What do you do for a living?

[bpnic]

Last three "careers" from most recent:
Pharmaceutical production equipment Maintenance Manager ~8yrs
SemiConductor Production Mechanic ~ 5yrs
Hydroelectric Turbine Industrial Mechanic ~15 yrs

 

[Blackbox88]

Started my first real job after university in March 2011 with a company called ASML, we make machine which are part of the chip making process in the cluster lithography in the semiconductor industry (described by the BBC as "relatively obscure") hahaha

For the first 7 years I have travelled the world for the company to install/upgrade/service our machine at customers in USA, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, China, Europe.
The moment my Marriott account became LIfetime platinum I knew I had to settle down 660+ nights in one hotel chain alone which we staying only maybe 35% from the time in wasn't a good sign haha.
It did always suck coming home dumping you dirty laundry on the floor and waking up the next morning and seeing it is still there as when you are home in you own house there is no laundry or cleaning or cooking service haha

As my wife absolutely hates the food in the Netherlands, which I can't blame her as she is Thai, we decided to move to Oregon USA and support our ASML customer Intel there.
My main reason was that I wanted to finish my private helicopter license (black hole to throw money in) but don't tell my boss haha
Oregon is a beautiful state so much nature so much adventure and 1.5 hours from everything when we lived in Hillsboro.
1,5 hours we could go skiing on mt hood, 1,5 hours we were on the coast, 1.5 hours we could be in a desert, I really wished I had a Grenadier but the XC90 did his job pretty well.

After four years my visa ended and we were forced to leave the country and had to find a new place to call home.
We decided on the beautiful island Ireland where as in Oregon I am support our customer Intel.
Ireland is a beautiful place but since our baby boy was just born and we miss the snow a lot we are looking to move again and our eye is set on Sweden.
New Zealand was also a very good option but unfortunately it is far from both our parents and the grand parents of our boy.
Unfortunately ASML has no office in Sweden so I will have to look for some new employment.

 

[Cheshire cat]

Started my first real job after university in March 2011 with a company called ASML, we make machine which are part of the chip making process in the cluster lithography in the semiconductor industry (described by the BBC as "relatively obscure") hahaha

For the first 7 years I have travelled the world for the company to install/upgrade/service our machine at customers in USA, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, China, Europe.
The moment my Marriott account became LIfetime platinum I knew I had to settle down 660+ nights in one hotel chain alone which we staying only maybe 35% from the time in wasn't a good sign haha.
It did always suck coming home dumping you dirty laundry on the floor and waking up the next morning and seeing it is still there as when you are home in you own house there is no laundry or cleaning or cooking service haha

As my wife absolutely hates the food in the Netherlands, which I can't blame her as she is Thai, we decided to move to Oregon USA and support our ASML customer Intel there.
My main reason was that I wanted to finish my private helicopter license (black hole to throw money in) but don't tell my boss haha
Oregon is a beautiful state so much nature so much adventure and 1.5 hours from everything when we lived in Hillsboro.
1,5 hours we could go skiing on mt hood, 1,5 hours we were on the coast, 1.5 hours we could be in a desert, I really wished I had a Grenadier but the XC90 did his job pretty well.

After four years my visa ended and we were forced to leave the country and had to find a new place to call home.
We decided on the beautiful island Ireland where as in Oregon I am support our customer Intel.
Ireland is a beautiful place but since our baby boy was just born and we miss the snow a lot we are looking to move again and our eye is set on Sweden.
New Zealand was also a very good option but unfortunately it is far from both our parents and the grand parents of our boy.
Unfortunately ASML has no office in Sweden so I will have to look for some new employment.

A very well traveled couple for sure. Best of luck with your next location of choice. I have worked in Scandinavia for many years. A very safe and beautiful part of the world if a little on the expensive side. Still, living in Ireland, you will know all about expensive living.

 

[Blackbox88]

A very well traveled couple for sure. Best of luck with your next location of choice. I have worked in Scandinavia for many years. A very safe and beautiful part of the world if a little on the expensive side. Still, living in Ireland, you will know all about expensive living.

Yeah Ireland is definilty not a cheap country specially housing now is mental.
Housing in Dublin is more expensive then housing in London which is crazy.

Also Brexit unfortunately didn't help as all the electronics need UK plug but now taxes have to be paid over those appliances.
I was also a bit shocked with the price of the Grenadier in Ireland the Trainmaster starts at ~124K euro which equals to ~107K pounds.

