Your dream job

[silenthunterstudios]

Within reason. We'd all love to win the lotto, but you gotta make a living at this job. If that involves watching paint dry, so be it.

When I was a kid, I wanted nothing more than to be a veterinarian. I love dogs, kinda like cats, other than that, I am mostly apathetic except to those animals I spend a lot of time with. The big reason was because I thought I would see lots of dogs. The local vet even offered to pay me to work in her office and see if it was something I wanted to do. The other big reason is because one of my fathers customers, a veterinarian in Bel Air, had a big farm where he cared for all kinds of exotic animals. My new neighbor, who is a country veterinarian/cop k9 dog trainer looks to have a good time, from what I see him doing, and the stories he tells me.

My next dream job was comic book artist. After I discovered I had some artistic talent. Maybe around the time I was ten or 11, I rediscovered comics, and really took them on with a passion. Superheroes, superheroes, superheroes. Then I took a comic art class at Towson University when I was 15, and the teacher gave me his copy of Bud Plant Comic Art, which opened my eyes to R Crumb, and all kinds of independent comics. After going to a comic book convention with that class, I realized that my art wasn't as good as the comic artists that had jobs there. Lots of kids running around with portfolios, although I remember the near naked super heroine models mostly.

So, after a while, I wanted to still work in art, but decided that I would work as a graphic designer. My uncle, who is a graphic designer, offered to teach me. I learned a lot teaching myself how to use Adobe programs, took a few college courses, but money was tight, and I let that fall by the wayside.

Now, my dream paying job is to be a ship captain. Don't know how, don't know where, but I love being on the water. Whether swimming, wading, or on a small boat, I love it. But my passion is when I am on a big boat in the Chesapeake Bay. I love the sport fisherman design, but gimme one of those old crabbing/fishing boats any day. They have more character IMHO. I have found several jobs online working for the government, one involves captaining a boat in Maine, where all you do is take scientists out to a reef, where they take samples. Just go out, and come back in. Might get boring after a while, but I don't think I could get bored living and working on the water. Hell, if bad weather is imminent, you don't have to go out. The pay is great, and the benefits are great.

I like my job right now, serving the public. I can do a lot of other things in my spare time, I only have to give 40 hours a week. That leaves 72 hours, minus sleep, for me to do what have you. I have been told by makers that they would teach me their craft, offers from forgers and stock removers. I have gotten an offer from a wood carving buddy of mine to learn from him. I have even gotten an offer from a local marina that makes custom boats, they asked if I wanted to learn a little from them. Wanna do something more than collecting rent, or collecting profits from a laundromat etc like some people at work.

Hindsight is 20/20...

[deker]

Once upon a time I wanted to do computer stuff for a living...I enjoyed working with computers so much that it's about all I did. Now that's what I do for work and I can't wait to get away from the office and into the shop. So, some would think that I should say "I wanna be a knifemaker!", except for the fact that I flatly refuse to let another hobby that I enjoy become the work that I hate.

I've actually thought about this a fair amount lately, and there's nothing that I really want to do as "work". No matter how perfect a job is, it's still "work" and will eventually start to suck. Now, if I WERE to win the lottery, I certainly wouldn't be some jet setting freak who just wastes time, that would bore me to tears. I'd probably make knives, jewelery, do some gunsmithing, etc. My interest would be in learning as much as possible about the things I like doing. The catch would be that I would be able to say "no" to requests that I didn't want to take on. IMHO what makes a job suck is when you have to start doing things you hate in order to pay the bills...no matter how much you love a craft, it sucks to have to take orders from anybody but yourself...

-d

[TacoMan5000]

I really have to think about this for real, before I blow all my money money at college for nothing. When I was 5, I decided I wanted to be a palentologist, but then I learned how taxing it was on one's brain, and canned it. Then I wanted to be either a ninja or a cowboy. Then I put on a few pounds and saw how bad those bullriders got beat up. Then it was either air force pilot or S.W.A.T. member. Both got dropped pretty quick. Right now, I figure I can either use my camera, and work for a newspaper or magazine or something, I could pursue a degree in herpetology, but there isn't much call for that these days, or I could work for animal control. Ideally, it would be a field herpetologist, but I don't really see that happening.

