What do you do for a living and why do you like it?

Hey guys,

Long time lurker here. I've been taking in the knowledge here since long before I became a member and have been reading the mag for years. No build threads or anything fun from me yet as I am trying to get things together right now and that is my main focus. I am 22 years old and struggling to find a career path. So I thought to ask many of you like minded folks what you do and why? I am coming to a point in my life where I will be able to go back to school if needed or take bigger (calculated) risks to try to get a better job. I would like to do something in the automotive field but have pretty much put the idea of becoming a tech/mechanic to rest. Most friends of mine working at a shop/dealership in my area are unhappy with their salary and I actually make more than many of them in hospitality.

27 years old, BS in Mathematics. I work for a midsize regional bank, in Risk Management.

I like that I get to work at ~8:30, leave between 4:45 and 5:15 most days, they pay me decent money, and I get 10 holidays and 22 days of vacation. In the summer we usually get flex hours where I can stay an hour or two later M-Th, and leave around noon (or not come in at all) on Friday. There is a 401k match that is OK.

The job istelf? Well, its "meh". I don't want to come to work most days, but I don't hate it. People I work with are great. I'm "looking" for something else, in the sense that I'm keeping an ear to the ground on LinkedIn, but not much more than that. I get bored staring at the computer all day (hence why I'm on this site right now). I'd rather be doing something outside and/or more physical. I also dream of starting and running my own business, but I have no freaking clue what that business would possible be. And at the end of the day, I am addicted to the money and stability. I couldn't drop down to an entry level salary anymore. More than that, I won't give up my vacation package.

I think that if my situation were slightly different (no family ties to an area, no wife) I'd be looking hard into the trades. Plumbing and electricians are the two things I am about to pay someone to come and fix for me, and I'll be paying a lot of money for it I'm sure.

I publish sports car magazines. I like it because I enjoy the subject matter, and I have to wear a lot of different hats, work-wise, so every day challenges a different skill set. After nearly 34 years, I'm still not bored.

It's been that long because, like you, I found myself at 22 struggling to find a career path and realizing that this was probably the last time life would afford me the opportunity to take a chance on it. Luckily, I had a like-minded (even more so) life partner. I have often regretted it in the moment (any small business owner who tells you they haven't is a dirty liar), but never in the big picture.

That's my story, YMMV. But I say if your heart is telling you to jump in a certain direction, follow it. You're going to have a long life, ideally, and you want to spend it doing something you love to do.

Margie

dealerships are terrible places to work, compensation, benefits, hours all are abysmal. Add in a customer base that either doesn't want to deal with being there, or on the wholesale parts side, is having the strings pulled by insurance companies, and it's a lose/lose.

I enjoyed working in motorsport as the racers and sponsors were awesome. A large number of event organizers were powerhungry pricks who didn't want to deal with sponsorship deliverables or media promotion though, so that side surprisingly sucked. The was a shocking amount of political nonsense from those same powerhungry people thinking that they'd be able to elbow their way into something far beyond them, either with a sponsor, getting free product, for their personal use from a sponsor, or from a manufacturer. What the organizers failed to realize was that registration and the on track stuff ran itself, all they did was contact local EMTs and throw a berkeleying party. They could be removed from the equation and the show would still go own, likely better than before. I would've "fired" more than half of them if it was my call.

Find something that you'd volunteer doing and look into that field. I'm now working for habitat for humanity, in part as I can work from home at times, and in part that I can get rides to work when I'm unable to drive, it's some of the fastest pace and busiest work that I've had, but nobody within the organization seems to lose sight of the goal, the focus and commitment is re-energizing and the lack of political BS is refreshing. The only thing that I'd change if I could is that weekends are often involved as that's when the volunteer base is most often available.

I'm a 45 yo locksmith. I like it and my employment is as stable and comfortable as any job out there. Not much upward mobility though.

If I was 22 again I'd stay in the military (air force most likely). The ability to see new places, learn skills on Uncle Sams dime, move on his dime, and retire with 20 years..... Priceless.

Then enjoy collecting a retirement check while doing your next 20 years of civilian life. Double dipping checks is REALLY nice.

