# What do you do for a living? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 29, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850 "2005-03-29T23:46:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KateSmack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@KateSmack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KateSmack)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/1 "2005-03-29T23:46:46Z")
:wally ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/2 "2005-03-29T23:49:34Z")
Lawyer. It was between that and Indian Chief. ---
**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:** [March 29, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/3 "2005-03-29T23:49:43Z")
mmmkay. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/4 "2005-03-30T05:55:02Z")
A lot of different things, but somehow they manage to give me the income I need (though not always in a timely fashion): Musician (accompanist/music director for musical theatre as well as gigging with my own projects) Teacher (private music lessons, subbing at the high school level, and working in a high school drama department) Web Designer (until recently employed by a company to work on their website; I’m attempting to break out on my own and do freelance) New England Regional Organizer for Young Adults for my denomination (Unitarian Universalist) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/5 "2005-03-30T06:00:36Z")
Actuary (with a bit of professional singing thrown in on the side). ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/6 "2005-03-30T06:07:08Z")
Whatever needs to be done and pays well…I’m there…and have been very successful at many jobs in the process. ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/7 "2005-03-30T06:13:41Z")
> [@Jpeg Jones](#): > > mmmkay. You too? Actually, I’m damn good at what I do. Can’t tell you or I’d have to kill you. Whoops - that’s my job :eek: ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/8 "2005-03-30T13:43:46Z")
I do something very interesting for a living, but I don’t answer questions of strangers who call me a putz right off the bat. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/9 "2005-03-30T14:44:58Z")
I have a low-skill sort of job, but at least I get to sit down and wear pantyhose. And post on the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/10 "2005-03-30T14:45:10Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > I do something very interesting for a living, but I don’t answer questions of strangers who call me a putz right off the bat. Perhaps it was meant as a signature. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/11 "2005-03-30T14:51:32Z")
I accept money from my company. This seems to be a fairly bulletproof method so far. :wally ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/12 "2005-03-30T16:46:06Z")
I’ve actually had three careers, two of which I’m living and loving right now. Back in the 70s, I worked in private security and moved into law enforcement. I was seriously considering LE as a long-term career, to the point where I got a copy of the curriculum book from the university where I had gone to attend the regional police academy. I was looking hard and heavy at the Police Science program until I discovered the Management Information Systems program. I took my degree in that and moved out of law enforcement into computers. I’ve stayed with that ever since and am currently a database administrator. In addition, I became a certified Taekwondo instructor in 1991 and took over as chief instructor of the school in 1994. ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/13 "2005-03-30T17:13:33Z")
I’m a check-in agent/CSR for Carnival Cruise Lines. We used to get discounted cruises but due to abuse the program has been cut waaaaaay back. (I could cruise for $50 a day.) I’m also a mystery shopper and part-time blackjack dealer. I deal for 4 different companies in the Harris/Galveston county area of TX. We do private parties and company functions. In 2001 I worked the NASA Christmas party. Very nice! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/14 "2005-03-30T19:49:58Z")
I design videogames. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/15 "2005-03-30T20:18:35Z")
I take small creatures with minimal life and social skills and subject them to daily problem solving tests in order to see how they learn and what effects my testing methods have on their learning ability. After approximately 178 days, I pass them up the chain to another “researcher” who then subjects them to more difficult material to see if they retained any of the knowledge gained during my experiments. I also have my own personal researching project wherein I take these creatures from an even earlier stage of development, you could say at a blank slate level, and employ those same problem solving test at a much more personal level over a period of decades. Although, at about the 5 to 6 year mark of the process I bring in other specialists to supplement my training. I have three such projects running concurrently: One at almost fourteen years, one at eleven years, and a newer one at just over three years. Finally, I do have my “hobby” project. I took another of these creatures, full grown, and have implemented a campaign to break down the previous training and retrain toward my own standards to see how adaptable these creatures can be. 😉 In other words, my living consist of teaching first grade, raising three kids, and being a wife. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/16 "2005-03-30T23:52:40Z")
I administer information security policies for a large financial services institution. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/17 "2005-03-30T23:57:36Z")
I am a member of the thought police. You guys are all in serious trouble. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/18 "2005-03-31T00:10:55Z")
Assistant Director/Compliance Officer. In other words… the policies and procedures/rules and regulations sob. Somebody’s gotta do it! ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/19 "2005-03-31T00:11:39Z")
I answer questions on a wide range of subjects, ranging from the color of penguin poop to hemangiosarcoma in dogs to the origin of “Dueling Banjos.” I am a Google Answers Researcher, and there is seldom a dull moment in my day. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850/20 "2005-03-31T00:30:42Z")
I’m CIO of a health insurance company (and treasurer of a Montessori school). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-for-a-living/296850.md?page=2)