Could you still do the job you did for most of your employed life

I used to write stuff for a living. I handed it in to my boss and he or she marked it up and handed it back. I was good with that.

Then I would email it to my boss and some other people and they would mark it up electronically and hand it back. Lots more comments, some of them conflicting. Still, I was ok with that.

Then I would go on a call and put my stuff on a screen and five people would argue about it and two or three would send me messages asking for changes and one or two would call me offline and then the stuff would go in a shared file where more people would mark it up. Then we would get on another call to discuss the changes. I was not ok with that.

So, while I guess I could still do the old work, I have no desire to. Besides, I really like not working.
 
I couldn't do any job where I had to do the same thing all day. Eight hours in one day is far too long to do only one thing!

I've been doing mechanical drafting on a personal project and seem to be getting into it late at night and not quitting until like 2:00AM! I worked as a draftsman in the early '90s, and most of it (until I decided to quit and get an engineering degree) was on a drafting table, which is how I'm drafting now. During my final year there, we switched to Autocad. God... talk about tedious work! I would check the time about every ten minutes!

Since everything is done on CAD system any more, no, I couldn't do that kind of work again. I have used a CAD system to design some furniture I built. I can actually draft faster on a table than on the computer. The difference is when you have to make changes that it's far faster on a CAD system.
 

HermitHogan said:
I couldn't do any job where I had to do the same thing all day. Eight hours in one day is far too long to do only one thing!

I've been doing mechanical drafting on a personal project and seem to be getting into it late at night and not quitting until like 2:00AM! I worked as a draftsman in the early '90s, and most of it (until I decided to quit and get an engineering degree) was on a drafting table, which is how I'm drafting now. During my final year there, we switched to Autocad. God... talk about tedious work! I would check the time about every ten minutes!

Since everything is done on CAD system any more, no, I couldn't do that kind of work again. I have used a CAD system to design some furniture I built. I can actually draft faster on a table than on the computer. The difference is when you have to make changes that it's far faster on a CAD system.
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talking about tedium in some jobs...

When both my sister and I were in our late teens, we found ourselves Christmas temporary jobs in a factory which made parts for domestic appliances..

The jobs was soooo boring, that every day was like a week ..it was just terrible, doing the same monotonous actions over and over again . I'd look at the clock at 8.15am..and a couple of hours later I'd look again, and it was 8.30am.... just mind blowing awfulness..

What was the most mind blowing to me tho' was there was people who had worked there for 30 years...Incredible !:eek:

I think after a year of doing that same thing over and over, they'd have to commit me to a mental asylum.. how people can do the same thing over and over.. for 9 hours a day..it's just beyond me

We only worked there for 6 weeks..for extra Christmas money, but even 50 years later the memory still makes me shudder
 
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hollydolly said:
talking about tedium in some jobs...

When both my sister and I were i our late teens, we found ourselves Christmas temporary jobs in a factory which made parts for domestic appliances..

The jobs was soooo boring, that every day was like a week ..it was just terrible, doing the same monotonous actions over and over again . I'd look at the clock at 8.15am..and a couple of hours later I'd look again, and it was 8.30am.... just mind blowing awfulness..

What was the most mind blowing to me tho' was there was people who had worked there for 30 years...Incredible !:eek:

I think after a year of doing that same thing over and over, they'd have to commit me to a mental asylum.. how people can do the same thing over and over.. for 9 hour a day..it's just beyond me

We only worked there for 6 weeks..for extra Christmas money, but even 50 years later the memory still makes me shudder
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I bought one of those Hoover thingyoes that you may of made the parts for, Holly, it never picked up the bits, but it played fantastic music. 😊
 
I worked in accounting, so I would be able to go back, except that Excel, etc. has probably changed so much I'd have to take crash courses first. I retired early because I had the worst boss anyone could ask for. I don't regret leaving, and wouldn't go back for any amount of money.
 
Yes. Now that I have enough outside income so that I don't need the paycheck, I could do my job even better. No need to fear being fired or transferred to some less desirable position if some administrator gets in a huff. If things get bad, I just take a hike, figuratively and literally.
 
hollydolly said:
...ah now there's a thing...technology moves so fast.. do you really think that if you were called upon to go in and do the same job tomorrow morning as you were doing, but with the passage of time.. that you could do it ?
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Hard to know. There might be opportunities for maintaining 'legacy' systems, but I don't think I'd be much good with A.I.
The real issue is that I don't want to go back to work but if I did it would be something different. I'm still pretty good at tiling and wallpapering.
 
hollydolly said:
...do you think , you could go back tomorrow and pick up where you left off...if you needed to ?
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Absolutely not. I had to apply for a disability income at a young age because my body is not user-friendly. For me, that was like being a star football player and having to give up the game because of an injury. Again and again, I accepted jobs I could not do because I did not want to accept my limits. Boy, was that miserable as I tried to hide I was having a problem so I wouldn't be fired.

