Community Chat

[Peaches McPhee]

Full time director of aging services for a nonprofit. We provide in home subsidized services to those who need it.

[songbird]

I work for a mid sized university.  I work in the library.  I'm not  faculty.  You need a PhD for that.  Starting with my first job, at a school that I went to as a student.  I've always worked in Academia.  I never had a civilian job.  I've been at my current job for 13 years.  My father was an associate professor of Mathematics and Statistics.  So I grew up in it. This was in Italy.  We came here because my father was offered a position at UCLA.  Been here ever since.  Along the way we stayed & became citizens. 

[LorelaiGilmore]

I have a BA in Instrumental Music Education and an MM in Music Performance (Violin). I currently am a professional violinist and violin teacher. I also work as a Guide for WW (formerly Weight Watchers). I was a full time public school orchestra director (mostly high school) for 28 years. 

[AuntG]

It was fun reading all about your career choices. I worked in an office for nearly four decades; it was technical secretarial work. Luckily I was able to retire in my late 50's and I LOVE it! Thankfully, my DH works and carries our insurance. 

[drizzellla]

I worked as Fiscal Agent for 14 years for Agency of International Development. The US government had (in our case) Insurance Companies give money at next to nothing interest rates to foreign countries (in our case Central, South America and Africa) for loans for people to build/purchase houses.

The interest rates in 1971 were around 7% and we were loaning money out at 2%. Some countries paid the Agency for International Development back on a monthly basis. And some countries defaulted every month. The Insurance Companies were losing money, because of the low interest rates and all the defaults. 

I was responsible for collecting the money that did come in and distributing to all the different Insurance Companies and notify the Agency for International Development.

I took off 7 years when I had my son. And did Accounting work. And also worked 6 years for the Disney Store. 

[RollTide2008]

What a fun thread!

I’m an accountant, the controller for a small family owned home medical equipment company.

[cotton4me]

Congrats on going back to school.  You’re right that it’s never too late.  I have a friend in her 70’s who is taking classes – art and economics.  Come to find out she loves economics and lights up when she talks about it.

Prior to retiring, I was an accountant and worked as a controller, first in the corporate world and then the non-profit sector which I preferred.        

I’ve enjoyed reading about the varied careers and lives of everyone here.  Great topic. 

[tends2dogs]

Other than doing the bookwork for the "side businesses" we have, past and present, my occupation on our tax forms reads HOMEMAKER.      I guess I am kind of a dinosaur in this day and age.

[dulwich]

Attended and graduated from a London School of Economics, married had baby, then went to Nursing School , King’s College, London and loved it found my vocation.

DH’s job sent us traveling and he got  involved - as a sideline -  in music business helped him run tours, worked with lots of big name groups, artists who appeared at Wembley - then back to U.S. DH job.

Worked in first AIDS clinic in S,F for 10 years loved it but got very ‘burnt out’ as so many patients dying.  Retired for a year then went back to economics at Stanford University enjoyed all the projects and retired from there.

[grayhairdontcare]

My career choice was/is a Registered Dental Hygienist. Have been practicing for 34 years and I can honestly say I still love what I do. Most people are grossed out with the thought of cleaning peoples teeth for a living...but there is way more to the job than that. Without a Dental Hygienist there woulf be no dental practice for the Dentist.

I will say I have not always cared for the Dentist I worked with and sadly working in a predominately female profession from office staff to assistants and other hygienist you run into alot of drama and pettiness which is sad. My focus was to be professional, a team player and to not get involved in office gossip and it has served me well all these years. What I love most about my job is the patients. I really truly love them. Have I had patients who are rude + dismissive and hard to work on? Absolutely...but I treat them as I would want to be treated and then I just schedule them to see someone else in 6months!!!