[FireMonkey]

Growing up I also wanted to be a veternarian. My aunt went to the top vet school in the state, but dropped out during her last semester because she realized that wasn't what she really wanted to do. That discouraged me so I switched gears over to marine biology. Then when I entered highschool I got into the ROP Photography program and my teacher begged me to go to Brooks Institute to pursue a career in it (guess I was that good). Brooks was way too expensive so I went to a JC after highschool and went back to marine bio. Decided after about a year it wasn't what I really wanted to do and switched to music performance. Wasn't what I wanted to do there either. Then I tried pre-med for a semester, decided it wasn't for me. Finished my 2 years at the JC still undecided what I wanted to do so I went to ITT Tech as a Visualization Technology major. However they required a degree in drafting before you could go onto the other program So I enrolled in the drafting program, spent 2 quarters before I dropped out because even though I did well in it, it bored me to death. Thought maybe I'd try photojournalism and got offered a scholarship at a U across the country. Pretty much decided that I didn't give a rats ass about the jounalism part, just wanted the photography aspect of it but they didn't offer if like that. So I piddled around at the U for a few years, got a job at a bakery where I pretty much found my niche. I had been cake decorating for years and got hired as just that. Got to put my creativity to work and picked up other stuff so fast the owner soon made me his asst pastry chef, got me certified and all. Got offered an internship at Walt Disney World and I really thought that was what I wanted to pursue. I soon got burnt out on it and have been doing what I do now for about a year and love it. Never thought I'd have an "office" job and be happy with it, but I am.

[txkaratedude]

When I graduated high school I wanted to be an airline pilot. I went to a local college that offered an avaition degree, got my pilot's license and instrument rating, and spent a lot of money putting in flight hours. Then I decided the best way to get jet experience was join the military, go to flight school and be a pilot for Uncle Sam until I finished my service. The USMC sent me for testing to a Naval base. I took all kinds of flight tests and physical tests as well, and I thought I did fairly well. But when they tested my eyesight I failed the depth perception test, and that was pretty much the end of my dream to be a pilot. I could go in as a flight officer, which was navigation, but at that time they didn't allow pilots to wear glasses or contacts. I wanted to fly, not sit backseat and navigate, but I still had to finish college and get my degree to qualify for flight school. But since I couldn't be a pilot I was bummed and changed directions, which I regret to this day. My best friend helped me get into the IBEW electrical apprentice school and so I became an Electrician, which is what I do now for a chemical plant. The pay is great and I can't complain, but I still think about what might have been.

[shakie]

When I was 17 or so I wrecked moms car, she made me buy it. So I learned how to put a wreck back together. So I took my little tool box and went to Ladd Oldsmobile. Washington ave Belleville N.J. I B.S. my way in and bought a chiltons manual, it was easy. I moved up to trucks because they were big (and kool) got into construction, lucked into a union book International union of operating engineers, Every day was an adventure you go into work grab a work order jump into your service truck(which carried everything I owned tool wise) and down the road you go . Every day for the most part was different, The best part was if the job was'nt going your way you could stand back and swat the big junk with a sledge, relieve your tension and continue. Plus if the sky opened up you got to go to the bar instead of working. And then blinked my eyes and it was 30 + years later. I guess you could say it was a great job. After that I was dxed. with Parkinsons desease, got to retire early, and now I'm a rich and famous knifemaker. Well knifemaker anyway. and everyday is still a big adventure...

[Synghyn]

When I graduated high school, I wanted to be a photographer. And I was, I always had a "real" job, but on the side I did real photography. Alot of wildlife photography, for the NY Conservation Dept, which handled pamphlets and such for state parks etc. I shot for the Buffalo zoo for a couple years, for the displays on cages and habitats, and alot of the postcards and posters in the gift shop were mine. I shot for the Buffalo Bills,Sabres, and Stallions(soccer) for a couple years each(including 3 of the superbowls the Bills went to). And I shot a fair amount of modeling stuff and weddings etc. After a while, well 10 years or so, I just got burned out by working in photo labs, shooting bullshit like weddings, etc. Hell I only recently started having any interest in picking up a camera at all. But I got turned on by the machines I worked with in the labs, and became a technician. Thats what I do now, just not photo machines anymore, now it's big 'ol Ink jets that print billboards and the like. Not too bad work really.