Welding. The world just made more sense to me once I started welding. As my skills behind the hood grew, I found I was a better house painter (learned to watch the bead), a better carpenter (more careful about cuts and measurements), a better mechanic (I could make whatever tool I needed to get the job done). I don't know how to describe it. The peace behind the hood, and the focus just plain work for me. It is hard on your lungs, though. More the grinding than the welding. Welding jobs are available everywhere, at all times. That led into management for me, which I'd highly recommend against.

Now, what I'd recommend to a young person: entry level -mechanic, mid level -nursing, degree holding - computer programming. Learn to write code, and do all that stuff this dinosaur can't understand. Best of luck. This is a good group to ask such things. You are already wise beyond your years.

In reply to KyAllroad:

That was my plan only with police as opposed to military, bonus was I was an officer in a county that revolved around a seasonal beach community. Nice place to retire to, work 4-5 months a year during retirement and still make a decent second income. Then I stumbled upon a graphic double homicide that involved sexual assault when responding to a silent alarm. I was never able to look at things, and people I didn't know, the same way. Knowing that it would effect my policing, I requested to be placed on desk duty until the trial and appeals were completed, and at that time I resigned. A lot of people think the difficult aspect of police work is dealing with the criminals, it's not, it's dealing with what happens to good people.

Also, if you ever find yourself in a dark place and have an offer to make deep into 6 figures working in a theater of combat for a private contractor. Don't. Just Don't. There will be a dark corner of you that you attempt to suppress and bury for the rest of your life and for months at a time you may be successful in doing so, but when recall returns, and you won't know when a trigger is coming, it will be brutal and haunt you. Never follow that temptation, I fear far more of such opportunities are going to be available to young people in the near future.

33 year old, Mechanical Engineer.

I like designing things. I design things in my free time.

At work I get paid to do it.

If I had to choose a different path, web development would be the ticket for me. Its still "designing things", but being able to do them with far less resources required would be great. I have like 5 or 6 web development ideas in my head that I would love to execute... I just lack the knowledge to do so.

wheelsmithy wrote: Welding. The world just made more sense to me once I started welding.

That is the best description I have ever seen of what it feels like to do something you love.

Margie

Been a GM service technician at a dealership for the past 5 years. Not a huge fan, flat rate is a terrible system, cars keep getting more and more complicated and troublesome, GM warranty pays absolutely awful. But it has a few perks. Pay is decent (when you are hitting 40 hours, which can be a struggle if there is a bad dispatcher), it's solid 9-5 hours, access to a lift and tire balancer and alignment machine on Saturdays, guys I work with are a pretty good bunch, skills I learn at work help building a racecar at home. But all in all, don't go become a mechanic for a living if you can avoid it.

In reply to NickD:

I think that as EVs become more and more common that becoming a mechanic is going to be rougher and rougher. Body guys will have it even worse with crash avoidance systems and autonomous driving, cell phones might be the only thing to keep them in business.

Most of the gang here knows what I do, but since you're a newbie, I work in auto insurance claims and have for nearly 20 years. My college degree is actually in human biology.

I enjoy it because it keeps me in the automotive realm, which is cool. I also just enjoy the field. Contrary to what a lot of people think, it's not the evil empire. You pay what you owe to customers who need it, it's great to be able to help in the time of need. You also get to lock horns with the slimeballs who advertise on TV that they can "get you paid" because someone tapped you in the McDonalds' drive thru lane. That's fun. It's actually a really good field to be in. Job security certainly is good...always some moron on the road crashing their car.

In reply to captdownshift:

Oh, it's ridiculous how much trouble we see just with infotainment systems, reflashes all across the product line. And it'll take 45 minutes and GM will only pay 0.4 hours. The other issue with being a mechanic is that it can be absolutely exhausting most days, then you go home and just don't want to do anything. Don't want to go out, don't want to work on your own stuff, don't want to exercise. And I see how a lot of the older mechanics I work with have all sorts of back and joint issues. It's not something you can work long-term and hope to be okay afterwards.

