How do you make a living?

[gruff4531]

Land Surveyor, (work both inside and outside) started as a civil drafter after school in 2000 and worked my way into land surveying, know working and going to school to get my license. Before that grew up on a farm and worked as a farm hand during high school and two years of college.

 

[strongback]

Thanks for all of the replies! Though I was apparently wrong about there being a preponderance of white collar members, I was correct that there are some definite trends amongst our membership. I'll take half right over dead wrong anyday.

We seem to be very heavy, given our relatively small numbers, on mechanics and engineers. (Though I didn't mention it in my OP; up until a couple of years ago I used to supplement my income by turning wrenches too) The number of mechanics and engineers goes a long way to explaining the number of innovations and inventions that show up in threads here all of the time.

It's also readily apparent that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well on AS. That would go a long way to explaining the camaraderie we see here. The independent nature, belief in personal responsibility and the attendant attitudes that naturally follow give a common ground to the many posters who might not share any other professional or cultural similarities.

I'm no statistician but I will try to do a rudimentary crunch of the numbers to see if any other trends really stand out when I get some more time.

 

[strongback]

I'll take that friendly bet! (I really don't know, but a fun bet!)

Looks like I lost. I'll buy you a six pack.

 

[WidowMaker]

Retired Government Employee...I'm here to help...:greenchainsaw:


Actually I am retired..Local Government employee..
Fleet and Maintenance Manager for 22 years. 12 to 15 mechanics and 350 to 400 pices of equipment..from lawn mowers to Cats, and everthing in between..
before that a Tank Mechanic for the U S Army and National Guard...

 

[johnha]

While killing time between motorcycle, camping, 'yakking, fishing, hunting, and playing with chainsaw trips I try to keep computers running for people at a small college.

 

[Lurch2]

Lots of blue collar "grunt" jobs when I was young. Grew up a farm kid. Printer for 20 years. My wife started a small home based biz that really took off so now I'm her shipper. Semi retired on 21 acres in the Ozarks.

 

[ShoerFast]

Looks like I lost. I'll buy you a six pack.

Burp!

Not sure you lost,,, however thanks for the beer!

There are a fair number of White-collar members here also.

What I am impressed in, is the diversity!

Not much we could ask about that we would not have answers from the top of most any field!

​

 

[johncinco]

Self employed, investments & financial planning. Lots of retirement plans for small companies and individuals. White collar, red Neck. I do a lot of employee benefits consulting for manufacturing and industrial shops, so I gave up the suit and tie several years ago. It makes the guys in the shops nervous. Been self employed for 9 years. Before that I was a sales drone at a major wire house. 60 hour work weeks were slow ones.

Before that I was a police officer.

I also dabble in rental properties and trading land. So many foreclosures and tax repo sales, I can't resist the easy money.

Chainsaws and sawmill give me a great outlet to get away and also heat the house. I did part time climbing and removals for 4 years during college, so that led me down the chainsaw addiction path.

BTW, the World Champion Punkin Chunker is from Midland Michigan!

 

[strongback]

As stated, I'm no statistician, but here's what I got. I'm sure some of you would be insulted if I listed job by job, how, out of ignorance, I classified you. So I won't tell you and thereby save you the insult. From a government contractor, this will have to suffice:

34 - White Collar
38 - Blue Collar
5 - Green Collar
14 - Self employed
5 - Retirees
8 - Mechanics (as I read through the thread I would have sworn there were more.)
11 - Engineers
9 - Pro-Tree Guys (What are they doing on a sight dedicated to Arboriculture?)
And 1 - Domestic Engineer.

If the numbers don't add up it's because a self employed Mechanic fills a slot as blue collar, self employed and a mechanic.

 

[zeliespecwriter]

My high school drafting teacher put me in contact with a home builder. Learned how to build what I was drawing. Learned a lot about materials. Summers, between college breaks, went back to work for the builder. Never got that degree but know more about construction than the architects I work with. 22 years later, I write specs for an architectural firm. I am known as the answer man. Its easier on the back, but I miss the good ol boys in the field. Love it when they send me to the field. Married a country girl complete with weapons and a fishing rod. Have 14 acres, 2 horses, 6 chickens and a large vegetable garden. Have a few pumpkins for the machine. Cutting wood with the boy and wife is a great way to get the family together. Great thread! Great site! Glad I found it.

 

[clawmute]

I am a senior designer for an engineering company that specializes in the forest industries. We design sawmills, chip mills, osb mills, mdf & hdf mills. Anything to do with wood.

I have been a machinist, journeyman tool & die maker, and can machine up, weld, fit up & make work anything I design. I've designed machines for the past 40 years.

Cutting wood is as much a blast as it was 37 years ago when I first moved to the Ouachita mountains.

Happy cutting boys!

 

[jags]

I shoot frozen turkeys out of a cannon at airplane windshields.

Really - I'm a computer dude.

 

[Jkebxjunke]

Im a chicken farmer in slower lower Delaware ( 124,000 birds) .... about 5 miles north of the new location of the World Championship Punkin Chunkin site.
Also have to learn how to do lots of things when you are a farmer... mechanic, plumber, electrician, repairman.. ect.

BTW Marvin the Martians weapon used the Elludium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator... Him and K-9 ( and a jar of dehydrated martians) were always trying to blow up the earth since it blocked his view of Venus. "earth creatures make me angry .. very angry indeed"

 

[rb_in_va]

Software developer for a govt contractor.

strongback, how much do those rentals go for? I am in Hampton, and might hit you up next summer for the my son's b-day party.

 

[STLfirewood]

I've been an auto worker for 15years. I found out a couple months ago that the are closing my plant down. So as of Oct. 31 I'm an out of work auto worker. I have had a decent amount of part time gigs.

52d in the National Guard

2yr certificate in auto mechanics. I specialized in Mitsubishi 4 cyl turbo performance for about 5 years out of my garage.

I own a small Tree Trimming and Removal business. Light on the trimming. I'm not that skilled at trimming and I won't do hack work.

Sell about 60-70 cords or so of firewood a year. Now that I'm loosing my job this should go to 100 plus next year.

I do a decent amount of skid steer work for people.

I'm the find it guy. People call me when they are looking to buy things. I can usually find about anything in a short amount of time.

I'm currently enrolled in an EMT class. I guess that is going to be my next job.


Scott

 

[abohac]

Teacher/Coach/Farmer

I teach school, I coach baseball and football, I farm around a 1000 acres with my dad and I sell a little firewood on the side (about 100 face cords per year). I have a bachelors degree in secondary education and a masters degree in secondary administration.

 

[blackdogon57]

Self employed

Stay at home dad - # 1 priority
Boarding Kennel Full time
Proocess and sell firewood part-time (feels like full time)

Thought I was pretty busy until a read STL's last post - now I feel lazy !

 

[highasatree]

I've been an owner/tree climber/certified arborist/forest technician/groundman for close to 20 years, and have enjoyed being self employed over that span of time. I'm just waiting for my son to get older and take over to business so I can just go out and just do the estimating.

 

[flewism]

tool and die

I'm the day shift tryout foreman in a automotive tool and die plant. We use to be 450 plus strong in our heyday now we are at 234. I use to work in prototype sheetmetal and concepts cars in years past and building limo's on the side.

 

[jjett84724]

Sheriffs Deputy here. Been doing for about just over 5 years now. 15 to go!!!