Werk Werk Werk Werk Werk: Professional Stuff

[witchery]

P.S. I’m forever a socially anxious bb and just wanna make sure this follows the rules. @Catherine and/or @CJB (/other more seasoned Mountaineers), is this topic okay? Anything I need to add/take out?

[Rimor]

I’m professionally unemployment due to my business and health failing so I’m currently trying to get it set up again while I’m on the sick. So I guess for now I am technically computer based

EDIT: (This topic seems fine to me as long as there isn’t any doxing or no one gives out information that’s too personal)

[witchery]

Thanks for the reassurance! And I’m sorry to hear about your circumstances, especially the health stuff. I hope all begins an upswing sooner rather than later.

[Tinker]

I’m currently a PhD student in mechanical engineering. It’s currently finals week, but I submitted the last part of my semester projects Tuesday night. Currently staring into the wide expanse of the summer semester, trying to figure out how to structure my days now that I’m free from classes for a few months.

Edit: take a drink of water every time I said “currently” and you’re well on your way to a healthy, hydrated day.

[witchery]

I surround myself, accidentally, with engineers and I have to say: y’all the best. You can say whatever you want over and over and we’ll have one good healthy water drinking game and I’ll happily cheer you on as you build your cool inventions.

[Viviane]

My job can be done remotely…until people don’t answer my urgent questions and I have to go bother them in their office. (I hate doing that.) But I can and do work from home once a week or so, and I definitely struggle with focus issues regardless of where I am. In cases that aren’t urgent deadlines but where I really need to focus, I turn off my notifications and set a timer on my phone for 20-25 minutes (all hail @Deyavi who introduced me to timers), and then take a 3-5 minute break regardless of how much I got done. Repeat at will. Often the feeling of “racing a clock” for a short sprint instead of staring out into the untold hours of my workday is enough to grab and hold my attention.

Oh, and I work for an education research group. My job is also 95% computer stuff.

[witchery]

You’re the second person to recommend using timers! I need to do that. It’s the only way I get housework done too. I think my goldfish brain requires set amounts of time in order to do anything.

[Viviane]

I can’t really speak generally, but it’s helped me a lot.

[Rimor]

Man I miss hearing your work stories Viv

[Nimueh]

Well, I’m a student, so at this time of year it’s all essays and revision. Sucks, and I get frequent mental blocks (really annoying atm cause I have an essay due on Tuesday and have written prbably a grand total of 10% of it). Lot of working out of my one room student accomidation atm means I frequently need to nip to the shops just to get out of the house for 15mins, which is really bad for me, but urg… Anyone want to write my essay for me? (joking, of course)

Also got a ton of creative work I need to do. I have a portfolio of 20mins of music I need to hand in on Wednesday (I’m a music student, so yay for job prospects!), and I’m all our of creative energy. Any of you guys got solutions for that?

[witchery]

When I’m out of creative juice, switching mediums helps me. I’ve been on a watercolor pencil kick lately, but yesterday I sewed a little bag and did some embroidery, made some earrings, and read a bunch. The more stuff I do, the more inspired I feel.

Editing, though, (in my case) is like the opposite. I love it as a job but I also struggle to stay in it.

[Smokey]

Well, right now I’m actually in my off season as an auto tech to pay the bills. However, at the end of the month I’m lucky enough to return to my career of choice, being a Wilderness Guide. Most of next month will be spent fixing fence (you would not believe how much damage elk will do to a fence in only a few months) then getting horses shod before spending multiple days in the saddle using various tools to clear dead and fallen trees from trails. After that it’s almost everyday in the saddle taking people on horseback tours or camping trips til mid-August or so.

[Rimor]

Omg that sounds like so much fun!

[Smokey]

For the most part it is, and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. That being said, it’s not without its drawbacks. Weather for one.

Here’s the office though.

20170710_115935|666×500

[Kennilworth]

You’re living the life bud.

