What am I, chopped liver? :dubious: 
(Did mine not work?)
I recently graduated college with a BS in materials engineering in May 2006. IRL, many people I encounter have no idea what my major/degree entails since it is sort of a lesser known engineering discipline. Most of my upper level engineering courses colectively covered the topics of metals processing, polymers processing, ceramic engineering, semiconductors, electronic packaging, failure analysis, and mechanical behavior of materials. I also opted to take grad level courses in lean manufacturing in order to expand my possible job opportunities.
I had a couple job interviews this summer, but the companies have thus far been slow to respond so it looks like I’ll be sending out some more resumes soon.
My employment history:
-started working for an architecture firm (hence, the now out-of-date username) at age 17 doing mostly clerical work and running errands at first and then quickly moving onto drafting and surveying. I even once replaced the supercharger in my boss’s Buick. I worked there full time in the summers and other breaks from school until age 21.
-My architect boss (the owner) also had a photography business so I started photographing and videotaping weddings at age 18. I have worked about 86 weddings to date.
-At age 21 (Summer of '04) I was working as a resarch assistant mostly doing failure analysis of various metal alloys.
-I also was a server part time in a restaurant that summer.
-The following summer and fall (2005) I found myself as a research assistant again but working on carbon nanotube-polymer membranes with selective permeability. The nanotube tips could be functionalized only to allow specific molecules to flow through the membrane. The research professor believes the membranes will be used in food processing and pharmaceutical industries in the future.
-During all semesters in college beginning in '03, I worked part-time as a night desk clerk in dorms; it is nice to get paid while doing homework 
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Some of my friends think I should pursue a career in music, but I prefer just to keep it a serious hobby.
I have many skills, but looking new job in engineering is not one of them apparently. My interviews this summer seemed to go well although I think one of the companies was looking for someone with more welding experience. It was a great experience to do high tech research work in college, but in retrospect I probably would have been better off doing an internship. I may need to expand my job search to other states. For the first time since the summer when I was 16, I have no job and no school. Hence, I have been posting to the SDMB somewhat more frequently than I ever have in the past. I may move back home and work for the crazy architect again since my apt rental lease expires in August.
Good luck in obtaining your PE this fall. Five years or so down the road, I hope to get my PE in metallurgical engineering.
My gut feeling indicates that I have a haphazard career ahead of me in engineering.
I’m a U.S. Foreign Service officer currently serving in Lima, Peru. What that means is that I’m “on the front lines of diplomacy,” as the recruiting literature would have you believe. Right now, I process between 85-120 visa applicants per day for non-immigrant visas, in addition to being the expert on temporary work and religious visas. In my last post, Colombo, Sri Lanka, I served as a political officer for a year (which meant that I was the refugee officer, the humanitarian demining programs officer, the human rights officer, the constitutional reform officer, and I had the portfolio for reporting on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) and then as the Embassy press attache for a year. That was more exciting than my current post. I like to sum up my time in Sri Lanka as “One suicide bombing outside the Embassy, about 100 political killings, 300 minefields, one anthrax scare, one tsumani, two promotions and two awards.” I’m hoping to go to either Baghdad, Islamabad, or Kuala Lumpur next.
Cool thread, great variety of folks here at the land of uncrooked Dope.
I work on TV shows, mostly editing, sometimes directing. Mainly unscripted TV programs, currently on my 2nd season of Criss Angel Mindfreak.
And no, don’t ask me how he does that stuff. He can read my mind, and if I tell anyone, he’ll KNOW!! furtive looks over my shoulder…
I’m currently a software engineer (so lots of meetings, emails, etc., and not so much coding), but I’m starting the process of going back to school with the goal of getting into quantitative finance.
In my wild youth, I smoked drugs with one of the other (now former) sysadmins, and one of the programmers was a fan of my band. Both of them knew of my hobbyist interest in Linux, so when the position opened, they got in touch.
I’m a foreign aid worker in Baghdad.
You people are goddamn fascinating.
I hope everyone on the Dope replies to this thread.
I’m a ghoul. Took eighteen years of postsecondary education. But at least I can supply you with Abby Normal brains.
What hump?
Structure complex regulatory transactions.
Clandestine fromagiere…maybe one day I’ll have my own cheese shop.
