What do you do?

[zoebartlett]

Feel free not to share if you think it''s too personal, but I''m curious what people on PS do for a living. I feel like we chat so much about random things, and people have shared pictures, etc. about their personal lives. Maybe we can chat about this...

I''ll go first. I teach second grade. I''m going into my third year at my school and I love it. I''ve taught first grade, a Kindergarten literacy program, and I''ve taught reading in grades K-4. Before that I worked in children''s publishing. I liked the idea of it so much more than my actual job. I was in my early-mid twenties, living in Boston, and I felt like the main character in so many of the "chick lit" books I read. After a while I realized I wasn''t cut out for publishing and I went back to school full time for my masters. It was the toughest and best decision I ever made professionally...so far. If I had to get a different job, I''d look into library science and work as a children''s library in an elementary school. For now though I''m very happy where I am.

 

[Love in Bloom]

Way to go Zoe! Congrats on your masters and I would like to thank you personally for being a teacher

.

I have a weird job. I am technically a biologist, and have a B.S. in bio, but I am in denial so I do not consider myself a biologist at all. I work at a local university and I take care of a large collection of mutant Drosophila Melanogaster (fruit flies) for scientific research. The flies I work with are cultured and sent all over the country and around the world. They are a sickly bunch...some have wings but cannot fly, some have teeny tiny eyes and cannot see, some express phosphoresence in parts of their body that make them glow under UV light. Most of them are prone to illnesses and are the only copy in the world. It is my job to keep the cultures going. I have to say after 3 years of taking care of insects, I actually still like it. I''m not going to do this forever though! I will probably go back to school for psychology or business.

 

[KimberlyH]

I''m a substitute teacher while earning my M.Ed and multiple subject teaching credential. I''ve spent the last three months of my substituting stint working as an aide in a special education class for autistic students and this summer will be working as an aide in a preschool special education class for students that are classified as critical needs. I plan to return my focus to regular ed. substituting jobs next year, but the opportunity for steady work through the end of the school year was one I couldn''t pass up.

 

[neatfreak]

I'm working on a Ph.D. in public policy. For my job I work as a research assistant for a professor and we publish on child/family topics, mostly family structure.

Personally, I do more research in the area of health policy, mostly access to health care and insurance. I also do some research in welfare, mostly with the food stamp and Medicaid programs. I focus on families and kids with this too.

When I'm done I will probably end up at a university doing research and teaching. I am also not opposed to working in the industry and working for a big program evaluation/social policy research firm like Mathematica or MDRC if that's what comes my way though!

 

[kcoursolle]

I''m working on my Ph.D. in demography. I specialize in quantitative methods, elderly populations, and the family.

 

[zoebartlett]

Interesting jobs! Fruit flies, LiB?? How did you get into this type of research, if I may ask? My roommate while I was in grad school was doing geological research and it always fascinated me. Kimberly, autism is such a hot topic right now. I''m hoping to sign up tomorrow for a class on autism and spectrum disorders for the summer. Neatfreak, the work you''re doing, both for your job and waht you personally focus on sounds very interesting!

 

[Love in Bloom]

Date: 6/16/2007 6:27:01 PM
Author: zoebartlett
Interesting jobs! Fruit flies, LiB?? How did you get into this type of research, if I may ask?

Good question. I''ll give it my best shot: I live in a small town and there aren''t that many jobs available. I have a B.S. in biology and I didn''t have a job for 4 weeks after fi and I moved here. It was about to drive me nuts

...then the job found me!!! It worked out great because I really like the academic atmosphere. Fi works in the building directly across from mine and we visit each other if we have the time. Plus the benefits are great and the hours are flexible. I suppose if I get really bored I could work for one of the pharmaceutical companies in the area (I think Cook Pharm, Baxter, and Abbott Labs are close by), but I think I get paid more for working with insects. Not ready to take the plunge into grad school yet.

I do admire all the ladies here who have/are working on their Masters or PhDs!

