# What's your employment status? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 15, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475 "2011-04-15T13:11:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/1 "2011-04-15T13:11:21Z")
After reading the “How long have you been unemployed” thread, I was feeling kinda down, so hopefully things aren’t as bad out there as they were a year ago. For dopers, anyway! Poll to follow! ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/2 "2011-04-15T13:17:29Z")
Me, I found a full-time job after being unemployed for 6 months. Before that, I had been a full-time student with a part-time job. ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/3 "2011-04-15T18:27:09Z")
I just realized, this is something that doesn’t draw a lot of discussion… The answer to the poll is pretty straightforward. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/4 "2011-04-15T18:43:38Z")
Currently, I’m not working by choice. I left my job in retirement customer service. It was making my life hell, and my health has suffered for it. Therefore, I’m taking this time off–I saved up a nice chunk of cash, and currently have a wonderful support system in my family–to lose weight, change my lifestyle, and figure out what, exactly, I want to do with my life. 'Cause I figured out a long time ago that answering phones and working in finance and insurance ain’t it. The whole thing vaguely terrifies me–I mean, taking time off at the age of 27? Could I think of something _stupider_ to do? But I made the decision that improving my health–making it so that I have the potential to live longer, to live more fully–was worth almost anything, and I know myself well enough that I can’t focus on that while working a job that I hate. Maybe that makes me weak. I still have to do what I have to do. So I don’t think there’s a box in that bag for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/5 "2011-04-15T18:48:17Z")
I became a computer programmer in 1988 and have been continuously employed since then. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/6 "2011-04-15T18:56:13Z")
I’ve been with the same company for 11 years now. Just got promoted too, woot! ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/7 "2011-04-15T19:10:37Z")
I’ve been self-employed for about 3 years, and whilst some months have been patchy, over all I’ve made a good living and feel very fortunate to have a skill (graphic design) which has allowed me to escape being an employee-drone with the threat of redundancy hanging over me. I love being in charge of my own destiny. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/8 "2011-04-15T20:32:32Z")
Hit my 20-year anniversary on the job in October. I’m now officially an “old-timer” 😉 ( no kidding - there used to be annual “old-timer” dinner until recent budget cuts ). ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/9 "2011-04-15T22:15:01Z")
I do freelance contract work, unfortunately not enough to make a living off of. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/10 "2011-04-15T22:30:07Z")
Self-Employed for 19 years now…it’s almost like having 2 wives. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/11 "2011-04-15T23:27:09Z")
I have 4 part-time jobs and a couple of side gigs (self employment). ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/12 "2011-04-15T23:39:28Z")
Full time engineering job and doing part-time law school. Yikes! ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/13 "2011-04-16T00:02:27Z")
Currently full time, made it safely through a “biggest shark in the pond consuming your company” scenario, complete with plant closing. That was a harrowing experience. Someone was asking me last week where I saw myself in five years. I told him that I just don’t see myself being lucky enough times to survive more corporate reorgs, so I will likely be elsewhere. On a positive note, one of my best friends just got hired yesterday after several months on the street. He is a specialist in technical drawings and design for HVAC systems (whatever you call the guys who do AutoCAD for a living). It’s a good day when a friend gets a job. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/14 "2011-04-16T00:05:08Z")
Retired and do not miss work one bit. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/15 "2011-04-16T00:17:59Z")
Super-full-time… One 40 hour a week job and one 10 hour a week job. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/16 "2011-04-16T13:49:30Z")
It wavers between self-employed and retired, depending on whether I currently have any income. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/17 "2011-04-16T14:04:51Z")
> [@SandyHook](#): > > Retired and do not miss work one bit. Ditto, my. . .er. . .bruddah. Free since late 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/18 "2011-04-16T14:18:30Z")
Technically I’m self-employed, although for the past three years I’ve had just one client, who provides me with full-time work - so in effect, I’m a full-time employee who has to pay his own taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/19 "2011-04-16T14:50:05Z")
I have been gainfully unemployed for the past 21 years or so; I checked “other”. Lemme splain: I am basically an on-call employee. I’m a union member and most of the work I do is through my hiring hall local. When an employer needs my services, I get a phone call from dispatch and accept the job. When the job is over, tho, I’m back to being unemployed. I also have a number of clients I work for on a 1099 basis, but it’s basically the same deal (i.e., I go back to being unemployed when the gig is over). ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475/20 "2011-04-16T14:53:21Z")
I’m a full-time PhD student on a 20-hour teaching assistantship, considered “full,” so I checked the full-time student and part-time employed boxes. I also hold down a widely variable teaching job for Kaplan but it would very rarely kick me into full-time even when added to the TA hours. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-employment-status/578475.md?page=2)