I could seriously look at changing careers, but might have to do this before for my continued mental wellbeing.
Biggest mistake I made was (a) signing on as a fitter, should have joined the welding/fabrication queue as I enjoy this, (b) believing that because I'd picked bench fitting at 16 I had to stay there and couldn't look at moving to another company/talked to my parents and gone to college to learn fabrication/welding instead.
There are always choices, we just have to be brave enough to make them
As KemppiFrog says, if you don't what is happening, don't be there. If I can stand 3.5 more years the mortgage is paid, in the intervening period I will try to get my skills/training/knowledge to a point that I could seriously look at changing careers, but might have to do this before for my continued mental wellbeing.
Biggest mistake I made was (a) signing on as a fitter, should have joined the welding/fabrication queue as I enjoy this, (b) believing that because I'd picked bench fitting at 16 I had to stay there and couldn't look at moving to another company/talked to my parents and gone to college to learn fabrication/welding instead.
There are always choices, we just have to be brave enough to make them
Interesting bunch.
As a kid I busked, and during school did a fair bit of session musician work & gigs. Almost went professional but it does take some of the joy out of it. Went in to BE with a part time job as a radio engineer working on mobile networks for the past 4 years. It put me right off radio though, so went into mechatronics. Am about to start my honours research project, which I'm tossing up between a 3D metal printer, a "smart" induction furnace, and self-driving cars. Looking for a job in industrial automation after I finish, but would prefer working for myself probably.
As a kid I busked, and during school did a fair bit of session musician work & gigs. Almost went professional but it does take some of the joy out of it. Went in to BE with a part time job as a radio engineer working on mobile networks for the past 4 years. It put me right off radio though, so went into mechatronics. Am about to start my honours research project, which I'm tossing up between a 3D metal printer, a "smart" induction furnace, and self-driving cars. Looking for a job in industrial automation after I finish, but would prefer working for myself probably.
had great ambitions of getting my Highers (scotland) at school, doing mech. engineering at uni and then going to Sandhurst to gain a commision in the Royal Engineers! During my Highers I went slighty off the rails due to stress caused by a family member being ill, so I only gained 2 Highers. I promptly marched into the local Army careers office and signed up for the Royal Engineers as a soldier. Did my basic at Lichfield then progressed onto my Combat Engineering course at Gib barracks in surrey! All hard work, but it was great fun blowing cars up and the like just so we could learn how to rig explosives up was brill! I then spent 13 long, torturous months at the Royal School of Military Engineering in Chatham, Kent doing an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration engineers course. Lots of hard work on this course, with maths and physics playing a big part in it! Bonus was all the allied trades we had to learn such as the electrical and fabrication/welding side which I really enjoyed. I then spent most of my army career in Northern Ireland in the mid 2000's which was the end years of Op Banner. I got to see and experience the violence of the province and also played a part in the De-militarisation of Northern Ireland. Spent alot of months dismantling watch towers on the border etc. I also did a 7 month tour of Afghanistan in 2006-07 which was very intense and hard going as we didnt have even a 10th of the kit they have now!
Early 2008 I left the army and joined the police, a move I still regret to this day! I hated most of my 2 1/2 years as a copper and finally made a bold decision and just resigned before I went mad! Worked in the opencast coal industry for a few months doing drilling and shot firing before the coal market took a down-turn and alot of us got made redundant. At this point I decided to put my former military skills to use and started doing the odd welding job to get by.
Today, 2 years later, I am a full time mainline train driver with First Scotrail, but still actively do my welding and fabrication as a part-time business. I much prefer the welding side of life, but the railway pays good money and has lots of benefits and a good work-life balance so I plan to stay put!
blowing cars up and the like just so we could learn how to rig explosives up was brill! I then spent 13 long, torturous months at the Royal School of Military Engineering in Chatham, Kent doing an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration engineers course. Lots of hard work on this course, with maths and physics playing a big part in it! Bonus was all the allied trades we had to learn such as the electrical and fabrication/welding side which I really enjoyed. I then spent most of my army career in Northern Ireland in the mid 2000's which was the end years of Op Banner. I got to see and experience the violence of the province and also played a part in the De-militarisation of Northern Ireland. Spent alot of months dismantling watch towers on the border etc. I also did a 7 month tour of Afghanistan in 2006-07 which was very intense and hard going as we didnt have even a 10th of the kit they have now! Early 2008 I left the army and joined the police, a move I still regret to this day! I hated most of my 2 1/2 years as a copper and finally made a bold decision and just resigned before I went mad! Worked in the opencast coal industry for a few months doing drilling and shot firing before the coal market took a down-turn and alot of us got made redundant. At this point I decided to put my former military skills to use and started doing the odd welding job to get by.
