What do you do for a living? (Read 17032 times)

BenF · July 31, 2006, 11:58:43 am

This isn't some kind of inquiry to find out exactly what everyone does for a living, so if you work for MI5 or summat don't worry, you don't have to blow your cover. I'm just interested after having a conversation with friends and we took a while to think of many close climbing friends who weren't teachers or working on the ropes. Obviously both these jobs have serious benefits for climbers in terms of getting time for climbing.

Oh yeah, and neither am I suggesting that the "working in neither" category is in anyway being dismissed, I just didn't want too many categories.

Andy F · July 31, 2006, 12:01:25 pm

Surely you could have put 'I don't have a job' and 'I'm a student' together

BenF · July 31, 2006, 12:03:48 pm

Quote from: Andy F on July 31, 2006, 12:01:25 pm

Surely you could have put 'I don't have a job' and 'I'm a student' together

Yeah, I know I could have done, but then someone picky (not suggesting that you are of course) would have suggested I did the opposite. Bloody teachers!

Andy F · July 31, 2006, 12:06:47 pm

Bloody teachers, too right. 13 weeks paid holiday a year and all they do is moan about 'workload'. The cheek of it

Stubbs · July 31, 2006, 12:07:04 pm

I'm not a teacher or in roped access, I'm an environmental consultant, however most of the people I climb with work in education, either as teachers, or as post docs at Uni. I do know three other climbers who are environmental consultants too though...

BenF · July 31, 2006, 12:14:18 pm

Quote from: Stubbs on July 31, 2006, 12:07:04 pm

I'm not a teacher or in roped access, I'm an environmental consultant, however most of the people I climb with work in education, either as teachers, or as post docs at Uni. I do know three other climbers who are environmental consultants too though...

Maybe Environmental Consultants will top the poll? Interestingly I know a few Environmental Consultants, but none of them are climbers. Not that interesting really, I know lots of people who aren't climbers. Although obviously I don't talk to them much though.

BenF · July 31, 2006, 12:16:12 pm

Quote from: Andy F on July 31, 2006, 12:06:47 pm

Bloody teachers, too right. 13 weeks paid holiday a year and all they do is moan about 'workload'. The cheek of it

I know, shocking isn't it?

Sometimes I don't leave work until after 4.00pm. Barely gives me time to get much more than 4 hours climbing done.

Andy F · July 31, 2006, 12:26:57 pm

Oh, I forgot about the part-time 'hours' when they are in school. 8.30 till 3 is not a full working day. Teachers, one step up from students.

BenF · July 31, 2006, 12:32:12 pm

Quote from: Andy F on July 31, 2006, 12:26:57 pm

Oh, I forgot about the part-time 'hours' when they are in school. 8.30 till 3 is not a full working day. Teachers, one step up from students.

No, that isn't a full day. Lightweight. I don't finish until 3.40.

Plus my life in a special school is so demanding... What shall we do in maths today? I know, lets have a walk down to the local park and go on the swings. Then in science we'll get some privet for the stick insects.

bigphil · July 31, 2006, 01:00:33 pm

I too am an environmental consultant, I know lots of other environmental consultants who don't climb, and some that do, though I don't think I know Stubbs. Some climbers I know work on the ropes, some teach, some work in education but don't teach, some are self employed and some work in climbing as reps and stuff. What I think this means is:

I know lots of people at work
Some of them climb
The other climbers I know have a variety of jobs
Around half of them have jobs that give them more time to climb or they are just slackers

Monolith · July 31, 2006, 01:30:57 pm

After graduating over a year ago, I was a Computer Aided Manufacturer for 9 months making embossing/debossing dies and foil blocking dies for the greetings card industry/product design industry. There were some ok elements to it. Knowing how to CNC pretty much anything from a sketch on paper into an actualised solid product is very satisfying, but working for a bunch of tits isn't.
Unemployed at present but very much looking for a stimulating job.