[Ignatius]

Hmm I don’t technically do this as a “job” yet but hopefully I will soon! As of now i’m the team medic for an ROTC program’s Raider Team. My role is to help teach other students/cadets the basics of first aid and treat anyone who gets injured, etc. Soon enough I hope to be either a Paramedic where I live or in the Army as a Combat Medic.

Sorry I didn’t use a “job” and used more of a role in something and hopes and aspirations but hopefully it’s close enough!

[Sellalellen]

Dude that’s so cool. I have lots of relatives on the local fire department and emergency personnel are unbelievable. Working long, unpredictable hours, and everyone still comes out smiling somehow. I sort of want to join them but I’m not strong enough to stand straight while wearing all the equipment.

[Ignatius]

Yeah I feel that, my father was a firefighter/paramedic. I remember always feeling the hype whenever I knew he was out saving people. I don’t know, I just want to do that. I also remember getting a scrapped knee or however kids get hurt you name it and he always fixed it so I just want to do that. Sorry I got a little reminiscent there lol.

[Sellalellen]

No I get it. My dad is a firefighter and my sister was a fire cadet for a bit. She decided it wasn’t for her, but she’s so calm in crazy situations and just casually carries all the heaviest things, and Dad spends 24+ hours on grassfires in the summer. I am doing some weight training to maybe eventually join him but idk if that’s ever going to happen. I don’t build muscle easily.

[Ignatius]

Well if you set your mind to it then I believe you got this! I have to build up a little muscle myself but thankfully my schedule at the moment allows for me to dedicate time for working out, and the team im on don’t let me slouch none either lol

[metatomato]

I’m also a computer worker, but I’m constantly working out of the office. I think I mentioned it in a different thread, but I work as the lead designer for a print shop around town. There’s constantly deadlines (usually I’ll finish five to ten projects in a single day), so my biggest motivator is sheer willpower and constant panic. But also I love what I do and I’m excited to finally have a position within the creative field.

[Remus]

I’m an undergraduate student pursuing a BA in Anthropology and Modern Languages and Literatures (I italicized the two to delineate my two majors). I’m currently wrapping up my semester abroad in Senegal, which has been an experience (I think that’s really the best way to sum it up at this point – there’ve been plenty of ups and downs, so I think experience is really the best way I could describe the situation). Next week, I’ll be presenting my original research which I conducted over the past few weeks, and then I’ll be on vacation of about two weeks (one in the UK and one back home in the US) before I head out to field school for the summer. Once that’s over, I’ll be working on preparing to apply for graduate school and to do my honors thesis over the next school year.

I’ve definitely got a busy summer (and year, in general) ahead, so I’m super excited to see what others suggest for focus types! Self-discipline has historically been my go-to character trait, but recently I’ve found it harder and harder to concentrate, especially when I’m working on projects and readings that I don’t think are helpful. Thoughts, suggestions, similar feelings?

[Tinker]

Definitely similar feelings on the concentration! Since I moved last year and now live with a “real adult” (aka someone my age but who works a 9-5) it’s so much harder to stay working in the evenings and on the weekends (despite the fact that like…homework is a thing I still have to do from time to time). For me, I have to make detailed to-do lists…break a task down into the small bits. And switching up where I work helps. Sometimes I just can’t be productive in my office, so I pick a random library. I’ve also tried the timer thing and that works too. And sometimes I browse my article suggestions on Firefox “Pocket” and pick sometime that still feels like…vaguely educational, give it a read, and then try to get back to my actual work.

[Kennilworth]

I am mostly a laborer i’d say. I work in a warehouse moving airplane supplies, and Housekeeping supervisor at a hotel. I’m currently waiting to hear back from the NYPD on the next part of the application process; as i’m a Criminal Justice major who has taken some time off from school. That’s the goal for now, but i would also like to make a return to drawing; i’m also a former art major that gave up but want some semblance of creativity back in my life.

[metatomato]

One of us. One of us.

[oraclesage]

I am still a student, however I also have been walking dogs for years to help pay my way through school. I love animals and working with them is such a total dream, especially when all my clients are so stinkin cute!

