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Author: Subject: What do you do for a living?
MikeR
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Registered 25/5/02
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Building: Slowcost since 2000, speeduino since 2020, Caterha

posted on 27/6/19 at 12:19 PM Reply With Quote
Started off as a programmer and slowly got more responsibility till I was a product manager with about 15 people working for me. Then got made redundant. Then got a job as a project manager and got made redundant. Then went contracting as an IT project manager. Had some good contracts, had some stressful contracts.

Currently wishing I was permie and doing the annual reviews etc cause I'm sick of the long days in the office and 2 hours driving a day, then not really seeing the family (or garage).

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Irony

posted on 27/6/19 at 12:36 PM Reply With Quote
Exhibition Design Office Manager.

Started off my career building theme park rides and got made redundant, Odd jobbed doing landscape gardening and then moved into exhibition design. Been doing that for fifteen years. Its stressful and full on but very very varied. Two days ago I was building a 'Dinosaur Encounter', today I am building a Pitch 'n' Putt game for the Scottish Open.......

Blatant Plug Below.

Dinosaur Event Linky

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Dick Axtell

posted on 27/6/19 at 02:44 PM Reply With Quote
Served engineering apprenticeship with the then British Motor Corp. (Nuffield apprentice). Stayed on for a year, (you can get bored working on diesel engines, when they're based on a defunct design!). Moved on, but within motor industry, finishing up as combined design/development engineer. So some time working in the office, with plenty of CAD work, and fair amount of time down in the workshop, for development work. That involved loads of product testing. Mix that lot in with supporting (& sometimes working with) joint venture associate companies and licensees.

Involuntarily retired 18 years ago, which enabled me to spend my available time on the Locost project. When not helping out offspring, wife, gardening, holidaying, being "low-cost" child-minders for the offsprings' offspring, rebuilding a website for a classic vehicle club (and then running it!!), and meeting up with similarly retired ex-colleagues, to moan about much of the foregoing.

Still better than HAVING to work!





Work-in-Progress: Changed to Zetec + T9. Still trying!!

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sdh2903

posted on 27/6/19 at 08:57 PM Reply With Quote
Aircraft maintenance engineer.

Started out in aircraft manufacture working at Bae working on 146/RJ/RJX and the ill fated nimrod mra4. Then did 4 years base maintenance then 13 years and counting out on the line. Some days spent drinking coffee and very little happening and others you're on the go for 12hrs+. Absolutely love the job and the opportunities it has brought.

Can't see me doing anything else to be honest, although I'd love to get off night shifts.

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peter030371

posted on 27/6/19 at 09:01 PM Reply With Quote
Started off as a storeman in 1989 managing electronic parts in and out, progressed through product test and then design and now I own the business and employ about 20+ people.... Not what I expected or ever planned to do but it pays the bills!
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bi22le

posted on 27/6/19 at 10:31 PM Reply With Quote
Great thread, very interesting.

With over 50 replies in 2 days it shows that this forum is busy but people ( like me) only engage when we want to. We are all in here regularly though!

So my turn. First proper job ( after pizza hut delivery and telesales) was as an autoelectrician. I loved it, did max power / revs feature cars, cruises. Top end trackers and alarms. All of that stuff.

I then became a Rehabilitation Engineer like Abe. Which is weird as it's a small industry so I probably knew him!!

I left there and now work for a global medical devices company as a product designer in R&D. Another cracking job doing mechanical engineering style work with manufacturing, project managment and human factors engineering thrown in. At 36 im starting to feel a change coming on. I quite fancy starting my own company's selling a novel consumer product I have tucked up my sleeve. I'll secure a patent, seek investment and give it my best shot at trying to become a millionaire.

Anyone fancy backing me?!

[Edited on 27/6/19 by bi22le]





Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!

Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1

Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I

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liam.mccaffrey

posted on 28/6/19 at 10:03 AM Reply With Quote
I studied maths at uni then switched to mech eng in 2nd year. Once I graduated in 2004 I entered the oil and gas industry working in oil refineries and storage facilities. I'm now an inspection engineer at an oil refinery. Working on asset inspection, design, repair and maintenance, for pipes, pressure vessels, reactors, heat exchangers, fired heaters. My main area of expertise though is storage tanks. Quite a niche area but it has taken me all over the world and to some really interesting places.





Build Blog
Build Photo Album

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mads

posted on 28/6/19 at 12:50 PM Reply With Quote
Clinician working within the healthcare technology sector.

Spent a few years working in the NHS and then moved into private sector working for software development firm as Subject Matter Expert > Product Owner > Product Manager > Solutions Director.