 

[ImpatientOne]

I''m a software designer for a healthcare IT company...

 

[Ellen]

Date: 6/16/2007 5:53:27 PM
Author: Love in Bloom
Way to go Zoe! Congrats on your masters and I would like to thank you personally for being a teacher

.

I have a weird job. I am technically a biologist, and have a B.S. in bio, but I am in denial so I do not consider myself a biologist at all. I work at a local university and I take care of a large collection of mutant Drosophila Melanogaster (fruit flies) for scientific research. The flies I work with are cultured and sent all over the country and around the world. They are a sickly bunch...some have wings but cannot fly, some have teeny tiny eyes and cannot see, some express phosphoresence in parts of their body that make them glow under UV light. Most of them are prone to illnesses and are the only copy in the world. It is my job to keep the cultures going. I have to say after 3 years of taking care of insects, I actually still like it. I''m not going to do this forever though! I will probably go back to school for psychology or business.

Wow, never thought I''d feel sorry for a fruit fly....They really area sickly bunch.

What a facinating job!!

 

[Skippy123]

Auditor/Accountant

ETA: after seeing Thing2of2's post. I use to be a Buyer for a Pharmaceutical company. I think being a buyer for clothes sounds way fun!!! Your posts even sound fashionable. hehehe

 

[iheartscience]

I'm a buyer for a clothing boutique. I buy men's and women's premium denim, clothes, shoes and accessories. I love clothes, but probably the best part is that I get to travel to NYC and L.A. pretty regularly. Plus the owner is awesome, pretty much the best boss ever, and my coworkers are great, too.

I am getting a little over it so I think I'm going to go back to school this fall and finish up my B.S. in Psychology and add a minor in Business. I have about a year left (literally all general ed. requirements) so I need to just get it over with because I don't think I want to pursue the fashion thing indefinitely.

I'm also very impressed with everyone's Master's and Ph.D.s. Three of my four siblings have their Master's and my twin sister loves school, too, but I just don't!

 

[Love in Bloom]

Date: 6/16/2007 7:11:14 PM
Author: Ellen
Wow, never thought I''d feel sorry for a fruit fly....They really area sickly bunch.

What a facinating job!!

Yup, they are a sad bunch

...but not as sad as me! If the buddhists are right, I will die millions of horrible blasphemous deaths!

Yikes, I don''t mean to kill them, but it is inevitable, ya know?

It is kind of fascinating though. I have been doing some work with embryos lately. The embryos are so small, I can collect about 10 of them on the head of a pin. They look like tiny grains of alien rice (oblong, white, with antennae that are actually filaments that help the embryo get oxygen). When I remove the outer layer of the embryo (to facilitate survival of the weakest strains) the layer underneath looks opalescent and pearly. Kind of pretty for an insect egg!

 

[Love in Bloom]

Date: 6/16/2007 7:24:58 PM
Author: thing2of2
I''m a buyer for a clothing boutique. I buy men''s and women''s premium denim, clothes, shoes and accessories. I love clothes, but probably the best part is that I get to travel to NYC and L.A. pretty regularly. Plus the owner is awesome, pretty much the best boss ever, and my coworkers are great, too.

I am getting a little over it so I think I''m going to go back to school this fall and finish up my B.S. in Psychology and add a minor in Business. I have about a year left (literally all general ed. requirements) so I need to just get it over with because I don''t think I want to pursue the fashion thing indefinitely.

I''m also very impressed with everyone''s Master''s and Ph.D.s. Three of my four siblings have their Master''s and my twin sister loves school, too, but I just don''t!

My, how I envy your current job...it sounds like so much fun! Good for you going back to school though. This is cliche but a Masters really is the new Bachelors degree

.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 6/16/2007 7:24:58 PM
Author: thing2of2
I''m a buyer for a clothing boutique. I buy men''s and women''s premium denim, clothes, shoes and accessories. I love clothes, but probably the best part is that I get to travel to NYC and L.A. pretty regularly. Plus the owner is awesome, pretty much the best boss ever, and my coworkers are great, too.

