Unemployed Again

What I want from a job:

Mix of physical and intellectual (some interpersonal). With room to grow into less physically demanding roles as I get older. (I don't want to sit in a cube all day, nor do I want to just be doing repetitive labor.)
Some variety in duties on a daily/weekly basis.
"Puzzles" that I can figure out, or ways to tinker and improve things. I like troubleshooting and diagnostics.
Pays a decent living wage (I don't need to get rich, but I want to save for retirement, enjoy a few hobbies, and generally contribute to our DINK lifestyle).
Something I'm able to feel like matters at least somewhat. (Not my job setting up mailing and announcements for government public works hearings.)
Enough flexibility of time to pursue hobbies and see the baroness regularly. Preferably working days. I can do early mornings or even early evenings. Definitely not 3rd shift, and preferably not a regular 2nd shift that gets me home well after the baroness is asleep.

It would be really nice to have genuine ownership of a portion of the process with valued input. But I don't want to be the final buck of responsibility for

Being a shift brewer wasn't a great fit for me. Being a head brewer was, but I had issues with the management here. The brewing industry is just something that generally is a lot of work, time, obligation, and hazard (craft brewing has a bad safety record) for relatively low compensation. Head brewer or Brewmaster at a place big enough to actually have resources to not work people to death is kind of the sweet spot, but those jobs are few and far between.

I could seriously do some sort of semi-skilled outside field testing or maintenance work. Taking water or soil samples for places. Inspections. Maybe electrical or HVAC if I get the certifications. Just not hard labor in the heat: construction, roofing, asphalt, etc.

I inadvertently bought watermelon based beer last week….can you imagine the waste water we’ll be seeing if that trend catches on.

Beer Baron wrote: What I want from a job: Mix of physical and intellectual (some interpersonal). With room to grow into less physically demanding roles as I get older. (I don't want to sit in a cube all day, nor do I want to just be doing repetitive labor.) Some variety in duties on a daily/weekly basis. "Puzzles" that I can figure out, or ways to tinker and improve things. Pays a decent living wage (I don't need to get rich, but I want to save for retirement, enjoy a few hobbies, and generally contribute to our DINK lifestyle). Something I'm able to feel like matters at least somewhat. (*Not* my job setting up mailing and announcements for government public works hearings.) Enough flexibility of time to pursue hobbies and see the baroness regularly. Preferably working days. I can do early mornings or even early evenings. Definitely not 3rd shift, and preferably not a regular 2nd shift that gets me home well after the baroness is asleep. It would be really nice to have genuine ownership of a portion of the process with valued input. But I don't want to be the final buck of responsibility for

I think you just described a teacher.

Start a brewing school.

mtn wrote: I think you just described a teacher.

Been there. Done that. Loved teaching. Loved kids. Don't like the parents in private schools or the absurd state of affairs in the public school system.

edit: I could see myself teaching junior high science again. People seem generally understanding if science teachers are kooky and are tersely low-filter in a borderline-autistic sort of way. All the grading though...

Beer Baron wrote:

mtn wrote: I think you just described a teacher.

Been there. Done that. Loved teaching. Loved kids. Don't like the parents in private schools or the absurd state of affairs in the public school system.

Teachers don't make enough/politics. Desk job sucks because desk job. Brewing doesn't pay enough/is too stressful. You don't want to do sales. You don't want to start your own business... Uh... well, I dunno. Maybe try being a gigolo.

There are no jobs out there that you won't find something you don't like. I'm not saying that you need to give up and give into [the man, your stress, whatever], but the "perfect" job doesn't really exist unless you have the right mindset.

In reply to mtn:

No job is perfect. I'm just trying to figure out which things I care about most and which I'm more willing to compromise on.

I'm fine with the modest pay of brewing. Brewing itself is not that stressful, I'm just colored because this particular gig I'm leaving was stressful because of issues I had with ways it was managed. My biggest issue with brewing is that I do not want to get stuck on a crap shift. I value free time and health more than (big) money.

I'm more trying to brainstorm jobs that are a similar level of physically demanding with a mix of technical that don't have the sort of "celebrity" of brewing... so are more common with less supply of people hurrying to get into the.

edit: Honestly. I do want to continue to be a brewer. I just need to find a position and company that is a good fit. I'm just scared about my prospects to be able to do that if I limit myself geographically, because I care more about the baroness than brewing, and I'm not going to ask her to move again. I'm trying to figure out other options that provide the same sorts of perks brewing did (aside from "celebrity") that expand my options.

In reply to mtn:

C'mon man. It's day one. Allow me a few sour grapes while I spam this message board as a way to distract myself from my distress while pretending to do something productive.

Beer Baron wrote: In reply to mtn: C'mon man. It's day one. Allow me a few sour grapes while I spam this message board as a way to distract myself from my distress while pretending to do something productive.

If it makes you feel better, I just wasted a day sitting at a desk working on a project that I just found out is getting scrapped, and was relatively worthless before it was scrapped (if the only reason that you're doing something is to meet a regulatory requirement, it isn't a good reason--and I do a lot of that, because a lot of regulatory requirements technically apply to us but not in practice)

Beer Baron wrote: I'm more trying to brainstorm jobs that are a similar level of physically demanding with a mix of technical that don't have the sort of "celebrity" of brewing... so are more common with less supply of people hurrying to get into the.

I find this sort of thing to be physical, full of little puzzles and possibly profitable if I didn't already have an actual job.

Also, race car fabrication is a bit of a thinker you develop scar tissue and repetitive motion injury from... sometimes rewarding as well.

