What do you do for a crust?

[jeremy-o]

My perspective on work has changed a lot over the years. I guess the two big things for me were being unemployed for a bit, which really emphasised how much having any work is a real privilege. To be out of the loop socially, economically, even physically is more draining than any job... Maybe it's more of a problem for people especially prone to depression, but I don't imagine it's a fun place to be for anyone.

 

The other thing of course is having a kid. When you're a young punk like I was for a while it's easy to condescend upon tie-wearing "drones" who go to an office nine to five, five days a week for decades. But when you're entrusted with the care of a family, what exactly it is you're doing away from home is always going to be tangential anyway - you do it for them, and having the security of being able to afford the rent and not worry about having fresh veggies in the fridge and money for swimming lessons or whatever makes the time you do have so much easier to enjoy.

 

I mean, I know I'm extra lucky that I go off to work in a field that involves one of my life-long passions. But to be honest I think even more important to workplace happiness is the people you work with anyway. I'd probably rather work in an office again with good colleagues than in a school faculty full of the wrong kind of teachers... That's pretty rare these days though.

[Petermur]

Hi All,

I'm a 70yo retired railway stationmaster living at beautiful Redcliffe, keeping fit with tennis, slow jogging etc - also play Bridge in the local competition, do cryptic crosswords to keep the mind active - love blues music a la Muddy Waters, ZZ Top, good rocky stuff.

Son-in-law is into all grain brewing in a big way, has more gear than you can poke a stick at and convinced me to try - I'm still a kits and bits man with a few steeped grains and hops thrown in but the taste is just beautiful.

Recently purchased a Fresh Wort kit from LHBS - this is the liquid wort ready to add grains and hops and the result tastes even better than my usual batch so I'll experiment with the fresh worts for a while.

I love reading this forum and follow it each day - the info from some of the regular contributers has made it a lot easier for me to produce a very, very drinkable brew - learning from the more experienced, so to speak.

I notice we have worldwide followers here with posts from Canada, Sweden, Singapore, Scotland, USA - I wonder how many more of you guys and gals live in exotic countries.

Anyway, I'm off to Saturday afternoon Bridge now - after play a bunch of us then retire to the RSL for a post-game discussion, then home to have a couple of glasses of my current brew.

Cheers to you all.

Peter.

 

[CaffeinatedSentryGnome]

Wow! Dylan that really is an incredible life you've got going there man. Very interesting.

 

I'm also a bit suprised (for some reason) there are so many IT and educated professionals here. Guess I expected more blue collar xxxx drinking types :D so this is really cool and some very interesting roles! I'm also suprised to see that most' date=' if not all here don't take work too seriously. Love that. I think it shows intelligence because we're wise enough to see the bigger picture that is life. Aint' no one gonna wish they'd worked more hours at death (apart from Mr. Burns. He actually did..) because in reality, we're not here long. We're just passing through. One day our chair still stands, but we're not in it anymore. We go back to where we came

 

Sorry, too deep! [img']unsure[/img] lets talk about jobs n beer again

 

On the other hand. I'm beginning to get a bit frightened about the current state of Australia's economy and the World. I'm increasingly seeing layoffs and it's actually really hard to get a job here right now even with good quals.. people aren't spending and that leads to businesses not making money. Interest rates are plummeting once again and general affordability is on the decrease, even though things like fuel have also plummeted. I know of people who've been forced from their partners and Families to work interstate after long slumps of unemployment and so on. So we've really gotta think ourselves lucky. The better term is "blessed" and hope for the best into the future

 

I think that people that join forums like this are people who want to better themselves at the interest the forum is about. people who join for that reason are more likely to be well educated both formally and informally. the thirst for knowledge is real.

 

I am not sure which state you are from, but SA is not looking real great ATM. I wanted to quit my safe job and move but its at the point were if you quit your job even if you hate it you wont get another job and be stuck on work for the dole shoveling dirt from one side the yard to the other and back again each day.

[Corksniffer]

True man :( I found the same the hard way. When I left my easy safe job about 4 years ago for more money, something different and because I felt they were just paying me to basically do nothing feeling like a drain I learned what the real World was like real quick. Into an abusive higher paying job I saw no way back or out. Took me months to find another job that was just as bad as labour hire and was laid off a few months later without notice. My Soul feeling destroyed by this point but there was still one more to go before I snapped. I'm from the NT and times have always been good here. Apart from the last few years, we're a goin doooown. We like to think life isn't do much about money but it is. The Wife & I were just saying we'd love to move to Cairns but the fear of bankruptcy is too great. We have a good life and good income that's fairly secure here

[MPH]

Another IT worker here. Project manager for a water corporation, it's a new job back in Vic after a 5 year stint in Queenslands CSG/LNG industry which I really enjoyed but was looking for a move back home. I quite like what I do, but I'm certainly not wedded to it

[Pilch]

15 years of FIFO industrial emergency services in the oil and gas industry. I was excited and 'keen as' when I started in the role but that has been knocked out of me over time but it pays ok and the equal time roster (2 on 2 off) gives me some quality time at home with my wife and daughter.