I am getting a little over it so I think I''m going to go back to school this fall and finish up my B.S. in Psychology and add a minor in Business. I have about a year left (literally all general ed. requirements) so I need to just get it over with because I don''t think I want to pursue the fashion thing indefinitely.

I''m also very impressed with everyone''s Master''s and Ph.D.s. Three of my four siblings have their Master''s and my twin sister loves school, too, but I just don''t!

My FI and I have differing opinions of school. I love taking a class here and there, and I loved being in grad school. He''s never been a fan of traditional schooling. He sqeaked by in high school and I''m not sure his parents really pushed him enough. My parents were totally different. It was never a question of whether I was going to college -- just a matter of where. My FI just received his bachelors after about 8 years of being in school part time. He''s always worked full time while going to school and he couldn''t imagine going to school without a job. At first he was gung-ho about going back for his masters immediately after finishing his bachelors but now that he''s been done for about a month or so he''s not in a hurry to go back. Plus, I think it depends on what you do for a living. He''s in a field where you don''t necessarily HAVE to have a masters degree to get ahead. I''m sure it could help in some ways but I think experience carries a lot of weight. Unfortunately, that''s not the same with teaching.

 

[Independent Gal]

I''ve got 5 degrees in 3 subjects, including a Ph.D. For the sake of anonymity, I won''t tell you what they''re in or what I do now, but I''ve had some pretty funky jobs in the past which I''ll let you in on:

- children''s book specialist at a bookstore
- sheep farmer
- speech writer
- management consultant, specializing in mail - yup, like letters n'' stuff (U-S-P-S spells BORING!)
- crime policy wonk
- maid (I LOVE cleaning other peoples'' houses! you get to leave before you have to see ''em messed up again)

It''s fun to see how different corners of the world work, so I''m glad I''ve got to do such varied things so far. Plus, I love that my CV reads like fiction. Makes updating it actually fun, too!

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 6/16/2007 7:49:29 PM
Author: Independent Gal
I''ve got 5 degrees in 3 subjects, including a Ph.D. For the sake of anonymity, I won''t tell you what they''re in or what I do now, but I''ve had some pretty funky jobs in the past which I''ll let you in on:

- children''s book specialist at a bookstore
- sheep farmer
- speech writer
- management consultant, specializing in mail - yup, like letters n'' stuff (U-S-P-S spells BORING!)
- crime policy wonk
- maid (I LOVE cleaning other peoples'' houses! you get to leave before you have to see ''em messed up again)

It''s fun to see how different corners of the world work, so I''m glad I''ve got to do such varied things so far. Plus, I love that my CV reads like fiction. Makes updating it actually fun, too!

Okay, you have officially the BEST resume ever!!! How on earth did you go from one to another?

 

[Haven]

What a great thread, Zoe.

I''m also a teacher; I currently teach high school English and reading. I recently earned my MEd in Reading & Literacy, and I''m a certified Reading Specialist. Like some of you have shared, I LOVE school! I''ve been through a lot of grad programs (law school, an MA in teaching, and an MEd) because I just love being a student so much. That''s the greatest thing about teaching--it allows me to attend grad school AND teach at the same time.

I used to teach at a community college, but I switched to high school because I loved it so much after teaching a few summer school courses. I''ll eventually earn my PhD so I can become a Prof, which was my original goal, but I''m not quite sure what I want to profess yet!

Everyone has such interesting and accomplished careers--go PS!

 

[Haven]

I second Zoe's response to IG's post--how fun!

 

[Independent Gal]

Thanks Zoe and Haven! Some of these jobs were done concurrently, depending on financial need! In terms of having 'expertise', in my experience, it takes about 3-6 months to become knowledegable in a subject (probably only 1 in kids books!). A lot of employers know that, and what they really want are skills like being a sharp problem solver, quick learner, analytic thinker, eloquent writer, etc. After that, they can teach you what you need to know, and you can frantically read up as necessary. The skills are transferable, you just have to know how to market them! So I guess you could say that, although marketing is one thing I never studied, it's what I'm really expert in.