We gain knowledge faster than we do wisdom!

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip!"

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trextr7monkey

posted on 28/6/19 at 12:52 PM Reply With Quote
And now for something completely different

A degree in agriculture with special interest in pigs gave me 10 years running huge commercial pig farm, lecturing about pigs in a college then a change of location meant 5 years on the road selling pigs to farmers.
Took a year out and retrained as a nursery and primary teacher. Taught infants for 10 years using the long holiday s to work on a variety of kit car projects and this coincided with my own children. Moved up to secondary level and ran the Technology department in a private school for 17 years. Retired last year aged 60 still got 3 spare hobby cars and 7 lathes and am writing this from a ship cruising the Baltic
I miss the facilities I had at work and the space as well as the banter from the lads and older pupils. I don’t miss the political interference and managers who had no understanding of how a practical subject is taught!!
Atb
Mike

[Edited on 28/6/19 by trextr7monkey]





http://www.flickr.com/photos/14016102@N00/ (cut and paste this dodgey link)

Our most recent pics are here:
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martylemoo

posted on 29/6/19 at 03:59 AM Reply With Quote
I work onboard a 70mtr world cruising super yacht, currently on the way to Tahiti.
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phelpsa

posted on 29/6/19 at 12:07 PM Reply With Quote
I engineer & design race cars. Mainly office based but with some good perks.
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Benzine

posted on 29/6/19 at 03:31 PM Reply With Quote
Beetroot. I'm in the beetroot business. I'm a supplier, to M&S, Sainsbury's, Tesco, all the big stores. Both types. Crinkly and balls. Beetroot's been very good to me.
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G13BLocost

posted on 29/6/19 at 04:16 PM Reply With Quote
After five years of being a Formula 1 engineer (Simulators and driver training) I am now a robotics engineer making high throughput machines for laboratories. Love the work, the people and the extra time it gives me with friends/family/garage.

When it comes to car setup and tyres there is very little I don't know and I was fortunate to work with some really big names. Sadly the internet will always call you a fool no matter your experience





My Locost blog: ogilvietacing.com

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WanchaiWarrior

posted on 4/7/19 at 10:53 PM Reply With Quote
Structural Draftsman.

Started on the board in 1984, moved onto MicroStation and Autocad and recently Revit
,left the UK in '96 to live and work in Hong Kong, then Australia and currently in New Zealand.

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iant88

posted on 5/7/19 at 07:45 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
Beetroot. I'm in the beetroot business. I'm a supplier, to M&S, Sainsbury's, Tesco, all the big stores. Both types. Crinkly and balls. Beetroot's been very good to me.


Brilliant !!

What a way to end a post ................. Beetroot's been very good to me

I suppose I should put mine up - aircraft industry since leaving college - mostly military jets (20+ years) but now in civil nacelles for the last 18 years (mostly thrust reversers). Background is manufacturing and materials R&D. Really struggling to start my build but when I do (probably when I retire in 5ish years) it will be a Midlana with an as yet undefined engine.

Currently keeping myself busy in the garage with a VW T25 restoration (engine is in a million pieces and the mig is being worked hard), an old 1 litre Pug 205 that I think needs a gearbox rebuild, keeping my VW T5 in a suitable condition for me and 'er indoors to attend various beer & music festivals and repairing youngest lads Golf TDi which has just lost oil pressure ..... and the most satisfying bit ...... building 100cc 2-stroke kart engines for a variety of people. Busy, busy, busy

[Edited on 5/7/19 by iant88]

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Tazzzzman1

posted on 5/7/19 at 12:36 PM Reply With Quote
Started my career as a fitter/ toolmaker working on Tobacco machinery, Several jobs later got into electronics assembly and spent 25+ years in electronics manufacturing at engineering/ management levels.
After several career moves ended up working for a Tier1 supplier for automotive Mechatronics in quality management roles (designing and manufacturing car internal switch's etc).
Now working as a Supplier development engineer for Borgwarner turbo's. Very different and a real challenge. Lots of worldwide travel sorting out issues/ problem solving and developing suppliers. Much more to turbo's than I ever thought possible.

Before anyone asks no I cant get them cheap

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Benzine

posted on 5/7/19 at 04:34 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by iant88
What a way to end a post ................. Beetroot's been very good to me






Just after a minute in is the beetroot:


On a serious note, I build houses.


[Edited on 5-7-2019 by Benzine]

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big_wasa

posted on 5/7/19 at 05:14 PM Reply With Quote
Well I’ve always known I was a petrol head but I didn’t think as a kid I would earn a living moving flammable liquids around the country.