SA Chris · July 31, 2006, 01:46:51 pm

Of the 10 or so people I climb with regularly; no teachers, only one is on rope work, and all work in the Oil and Gas industry. Comes with the territory up here.

andy_e · July 31, 2006, 02:05:48 pm

I know at least five people who are tree surgeons, does that count as rope access?

Being a student's almost as tough as being a teacher, you know! We have to laze around most of the time! Terrible.

nik at work · July 31, 2006, 02:16:35 pm

Most of the climbers I know are either doctors or physios.

Personally I don't have a "job" but I'm currently working 7 days a week so the lots of free time to climb theory has failed to materialise...

jfw · July 31, 2006, 03:03:16 pm

i make trains

Monolith · July 31, 2006, 03:38:05 pm

Any graphic designers amongst us? Would be keen to hear just how you managed to get a job thats not an unpaid placement. Got a bit fed up of working for free for a few months.

BenF · July 31, 2006, 04:45:17 pm

Cool, good response so far. Thanks. Keep 'em coming, maybe I could write a Ph.D...

Whilst there are a disproportionate amount of educationalists and ropists (eh?) so far in the poll, there ain't a stupid number so it must be my circle of friends that's wierd. I just did a quick tally of the people I've climbed with most over the last ten years or so and it came to roughly 5:1 ratio of teachers/rope access vs others. I need to get out more obviously. And I haven't known all these teachers since I was at uni, I've just seemed to meet them all through climbing. Maybe it's something about the Liverpool climbing scene.

andy_e · July 31, 2006, 05:34:59 pm

Quote from: BenF on July 31, 2006, 04:45:17 pm

Maybe it's something about the Liverpool climbing scene.

Maybe young people in liverpool need more teaching in general?

Yossarian · July 31, 2006, 05:42:46 pm

i am being a graphic designer this week, after being a photographer for the previous 3. however, I can't really help with questions about placements and stuff because I am entirely self taught and blagged my way into it where I work now. officially i am a marketing executive for a fairly high end furniture company. however, thanks to the chinese, i expect that in about 6 months time i will be homeless, jobless and penniless...

erm, sam · July 31, 2006, 05:45:00 pm

I work in Sportswear Design....
On the subject of getting jobs without internships, I think they maybe are a nessecary evil. We have over the past couple of years drastically increased the number of interns we use. They generally get paid a pittance and stay for a year as a part of the course they are on. I know seveal people who have done 3 or 4 interships of different lengths before getting a proper job, and I can't see it changing.
As long as there are lots more people wanting jobs than jobs, of course employers will want to use interships as a cheap way of getting work done. To be fair though, interns here learn a lot, and when they arrive are allways a lot less experienced than we would want if they were going to start as an acutal designer....
I think the key to getting the most out of an internship is to do one at a company which will look good on a cv, and/or teach you a lot. No point in learning how to make cups of tea, but if you can get involved in real projects then you can benefit greatly. And command a higher starting salary when you do eventually start a real job.

Johnny Brown · July 31, 2006, 08:23:39 pm

At the mo I'm teaching rope access. Now I feel like I'm living some kind of ultimate cliche...

LucyB · July 31, 2006, 08:29:24 pm

I am also 'special'. And the kids I teach are, too

Just wondering if this is a particular area that attracts climbers, just 'cos I know loads of teachers who climb, and a lot of them are in Special Needs too.

grimer · July 31, 2006, 08:30:56 pm

On the other hand Johnny, you could be working out some very hard to get at sums.

cofe · July 31, 2006, 08:38:48 pm

my avatar says it all. or does it.

Ends.

Richie Crouch · July 31, 2006, 08:49:48 pm

Graduated recently with a degree in Outdoor & Environmental Ed but it doesn't really qualify you to do much apart from outdoor activity instruction or teaching via a PGCE year.

I'm happy working at the climbing wall though, as it means a lot of free time and a training facility (before and after shifts) without having to waste valuable time travelling!