Whoa, that's some shameless boasting!

Sorry 'bout that.

ETA: Oh, and I was a really LOUSY sheep farmer. Just did that for a summer and never did quite master the whole hay baling bit. But the sheep seemed to like me anyway!

 

[Love in Bloom]

Date: 6/16/2007 7:49:29 PM
Author: Independent Gal
I''ve got 5 degrees in 3 subjects, including a Ph.D. For the sake of anonymity, I won''t tell you what they''re in or what I do now, but I''ve had some pretty funky jobs in the past which I''ll let you in on:

- children''s book specialist at a bookstore
- sheep farmer
- speech writer
- management consultant, specializing in mail - yup, like letters n'' stuff (U-S-P-S spells BORING!)
- crime policy wonk
- maid (I LOVE cleaning other peoples'' houses! you get to leave before you have to see ''em messed up again)

It''s fun to see how different corners of the world work, so I''m glad I''ve got to do such varied things so far. Plus, I love that my CV reads like fiction. Makes updating it actually fun, too!

Holy moley Indep Gal!! Your list of past jobs is fantastic

. You have enough different hats for every day of the week (or month even

). I love your diversity and I''ll bet your interviews are quite interesting!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 6/16/2007 6:27:01 PM
Author: zoebartlett
Interesting jobs! Fruit flies, LiB?? How did you get into this type of research, if I may ask? My roommate while I was in grad school was doing geological research and it always fascinated me. Kimberly, autism is such a hot topic right now. I''m hoping to sign up tomorrow for a class on autism and spectrum disorders for the summer. Neatfreak, the work you''re doing, both for your job and waht you personally focus on sounds very interesting!

These kids are absolutely amazing. When I decided it was time for me to make a career change and become a teacher I never considered special education as a possibility. If I had known then what I know now I would be earning a sp.ed. credential program...one day I''m sure I will.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 6/16/2007 7:54:03 PM
Author: Haven
What a great thread, Zoe.

I''m also a teacher; I currently teach high school English and reading. I recently earned my MEd in Reading & Literacy, and I''m a certified Reading Specialist. Like some of you have shared, I LOVE school! I''ve been through a lot of grad programs (law school, an MA in teaching, and an MEd) because I just love being a student so much. That''s the greatest thing about teaching--it allows me to attend grad school AND teach at the same time.

I used to teach at a community college, but I switched to high school because I loved it so much after teaching a few summer school courses. I''ll eventually earn my PhD so I can become a Prof, which was my original goal, but I''m not quite sure what I want to profess yet!

Everyone has such interesting and accomplished careers--go PS!

Me too. I earned my M.Ed in Reading 3 years ago but instead of applying for reading specialist positions I decided to stick with the classroom. Since my bachelors wasn''t in education, while in grad school I had to become certified in elementary or secondary education also. I can''t imagine teaching the big kids. My family and friends who teach high school can''t imagine teaching the little kids. I keep up my reading certification but I''m not sure having a dual certification is doing much for me salary-wise. It probably helped me get my current job though. It''s funny, I used to want to be a reading specialist but now I see what No Child Left Behind is doing and honestly, there''s too much pressure. There''s pressure for classroom teachers as well, but depending on what type of reading specialist position one has, it could feel like too much at times.

 

[Gothgrrl]

Wow....you all have interesting occupations. I almost don''t want to say what I do. But here goes. I am a stylist. I really love what I do. It''s never boring. I get to talk to lots of different people, and I get to cut and style their hair. I grew up always cutting and coloring my own, and a friend mentioned to look into cosmetology. Boy was she right. Just had a blast in beauty school.