Favourite job for a while was a pawn broker

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Moorron

posted on 6/7/19 at 04:39 PM Reply With Quote
I do CAD in Solidworks for about 18 years now but have moved around a few companies. Finally I have found one local to me which is worth more than the extra pay I could get further a field. 3 miles to work means I am home 5 minutes after kicking out time and I can also run/cycle back if I want.

Below is a vid of what we do, I have done two artic units myself now and a dozen or so trailers and smaller motorised units. All one off designs in a tough learning curve environment. Stressful with regards to deadlines but all fun and no day is the same.




https://youtu.be/mvGkmrNqVII





Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.

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jps

posted on 7/7/19 at 11:23 AM Reply With Quote
At the moment i'm a 'Programme Manager' working at a university. I work on a project (any PM types feel free to point out the discrepancy) which is mostly about getting academics working with businesses on projects.

Prior to this i spent my career working in the public sector on various things to do with research/data/intelligence in policing/community safety/public policy: doing research and mapping, managing people who did research, working on projects/schemes/etc mostly about increasing public safety. I've learnt a fair bit about data, and all the things that go around it like governance and legal frameworks.

I often wish I could shift into something mechnical-related, but i'm late 30's with a young family to support and apart from the wide (but shallow!) learning i've done in working on my Haynes, I don't have any kind of background or formal training since my GCSE in Resistant Materials back in 1998. So it seems massively unrealistic to switch careers without becoming entirely skint in the process.

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nick205

posted on 8/7/19 at 02:43 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by jps
At the moment i'm a 'Programme Manager' working at a university. I work on a project (any PM types feel free to point out the discrepancy) which is mostly about getting academics working with businesses on projects.



A few years ago we had a university student join us for around 10 months on a "Knowledge Transfer Partnership" (KTP) scheme. He brought in some academic EMC expertise to our electronic and PCB design processes. It did us as a company quite a lot of good and gave him some real world work experience as well (he's since gone on to become very successful in the medical electronics field, working for a large multinational company).

Is that the kind of thing you're working on?

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DanP

posted on 8/7/19 at 08:41 PM Reply With Quote
Chartered Electronics engineer working as Director of Engineering at a small semiconductor company on the south coast, we do the silicon chips that power the display's and touch screen's of mobile phones, tablets, laptops etc.

I love some of the career changes that people have had on this thread, I'm looking to move into web software so we can relocate abroad and this thread makes me believe it's possible!

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swanny

posted on 9/7/19 at 11:23 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
quote:
Originally posted by jps
At the moment i'm a 'Programme Manager' working at a university. I work on a project (any PM types feel free to point out the discrepancy) which is mostly about getting academics working with businesses on projects.



A few years ago we had a university student join us for around 10 months on a "Knowledge Transfer Partnership" (KTP) scheme. He brought in some academic EMC expertise to our electronic and PCB design processes. It did us as a company quite a lot of good and gave him some real world work experience as well (he's since gone on to become very successful in the medical electronics field, working for a large multinational company).

Is that the kind of thing you're working on?


Im the KTP manager at Nottingham Uni, glad to hear the scheme worked well for you

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nick205

posted on 9/7/19 at 01:17 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by swanny
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
quote:
Originally posted by jps
At the moment i'm a 'Programme Manager' working at a university. I work on a project (any PM types feel free to point out the discrepancy) which is mostly about getting academics working with businesses on projects.



A few years ago we had a university student join us for around 10 months on a "Knowledge Transfer Partnership" (KTP) scheme. He brought in some academic EMC expertise to our electronic and PCB design processes. It did us as a company quite a lot of good and gave him some real world work experience as well (he's since gone on to become very successful in the medical electronics field, working for a large multinational company).

Is that the kind of thing you're working on?


Im the KTP manager at Nottingham Uni, glad to hear the scheme worked well for you



It certainly did - IIRC the guy was at The University of Leicester at the time.

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jps

posted on 12/7/19 at 05:07 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
quote:
Originally posted by jps
At the moment i'm a 'Programme Manager' working at a university. I work on a project (any PM types feel free to point out the discrepancy) which is mostly about getting academics working with businesses on projects.



A few years ago we had a university student join us for around 10 months on a "Knowledge Transfer Partnership" (KTP) scheme. He brought in some academic EMC expertise to our electronic and PCB design processes. It did us as a company quite a lot of good and gave him some real world work experience as well (he's since gone on to become very successful in the medical electronics field, working for a large multinational company).

Is that the kind of thing you're working on?


Essentially yes - but not KTP specifically, the project i'm on is doing a range of things, none of them to the size/scale of KTPs. Good to hear you've had a good experience with KTP though!

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