Yeah, quite a few of the engineers I know – in different disciplines – feel the same way. Most of the ones who’ve managed some kind of career plan actually moved into technical sales or similar (aka, “the Dark Side”). That’s where an MBA comes in handy.
If you’re willing to relocate, you might consider finding some engineering recruiters; your school might even be able to put you in contact with some.
My primary function is to run payroll for two companies. One is a restaurant/catering operation and the other is a land sales/building contractor company.
I also get to play receptionist some of the time and secretary most of the time to my husband, who is President of both companies.
I bartend two nights a week in the restaurant, and I work almost every banquet that the restaurant caters.
I stay home most other nights with my kids. (I even get to take the baby (22 months) to work with me in the office most mornings during the week. :))
Computer forensics consultant. Basically I do e-discovery for law firms and forensic data mining. I’m not certified yet for the actual forensic imaging and stuff like that, but I’m working on it. It’s a pretty cool job.
How I got here:
Busboy at Chili’s (high school)
Flower Delivery Boy (between high school & college)
Civil Engineering Intern (summers during college)
Resident Advisor (during school year in college)
Graduated college (BS in Computer Science, 1996)
General IT flunky- pc support, networking, ERP/DB programming (first job out of college)
ERP/DB programmer (worked at Eurocopter)
Went to graduate school. Got MBA and MS in IT Management.
Teaching assistant (during school year)
Sporting goods sales drone (during summer)
Got job as Computer Forensics guy
Ornithologist for a mosquito research unit in an entomology department. I catch birds to sample for arboviruses (and now AI) plus a bit of stats consulting/teaching and a little lan-administration for the department. I also report on mosquito population trends for the state of NJ (when they’re open).
Perks of the job: I catch my own pets. They are currently on the tree in my bedroom, yelling at the televised soccer game. 
Internist (primary care doc for adults) and medical director of a busy rural clinic. I see 7-8 hospital patients and 15-20 outpatients a day, and supervise (with some help) four nurse practitioners and two physician’s assistants.
I have a great setup right now, and I’m really loving my job. However, I don’t see myself doing it for the next twenty years or anything.
I am guilty of reacting to his post before I read on and I still saw Guest under his name. I guess we both thought the same thing.
In Theory this should give our new friend 2 years on the dope. Worse things could happen. How about we call it great minds thinking alike.
Jim
I dropped out of University and first did computer programming, then taught it.
After a couple of other jobs, I got offered a full-time job teaching chess, roleplaying and computer games. 
So when I read a chess magazine, play Heroes of Might + Magic or write a D+D dungeon - I’m working!
My dream job indeed. Right down to my favorite games. Either what you described or the build team for MythBusters.
I’m the secretary in the property management department of a local real estate firm. The company has been been around since 1887, and is thriving today. Our department has grown from 3 people when I came on as the fourth, to about eleven now.
I have a BA in Anthropology, but did not pursue academia beyond that.
I also write short fiction, and have had stories published in erotica anthologies. That is really pleasing to me, as I get cheques for doing something that is so much fun. I have been slacking on the writing lately, as work has been so busy, so I really need to get writing and submitting again.
My career path:
- babysitter (high school)
- waitress (high school)
- hotel maid (high school)
- labourer in an underground in hard rock mine (summer employment for university student sons/daughters of mine employees)
- musuem worker (university)
- slacker - self-employed (took time off university)
- answering service operator (university again; I could work evenings, weekends, etc.)
degree achieved, but I didn’t want to be an actual anthropologist - fill-in receptionist at real estate firm
- assistant to the assistant in property management department, at same time as also working reception, and a bit of assistance in the conveyancing department
- full-time in the property management department (present)
Now I am considering whether or not to go on and get my licence as a property manager. I don’t think I’m going to take that next step; I do prefer to do secretarial stuff, and have my life my own after 5 PM.
I would like to improve my organisational and time management skills in the office, however.
I would also like to publish mainstream (i.e. non-erotic) fiction.
If I had the money, I would not work at all, but write, garden, cook like a gourmet, and travel, then go back to university and just graze on the intellectual feast.
I’m a reference librarian in a state university. My subject specialty is business, which comes from my previous career as a corporate auditor.