Today, 2 years later, I am a full time mainline train driver with First Scotrail, but still actively do my welding and fabrication as a part-time business. I much prefer the welding side of life, but the railway pays good money and has lots of benefits and a good work-life balance so I plan to stay put!
Titus A Duxass
Member
- Messages
- 72
After a stint in the RAF as Air Radar Tech, I landed at BAe as a Logistic Support Analyst on the Eurofighter.
Then emigrated to Germany where I worked for Airbus on the A400M. But now I have ended up in Leipzig and I am the Integrated Logistic Support Manager for a small company that builds Mass Mobility Spectrometers and Ion Mobility Spectrometers which are used to detect chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemical in the air and on surfaces.
I am responsible for, amongst other things, the reliability, availability and maintainability calcuations, level of repair analysis, life cycle cost analysis, reliability centered maintenance analysis, fault tree analysis and root cause failure analyis - I like analysing things.
Then emigrated to Germany where I worked for Airbus on the A400M. But now I have ended up in Leipzig and I am the Integrated Logistic Support Manager for a small company that builds Mass Mobility Spectrometers and Ion Mobility Spectrometers which are used to detect chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemical in the air and on surfaces.
I am responsible for, amongst other things, the reliability, availability and maintainability calcuations, level of repair analysis, life cycle cost analysis, reliability centered maintenance analysis, fault tree analysis and root cause failure analyis - I like analysing things.
Wedg1e
They call me Mr. Bodge-angles
- Messages
- 7,756
- Location
- Teesside, England
I think this is the crux: most people stick what they do because they have a mortgage and bills to pay.
Once you don't have that burden I imagine some changes could be made - well I bl**dy hope so, there's less than 2 grand left on my mortgage
shenion
Tool Pack Rat
- Messages
- 7,586
- Location
- Stone Mountain, GA USA
Been working as an engineer since 1985. Have degrees in EE and CP.
In 1996 left job to take on consulting. Was fed up with the corporate lemming mentality. Do programming and board design.
Do I enjoy it? Not really anymore. Same thing over and over. Getting tired of fixing other peoples messes.
Would love a career change. Welding would be interesting but eyes and back probably not up to it anymore. Would love to run a machine shop.
In 1996 left job to take on consulting. Was fed up with the corporate lemming mentality. Do programming and board design.
Do I enjoy it? Not really anymore. Same thing over and over. Getting tired of fixing other peoples messes.
Would love a career change. Welding would be interesting but eyes and back probably not up to it anymore. Would love to run a machine shop.
brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
- Messages
- 5,749
- Location
- UK
I started off as a BT Engineering apprentice (then Post office) in 1978 in Doncaster, worked for them for 14 years, ending up working in London. Really enjoyed the first 8 years in Doncaster and London was OK but ended up managing a team of 20 data communications engineers who didn't want to be there with little back up from upper management so took voluntary redundancy the millisecond it was offered.
Went to uni for 4 years, Comp Science sandwich course, started working for a financial institution during the third year as a placement, turned permanent in my final year so did full time Uni and full time work by working shifts and swapping with other guys and a lot of cycling between the city and Holloway road.
Really enjoy the job, still working for same institution almost 20 years later although through mergers, acquisitions and buyouts it is now much bigger. I now manage a team of data network architects and lab technicians in various global locations in US and Europe. The guys are mainly self motivated so I can get involved in the techie stuff, not just management.
However I still miss hands on working in a small organisation, and ultimately would probably like to work for myself on something completely different but with two young daughters and a mortgage I will not be making any major voluntary moves just yet.
Went to uni for 4 years, Comp Science sandwich course, started working for a financial institution during the third year as a placement, turned permanent in my final year so did full time Uni and full time work by working shifts and swapping with other guys and a lot of cycling between the city and Holloway road.
Really enjoy the job, still working for same institution almost 20 years later although through mergers, acquisitions and buyouts it is now much bigger. I now manage a team of data network architects and lab technicians in various global locations in US and Europe. The guys are mainly self motivated so I can get involved in the techie stuff, not just management.
However I still miss hands on working in a small organisation, and ultimately would probably like to work for myself on something completely different but with two young daughters and a mortgage I will not be making any major voluntary moves just yet.
