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[PaulloDEC]

I was originally looking for work in graphic design after I finished my uni degree, but an opportunity in video turned up (by which I mean a friend got me an interview) at just the right time.

That was 7-ish years ago, still at the same place.

 

[LProtag]

I knew I wanted to be involved in academia on some level, as I love literature and critical interpretation. I considered going for my PhD, but there aren't many jobs for English professors out there.

I entered a teaching certification program that paid for itself through an internship. During that internship and my time studying education I realized I had a passion for education beyond just being able to spend my day discussing literature.

Very happy as a classroom teacher. I don't ever want to move into administration. I would consider working on education reform/educational research at the PhD level if I wanted to move forward with my career in a non-classroom position.

 

[Makai]

Got obsessed with game programming in college.

 

[Opto]

Money

 

[Smokey]

MIS

Didn't want to fully commit to comp sci, but also enjoyed aspects of business.

Whynotboth

Jobs that I've had in my career so far haven't really made use of the business aspect of the degree.

 

[haimon]

Currently a software product manager.

Got into it by being the way manager and then only was in our company, and being also in charge of 3rd party integrations.

When a pm quit I asked for the opportunity and the higher ups we're glad that I wanted to do it.

Been at it for about 6 months now.

 

[Rosstimus]

I'm a game designer. Its actually what I've wanted to do professionally since I've been about 11 or 12. I went to school for it and worked hard to get the necessary skills and experience. So pretty cool. That being said, it's my first gig in the industry and I'm on the bottomish rung on the ladder. My next goal is climbing to a position of more importance.

 

[Yoshi]

Every time I open up my fantasy project in Scrivener, I think...do I write something I love, or stick with a genre that's making me millions every year?

Is this figuratively? Because if you make millions every year, shouldn't it be absolutely unproblematic for you to just, say, devote half the time to writing romances and half the time to write your passion projects and, even if the passion project is bought by only 20 people, you still make a million (assuming millions means at least two million, but less than four million), which, I guess, is plenty to live very well off?

Also, since you are writing science fiction romance books and my wife loves both genres: Which is your best book that you could recommend in this genre?

 

[Deuce Deuce]

No job yet, I'm just stating my third year at university (will probably do honors next year) studying Computer Science. I still have no idea how anything I'm learning will translate into a job, I'm getting good grades, but all I know how to code are shitty calculators and solve useless problems that no one in the real world would pay someone to do. It's a little worrying lol. I really should start some projects of my own on the side

I recommend googling interview questions from Google/Microsoft/etc. It'll give you an idea of some of the types of patterns to expect in the working field. It's all data structures and algorithms.

 

[schwabdizzle]

Systems Administrator/Information Assurance Engineer

 

[Epsilon-delta]

Because I've always been good at math ever since I can remember.

Luckily in this global economy, mathematical and problem-solving skills are highly-valued.

 

[amanset]

I kind of like making games. And programming.

 

[NandoGip]

had bills to pay

 

[nelsonroyale]

Partly by happenstance. My main paying gig is running an editing and writing business, which I ended up doing because I was travelling a lot and studying at one point in time and wanted something temporal and locational flexibility. I have also begun writing children's books which I am not sure if I will ever make much money from.

I am also doing a part-time PhD in urban ecology and design, my aim in that being able to collaborate on research projects and also give me some theoretical coherence for my shift into ecological design, which I want to become my main profession. I want to begin setting myself up in that regard this year.

 

[Glass Shark]

Honestly, because a career aptitude test told me I should try it. Turns out it's fun, I'm good at it, and it pays pretty well.

 

[Damaniel]

I'm a software engineer and have been for a while. At the time I first knew what I wanted to do (middle school), writing code was something that I greatly enjoyed and was (in my opinion) pretty good at.

Now, 17 years and 2 degrees later, I've come to the conclusion that I don't really like writing code at all anymore, but that's neither here nor there.

 

[ChuyMasta]

Didnt have money for college. My dad was working near minimum wage with a family of 5. 6 if grandma stayed with us.

Scrholarships paid for my first year. Within my first year of college I enlisted on great programs which would pay for the rest of my college years if I committed to teaching.

Thats it really.

 

[Ron Mexico]

I was managing an Electronics Boutique when I got to talking to the people at the bank where I made the store's deposits.

Had my fill of the Xmas season, applied for the hell of it, now 16 years later left the corporate banking world for credit union life.

 

[sam12]

Why- parents expectations
Only has created depression for me

 

[TheCthultist]

Had some really inspiring teachers while I was in middle/high school that made me realize I wanted to teach and, specifically help make a difference in young people's lives... Also an incredibly awful teacher back in elementary school who made me realize I wanted to ensure no kid I ever worked with would have to deal with someone like her.

Unfortunately, now I have to wait for someone to either retire or die so I can get a full time position...

 

[BigWeather]

In high school created a game for the CNet BBS software in BASIC, made a couple hundred, figured I could make a go at programming for a living.

 

[Carnby]

I hated my career in TV News. It was a dead end job in a dying field. And I always regretted not going into IT. So I decided to become a network engineer.

 

[lock2k]

Hi GAF.

I'm currently studying Data Analysis because I want a change in my career. I originally studied journalism and then I had studied marketing for my MBA. I work as a Content Editor in the automotive industry but I feel really stuck and I don't want to do this anymore. I'm about to turn 37 this month and I know that if I stay doing what I do I will be stuck forever and have no promotion. And actually I'm really pissed because I had a real shot of getting a new job as a manager but that opportunity blew with the pandemic (because it was related to an aviation company).

