Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion what do you do?

I am part of a parents forum (specific to my city) and there was a really interesting post about what everyone's occupation was...so I thought I would ask here too! I don't know why but it has always interested me. I think you can instantly learn a lot about someone by knowing what they do all day long!

I know many won't feel comfortable answering and that, of course, is fine!


I'll start...


I am an Elementary School Keacher and a k-12 Special Education Teacher. I have never taught Elementary School (although that was my training). I have taught Special Ed and High School Math and English. I am currently looking at going back to school (YAY!!!) with a final goal of teaching in a university. Who knows if it will ever happen though!

Your turn!

I'm a confused soul who doesn't know what to be when I grow up :-) I have a degree in Foreign Languages with a minor in Political Theory. I spent several years as a political consultant. Then 6 more teaching middle school and two as a high school vice principal. I now substitute teach, blog and work as a Doula!

I've been training child/teen actors since '96. Returning to writing, I published girls' monologs with a co. that sells to English-speaking schools around the world. I'm currently developing a two-act. Sometimes I'm an office temp; sometimes I have an acting gig; I work with an off-off NYC theatre.

I taught college English (mostly freshman comp, but some lit courses, too) for 5 years at a Big 10 university while working on my Ph.D. in literature. When the teaching contract ran out, I worked at a "dumb job" in risk management for a couple of years to pay the rent while I churned away at my dissertation, but decided that life in the Ivory Towers of academia just wasn't for me. I left ABD (all but dissertation) and went into nonprofit/corporate training for a while. Then I had kids and became a SAHM.

After my 2nd son was born, I was feeling trapped and bored and needed to do something with my brain, but I wasn't ready to leave my new baby in daycare for another "dumb job" either. I was really craving a career that mattered to me.

To make a long story short, I stumbled across an historical figure--a Norsewoman in Iceland 1000 years ago--who captured my imagination. I started trying to find out more about her, couldn't, and decided that the only way to know her better was to write a novel about her life. As I was planning, I realized that it's more than one novel: it's a series about her whole family.

I finished a draft of the first book in the series this summer, and it's with a freelance editor (still...). I'm hoping to revise and publish within the next year, sooner if possible.

Add to that my career as a homeschooling mom and a full-time poster on this forum, and it's no wonder my house is such a mess!

I'm an artist. Masters in Fine Art in photography. I make paintings and sell them. I also make graphics and help my husband make photographs. We sell them on microstock sites like shutterstock.

I am a consultant. I help hedge funds anticipate and react to market risks.

I used to be a Financial Advisor. I've worked in New York and Chicago. I became SAHM when first was born.

Currently I believe my job title would be: Professional Pain in the Arse.

Here are my references:

1. (Elementary school whose name must not be spoken) elementary school principal.

2. First daughter's third grade teacher.

3. Second daugher's kindergarten teacher.

4. Any customer service rep I've had the occasion to talk to by phone in the last 12 months.

5. Generally anyone who annoys me for any reason.

Notice to potential employers: I am a very diligent Pain in the Arse and take my position very seriously. I am a hard worker and will work for cheap. Sometimes I will work as a Pain in the Arse for free, just for the sport of it.

oh, everyone sounds so ... multi-tasked. I'm envious, actually. I stopped actively practicing as a home birth midwife a year after DS1 was born, then we moved, and DS2 came along, and I've been SAHMing ever since. We're part homeschooling DS9 and DS6 is busy busy busy and so am I, mostly.

Kriston, I am looking for that "spark" to ignite my brain (your research sounds fascinating! I have a minor in Danish)but right now am just accumulating knowledge, I suppose.

My degree was in accounting, but I only worked as an accounting analyst for one year before being laid off. I also worked in finance and payroll, but my favorite job was my last one--an executive assistant for a developmental disabilities council. I loved that job because I got to meet a lot of wonderful people, many of whom had disabilities or were parents of children with developmental disabilities.

