who does what??

[OilyFingers]

I'm at a bit of a crossroads job wise. After being sacked for ill health by the all conquering Capita I have the opportunity to do something worthwhile. If the truth be known I would be an auto sparky by now but a combination of no apprenticeships to speak of in 1999 and a careers advisor that only knew about university courses put paid to that idea. So as of april I will be a college student, firstly a short evening course on Welding then come September in Mechanical Engineering. As I'm in Gloucestershire I'll have a choice of companies willing to offer gainful employment as there is a massive skills shortage and a glut of export companies.

Being an office worker all my life and the history of Newcastle in manufacturing and Coal I have always thought those who make things are more noble than I. Instead of a graph with sales figures on to provide 'job satisfaction', ie getting your manager off your back you have a small pile of things that that morning did not exist. Thats pretty much why I continue to fiddle with cars. I end up with a small pile of broken/wornout parts, oily fingers and the knowledge that I have done something constructive with my day. That is the key to a good job. Can you walk into your house sit on the sofa with a well earned brew and think,'I worked hard today but my toil bore fruits that without me, would still be buds'.

One thing my Careers advisor said was that you have to work hard at school because there are no second chances. She was wrong. Life is full of second chances (career wise), as many as you need all you need is direction and hard work. You don't need to plan your life when your 15, despite what they tell you. I learned more about life dicking around and struggling than I ever would at uni.

[scmick]

After 35+ years as a junior school teacher, I'm now retired and have time to play about with all the cars/junk I've collected over the years.
Did really enjoy the job in the earlier years and used to go motor racing at weekends as 'release' from everything. (grasstrack, then hotrod oval racing then classic Saloons on the circuits) In later years, pointless paperwork and keeping the **** idiots who now run the whole show (and whose inflated salaries soak up the funds) happy took the emphasis away from what we were there for...the kids..!!! It even meant I didn't have time to go racing at weekends late 90's onwards.....
After a health problem I took the chance for early retirement....
Running the SIMCA club and putting the 1001 projects i dreamed up between heaps of paperwork into practice keeps me more than busy now.
Did keep the kids entertained though by turning up in a different old SIMCA, MATRA or even Magenta every day of the week, made possible by borrowing some of brother Kev's collection.
Mick

[andrewg1323]

Mechanic/MOT tester for local independant garage, We're attatched to a sales side who sell lash cars to footballers so do get to play on some nice toys occasionally...

[stuartd]

Technical project manager for a company that installs various communications systems but started out working on old (Victorian!) newspaper presses before getting made redundant and working on a market stall and then running a pub. As I'm based from home and control my own time I'm lucky that I'm able to play with my cars when I want but wouldn't fancy it for a job as I don't like all the new electronics

[TeamTotalWankel]

I joined the RAF at 17 as an Airfield / Radar Technician. Did 8yrs but wasn't keen on been told what to do and didn't fancy dropping everything to go off to cold places full of penguins or hot sandy places either.
My RAF training / experience took me into a career in Mobile Telecomms as a Network Engineer. I've effectively been doing this for the last 15yrs or so, just change the T-shirt every few years - Mercury...One2One...T-Mobile...Ericsson...???????
I learnt at an early age that there were better ways to earn a living than fixing cars, by helping out in my Dads garage business.

[TeamTotalWankel]

BTW - How cool would it've been to have scmick as a teacher??

I can just picture the class fools- a young TTW, Frank and Owelly (with his usual crusty snotty nose) and Jaffa off playing with the girls

[gary5687]

AS a plod I work shifts (they are really crap) and then on rest days and between shifts I run the housing and logging business. in theory about 40hrs a week as plod and then about the same on the other two sidelines.

It keeps me away from the nagging (wife) and the monsters (kids).

[Wolfie]

Franks chippy is very nice indeed!
next time i am over that way will pop in and shoot the breeze with ya!
oilyFingers, i used to for Capita when they had the Techguys, what a bunch of pratts was my lasting impression of them!

[1986535]

I am a male model.
You know when they do a 'before and after' shot,well I get a lot of work on the 'before' side of things.

[Relentless Rob]

Security Officer at a processed chicken factory in Wisbech.

Sorry it's not glamorous or interesting at all but it's the first job that came along when the recession kicked in.

I'd rather do something I hate than do nothing.

[mjslonergan]

and a processed chicken factory

Think this explains a lot Rob

I have been many things, Painter, Builder, Courier, Bus Driver, Sales Man, IT Recruiter, Marketing, Stint in Patents Office in The Netherlands, but currently Self-UnEmployed...

[TeamTotalWankel]

Security Officer and a processed chicken factory in Wisbech.

Do you keep the chickens in or the foxes out?

[Relentless Rob]

The only foxes are the Lithuanian and Polish girls who work there.

If you think the thread ratio is high due to boredom I also do this...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edward-an ... 2394160708

[TeamTotalWankel]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edward-and-Tubbs-Doves/258812394160708

I don't even know what that means Is it me?

[mjslonergan]

Don't mind the doves, I am still trying to figure out how you are a whole factory...