What do you all do and other questions.

Well, I left at 16 with fantastic GCSE grades- NOT! So I went back for 6 months to better myself- Ha. Then worked at the local pub as an apprentice chef, worked with a complete 'A' hole and decided I didn't want to turn out like that so quit.

Spent a year working part time for a landscape gardener and a plumber. Then spent 4.5 years in college training to become a qualified plumbing & heating guy, passed with flying colours :woot:

Worked for a few firms until I realised all bosses rip the employees off, charge the client the earth for them and pay peanuts. I wasn't a happy bunny then.

I then spent a couple of years working in a residential home for adults with learning disabilities, amazing job, just pays peanuts again.

I had to leave there to pay the bills and the only thing to do was start my own busines, still going now 4 years later :woot: more luck than judgement, me thinks :lol:

And here I am now, supposed to be doing invoices and quotes, I was always easily distracted :lol:

P.S Good thread, always wondered what we all do, be good to meet you guys one day :D


Oh yeah, done the marraige thing, didn't work out, ho hum :bat: But got this amazing little dude called Elliott. Now live with a fantastic girl, and as you all know we're moving soon. Hopefully for elliott to move in too :D
 
Started with cop training straight after school as the air farce was downsizing and my (much older) brother was also there...:shrug:

Did the uniform thing for a year or two and then went on to specialize as a finger print analyst and crime scene photog.

Left cops after 6 yrs and wandered the private sector in supermarketing and insurance...yes:razz:

Was asked to join again and that was seven years back...:eek:

No more crime scene stuff anymore but investigating civil claims against SAPS.

Gives me time to finish my law degree and work on my real future:

Self-employed and financially secure in GNLD!!

:D
 
:eek: :eek: Right, I am going to regret saying this [NO, never regret what you do, only what you don't do, my lifes philosophy] - but reading this thread in detail, I am amazed how many people are much older than I had assumed.....I wont mention any names, to protect the innocent, but I do wonder, does photography keep us young? :D Please tell me it does!!! :naughty:


Oh, I should have added my claim to fame so you can ALL do this >> :lol: :lol:

As a 12yr old I was on Cheggars Plays Pop....TWICE!! :gag: My school won their heat, with second highest points of series so we went to final, and drew, had to share the trophy with the other school! :crowded:
 
School, 6th form, Uni for Software Engineering. Graduated with a 2.1 (Hons) and moved into web design eventually. It was tricky at first because it was just after the .com crash and there wasn't a huge amount of jobs. By the time I was on the career ladder I was bored of it and swapped to do photography. Its been 2 years since then. Still finding business hard, cos its not something I've ever done. Had more fun in the past 2 years with photography than the 4 years before that with web design.
 
i left school with bit and bobs, several GCSE's :( (something i do regret)

Had several manual labour jobs (nowt worth mentioning) and @ early 20-ish decided to try Sales.
Been there since. Several Window/Conservatory and Gas/electric companies later i now work for B&Q selling Kitchens and Bathrooms etc. Not looking for a career there but enjoying it for the moment. Just love the challenge and the meeting people.
 
Left school with a handful of GCSEs, straight into an Aerospace Engineering Apprenticeship. 4 years later I was a skilled Engineer making parts for both civil and military aircraft engines and airframe components. Trained at CNC programming, got tired of smelling of coolant and moved into Inspection, manual first off and small batch work, trained at CMM (coordinate measurement machine) programming for 3 differant controller languages and enjoyed programming in an office environment for a few years. Realised at 26 that I was getting a poor wage for the work expected of me and made a stand, which resulted in me leaving the company and moving on to Rolls Royce as a ¨Contracted In¨ cmm operator/inspector... best move ive ever made, much more cash, much easier work and much more flexible working atmosphere.
Stuck on the contract for 18months before finally being made permanent and im now progressing nicely, with potential of soon being able to put some of my previous CMM programming knowledge into use.

Regrets, ive got a few....
Not getting out of the deadend job I was in sooner.
Not learning to drive sooner.
Not having the courage to meet new folk.
Never achieveing anything of importance.