I'm a software engineer, have been doing it for 23 years. I like it because I really enjoy "watching computers dance" and having the satisfaction of getting the code to work and watching it do something it couldn't do before, knowing that I made that happen. It also pays well, although the tradeoff for that is that I live in the SF Bay Area, so COL is high and traffic sucks.

Mental health case manager. Just kind of wound up here. Cut my teeth in child abuse investigation and first responder for suicide. I like case management because a bad day of work doesn't result in a death certificate. Its also fairly stable hours, decent pay, and decent benefits. Much less emotional trauma is a huge benefit as well. I still have screaming nightmares from things i have seen.

Construction Superintendent. 55 years old. I have owned my own business most of my life, but now work for a bigger company.

I like problem solving and improving people's properties and work spaces. I also like developing a rapport with everyone at every level, and engaging people (owners, vendors, staff, subs, designers, inspectors, engineers) at a level that recognizes their individual skill sets and capabilities, then bringing those things together for a successful project. I also like the freedom.

My company says you can run a job with a mediocre Project Manager if you have a good Superintendent, but you can't run a job with a mediocre Superintendent no matter how good the Project Manager is. (Superintendents are now being paid more than Project Managers in most areas).

If I was 22 again, I'd be following Mike Rowe's advice- pursuing dirty jobs that other people don't want to do. I am convinced the 20 year outlook for people like me is that we will become rarer and rarer, and the salaries will continue to go up, while the "clean" office jobs will decline in value because everyone wants to do them.

I would also look harder at the military, and an engineering degree.

40 year old auto tech here. Been wrenching professionally for 22 years with all ASE certs(Master tech, Advanced Level diagnostics, Undercar specialist, and Bosch certifications). I always loved it for the hands on technical work and the mental challenge of diagnostics. Your day can go really well when you figure out a tough problem or make great hours. On that same note it can go to E36 M3 quickly. A troublesome diagnostic can kill all profit and generate serious stress. You can also show up and make little to no hours because the customers aren't buying or service writers aren't selling. You're paycheck is only partially controlled by your ability to produce, the economy controls the rest.

I really wish the industry would change the pay standard. I think commission is an antiquated system that promotes bad and/or dishonest work just to make a buck.

But with that bitching aside, I have access to a complete shop, all parts at cost, build and fabricate all my racecar parts, and never have to pay someone to work on my fleet of vehicles. Heck, I'm making a couple grand off a minor fender bender payout because I'm doing a majority of the work (beside paint). Waiting for the day it is only my hobby and not a paycheck.

I make more than most people with college degrees that I know, but the stress and physical abuse of decades of doing this is haunting me now.

The 2 best pieces of advice I'd give a younger me right now would be to:

1. Consider what jobs will and won't be around in 10 years. Automation has probably come to a bit of an inflection point in the US, and we'll probably start to see many jobs change, or disappear as a result. Pick a job where you can't be easily replaced by a robot.

2. Have a skillset that travels with you. Develop skills that will pay the bills. Studying something that fascinates you is great, but if you don't make enough to live off of after you've obtained that knowledge or skill, then you're doing yourself a disservice. Make a VENN diagram with stuff you like or are good at on one side and decent paying careers on the other. Then target the ones that fit both categories.

Second career at 46!

I am a Machine Technician at Denso Manufacturing Michigan, Inc. we build cooling system components for the OEM and aftermarket.

I come in to work and maintain 15 individual machines ranging from robots to a 620*c furnace! My days fly by, the people are cool and the pay is exceptional!

I'm 31 with a bachelors in Biology, and I'm an Automation Engineer for a company that has a commercial cancer genomics test. It's kind of a catchall job - I program and develop methods for liquid handling robots, support the clinical lab when they have problems, and perform maintenance and repair when it's needed.

I like that I have a lot of independence, the job is different from day to day, and there's always something to do. I get to problem solve, and get a decent mix of hand-on mechanical stuff and more theoretical, cerebral problem solving. I really think that the company I work for is making a real difference in people's lives by helping to change the way cancer is treated. The money and benefits are also very good.