 

[Otto Von Blotto]

Another IT worker here. Project manager for a water corporation' date=' it's a new job back in Vic after a 5 year stint in Queenslands CSG/LNG industry which I really enjoyed but was looking for a move back home. I quite like what I do, but I'm certainly not wedded to it[img']lol[/img]

That hole in the ground in your avatar pic has now morphed into cranes and the first stages of the building going up.

[MPH]

Another IT worker here. Project manager for a water corporation' date=' it's a new job back in Vic after a 5 year stint in Queenslands CSG/LNG industry which I really enjoyed but was looking for a move back home. I quite like what I do, but I'm certainly not wedded to it[img']lol[/img]

That hole in the ground in your avatar pic has now morphed into cranes and the first stages of the building going up.

 

Haha, ahh sweet. We watched it go all the way to the bottom and when I left they were starting to put those cranes up. We spent quite I bit of time staring out the window watching the progress

[Otto Von Blotto]

It took me a while to work out where it was at first, but those tacky yellow and blue sections on the library gave it away in the end.

[MPH]

It took me a while to work out where it was at first' date=' but those tacky yellow and blue sections on the library gave it away in the end. [img']lol[/img]

yeah good pick up!

[talltwits]

Well I've been a Cop for the last 11 years. After joining when I was 18 that's me approaching my 11th year. Originally wanted to be a Graphic Designer at school however took the plunge after being bored and the rest is history.

 

Been an eventful 11 years and I'm sure it's given me maturity beyond my years along with hairloss and a bitter outlook on life! The job sure has changed a hell of a lot especially in the past few years with no real light at the end of the tunnel. Don't enjoy the job all that much anymore and comes with stresses and "other things" that I could be doing without. On the odd occasion something good does happen and you genuinely get the chance to help decent people but that's few and far between. Luckily I able to detach when I'm off duty and enjoy the simple things in life like family, photography and now home brewing!

 

Initially started working as a street cop in Glasgow for the first five years then became a dog handler which was a dream come true. However due to unforeseen circumstances had to give it up after four years and I'm now back to being a street cop in Ayrshire! (Robert Burns country!)

 

That's a quick snapshot of my history and it's been great getting a good insight into what you guys n gals all do/have done! Keep them coming!

 

 

[Corksniffer]

Wow man, my hat's off to you. It must be very taxing on you guys day after day dealing with the dregs of society. Being a highly sensitive person (the term is 'empath') this is one job along with Surgeon I just couldn't do, despite helping others in need. I think without Cops the World would be in complete dire straits so it must be rewarding at least sometimes when you don't feel deflated, but I can only imagine

[pcmax]

Aircraft Engineer, have been working for a large commercial airline for the past 38 years. No longer "on the tools" but still enjoy being around aeroplanes. The job has taken me to many interesting places around the world where I have been able to sample lots of different beers (after work of course).

Some people think it's a long time to be in the one job but I've had many different roles within the engineering realm and to be honest there's not a lot of scope to go elsewhere when we only have 2 major airlines in Australia.

[Kradmelder]

Associate at a Professional Consulting engineering firm (civils) to support my bike addiction. Been offered jobs at Ozzie consulting firms twice but with all the rules and regs there, I will lose my licence in a day. It is only a R500 fine here for a wheelie if the next light is not red and they can catch you lol. Besides, I prefer riding dirt (not dead straight flat outback lol). And the no open fires law means I will starve as you can't braai properly lol. Sacrilege to throw meat onto lumps of coal or gas.

 

Beer is a secondary hobby. Nothing goes down like a cold one after climbing off a bike.

 

Besides that, I'm a dedicated father of 2, and serve on the armed response unit of our community security so that we can live in a safe area. We are all volunteers, with each man in our generation having served in the police or military, it just seems like a part of life. So basically my life is full and busy.

 

Hey Dozer, we also do Geotechnical engineering and engineering geology. A lot of dolomite ground stability work. But that is not my field.

[peekaboo_jones]

Great thread BrotherBoy!