Now I homeschool my son who is twice exceptional and much smarter than I ever was but his dyspraxia causes difficulty with writing. While I relied heavily on my superior notetaking skills in school and at work, he has to learn to work around difficulties with writing so he relies more on his superior memory and he types most of his work. Math is more of a problem because typing won't solve this problem. He has to double check any numbers that he writes to make sure that 2 is really a 2 and not a backwards 5 and this slows him down. So far, he has been able to compensate by doing as much mental math as possible and writing only what is absolutely necessary to find the answer which totally goes against any "show your work" requirement. Aleks lets him move on if he gets the right answers and it doesn't matter so much how he got them.

The mother of two of my son's gifted friends is a special ed teacher. She is one of the few people who really gets that a child can be both gifted and have a disability. She also understands why I have to homeschool. I have noticed that my son really seems to enjoy talking to her. He also enjoys talking to his piano and voice teacher who used to do quiz bowl and debate. She encourages him in academics but she also understands that dyspraxia makes it harder for him to do some things in piano. I wish there were more people like them. Sensitive kids like my son need to feel accepted for their gifts as well as disabilities. I am hoping that his musical theater teacher will finally get that it is not okay to yell at kids or make unkind remarks when my son has a little more difficulty than the others learning difficult dance routines. He does learn them, he just has to work a lot harder than the others to do it and he will never be able to learn new dances at the last minute.

I wish I could educate our educators in my state's public schools and anyone else that works with kids about twice exceptional kids.

[quote=incogneato]I used to be a Financial Advisor.


See that I knew we had a lot in common! And the pain in arse job, sounds like nice work if you can get it although I might have trouble getting hired because surely I am over qualified ;-)

And see, with that overqualified quip, you have now earned yourself one of the highest expressions of praise afforded on this board:

ROFLPIMP!

I'm a professional math geek.

Actually my degree is in Anthropology, but I quit grad school because it was too "mushy" and qualitative...

Since then I've been a database programmer and statistics "assistant" (meaning no statistics degree, but I was doing the work... and I was way cheaper than a real statistician), and currently I'm homeschooling DS and tutoring other people's kids in math. Five of them, currently.

When I grow up I think I'm going to continue the math theme and pursue an actuarial career.... because it looks like fun and I don't need another degree to do it. I don't have the patience for another degree right now.

I've been an occupational therapist for almost 20 years now. Blessed by getting paid to do something I love to do. Also mom to 6, grandma to 4. Don't get paid to do that but love that job even more!

This is interesting to learn what all of you familiar posters do for a living. I will chime in as being another one who never knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. I switched majors in college from theater to architecture to french (because I discovered I had enough credits to graduate with a french major). I worked in hospital labs for awhile, went to law school for some reason, hated "real" lawyering, and now I'm a SAHM with DS4. I do some editing of legal texts on the side, and lately i'm a professional costume maker.

Barbara: I just PMd you.

I design, build, and maintain large systems. I've also worked a variety of blue-collar jobs including time in the Army. My college includes undegraduate and graduate work in math, literature, several languages, and business.

DW is President of a technology VAR. Her career has been a cross between "Working Girl" and "The Devil Wears Prada."

I am a full-time school social worker and I currently work with children ages 3-6 in an inner city school district. I LOVE it. It's great to get an early start with kids to help them. I also enjoy getting to help teachers with classroom management and how to work with certain children. I also teach parenting classes, and am actively involved in my church teaching and doing other stuff. Prior to my current job I spent several years working as a family therapist and individual therapistat a clinic with children of all ages that suffer from mental health issues. And I have two kids (ages 4 and 1 1/2). I am busy (who isn't?), but happy.

I was in the Air-force, and then worked in retail for 7 years, then sales for 7 years, then my own company installing low voltage wire (Cat5, fiber, TV, etc.) in public schools. I am currently a Realtor these last 6 years (Pays better then the others, until this year) whose specialty is commercial real estate, investment property, multi-family units, and sometimes single family homes. I would still like to go back to school (after the kids are grown up) and study astrophysics for fun, and maybe dabble in politics. Mostly self taught out of HS.

What a cool thread.

San54 I wish I could have a cup o' joe with you. We think DD is the next Shirley Temple, complete with curls, dimple and dancing. Loves the limelight.

joysoup - I wish I was a working artist. In my dreams.