Despite swimming and working out in the gym almost daily, my body still isn't user-friendly. But once a week I wash dishes after lunch at a community center. This is like climbing a mountain for me. I can barely get to my car at the end of the day, but I am happy. I made it to the top of the mountain and achieved my goal.

@hollydolly, for most of my working years, I was a janitor and loved it. I thought I was an Amazon woman, strong and able to do anything a fit person can do. I have also been a caregiver but even though I made it clear I can not lift and transfer, everyone assigned to me, needed a lift and transfer.

I have done a lot of volunteer work and was a Senior Companion until recently. That was great because I could do it despite my physical problems. But finally, lack of energy took me down. It was hard to give that up, but I am so glad I can rest as much as my body needs and now have more time when I feel good.
 
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Vida May said:
Absolutely not. I had to apply for a disability income at a young age because my body is not user-friendly. For me, that was like being a star football player and having to give up the game because of an injury. Again and again, I accepted jobs I could not do because I did not want to accept my limits. Boy, was that miserable as I tried to hide I was having a problem so I wouldn't be fired.

Despite swimming and working out in the gym almost daily, my body still isn't user-friendly. But once a week I wash dishes after lunch at a community center. This is like climbing a mountain for me. I can barely get to my car at the end of the day, but I am happy. I made it to the top of the mountain and achieved my goal.

@hollydolly, for most of my working years, I was a janitor and loved it. I thought I was an Amazon woman, strong and able to do anything a fit person can do. I have also been a caregiver but even though I made it clear I can not lift and transfer, everyone assigned to me, needed a lift and transfer.

I have done a lot of volunteer work and was a Senior Companion until recently. That was great because I could do it despite my physical problems. But finally, lack of energy took me down. It was hard to give that up, but I am so glad I can rest as much as my body needs and now have more time when I feel good.
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well you may not be an Amazon woman to yourself Vida May.. but after reading that, I feel you're a superwoman.. to me...:love:(y)
 
I've done a variety of jobs but to pin it down to the one I did for the most time would be heavy equipment field mechanic. Field means outdoors year round. Heavy equipment means vehicles D-9 bulldozers, 150 foot reach bucket trucks, cranes capable of lifting 30 tons. Physically demanding work but really enjoyed the challenge to repair whatever broke down.

Example.
30 ton crane parked in a field not scheduled for use for a week or two. The ground was soft so due to the weight it sunk in about 1 foot. Not typically a problem but the ground froze locking it firmly in place. In trying to drive it out the equipment operator tried, it didn't move.

Can't simply drive it out anymore so the repair had to be done in place. Put the out hydraulic riggers in to lift the body enough to be able to work under it. 4x8 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood were placed around the outside to block the high winds that were dropping the temp well below zero. Popped the rear out. the pinion gear had snapped. Ordered the pinion gear No measuring tools adjust the lash between pinon & gear just done by feel. With help popped the rear back in. BUT before attempting to move it again I asked for a back hoe to dig out the ground around the wheels & a dozer to winch the crane out of the hole it was in.

No manual to tell me how to get it repaired just skill & ingenuity.
 
Knight said:
I've done a variety of jobs but to pin it down to the one I did for the most time would be heavy equipment field mechanic. Field means outdoors year round. Heavy equipment means vehicles D-9 bulldozers, 150 foot reach bucket trucks, cranes capable of lifting 30 tons. Physically demanding work but really enjoyed the challenge to repair whatever broke down.

Example.
30 ton crane parked in a field not scheduled for use for a week or two. The ground was soft so due to the weight it sunk in about 1 foot. Not typically a problem but the ground froze locking it firmly in place. In trying to drive it out the equipment operator tried, it didn't move.

Can't simply drive it out anymore so the repair had to be done in place. Put the out hydraulic riggers in to lift the body enough to be able to work under it. 4x8 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood were placed around the outside to block the high winds that were dropping the temp well below zero. Popped the rear out. the pinion gear had snapped. Ordered the pinion gear No measuring tools adjust the lash between pinon & gear just done by feel. With help popped the rear back in. BUT before attempting to move it again I asked for a back hoe to dig out the ground around the wheels & a dozer to winch the crane out of the hole it was in.

No manual to tell me how to get it repaired just skill & ingenuity.
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that is Amazing !!



below D9 bulldozer 150 ft reach bucket...wow!
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