On the downside - it's pretty high stress, especially since we are a rapidly growing company. We are perpetually somewhat understaffed. It's a bit of a niche field, so I'm geographically limited to places with a lot of biotech or pharma. I feel a little bit like a jack of all trades, master of none - I do a little computer programming, but I'm not a programmer, a little bit of engineering, but I'm not really an engineer, a little bit of Biochemistry but I'm not really a Biochemist.

All in all, it's a decent job. I'm feeling a little burned out at the moment, but that's not entirely the fault of the job.

I wanted to be a chef as a kid. Worked my way up to head cook, hated it. Switched restaurants a few times and still hated it and it occurred to me that perhaps it was the industry and not the locations. Took my computer hobby and went straight from food to IT and ran a small computer shop from 93-99. I enjoyed the problem solving side and the constant service calls kept me entertained but after 6 years I was over it. The opportunity to drastically switch fields fell into my lap and I became and industrial mechanic which transitioned to machinist, millwright and fabricating. It was a real "office space" moment for me. Switching from business casual to dirty coveralls and really making things was a huge change in me. After 12 years the plant I kept running was closed down in a corporate buyout and I got an offer to be where I am now, which is in the restoration of vintage sports cars. I truly love it. The skills I developed at the last job transitioned right over. It is very laid back and relaxed and the focus is in doing the best work you can do, not just what is needed.

I am looking forward to becoming a Luthier when I retire. I feel I have at least one more career in me.

I'm 42 and have been working as an Electrician for the last twelve years. It pays well, offers good benefits, and is very stable- all because of my employer, a good sized university in the city where I live.

Being an electrician is ok- it wasn't my first choice, but has come in handy more than once. And it is a field that will allow you to specialize and, if you want, be very much in demand on a national level.

I also used to work in the automotive world, starting when I was in my 20s. First as a tool maker in a small shop, eventually as a quality manager at a tier 1 supplier. I loved the industry and the work, but had a tough go because I didn't have an engineering background.

And it is an industry that can change very quickly. When it takes a downturn it can be ugly. Shops and plants close, etc.

And to echo what others have said, the last thing I want to do when I get home from work is electrical work. Working on cars is my hobby, and I'm afraid if I try to turn that into a career I won't want to do that at home either!

NEALSMO wrote: I really wish the industry would change the pay standard. I think commission is an antiquated system that promotes bad and/or dishonest work just to make a buck.

Huh. I'd be interested in hearing more.

As far as I am concerned , I would MUCH rather be paid via a commission structure (we call it "piece work" in construction). It rewards the people who develop exceptional skills or invest in better tools which make them more efficient and productive.

I went through a master’s degree program in Human Factors Engineering and out of all the stuff I learned, statistics wound up being the core skill I use in my career. Essentially, I manage a corporate university where I teach various types of engineers statistical methods from basic stuff like sample size calculations to advanced subjects like design of experiment. That takes about a third of my time and then mentoring the people I’ve taught to apply what they’ve learned takes another third and the last third goes to project management where I utilize the number of post university certifications I’ve picked up over the years (Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, ASQ – CQE, AAMI – QSR, etc.)

If you don’t like multitasking, uncertainty, and public speaking, this is not the career for you. If you like these things, or at least can tolerate them, the work is very rewarding and the pay / benefits are excellent. I’ve taught over 4,000 engineers at my company and it’s tremendously satisfying to have so many good relationships and know that there are so many people that would be happy to return the favor and help me with whatever I need.

Key Search Terms: Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence

SVreX wrote:

NEALSMO wrote: I really wish the industry would change the pay standard. I think commission is an antiquated system that promotes bad and/or dishonest work just to make a buck.

Huh. I'd be interested in hearing more. As far as I am concerned , I would MUCH rather be paid via a commission structure (we call it "piece work" in construction). It rewards the people who develop exceptional skills or invest in better tools which make them more efficient and productive.

The other end of the argument is that it makes people take shortcuts to finish the job faster and get on to the next one at the expense of quality.

(No dog in the fight here--I'll vote with my wallet by going to the person who fixes "it" right the first time at the best value--value being some combination of longevity of the fix, cost, and time. The way the person gets paid is of no consequence to me, at least on the surface level.)