Other than that I also write for several publications, and have started up my own “cunning service” where I provide tarot readings and that sort of thing.

[cjheighton1998]

Im a busker and (not exactly) professional musician! I write and perform at local markets and festivals, on the streets, wherever the money is! I practically live out there, half the time. You’d expect me to get a lot more folks that call me a panhandler or something, but i see it as performing a service for tips; thank god, my city is incredibly welcoming to musicians, and its been seeing TONS of stuff in the rap, R&B, and hiphop scene. I myself do tons of folk and classic rock, and i take great enjoyment in it.

Busking isnt just music, either. Its great for me in terms of learning social crowd awareness and stuff. My jobs composed of finding ideal crowds at a certain time of day, finding the spot traffic passes the most in that location without being illegal (i needed to read up on bylaw, too!), and then what people at what ages are on the streets, which dictates my song set for the day. Its tough, and the streets are the harshest proving ground ive ever been in (including a 7pm-4am bakery job i had), but im happy in a way this kind of thing usually doesnt offer.

[metatomato]

Hey, that is totally professional! If you make money for it, it’s a profession. Also, nice that there’s a fellow musician on the site, I play sax with a local cover band, and we’re just starting to break out of the divey bars we’ve been playing for the past few months.

[cjheighton1998]

Oo. What covers have you folks been doing? Any plans on making original work?

Just a guess: some dire straits or doobie brothers?

[metatomato]

Yes and maybe. We do a lot of classic rock as well, and a little bit leaning towards country because of the demographic. So yeah, pretty much smack dab in the middle of doobie brothers. Original work depends on who you ask in the group. We have a really strange mix of old people and slightly less old people, and the ones who aren’t retired are slightly more ambitious than the latter when it comes to producing their own stuff. I’ve been discussing the possibility of forming a splinter group for our non-cover songs, but we’ll find out where that goes later.

[cjheighton1998]

Well, hopefully we get updates on that as you go, hm? It’d be cool to see how you end up progressing!

YESSS DOOBIE BROTHERS ARE GREAT

[metatomato]

I can do that! We should both get someone to record a few songs and post them here, I know our band has a really original take on the Beatles Come Together that lands right between some sort of funk/metal sound, and absolutely no one expected it.

[cjheighton1998]

Ive already got a channel. Suppose i can find some stuff. Ill make a topic for sharing music creations, maybe.

Edit: done

[Statera]

In school, hoping one day to become a pathologist for a hospital (study diseases and viruses in human tissue)

[cedricborero]

As of now I’m unemployed but possibly looking into getting into school for creative writing or Lit major to teach English. My only downfall is the run of luck I’ve been having for quite some time now and dealing with my mental health (self doubt and unhealthy coping mechanism for my depression and anxiety), juggling my social life along with my family life as well (no kids of my own just my older siblings and their kids). But I’m holding strong each day and making it all work!

[chasedavis]

Hi! I’m a hairstylist working in a salon that focuses on natural haircare and the use of holistic lifestyle changes to better everyday health!

My dream is to eventually open my own business that offers an apothecary type environment while offering services for skin and hair. I’m thinking a focus on well-being by making people feel beautiful in the skin and hair they have while offering alternatives to less natural products.

I hate to beat a dead horse because I totally feel like I talk about them constantly but I’ve been using tarot cards as a conversation topic to help people work through issues they may have as well. I’ve found that in a close client interaction people are very open to having a reading while already in the “self care” state of mind.

[MissEvans]

I’m a Special Needs teacher. Currently having a bit of a tough time with my student who is very very depressed.

You may find me eating chocolate at odd times of the day right now.

[Drus]

Ironically enough, I had my share of work experience related to my education (masters in Latin and diploma in PR/marketing), respectively as a second grade teacher and working as a community manager in the gaming industry but I ended up working as a specialist in PlayStation Support (thankfully, I’m not customer-faced anymore). I do like this job but mostly for the company – the amount of weird stuff you can find on people’s accounts, including lack of security or untended children sends shivers down my spine faaaar too often That’s probably why I unwind with creative stuff like writing and doing music with my pals.