Maybe weed farming? (no pics ;) )

Here's a Columbus based answer. Just a thought on a whim.
What about approaching a local, successful restaurant owner like Cameron Mitchell and letting him know your of your Brewster capabilities along with your availability.

I envision this possibly being a marriage where he might want to get into the BrewPub business but lacks the competent brew capabilities though he has the pub capabilities in spades.

I love being a registered Nurse for pretty much every reason you described your ideal job above. There's an endless growth path in this field, and a fit for everyone.

If you have a Bachelors degree, there are lots of programs available to get into the field within two years of class work and clinicals.

Best of luck. Keep striving for perfection.

fasted58 wrote: Racerfink does it. He seems to like it and it pays well. Hes all gentleman racer and E36 M3 these days As in municipal waste water treatment? Takes a special breed IMO, I wasn't that breed even after years of industrial waste water treatment. Contributing to society gets old quick.

I used to work for a custom chemical company- You'ld be PERFECT.

Its basically brewing and blending with a broader range of creative products and solutions, more brain power on your support team, and much cooler equipment to perform much more varied chemistry.

Not sure how much chemical production is going on in Columbus, but it's a huge industry with a LOT of different facets and specialties.

Beer Baron wrote: In reply to mtn: C'mon man. It's day one. Allow me a few sour grapes while I spam this message board as a way to distract myself from my distress while pretending to do something productive.

Booze classes at places like total wine are big business these days. Possible you get hired as a beer...expert? Combine teachind and beer.

Also i totally echo the no safety thing. berkeleying scary the E36 M3 we did. When you're hiding in the cooler because its a big metal box and the brew master is cutting up pallets with a 12" grinder......

Sad to hear it, but this is definitely a great time to be in brewing in Ohio, what with the 12% ban lifting on September 1st. Have you ever thought about opening your own brewery? Craft beer store/bar? Truth be told, it's an industry that I'd love to get into, but I don't know how, and I too came from teaching.

In reply to Beer Baron:

I've certainly had some beer that tasted like sewage.

If you like fixing things, stable employment, good benefits, helping a niche market......I suspect there is a VA Medical Center in Columbus.

I can assure you that there are lots of different job paths at the VA.

I've been a CNA, carpenter, and now locksmith. I'm not rich but I know that I have job security and I get to help a community that I'm kind of attached to.

Beer Baron said: I'm okay, but I'm not the best. I did a healthy amount of sales while I was working here, but I'm really a brewer/engineer type of personality rather than a closer. I really don't want to work sales. I'd rather do delivery work.

Sorry to hear about the career change. I was a bit lost when I sold my brewery, but managed to leverage the skills that I acquired building, maintaining and operating the system into careers in automation/integration and subsequently medical devices; there is a big interesting world out there.If you can wrap your head around brewing you can figure out just about anything.

Now we're talking! Custom chemicals, automation/integration, test equipment, drug manufacturing, medical devices...

That's the sort of stuff I'm thinking. I want to leverage the skills and experience I developed as a head brewer/brewmaster (all kinds of trouble shooting, production planning and forecasting, packaging, training, coordinating logistics with a distributor) and put them to work in a similar industrial production field that isn't as sexy. My problem with the brewing industry isn't that I thought it would be sexy and it isn't, but that everyone else thinks it's sexy and it isn't. Everyone wants to be a brewer (or thinks they do), so there is an oversupply of potential labor for what -at the end of the day- is just an industrial production job. It drives prices down, and gives owners/management the leeway to think they can skimp on safety equipment and expect workers to "volunteer" their time at festivals and events and such.

I could very happily go to work for the company that supplied my cleaning and sanitation chemicals, mixing up batches of caustic soda and boiler water treatment.

As far as degrees go: I have a BA in English and am 'Certified Brewmaster' from a German technical institute. I don't have a BA, BS, or MS in anything sciencey, but I know practical science, engineering, and problem solving.

KyAllroad wrote: I've been a CNA, carpenter, and now locksmith. I'm not rich but I know that I have job security and I get to help a community that I'm kind of attached to.

All these through the VA? I'm fine with that. Carpenter or Locksmith are both jobs I'd be interested in. I'm not looking to be rich. I'm looking to do okay. I've got no kids and no debt. It doesn't take a lot for me to be comfortable.

Brew Dog is coming, they're gonna need a bunch of skilled people. They make excellent beer. And if it turns out you're a good fit, growth is available and maybe the baroness will move you to Scotland!!

Side note: Baroness and I went on a brief skate and I'm feeling a lot better at the moment. My biggest fear is/was making her disappointed or unhappy with me over this. She said understood the situation. Knew what was going on. That this was a matter of "when" not "if".

You most definitely do not need a degree in anything "sciencey" to be a chemical production worker. Most of the guys I worked with came from an industrial background making tires.

You have the skills. Get to work.

You would probably:

• start as a production worker. It's a bit of grunt work, but nothing worse than you've seen, and it probably starts off paying a bit more. If you tell them you are a brewmaster, THEY will know what that means and how well your skills will transfer.

• Then, you can work your way up to a shift leader, and keep learning about processes that differ from your brewing experience. But it's all basic chemistry, which you already know (even if you don't know you know it).

• Then, depending on your strengths and interests, you could be a blender (not hard, just needs to have the right touch).

• OR, you could move to pilot scale. Chemists develop processes in the lab, then the Pilot Lab makes the first attempts at scale-up. They do complex small scale production, trying to see if the processes can make it to production scale. They are kind of a cross between chemists and production workers, but they get to use the coolest sciencey tools and equipment!