 

[Tazzieman]

I was also a bit shocked with the price of the Grenadier in Ireland the Trainmaster starts at ~124K euro which equals to ~107K pounds.

That's a lot of money unless you get 2 carriages as well

 

[snowball]

I'll keep mine shorter than most.
I'm a railroader, I drive choo choo's.

 

[jert]

Full time travelers since we decided to retire early some 3,5 years ago. We converted an old firetruck (12to) into an RV and spend most of our time traveling (Europe for now). Plan for the future is to ship the truck to Halifax and travel the Americas.

Before the above, started as a mechanical engineer doing Turn-Key projects for our clients in the medical device industry in countries like Uzbekistan, Russia or Moldova. In 2000 I turned to the dark side and did software sales for different US-based companies over here in Europe.

 

[bemax]

Started my first real job after university in March 2011 with a company called ASML, we make machine which are part of the chip making process in the cluster lithography in the semiconductor industry (described by the BBC as "relatively obscure") hahaha

For the first 7 years I have travelled the world for the company to install/upgrade/service our machine at customers in USA, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, China, Europe.
The moment my Marriott account became LIfetime platinum I knew I had to settle down 660+ nights in one hotel chain alone which we staying only maybe 35% from the time in wasn't a good sign haha.
It did always suck coming home dumping you dirty laundry on the floor and waking up the next morning and seeing it is still there as when you are home in you own house there is no laundry or cleaning or cooking service haha

As my wife absolutely hates the food in the Netherlands, which I can't blame her as she is Thai, we decided to move to Oregon USA and support our ASML customer Intel there.
My main reason was that I wanted to finish my private helicopter license (black hole to throw money in) but don't tell my boss haha
Oregon is a beautiful state so much nature so much adventure and 1.5 hours from everything when we lived in Hillsboro.
1,5 hours we could go skiing on mt hood, 1,5 hours we were on the coast, 1.5 hours we could be in a desert, I really wished I had a Grenadier but the XC90 did his job pretty well.

After four years my visa ended and we were forced to leave the country and had to find a new place to call home.
We decided on the beautiful island Ireland where as in Oregon I am support our customer Intel.
Ireland is a beautiful place but since our baby boy was just born and we miss the snow a lot we are looking to move again and our eye is set on Sweden.
New Zealand was also a very good option but unfortunately it is far from both our parents and the grand parents of our boy.
Unfortunately ASML has no office in Sweden so I will have to look for some new employment.

Good luck for planning your future!
As someone who had left his country only for studying one year in Spain, short business trips or holidays I kind of envy your lifestyle. But the many nights in hotels have been on the downside for sure.
Oregon seems to be the perfect place

 

[Blackbox88]

That's a lot of money unless you get 2 carriages as well

That would be a nice deal buy one get 2

 

[Blackbox88]

I'll keep mine shorter than most.
I'm a railroader, I drive choo choo's.

 

[Blackbox88]

Full time travelers since we decided to retire early some 3,5 years ago. We converted an old firetruck (12to) into an RV and spend most of our time traveling (Europe for now). Plan for the future is to ship the truck to Halifax and travel the Americas.

Before the above, started as a mechanical engineer doing Turn-Key projects for our clients in the medical device industry in countries like Uzbekistan, Russia or Moldova. In 2000 I turned to the dark side and did software sales for different US-based companies over here in Europe.

Damm nice, I respect you doing that with you retirement! Living the proper life!

Mech Engineer in those countries much have been a real experience, hopefully you got to see a bit of those countries and not only the job site.
Owww no Software is bad but Sales owww noooo those guys who promised the customer everything to the moon and back and then later ask the designers/engineers you can do that right? haha

 

[Blackbox88]

Good luck for planning your future!
As someone who had left his country only for studying one year in Spain, short business trips or holidays I kind of envy your lifestyle. But the many nights in hotels have been on the downside for sure.
Oregon seems to be the perfect place

Yeah if you ever get the chance I would highly recommend Oregon!

Yeah I loved the lifestyle but as every positive things it also came with a lot of negative things but if you ask me if I would do it again!
Hell yeah! oke I would probably lay off the booze and all the good food a bit more because all that investment is stuck too me and hard to get off

 

[Alprider]

Started out in the mines in West Oz the 80's, packed my bags and left to pursue a career as a deep sea diver, am now an offshore construction supervisor working in the north sea. Cheshire Cat we should have a beer and a chat one day?

 

[Cheshire cat]

Started out in the mines in West Oz the 80's, packed my bags and left to pursue a career as a deep sea diver, am now an offshore construction supervisor working in the north sea. Cheshire Cat we should have a beer and a chat one day?