[Ashburn]

THEATRE :insert dramatic gesture here:

More specifically the road house variety where we bring in a bunch of shows every season (works same as school year, more or less) and do a bunch of rentals (Jackson Browne was one of them once ). Every once in a while the sports stadium folks who deal with the occasional show ask for additional hands from our group (which is why I recently got to help set up and take down Garth Brooks’ bajillion trucks’ worth of stuff).

Mostly I do tech/backstage things, but also fill in at the reception desks at all three of our venues (two of them more frequently than the third). I basically do a bit of everything except run (most) audio or selling tickets (though that was one of my hats at my previous theater).

[jinyinhua]

I’m currently a senior in highschool, and my plans for college got kind of wonky because I want to pursue two degrees from different principles I’m hoping to go for a BA in Music Production and Multilinguistics, but my dad’s been telling me to choose one instead. Anyone here who went through a similar dilemma?

[mayalmwhite]

Do you mean as far as having two majors? Most colleges allow for that, even if they’re from two very different disciplines (like a BS and a BA). I have two majors myself, as do many of my friends (senior in college here, headed to law school soon!). Mine are similar (I’m studying history and American government) but I know people with significantly different majors, like Classics and studio art, and I myself was originally a social work major (which is a BSW, not a BA or a BS!).

Feel free to PM me if you’d like to talk college! I know it can be really overwhelming, especially with all the senior year stuff.

[Nimueh]

I have a friend in my year in Uni that did something similar. She’s doing a BA in Music and French. It can be done, but takes a lot of work. Have you spoken to teachers about it, or maybe other joint honours students? They’re the best ones to give you advice. Those are two really awesome degrees (I’m very jealous, tbh, if you do choose to do both). I contemplated it, nearly did a BA in Music and Aniceint History, but choose to just stick to Music cause I suck at acedemic stuff. Joint honours can lead to some really cool oppertunties. Make sure you make your own choice though; it’s your life, your future.

[Tinker]

Jumping back a while and being a little off topic…but @jinyinhua do you by any chance speak Chinese

[jinyinhua]

I actually don’t, but I do plan on getting into Mandarin in the future! My username was due to me wanting to incorporate my birth flower into my online persona, hence it being the Mandarin translation of “honeysuckle flower”

[Tinker]

ahhh gotcha gotcha. If you ever need a language buddy, let me know! I speak Mandarin!

[jinyinhua]

Much appreciated!! For me, the more languages I know, the better

[WizardAstraz]

You do?! I lived in Taiwan for a year as an exchange student in high school. My mandarin has diminished but I’ve been thinking about picking it back up again.

I’ve recently thought about going back to continue studying it. In fact, I had a dream last night with my first host family and I was speaking Chinese to them…albeit very poorly

[Tinker]

I lived in Shanghai for 9ish months!! But I read/write in traditional characters because my first teacher was from Taiwan! I’m hoping to take the HSK in the next year, so the more study buddies the better!

[WizardAstraz]

Yay traditional Chinese! More difficult to learn, but the culture makes SO much more sense.

I wouldn’t even know where to start with studying again and my textbook is in storage right now.

[Tinker]

Honestly, most of the time I count listening to music and watching dramas as studying but I do conversation practice once a week during school semesters. And there’s an app specifically for HSK studying that reads you little stories (it’s called Du Chinese…highly recommend). But I’m also probably going to try an exam-specific prep book.

[WizardAstraz]

I’ll check out the app! Thank you. Writing Chinese was my absolute favorite part of the learning, conversationally I could get by day to day but never excelled at it.

It’s funny to think about it, a 16 year old going to a Taiwanese vocational high school, staying with native families and getting into all sorts of shenanigans (part of the reason my conversation never progressed is that I hung out with exchange students from all over the world)