Before that I was into child care. I can''t see myself doing that now. Love kids, but with all this technology and stuff, I can''t keep up. In fact, I just learned how to text on my phone. My friend showed me. How sad is that? I''m stuck in the 70''s-80''s.

 

[VegasAngel]

Well, I dont have anything exciting to add to the list of interesting fields. Currently I stay home with my 16 month old daughter. I am looking for work though, back into in the tourism industry. Seriously, I cannot wait to get a job. My daughter is driving me insane. Both of us will benefit from being around other people. My girl is a social butterfly & I need adult conversation.

 

[Phoenix]

I am British Chartered Accountant (which I worked almost to death to get , it was so darn difficult, especially as I was working full time at 10-12 hrs everyday and studying at the same time) and also have a Master in Finance (from which I graduated top). I love studying and researching. I'd love to do a PhD in Finance, something along forex or hedge funds, but hubby wouldn't let me!

. I worked for yrs as an External and then Internal Auditor. Loved the jobs and loved meeting people and travelling to various countries, but hated the long hrs (sometimes I had to work past mid-night, it was not fun, I tell you!) and hated my last boss too (he was a real a..)! I am currently working on a project basis as a Forensic Accountant/ Fraud Investigator/ Auditor/ Business Consultant. I get to pick and choose my projects and hours and set my own rate - not so bad, huh? And when I am not on a project, I spend my days managing our money portfolio (which I am pretty good at - I am also very modest!! he he

) and going to the gym for hrs at a time, shopping (for diamonds, bags, shoes esp.) , and posting on PS!! he he.

 

[sumbride]

I''m a DBA for a non-profit association. I write code, train users, manage the databases, and solve problems, plus do marketing consulting and membership consulting within the association. But I''m bored.

My BA is in Public Policy, but I got bored with politics by the time I graduated, so I meandered into databases. I don''t do well in school, mainly because I get bored so easily! I''m "good" at a lot of things but I''d like to find something I''m passionate about so I can be "great" at something.

 

[nala2000]

Hello all,

I''m a school psychologist. I have had the opportunity to work with children of elementary, middle school and high school ages. Personally, I thought I''d have more opportunity to do more counseling, but the majority of my time is spent testing for learning disabilities, consulting with teachers, parents, and school staff, and sitting in meetings. I love my job and found out that I will be working more specifically with children in foster care next school year. I''m excited! I''ve got sooo many good interventions in mind!

 

[bee*]

Really interesting bunch of careers!!
I did an honours science degree in Zoology, worked in a vet clinic for 2 years and went back to college to study veterinary, which I just finished my first year of. Only 4 more years to go thankfully!! I work in a bank during the school year and during the holidays I work in the vet clinic again.

 

[Maisie]

I work in a jewellers.

I love working there. Its my first proper job in 17 years (been a stay at home mother). I don''t work with the diamonds but thats a good thing. I couldn''t in all conscience sell them. The quality isn''t good at all. I would never buy any of them.

I work in the silver and designer watch section and also in the giftware department. I sell lots of watches! I find it easier to sell things that I would wear myself.

I am hoping that Whiteflash decides to open up over here! I would love to work for them

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 6/17/2007 12:17:24 AM
Author: nala2000
Hello all,

I''m a school psychologist. I have had the opportunity to work with children of elementary, middle school and high school ages. Personally, I thought I''d have more opportunity to do more counseling, but the majority of my time is spent testing for learning disabilities, consulting with teachers, parents, and school staff, and sitting in meetings. I love my job and found out that I will be working more specifically with children in foster care next school year. I''m excited! I''ve got sooo many good interventions in mind!

Hi Nala,

It''s funny, I haven''t met a school psychologist yet who actually spends their time counseling. It would seem that that is a major part of the job, but instead, their time is taken up testing kids, writing reports, consulting with teachers, and attending meetings. It sounds like your responsibilites will change somewhat in the fall. I''m glad to her that you''re so excited. It sounds really interesting.


zoe