Kriston - how cool you are writing and working towards publishing. Another of my plans, in creative nonfiction and biographies.

St. Pauli Girl, I'm a little like you. I majored in natural resources, then business management, and finally got my BA in english (in 4 years). Hated the rote aspects of my business class and couldn't bear to give up writing persuasive papers in english. Went on to get a job in mental health and eventually get my masters in social work. The admissions director told me, "this is the highest math GRE score we've ever seen." If it was the school of rocket science, I'd be impressed with myself. Even so, I wondered if I should have taken my father's advice and majored in engineering like all my forefathers. Several years of cancer malarky and my HG and PG doctors said I'm like a 3rd year resident in oncology for all I've learned. They asked me for my research as I walked into every appt.

Anyway, I'm a SAHM with a blog and fantasies and aspirations in the arts.

well.... me ending up as a working artist was something I sort of fell into. I have taught art to k-college and beyond....lol

I had a pretty cool part time adjuct job at a college, but had to quit to stay home with ds7. He went to a daycare for a week and got the roto virus and the flu (type A... the killer flu).... at the end of the week they told us in a nice way that he wasn't fitting in. He cried the entire time he was there.

So, a friend of mine drove an hour twice a week and baby sat until the end of the semester and I quit.....

I had to make money......... I started making and selling paintings on-line. I do have an advanced degree in art, but I really never thought I would make a living at it. I didn't think it was possible. It was the only thing I could think of to do and make money at home.

Cut to 5 1/2 years later.... this is still sort of what I do. I just started the graphics thing but it's going well, i can see it turning into a money maker.

Engineer and Entrepreneur. Picked a heck of a time to start this latest venture.

JB

I've got a Computer Science/Math degree with secondary education certificate (I could teach if I wanted to). Wanted to major in history or philosophy but needed to get a degree and graduate and make some money. Spent many years as a software analyst and then went into training. Was building a business in public speaking (self esteem) when, Surprise!, Pud came along. Now, I figure I just work for him.

LOL!

I always say that kids are the toughest bosses in the world: in any other job, you take bathroom breaks, regular showers and a full night's sleep for granted; not so with parenting!

My money making job is as a computer programmer/analyst, with my specialty being DB2/COBOL on the mainframe. I've done a lot other languages but found my niche in some database design and application programs for the database I helped design. I'm also a cattle farmer and a full time grandma to GS9.

This is what I used to do before I "retired" 8 years ago! Now I teach a couple of computer classes at a community college to earn extra money for extracurriculars, etc.

Programmer & system admin in the growing niche of business intelligence. At least it was growing last year...DH is a linux admin. We both have degrees in fine art so it was pretty obvious we'd end up in the tech. field.

I'm a retired university professor (cultural history--about as mushy and qualitative as it gets! <smile>); I was also a professional musician "on the side" while I was teaching. I quit work when our eldest son was one; my husband had been able to take a year of parental leave when he was born, but when that was up, neither one of us could face leaving our boy with somebody else, so I came home.

Now I'm homeschooling my three sons, raising chickens and vegetables, doing a lot of knitting and weaving, and pondering writing another book. I published a couple of academic books while I was teaching, but I feel too far removed from that world to do another one, and would like to try something aimed at a more general audience. We'll see!

Okay, Minnie, you sound like the most interesting mom on the planet. Who wouldn't want to be homeschooled by you? Which instrument(s) did you play professionally?

Seablue, you're going to scare her off!!
Minnie, that reminds me of one of my sisters; her family has a big Buster Keaton thing going - no words, but seriously funny/clever stuff! Their 2 dd's are eg++, it's just a riot over there!

I work in public education. Not a teacher, but a bureaucrat.

Used to work in marketing communications for a telecom equipment manufacturer, a tech book publisher, and a software packager. Not all at once.

Before that I was a retail buyer.

Before that I was a manager of technical professionals.

Before that I was a corporate trainer.

Before that I was a technical professional.

Before that I worked in retail.