Very interesting read, well done to everyone and no doubt we've all done/doing it tough at one time or another. Keep at it and do everything for yourself and your loved ones.

 

I'm currently a draftsman drawing lines, arc's and circles all day.

Sitting on my bottom. Can't complain one bit.

Income is good and the company I work for has really looked after me.

 

Previous jobs were: petrol station attendant, pizza delivery driver, labourer at visyboard and laser bucket driver for an earth moving company.

 

Current part time job: making Coopers homebrew

 

Cheers big ears

[Kradmelder]

I I got to thinking: what does everyone do here and do they enjoy it? I generally like or even "love" my job now' date=' but there are times (like now) when I'd rather not.

 

 

[/quote']

 

What I like about mine is that I got to work all over the world: worked all over africa, Ive been to europe, canada, USA, south america andgot paid to do it. I used to do lots of site work, but no longer. I got too expensive so must send junior staff. But that is OK as I got tired of it and I prefer to be home to spend time with the kids and watch them grow up. Now I prefer to travel by bike. I sometimes combine work trips with riding, and go to sites by bike.

 

I can work my own hours and basically go in and out when I want. I dont need to wear kantoormannetjie clothes (office boy clothes); Tshirt and jeans are fine. Office type culture would kill my soul and spirit. I can live very well even if i choose to only work a 25 hr week. No contract is ever the same and their is always place for innovation, so always something new.

 

What i don't like are the necessity of meetings, especially with government. Paper shufflers and tick the box type bureaucrats drive me around the bend with their endless time wasting. I don't mind meeting with contractors, drillers etc on site as they are a more down to earth bunch, but manager types who just warrah warrah and produce nothing concrete leave me feeling like I wasted my day. Some people like that sort of thing. But not me.

 

 

[Otto Von Blotto]

You can have open fires here apparently as long as they're under 2m x 2m. Not sure about anywhere else in Aus though. I recently burned down my hops plants after harvesting actually.

 

Sometimes I operate under the idea that it's not illegal unless you get caught.

[CaffeinatedSentryGnome]

for fires its all bout time of year. during fire ban season small fires and if its a total fire ban then its no fires at all. outside of fire ban season its on. farmers light whole paddocks on fire at a time.

[Chezza1525229798]

Hey Fellas,

 

I have recently (last year) made the transition from doing maintenance and ground s work to organising it all so I am now in the office doing facility management for our four sites across queensland. It is a good gig and the money is good too but there is a lot of pressure to perform and to be seen to be doing everything you can even when nothing will be done until the next day... I have learnt a lot over the last year about our legal responsibilities and the legislation attached to that and have to ensure we are compliant so there is never a dull day.

 

Cheers Chezza

[Timmsy1525229067]

I just kill things for a living (Pesty)

[Graculus]

Well for many years I worked in the printing trade.

 

Lost my job couple of years ago though, which is when I took up homebrew again to save money. I only do kits but it's far, far better than 25 years ago. I seem to remember a taste of yeast & um.... yeast.

 

Now I have two jobs.

 

Following on from my print days I now do a bit of typesetting and design work from home.

As that is a bit hit and miss workwise I also work as a courier for a pathology company.

Between the two jobs, taking kids to sport etc I manage to find the time to do a few homebrews too.

 

 

[Mark D Pirate]

I'm a chippy ....seem to be the first tradesmen to post !!!

 

After building beautiful homes all over Australia I now work for a timber yard as a "machinist"

In a very typical tradie way I describe myself as someone who can fix sh!t , make sh!t or even break sh!t but it'll cost ya

Unlike so many others I turn up ,do it properly ,finish it and get paid

In between I've done anything I can to make a $ and learn new skills , can now operate most things with tyres or tracks ,have worked in so many different fields ....car yards ,food processing (I did help build the factory !) ,fixed plant breakdown ....always something new to learn .

 

Mostly involved working with cranky old buggers ,they had a lot to teach.(old bull ,young bull )

 

On a personal note , i'm really liking how generally helpful this forum is .

my early experiments brewing 15 years ago were better used to clean engine blocks than drinking but in now I get most brews tasting pretty bloody good and hope they get better

 

Marko :-)

[Otto Von Blotto]

I don't consider myself a tradie but I suppose I do technically have a trade as I did do a greenkeeping apprenticeship straight out of school, but I haven't worked in that field (pardon the pun) since I finished it. It's always there as a fall back if I need it though I guess, which is good.

[JCbrewin]

Uni student studying English Lit Teaching

[Corksniffer]

No wonder you're brewin!

 

Uni student studying English Lit Teaching