Achievements.
Never being out of work. (im proud of that, in my area its very uncommon)

Its true you rarely regret something you do... always things you dont do... :thumbsdown:
 
DreederUK said:
Achievements.
Never being out of work. (im proud of that, in my area its very uncommon)
Click to expand...


Really nice to hear that Dreeder, Too many saps in this country that won't and never will work because they don't want to..:thumbsdown:
 
o my, not one i can really say much about. As i'm still at school. But here are my current career choices - Naval Architect - Got 3 weeks work experience for Sealine in Kidderminster. In the design section :P should be very fun indeed and i should learn tonnes.
Atm i am sorta trying to set up my own web hosting company and i should be up and running by the end of the month. So all you people with web sites i might be able to host them cheaper for you :D
 
If any one is in a position of responsibility and can offer a career, please say so.

My terms are easy .......

Position must be free of stress
Have lots of tea breaks
Have plenty of time for slacking and magazine reading

then I can get away from my current drudge which consists of pretty much all of the above.
 
digitalfailure said:
If any one is in a position of responsibility and can offer a career, please say so.

My terms are easy .......

Position must be free of stress
Have lots of tea breaks
Have plenty of time for slacking and magazine reading

then I can get away from my current drudge which consists of pretty much all of the above.
Click to expand...

PM me!!
 
digitalfailure said:
If any one is in a position of responsibility and can offer a career, please say so.

My terms are easy .......

Position must be free of stress
Have lots of tea breaks
Have plenty of time for slacking and magazine reading

then I can get away from my current drudge which consists of pretty much all of the above.
Click to expand...

Got enough of those working under me, as it is I simply can't can't carry anymore sorry :D
 
digitalfailure said:
I do hope your not calling me an animal or a pest :suspect:

I ban easily :woot::bat::woot:
Click to expand...

:razz:
Been banned from some pretty high class places in my time. I'll just add this one to me resume' shall I? :D

It's Jus' the frequent tea / mag / fag / wot ever, breaks reminds me so much of half the work force. infact I have reconcidered you'll fit right in, come on down :D
 
If I don't take fag breaks....can I have extra mag breaks?
 
Another Ex Army type.

Left School with 5 A's, and was accepted for an engineering degree at RMCS Shrivenham, and a commission as Second Leiutenant. Flunked out a year later, and resigned my commission. Re mustered as a corporal in the Army Air Corps, and trained at Army school of aviation at Middle Wallop, as a helicopter pilot. Promoted to Staff Sgt on completion of course, and then to Warrant Officer class II a year later. Served mostly in BAOR, though did 3 tours in Ulster, and a 6 month attachment to Thule, Greenland with the American Air Cavalry, and qualified on the Huey Cobra. I flew the Bell 47G (Sioux), Westland Scout, Westland Gazelle, and De Havilland Beaver (fixed wing). I 'Retired' as Leiutenant, acting Captain.

I did a lot of gliding in Germany, and in 1972, I briefly held the British 'absolute Altitude' record for single seaters. I have also climbed Everest!! .... well most of the way. I was on a joint services team that climbed to 24,000 ft, and removed years of debris and detritus left by the many services expeditions.

Left the Army, and joined the police. Spent 3 years pounding the beat, and then I joined the Scenes of crime department as Sergeant I/C the civilian department. Did a post graduate diploma course in photographic techniques and film processing at Liverpool (Chester college), and joined the SOCO team as Inspector. Retired on an injury pension a few years ago (broken back), and have been a slacker ever since.

I play the melodeon (button accordeon) for beer money with local morris teams, and do the occasional bit of session recoding work for folk bands - have played on two Steeleye Span albums, and done quite a bit of work for Folk England. I have accompanied Kate Rusby :love: , and have had several solo spots at the International Folk Festival at Sidmouth, now sadly defunct.
 
