# Poll: SDMB Careers. What do you do for a living? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282 "2003-01-22T20:18:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/61 "2003-01-23T03:40:38Z")
I’m a baker in a library cafe. As you can tell I’m not especially imaginative with names. But I like my job. I realized in my senior year in college I didn’t have the temperament to be a CPA, even if I knew how to do it. ---
**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/62 "2003-01-23T04:22:39Z")
Fraud Analyst at a Visa/Mastercard issuer. I take calls to verify account activity is valid. It’s my job to prevent fraud losses by any means necessary. 😃 I also cover the supervisor line and the training classes in times of need. I also do projects on high fraud loss accounts. I analyze the account and come up with suggestions to prevent future cases. So far, three of my suggestions have been implemented and a fourth is going through the Suit Channel. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/63 "2003-01-23T04:59:40Z")
I’m a former baker (hi **Baker!** ) turned cake stylist (frou-frou for cake decorator) for a small independent supermarket chain. I love my work, but retail is HELL! ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/64 "2003-01-23T05:11:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kiz \* > **I love my work, but retail is HELL!** Haven’t seen you in quite awhile cuz. Oh, I’m retired. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/65 "2003-01-23T05:14:33Z")
I teach 5th grade in a California Title I (low income) public school. Whee! ---
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/66 "2003-01-23T05:25:45Z")
Right now I am unemployed, before that I was a high speed rotary offset printing press operator for over 22 years. Peace LIONsob ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/67 "2003-01-23T05:46:43Z")
Mechanical Engineer. I do design with 3D CAD software, manufacturing, transfer of prototype builds in the U.S. to high volume production in Asia and am the primary techincal interface with vendors and customers. I am another one who loves my job. Haj ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/68 "2003-01-23T05:47:02Z")
Secondary School Fine Arts Teacher. Notice the capitalization-- so I don’t feel like I went to college and all I got was this lousy credential. Frivolous, expendable lil’ me, grumble, grumble… ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/69 "2003-01-23T05:49:20Z")
Psychologist. Mostly teaching at the moment, with a small practice, and I moonlight occasionally as a counselor on a psychiatric unit to keep up with inpatient milieu work. Elsewhere in my life, I publish the occasional haiku or sonnet. ---
**Author:** ![ghandi5569](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@ghandi5569](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ghandi5569)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/70 "2003-01-23T06:03:51Z")
I work at an animal hospital. As a veternary assistant, training to be a tech. I also work as receptionist/surgical secretary. Someone in the office found out that I know the secrets to making the computers work and that I’m nice to people on the phone. I have a BA in English, though. I would love to become a writer/editor someday, but until then…I’ll just keep playing at the animal hospital. (And I did find out that the owners are instituting a tuition reimbursement program this coming fiscal year. Woohoo! I can start on my MFA soon.) ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/71 "2003-01-23T06:32:20Z")
Going to school to be a high school English teacher, then on to law school or me. I also am the Music, Movies and Books Specialist at my local Target store. Plus, I’m a midfielder for the Western Michigan Men’s Club Lacrosse team. Woohoo. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/72 "2003-01-23T06:38:58Z")
Well, I was brief before, but I’ll take a cue from others. While it certainly has it’s trying moments, actually being the one out front in exploration geophysics is about as rockin’ a job as I could imagine. I see, through remote imaging, stuff about the world that nobody before me has ever seen. And, I solve puzzles all day. The hard part is that there’s often a land man with a fuse in his pocket waiting for my interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/73 "2003-01-23T06:40:28Z")
I’m an internist (Internal Medicine specialist) at a large university teaching center. Somehow, I made my way up the hospital/university food chain so that now I have very few predators (in other words, I head up a Division). My job is eclectic if nothing else. I see lots of patients, do lots of teaching, lots and lots of administration, and a bit of highly unfocused research. ---
**Author:** ![Tblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tblue)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/74 "2003-01-23T07:01:26Z")
Ahhh-niii-maaa-torrr! (once 2D, now 3D) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/75 "2003-01-23T07:35:13Z")
Monday-Friday: Copywriter for a small advertising company. Mostly I write the overseas versions of catalogues, flyers, annual reports for different companies, but occasionally I do bigger ad campaigns as well. I guess that means the goal of my work is to eliminate ‘Engrish’. Not bloody likely, by the looks of things. Saturday-Sunday: Wedding minister. In the past 2-odd years I’ve been doing this, I think I’ve married close to 300 couples. I’m not actually Christian, but that’s ok, neither are they. Usually. The travel often sucks but I’ve found being on stage is extremely addictive. Plus the pay’s great. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/76 "2003-01-23T07:38:35Z")
Astronomer. Well, an astronomer in training really, seeing as I’m still doing my PhD. But I also do some teaching at the university. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/77 "2003-01-23T08:19:40Z")
Sales of two-way radios and cell phones. And **cadolphin** is NOT a lump on the couch - she’s my wife and I love her 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/78 "2003-01-23T08:38:26Z")
Violist. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/79 "2003-01-23T08:45:08Z")
I, like **Angua** , am an Astrophysics graduate student. At the 82nd largest university in the country, no less! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282/80 "2003-01-23T13:12:09Z")
Lawyer. More specifically, Law Clerk to a U.S. District Court judge. Law student dopers, this is a fantastic way to spend your first 1-2 years out of law school. Prior to this I’ve been a musician, body piercer, bar back, pizza delivery guy, and telephone opinion survey person. I leave those off of my resume nowadays. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-sdmb-careers-what-do-you-do-for-a-living/150282.md?page=5)