But back to the subject, first I'm learning how to analyze data and then I want to proceed to data science. I saw some people who work with data here and I wanted to know if you guys have advice for me and websites and courses for me to study further.

I hated my career in TV News. It was a dead end job in a dying field. And I always regretted not going into IT. So I decided to become a network engineer.

This, so much. My case as well.

 

[Tesseract]

it's either make games or join the military, there's nothing else in life (for me)

 

[triplestation]

It chose me.

.

 

[Papa]

Dat bump

Why not just make a new thread instead of an old pre-split one full of screechers

 

[lock2k]

Dat bump

Why not just make a new thread instead of an old pre-split one full of screechers

I thought it would be in bad taste to make a new thread since we have an existing one. But it is a good idea.

 

[VGEsoterica]

I skied professionally. Hurt myself too many times. Decided I didn’t want to stop traveling and skiing so I decided to make a ski film.

been a filmmaker ever since. 17 years and counting. Now I teach film to college kids too

 

[Papa]

I thought it would be in bad taste to make a new thread since we have an existing one. But it is a good idea.

Yeah fuck this old screecher thread. Make a new one man.

 

[Tesseract]

why stop there

why not let it spill into the streets

create a new forum for every new thread

 

[Papa]

why stop there

why not let it spill into the streets

create a new forum for every new thread

Alternatively, burn the screechers

 

[Musky_Cheese]

When you start out as milk and you aren’t drank, not a whole lot choice in the matter

 

[MetalAlien]

This thread...

PS I saw a guy doing what I do now and thought it would be a good idea.

 

[lock2k]

Yeah fuck this old screecher thread. Make a new one man.

OK will do later.

 

[TaySan]

Moved out of state and my old neighbors had a job lined up for me in their new business they started up here. That's that lol

 

[SpartanN92]

When I was 21 I was working for GameStop and was miserable. A new AT&T store was built right next door to the GameStop, and two days before the store opened the manager who was a regular of mine came in and said “Do you want a better job?” I said “What do you mean?” and he said “I mean we are gonna pay you a LOT more money.” I thought what the hell why not? “When do I start?” and he said “Today. Come on over as soon as your shift ends.”
I told him to hang on just a second, I walked into the back room and told my GS boss “I quit.” I walked over to the AT&T and I’ve been in mobile phones ever since. I’m 27 now and I’ve been with Verizon now for a few years (I moved away from my hometown and Verizon made the best offer in my new town.) It’s been a great gig and it’s paid wonderfully (it’s commission so if you’re good at sales you can make a killing), I am however painfully aware that retail sales is a dying industry, so I finished college last year, I recently began my MBA and I got accepted to law school so when my MBA is complete that’s my next step.

 

[SKM1]

Loved physics in high school, got on board the physics train in University. Not much more to it.

 

[Dark Star]

Supply chain/procurement within the oil and gas sector. Started as an internship in college, ended up graduating with a business degree in SCM. The technology aspect of warehousing is pretty interesting, lots of AI and automation.

 

[The Lunch Legend]

lack of education

 

[Jooxed]

Dropped out of college started doing hard drugs and drinking working at a Pizza place, when I was 18. My mom paid my brother and my best friend to come and beat the shit out of me and drag me home about a year later. Started working as a dishwasher in a restaurant and the cook walked out one night and the Chef asked me if I wanted to work the fryer and fell in love with working on the line and learned as much as I could.

Went back to Culinary school and graduated after two years and joined Hyatt Hotels was promoted over the next year or so pretty quickly form Lead line cook to sous chef to Restaurant Executive Chef pretty quickly and moved around the country/world working at different Hotels.

Dad got sick and I needed to go home for a while spending a month with him in the hospital made me decide I wanted to do something more meaningful with my time for people that appreciate it so I stopped and switched over to Healthcare and became a Director of Dining at a Healthcare facility. Some days are tougher than others especially lately but I love what I do.

 

[GeorgPrime]

I'm a game designer. Its actually what I've wanted to do professionally since I've been about 11 or 12. I went to school for it and worked hard to get the necessary skills and experience. So pretty cool. That being said, it's my first gig in the industry and I'm on the bottomish rung on the ladder. My next goal is climbing to a position of more importance.

"Don`t do the Druckmann"

 

[ScarletSpider]

.

 

[StormCell]

Today, GAF, I really don't know why I chose software developer... All I wanted coming out of college was a job with no homework or baggage that leaks into personal time.

 

[teezzy]

I'm a high school dropout with a GED, a film school certificate and Associate in Arts from a local community college. I make about 40k and get to be corporate bad guy for a major automotive manufacturer. I figure this life chose me.

 

[Moogle11]

Decent salary and lots of flexibility and autonomy on what I work on and what hours I work, ability to work from home often even before this etc.

 

[Nymphae]

 

[Rockondevil]

Job security.

 

[n0razi]

Unemployed... because COVID

 

[Deleted member 1159]

I didn’t, I got where I am through some moderately hard work, never fucking anyone over, and a series of fortunate events. I guess I’ve chosen to keep going at several steps along the way, but that’s because it’s what all my decade+ of professional experience is in aside from driving a bus or retail, it’s pretty lucrative, in demand and fairly rewarding

 

[NecrosaroIII]

It wasn't my first choice. Or my second choice. Or even my third.

I'm pretty miserable bit the pay is okay.