Left the education machine circa 1972 with a considerable pile of 'certs' only to discover that my talent(s) actually consisted of passing exams. Problem, who pays you to pass exams?? Anyway-up joined the merchant navy and travelled a bit (just to narrow the mind you know), married - disaster - worked as - heating engineer, publican,factory maintenance engineer, LI salesman (yuk). Finally did the right thing and had complete breakdown. After years of no sex but drugs and no 'rock n roll' my then slightly deranged partner (we travel in pairs you know) sent some of my more viewable photographic efforts to a magazine and the daft buggers offered me a job. So a few other partners later, plus another obligatory crack-up I find myself retired, married to a beautiful lady and living a full life on the north coast of Scotland.
Regret not knowing photographers got paid. Not knowing my lady was out there and just waiting. Knowing what I now know is however a great source from which I draw daily to make the very most of my remaining life, I cannot afford to screwup/breakdown or generally blow it again. Life IS GOOD so don't just sit it out ( I tell myself).
 
My claim to fame is that I came up with the "Out of Focus" name for this forum!

Michael.
 
Ive just remembered an Achievement... A pretty damn sad one, but I aint got many.

Im currently 819th in the World on Motogp06 Xbox360Live (out of 150297 players) that puts me in the top 0.5%
 
DreederUK said:
Ive just remembered an Achievement... A pretty damn sad one, but I aint got many.

Im currently 819th in the World on Motogp06 Xbox360Live (out of 150297 players) that puts me in the top 0.5%
Click to expand...

Congratulations, that's brilliant.:clap:

Err.................. what's Motogp06xbox360live.??:thinking:
 
Left school at 16 and worked in a pro photography lab doing wall-sized enlargements and bleach-etches before the days of inkjet prints for 6 years. Left to go to London College of Printing for 3 years then worked as a Production Manager in a printers for 3 years, then a Print Buyer in a repro company for 2 years now I'm a Production Manager in a design agency for the last 8 years. Time for a change I think!
 
I know of someone posting in this thread who hasn't been totally honest about his achievements. In a country that tends not to recognise acheivement in the workplace, it's quite something to have been shipped of to foreign parts to be recognised as being in the top 3 or 4 in your profession in Europe in that year. Still, I do have a photo of him looking reet quizical trying to figure out a point-n-shoot camera :lol:



Doug - did you by any chance fly Sioux's in and out of that big patch of tarmac at Ebrington in the early 70's?
 
2blue4u said:
I know of someone posting in this thread who hasn't been totally honest about his achievements. In a country that tends not to recognise acheivement in the workplace, it's quite something to have been shipped of to foreign parts to be recognised as being in the top 3 or 4 in your profession in Europe in that year. Still, I do have a photo of him looking reet quizical trying to figure out a point-n-shoot camera :lol:



Doug - did you by any chance fly Sioux's in and out of that big patch of tarmac at Ebrington in the early 70's?
Click to expand...

is that the resident slacker?
 
matty said:
does that free mini have utility warehouse plastered all over the side of it?
Click to expand...
that's the one. I'm getting one in the new colours. And a Cooper :) It's due at the end of the month - just when I'm away on hols. Typical!
 
Absolutely boring life I lead but I have a claim to fame to die for...............









I can lick my own elbow :razz:
 
mij said:
My claim to fame is that I came up with the "Out of Focus" name for this forum!

Michael.
Click to expand...

:clap: :clap:

Great thread, very diverse and interesting set of chaps and chapeses (sp?) here.
 
[S3]Lots of ex military types on here, we must be a creative bunch.[/S3]

Trained as a Mental Health Nurse.
Worked in Canada and the US in some major forensic mental health institutions.
7 years in QARANC with the Field Mental Health Team, served in Iraq twice, and other places I don't care to mention,despite my vast age, the latest in 2004.
Currently Officer Commanding Field Mental Health Team (207 Fld Hosp,Manchester) with the TA.
Married twice, 2 kids, 2 step kids, skint. :thumbs:
 
2blue4u said:
I know of someone posting in this thread who hasn't been totally honest about his achievements. In a country that tends not to recognise acheivement in the workplace, it's quite something to have been shipped of to foreign parts to be recognised as being in the top 3 or 4 in your profession in Europe in that year. Still, I do have a photo of him looking reet quizical trying to figure out a point-n-shoot camera :lol:



Doug - did you by any chance fly Sioux's in and out of that big patch of tarmac at Ebrington in the early 70's?
Click to expand...