Indeed we should. I’m sure I recognise that face. Subsea7?

 

[Alprider]

Technip

 

[Cheshire cat]

Technip

Will PM you

 

[GrenADV]

Truly is fun and fascinating to read all about what everyone does for a living!

I'm a Director of Americas Consulting at the largest global commercial real estate and consulting firm. Basically, I'm hired by other large, well-known companies to advise them on Workplace Strategy/future of work - for example, how big of an office do we need? Or, how many private offices vs. workstations vs. meeting rooms do we need in our space? I've been in this business for the last 16 years, but it's been particularly interesting and busy work since the pandemic sent a lot of the office workers to work remotely, which left a lot of c-suite executives wondering what the hell they should do with their extremely expensive (and now vacant) real estate assets.

I have a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Elizabethtown College (PA), and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Penn State University. While I was in undergraduate at Penn State, I worked as an intern in Corporate Real Estate and Facilities for a very well-known global confectioner in the US, and I just never left this field. However, I always wanted to go on to medical school and then specialize in Neurology, but I wasn't smart/dedicated enough - so, I instead married a doctor (she's the brain, I'm the brawn in our relationship). We just had a baby boy, and I'm hoping I'm able to pass along my Grenadier to him someday.

Anyhow, thanks to everyone for sharing and allowing me to share my story as well!

 

[Lord Ripon USA]

I build car factories.
or rather, manage the guys that assemble them and install the equipment.

 

[Krabby]

Truly is fun and fascinating to read all about what everyone does for a living!

I'm a Director of Americas Consulting at the largest global commercial real estate and consulting firm. Basically, I'm hired by other large, well-known companies to advise them on Workplace Strategy/future of work - for example, how big of an office do we need? Or, how many private offices vs. workstations vs. meeting rooms do we need in our space? I've been in this business for the last 16 years, but it's been particularly interesting and busy work since the pandemic sent a lot of the office workers to work remotely, which left a lot of c-suite executives wondering what the hell they should do with their extremely expensive (and now vacant) real estate assets.

I have a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Elizabethtown College (PA), and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Penn State University. While I was in undergraduate at Penn State, I worked as an intern in Corporate Real Estate and Facilities for a very well-known global confectioner in the US, and I just never left this field. However, I always wanted to go on to medical school and then specialize in Neurology, but I wasn't smart/dedicated enough - so, I instead married a doctor (she's the brain, I'm the brawn in our relationship). We just had a baby boy, and I'm hoping I'm able to pass along my Grenadier to him someday.

Anyhow, thanks to everyone for sharing and allowing me to share my story as well!

We are...

 

[Clark Kent]

I forgot this thread was here...

Finished Left school early and commenced (voluntary) military service as an apprentice mechanic. At 15.5 years old, I scraped over the minimum age barrier by 6 days .
Re-trained after a few years as an aircraft maintenance engineer. Spent the next many years working on various military fixed and rotary wing aircraft including a few years as a maintenance instructor.
Left the military at the end of 2000 and have been a defence industry contractor ever since. Worked for a few well known brands doing training delivery and development, introduction of new aircraft, aircraft sustainment, business development and contract/operations management (current).

In the mid-'000s I spent a few years pond-hopping between Australia and the USA to work with other industry folks to co-develop the pilot and maintainer training programs for the F35 Lightning II. (JSF). Training development commenced many years before the first aircraft entered service. Today's graduate F35 pilots and maintainers would have been starting junior school while our group was figuring out how to train people who will grow up in the Playstation/X-Box era and possess over-developed thumbs and a short attention span (no offence to anyone with over-developed thumbs).

Married a nice country girl about 25 years ago. She is younger and sooo much smarter than I am with a Bachelor of Science and a Masters Degree but she has been held back by her questionable taste in men.
Son and Daughter in their early twenties. Son is a degree-qualified Advanced Care Paramedic with Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) and moonlights as a part-time Firefighter for the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service when he's not on shift with QAS.
Daughter is part-way through a Veterinary degree with an interest in wildlife care/conservation.

I have been head down working for the past 40 years and I plan to leave the full-time workforce in a few years having stashed enough cash under the mattress to commence an early transition to retirement, assisted by a modest military pension.
I have an original (mostly) 1977 Toyota FJ40 parked up in my shed as a long-term body-off restoration project. It hasn't seen much love recently and I'm keen to get back into it once I have more free time.