Dream job? A variety of things. I'd like to work with my hands in my own shop. Woodworking, for instance tool chests, think Gerstner's. Tools, mostly woodworking tools, chisels, planes and plane blades, also hammers, anvil tools etc. Knifemaking, well duh, and the like. And general blacksmithing stuff, cool bottle openers, letter openers, flint strikers, maybe some jewelry. I figure between all the different stuff I enjoy doing and smart planning scheduling I should be able to keep from burning out on any given thing. Keep it fun and enjoyable for the long term. In a way I guess I'm working towards that goal, but in reality it's more of an after retirement dream.

Syn

[VampyreWolf]

Always wanted to work in aviation...

6.5yrs in air cadets, 5yrs of ground school... all I have to do is write the test and get my hours to get the paperwork.

I wanted to go into aviation mechanic right out of HS, but there was no way we could scratch the 80K together that it'd run me over 3yrs.
Worked, fucked my body over, went back to school for electronics technician.
Going back next year (hopefully) for electronics technologist, and then from there to electronics engineer. Can take the 18month course for avionics tech anytime I want, but if I already have EE, working on avionics will be simple.
Skip ahead a few courses with my 5yrs of ground school (they have to teach theory of flight, basic controls and instrumentation as part of the course... *I* could teach those courses myself, had already taught ground school before I was out of HS).

So we're 8-10yrs right now from doing my dream job of playing with aircraft all day.

I can strip and rebuild computers with my eyes closed, winblows problems are usually quick fixes. I've repaired video on demand equipment for the distribution end and now play with wireless internet trancievers for the consumer end. I'm already being paid to do something I enjoy (hell, I have to set my watch for breaks or I keep working through em).

[Boogerball]

my mottos:

FUCK WORK


DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO



they both seem to go well with everyones "get a job" lecture

[Autoelite]

I am doing my dream job now. Finally owning my own shop, making my own hours, inventing cool stuff to make. It rocks ! ! ! I would eventually like to make a film but that is probably one of those far away things, maybe never. It takes a lot of $$$ to make movies. I always wanted to fly a fighter jet like an F-15 but that aint gonna happen. I love jet aircraft and going to air shows to see them up close.

[L R Harner]

deker least if you won the lotto i could see th coolest 1911 ever

right now i seem to be living the super cool job life and so long as i can keep making different thing when i need to i should be just fine with it.

any way i look at it if im not working with my hands i dont know wha tto do with myself

i sure as hell would not work in an office that would truely kill me(and thos that had to read what i tyupe)

[RXX]

I am very happy with my job, but my "dream job" would involve Jenna Jameson, two hot asian girls, and Erica Rose Campbell.


I have always dreamed of being a hunting guide up in the mountains, going on duck hunts, fishing, upland hunting, and getting paid for it. Possibly having my own show for the outdoor channel. That would RULE!

[Kura]

I always wanted to be the next Attila the Hun...now I am a senior administrator in Government (bureaucrat)......close

[Katwyld]

I'd always wanted to work with animals when I was a kid... Always thought veterinarian, but as I got older and realized the requirements and stress involved, that waned a bit. Did end up working as a dog trainer for 10 years, and I actually quite miss that, but don't want to do it full time at a facility... The hours are generally evenings and I've gotten spoiled by my days. Now I'm actually quite happy as an office slave, but it does getting boring and dull when we're slow (which is regularly now).

I've gotten more into my art lately, but I wouldn't know where to start doing that for a 'living'... might look into selling some stuff if I build up a little 'stock' of paintings... Maybe at the flea market or something.. who knows.

My dream job is honestly housewife... I'd love to be there everyday Syn gets home from work, have time to do the stuff I never seem to have time for, go with him when he goes out of town... *shrug* Sad, but true... That isn't gonna happen, though.. he doesn't make that much. heheheh

[SuperD]

I think being a Mechanical Engineer with Heckler and Koch would be cool. I had an affinity for math and physics in school, so I think I would be ok there. And I have always had an interest in guns. Seems like working with a team to design the next generation of firearms would be a neat job. I never was much of a 'risk taker' though. So it is never something I seriously persued.