My degrees are in international relations, computer programming and marketing. I've also studied organizational development and mediation.

My resume is so ADD.

I've liked some of the people I've worked with and some of the places I've worked. But I wouldn't say I've ever found my calling.

Me too, just substitute "scientist" for "engineer."
Talk about timing for trying to fund a venture!

Val

Oh sorry! I didn't mean to - she just sounds like some of my favorite teachers growing up. I would like to be a student in her class room, I think.

I do not want to scare you off, Minnie...

Seablue - Please don't take me too seriously! I think you are just great and I have enjoyed immensely reading Minnie's posts as well! As I always tell people, I would never say anything I actually mean!

Oh heck, I don't scare that easy!

Thanks for the kind words, seablue (I'm a flutist, by the way); gotta say I don't feel too interesting today, though--I feel like what I am: a tubby aging hippie with creaky joints and a few bruises (note to self: no more multitasking while on a stairway!). Off for a cuppa and a sit, if the lads will let me.

peace
minnie

P.S. Minnie, I'm tubby, aging and I knit, too. I'm telling you, we need to get together for a chat...So much in common!

Yeah... we were RIGHT in the middle of series B when October hit. Sheesh. Doesn't sound much better for the West Coast either. Best of luck to you!

(No worries... I'm highly employable.)

JB

So, JBD, you gonna explain your location to the class?

Yes, yes, what the heck are we thinking???

We thought we'd try one more time for a DD. Lesse... my dad is the second of 7 boys, I'm the first of 3 boys... genetics are stacked against us. But we decided to give it the ole college try.

JB

Well, my DH's brother is a son of sons of sons--how far back, I don't know, actually--but he had two girls. First girls in generations! So it can happen...

Best wishes!

That hurts!

Finished our final round in January. The Golden Handcuffs don't come off for a few years.

I took a contract job; pays well, 20 hours/week. On the balance, I feel extremely lucky.

I've been told that some VCs can't get the money they were promised --- the funders lost it all during our recent mess.

My group hasn't given up yet, but we're all very doubtful.

Oy.

Val

Sorry, you lost me somewhere between Series B and the West Coast.

Val

A couple of conversations happening concurrently.

On topic: yeah we seem to have our terms sheet and we're in the middle of raising money but this current mess... well... is a mess. I am not worried (except for health care).

Off topic: my location refers to the fact that DW is "glowing" and we have D? due next June. Not quite through the first trimester, but we're almost there. Thanksgiving we'll announce to friends/family in real life.

Kriston and I were posting in multiple threads at once so that didn't help either!



JB

Read down to "Round Names"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_round

Congrats and sending good thoughts to your glowing DW.

Yes, congrats.

I was "illuminessent" too when I was pregnant with DS. But that was just because of all the blood rushing to my face when I leaned over the toilet to heave LOL!

Congratulations, JBDad! I hope all goes smoothly.

I'm remembering those days, acs. I don't think I could do it again...

I hear you acs. It's a big part of why we stopped at 2 kids. Yakking for 9 months was NOT my idea of a good time! Being awakened at night by yakking was NOT my idea of a good time!

Labor and delivery were a breeze compared to all the yakking...

Illuminescent, indeed!

Congrats JBDad... Keeping our fingers crossed for pink for you...
On topic: BK (before kids), I was an OD/HR corporate trainer. DD5 just joined KG this Fall, DS7 is in 2nd so I am home alone. Did send out a few resumes but again, timing is everything. This is probably the worst time to jobseek, not just the economy but also Fall. So, I am SAHM for now...

Well, my RL job is quite boring compared to all I've been reading. I work at a cubicle job to bring in a paycheck. My job has nothing to do with my degrees (International Relations and Economics)nor does it really interest me other than providing said paycheck. I am an Administrative Assistant for several salespeople. My job is to make sure that all the paperwork is completed correctly and on time. I joke that my real title should be cat herder...

Congrats to JBDad and your family!

Congrats, JBDad and JBMom.

Oh elh0706, there's a pair of us!
Don't tell,
They'd bannish us you know

(with apologies to E. Dickenson)