Heavy equipment mechanic, and Diesel engine specialist for about 15 years... Then I managed and worked at an Automotive Parts Warehouse for 13 years... Went to college at age 42, got my degree and have been doing Computer Data Entry work for the last 5 or so years. Now at the age of 50 I may have to go into semi-retirement due to health issues. I'll be curious to see what I learn to be from here on out...

Because they only allow 10 options, and one has to combine occupations to include more of the work force. Sorry if that offends you!!

Engineering FTW! I'm in college to become a mechanical engineer. For all I know, I could end up designing bicycles/components someday.

Seem to be alot of folks in technical fields here on the forums.

I've been around long enough to understand that to folks in polite society, a trucker in their midst is like a skunk at their garden party. But, I hang around anyway and try not to stink up the place too badly.
I inadvertantly started down this path at a very tender age. I went to work for a local lumber yard immediately after graduating (yes, I really did graduate) high school, and was tossed the keys to a delivery truck the first day.
I did have other ambitions, but somehow along the way, my young and naive mind became enraptured with notions of the open road, and that became my ambition.
I was driving 18 wheelers about two months before my 19th birthday, and spent the summer I was 19 hauling livestock accross Canada.
When I was 23, I really lost it, and became an owner operator. I did that for 10 years, at which point I was ready to hang it up and get off the road.
I went to work as an instructor at a truck driver training school, and began moving towards a career in fleet safety and compliance.
A very rocky stretch in my (previous)marriage put that plan on hold, and I went back to work driving for an environmental services company that I'm sure you've all heard of.
That job, which was supposed to be a temporary stop gap measure turned into a 17 year stint, the longest I've ever done anything.
Somewhere in my early 30s, I re-aquainted myself with bicycles, but they did not really become a passion for a number of years. Along the way, I developed an interest in bicycle mechanics, and began moving towards that as a career, including taking the Barnett Institute training course.
At the end of 2005, I gave up driving once again, hoping it was for good this time.
Having spent two years going through the excruciating process of creating a business plan, and having had the bank accept my proposal, I opened my bike shop.
I had a three year run during which growth was steady, but still never reached my overly optimistic projections.
After the first year of running the shop, with zero take home pay, I took seasonal employment as a driver on the Tibbit to Contwoyto Winter Road to rehab my bank account.
You may have seen this road featured in a little "reality" tv show called Ice Road Truckers. If you saw season one, they were filming it during my stint, same road, same time.
At the end of 2008, I realized my bike shop had reached the end of the road, and was forced to shut it down.
I was fortunate to find a job with a major trucking company that offered truck share jobs. This means I have a dedicated unit, but work 7 days on and 7 days off. Another driver works the same schedule opposite me.
I run a small bike service business at home on my off week,and have a small dedicated client list.
Over all, life is pretty good.

Dam, I guess my past career was way out..

Past Carreer..
Professional Gambler
Games, POOL, and REAL POKER..

Professional Gamblers win 92% of the time, it is their job..

REAL POKER=five/seven card stud, not that bullchit they play now and call it poker..

Pool, not the spectator gear shot making 9 ball, but point pool and one pocket. If anybody knows about pool..

In fact, two movies describe what I did for 35 years right to a tee.

The Cincinnati Kid (Steve McQeen) and The Hustler(Paul Newman) .
35 years.. of that..

Last 20 years in IT...

I voted for education because I couldn't mark more than one thing. I'm actually in IT and the library in higher ed, but my previous life includes years in marketing for Apple and editing a computer magazine for McGraw Hill .... a resume that looks more like a continuing journey than any particular destination.

Itinerant husband.....3 ex-wives.....35 years of classroom teaching so far. My alumni range from doctor to convicted murderer (actually 3 such criminals and only one seemed capable at the time). Best of all has been my role as father...none convicted of anything-- so far!

Science & Engineering - been doing it for 30+ yrs.

Soon to be ex-chemical engineer (hopefully). That makes two ChemE's!

Yes.

Including summer and school employment, paid jobs include:

• IT Director
• Newspaper Columnist
• Pastor
• Management Consultant
• Hematology Tech
• Building Maintenance
• Truck Driver
• Bouncer / Bar Tender
• Summer Resort Worker
• Gas Station Attendant
• Marina Attendant
• Waiter
• Doughnut Maker
• Dorm Adviser

I got into the Air Conditioning/Heating field soon after graduating. Became my own boss for 41 years. In 1980 I bought my first rental. In 1988 I sold the business and just managed the rentals. Sold them off just before the crash in 2000. Life is good

For the last 31 years I have worked in clinical technology side of the health care industry as a certified biomedical equipment technician.

Voted 'education' ... that's my current field (since '91). Was a practicing lawyer (corporate/tax) for 10 or so years (initial career) ... got the h__l out. Knew 3/4 year in it would be the death 'o me. Got out (never for one second regretted the decision), picked up grad. school, ended up teaching at a large university, in a large program. Also, for my sins, have an administrative appointment within my academic unit. Plan to keep at it for a good few years yet ... very happy mandatory retirement has been abolished here.

Electrical engineer.

Financial Markets...Municipal Products...We provide the financing for the roads, bridges, schools, water & sewer systems, etc. we all use every day.

My retirement needs some financing. Do you do that?

My stepson started driving about 2 years ago and he is hooked. Mostly long runs out west. He has now met his future bride after training her to drive and they are looking a house in Arizona. I mentioned on page one most of my work has been medical but I too did a 2 year stint driving for Laurelbrook Foods around 79 - 80, mostly thru the NC Tenn area including lots of mountain stops. It was not meant to last I guess but I could have been happy staying with it.

It's a whole different world than it was 40 years ago. In some ways it's much better, in other ways, it's much worse. I'm enjoying doing it the way I'm doing it now, but I could never go back to living in the truck for weeks on end.

15 years building custom furniture then switched to IT. I'm one of 3 people doing IT for a small pharma

Tool and Die maker. Apprenticed in a job shop in Mansfield Ohio, my home town. Moved to the Seattle area and with the exception of a three year in Spokane during a layoff. I have been working for a major commercial airplane manufacturer in the Seattle area. Hoping to retire in 4.5 years give or take.

What if you're an erstwhile graphic designer who's now a computer sysadmin, kinda? Not real sure where that puts me...

I clicked "Education" but only because "Failed rock star" wasn't there.

I'm half of the computer programming staff for a regional/community bank hq'ed in Bend, OR. Looking to stay there 'til I can retire, but with the economy being what it is, who knows?

SP
Bend, OR

I'm a REALTOR (R) for the past 8 years, but before that I spent 25 or so years teaching fitness for a living. Before that I owned my own horticulture business. I'd sell plants at festivals all over the Western Slope of CO, or from my apartment. I sold mostly to local businesses, I'd macramé' hangers for the plants, then contract for the maintenance of them. I loved that work.

And it all boiled down to sales/marketing. So I voted sales.