Ebrington Barracks, Londonderry??

No, I can't remember having gone there, but I'll dig out my logbook and check. I was based at the Kesh, and most of the flying was taxi work from there to HQNI at Lisburn.
 
I'm an IT Consultant with one of the world's major IT services companies, currently doing data management & performance work on eCommerce sites for a major high street retailer. Vague I know but that's the nature of the business, suffice to say Kate Moss has been the bane of my life this year ;)

Claim to fame? I have twice almost been run down by Sir Jackie Stewart - I managed to avoid his moped the first time so a year later he decided to try get me again with a Transit van!
 
Well, I'm sat on my own at work and have a choice of either doing something productive or posting on here - so here I am!

Lived in the South Pacific until I was 10 (a place called Vanuatu, officially the happiest county in the world!), then moved back to Cornwall when my parents divorced. Did pretty well at school and college, then moved to Edinurgh to do a degree in Zoology. Graduated last year with a 1st despite rarely being sober enough to remember anything, moved back in with my mum in Cornwall due to being skint, and have spent the last few months pushing pens for the county council.

Bought a camera a few months ago and am having so much fun I decided to do an MSc in Biological Photography and Imaging, which I start in September in Nottingham. It's going to put me in so much debt I don't think I'll ever be able to get out, but what the hell! After that I'll either try and find a niche in the photography game, or very possibly do a PhD - hopefully one that'll use all those photography skills. In which case I'll be finishing university around about the age of 30 (currently 24)!
 
Left school after my GCSE's and went straight into the RAF. Still there for a few more months and then I'm coming to give you civvies a hard time. Joined up as an engine man, stripped harriers and rebuilt them for a couple of years, did some more training and went to a squadron which had no aircraft. A year later and 9 months behind schedule Westlands finally delivered the Merlin and I got to see a lot of europe that I never would have seen otherwise. Went to Bosnia, got drunk, came home and moved up north with the then girlfriend to work on Search and Rescue helicopters. Got cross trained to work airframes as well as engines and now Westlands are coming to take over our jobs as all the SAR force engineering goes to civilian contract. Got plenty of notice that it was happening so seemed like the perfect time to get out.

Nervous abouting finding a suitable job for when I leave but so is everyone else that leaves the security of the mob I guess.
 
You don't fancy working for Westlands then Kev?

I was born an RAF brat and lived all over Europe till I was 11, then moved back to Inverness and have lived here ever since. My lifes ambition was to join the RAF like my dad but a burst eardrum from an infection when I was 3 meant the bast**ds wouldn't have me (talk about a crushing blow!) :( So I spent the first 12 years of my working life in retail, when I couldn't take the lies anymore I went out on my own and spent the next 17 years as a TV aerial/Satellite installer. Two years ago I decided I'd had enough of climbing up on rooftops in winter, closed the business and went to work for someone else. I don't regret the time self employed but now I work part time, have more free time and more money with less hassle than I ever had working for myself. I get to drive all over the highlands at someone elses expense too :) the only negative point is I'm not allowed to take the camera with me :(
 
Steep said:
I get to drive all over the highlands at someone elses expense too :) the only negative point is I'm not allowed to take the camera with me :(
Click to expand...

I'm intrigued, why not?
 
Steep said:
closed the business and went to work for someone else. I don't regret the time self employed but now I work part time, have more free time and more money with less hassle than I ever had working for myself.
Click to expand...

Very rare to read something like that, I generally thought that being you own boss was much more rewarding (financial and otherwise) than working for someone else... and I envy my sister for being in that position, unfortunately its not something id have the courage to try for myself.
 
Steep said:
You don't fancy working for Westlands then Kev?
Click to expand...

The pay isn't good enough mate. Less money, less people on shift to do the same amount of work too.
 
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