The hard working KSP player - share with us your field of expertise!

[monstah]

As a sister thread to one of the threads I find most fascinating in this forum, I've decided to create a thread on professions. This first topic will very likely have a better formatting over time. The inspirational thread has categories for levels of education; I figure there are no such things as 'levels of work', but some categorization is preferred over a long list of names and professions. I'm open to suggestions!

The reason I'm creating this thread is that a lot of people here come from very different backgrounds, are at or past working age, and from the little I've seen so far professions are all over the place; you'd never know, but you just might have a buddy here who's a truck driver or a medical doctor or a fighter pilot. I certainly wouldn't expect everyone here to work on space-related subjects (if only for the reason that space-related jobs aren't so common), but it surely surprised me how many work on subjects entirely apart from science or technology!

 

So, without further ado, I'll start: I'm a data analyst, and I work for a healthcare provider. I've been in this job for four years now, just recently moved to a different company, and I really like what I do. I develop indicators, figure trends, find problematic spots in annual price negotiations, and many specific odd reports, for which I enjoy a) discovering what data I have available on the subject, b) how do I get to process it into something meaningful and c) how do I present it in an engaging way, if possible with interaction. I've also enjoyed learning about healthcare in the process, and working for a different company but in the same sector was a little joy I had this year.

[monstah]

I didn't want to fill the original post with my story, but rather keep it as a summary of the replies. So, here's the long version (for those interested; if you just want to reply with what you do that's perfectly fine!)

I've begun working on web design/database management, around 2004. It wasn't very satisfying, I worked mainly developing the website of a company that made pictures for events, and got some odd jobs from my boss's friends and such.

One day, after having quit this position, a friend of my uncle (who's a video producer) asked me if I was available for some help, and then I got into video. It started small, I was at first helping him with the dirty work of digitizing tapes, but eventually I got to edit small scenes and he saw potential in me; over very little time I was the main editor of this documentary he was making, doing TV commercials, another documentary and some institutional videos (I'm still really proud of the documentaries).

Work conditions and pay, however, weren't so great. In particular, my social life was suffering a lot from my very erratic working hours, and I was at danger of failing my MSc (which happened eventually, anyway), so I had to drop it.

During all this time, from time to time I did some odd illustrations. Some leaflets, some art for some videos I edited, ultimately for an RPG book. I've always enjoyed doing artistic work, but I felt underachieved for all the time I spent learning mathematics at the university.

Eventually, I landed at my current job, and have enjoyed it ever since. It's stressful at times, but that's grown-up life. I do math, I read a lot, I code a little, and I learn new things.

[Spaceception]

I'm a teenager, so I have none, but I'd like to be a Aerospace engineer

[pincushionman]

Good luck coming up with a short (or even long, really) list of categories. I can't even count the number of skill codes at my company that just have "engineer" in the title.

I myself am a stress analyst (an engineer); I've got responsibilities in design support, manufacturing support, and product certification. My company makes aircraft components (nacelles, thrust reversers, fuselages, etc.).

[AquaAlmond Productions]

I'm a teenager but I would like to have a job in the field of aerospace engineering and or astrophysics.

[problemecium]

I'm a college student majoring in video game development.

[monstah]

On 19/02/2016 at 8:31 PM, Spaceception said:

I'm a teenager, so I have none, but I'd like to be a Aerospace engineer

 

On 20/02/2016 at 10:33 PM, AquaAlmond Productions said:

I'm a teenager but I would like to have a job in the field of aerospace engineering and or astrophysics.

As in the other topic, expectations are also welcome!

On 20/02/2016 at 10:24 PM, pincushionman said:

Good luck coming up with a short (or even long, really) list of categories. I can't even count the number of skill codes at my company that just have "engineer" in the title.

Oh, yeah, right. I know. In my previous company, it was the same with 'analysts'.

I was thinking more of really broad categories, biased toward, space and STEM-relatedness, given this is a space simulator game forum. Anyway, I'll leave the first post as it is for now; when the thread starts to grow, I'll think of something  

On 20/02/2016 at 10:24 PM, pincushionman said:

I myself am a stress analyst (an engineer); I've got responsibilities in design support, manufacturing support, and product certification. My company makes aircraft components (nacelles, thrust reversers, fuselages, etc.).

See what I mean? Aerospace-related!

On 20/02/2016 at 4:17 AM, adsii1970 said:

(snip!)

Oh, man. Exactly what I meant by how surprising people's lives are! I've been chatting with you for a while now, I knew you lectured, so I figured you had had an academic life, right? Thanks for sharing this, and nice to see someone else who has been throught many different things through life (although you seem to have had more hardships through life than I did)!

Glad to know you like what you do, too. I agree with you, that's a key thing. I've always enjoyed everything I have done, and even if I had never found a job related to mathematics, if I could back I'd still chose to study that.

2 hours ago, parameciumkid said:

I'm a college student majoring in video game development.

Something I wish I"d sometime do, too. Welcome!

[p1t1o]

Welp, I'm a Chemist by training, but I work in "regulatory affairs" (within the chemical industry) which is exactly as dull as it sounds, but is, sometimes, when I am feeling exceptionally generous, a bit like being a "SCIENCE DETECTIVE"...but not very much really.

However, I am currently enjoying putting in Airline Pilot applications  (which as it turns out, is not as simple as it sounds)

[Shpaget]

While I wouldn't call myself an expert, my job is to build a model railroad layout.

That means I have to do various stuff like carpentry, modeling and painting, mechanical and structural engineering, electronics engineering etc. I also write a good deal of my own software that runs on embedded stuff that makes all the pretty lights blink.

Before I got this job I trained for an air traffic controller and before that I studied mechanical engineering and transport and traffic sciences.

Jack of all trades, master of none?

[legoclone09]

I don't have a job but want to be in aerospace. Like most others here.

[azander]

I'm a computer programmer by training, and Systems Administrator now.  Worked toward a degree in Computer Science but Life got in the way.  I work for a small Internet Provider and hosting company in the Midwest US. 

 

When not taking calls for helpdesk, or doing other system admin duties I spend the time tinkering in KSP. 

 

 

[Guest]

I'm still in high school, but I'm a completely self taught programmer, which, trust me, can be booth good and bad.  If you're going to learn programming on your own, you should really find an online course.  I was pretty bad at first.  I'm currently developing a game which is going to be going into prototype Soon^TM.  Also, APIs are awesome.  (At least some.)  I've learned more from the Microsoft C# and UnityEngine APIs than anything else.  Most of the time they have example code, and describe all of the functions, similar to this.  Sorry, I got a bit nerdy there.  

[Tex]

I am also in high school at the moment, but aspire to get teaching certifications and teach physics, probably at a high school level. I just like learning and teaching concepts and ideas about things I find interesting.

[GoSlash27]

I'm an avionics technician. Worked almost my entire adult life in the same field.

Best,
-Slashy

[razark]

I work on the ass-end of the Information Technology field for a contractor providing services to a certain four-letter government agency.  My job is a little bit of programming, a little bit of document management, a little bit of database work, a lot of meetings, and way too much technical support.

[FullMetalMachinist]

As if my user name weren't enough of a clue, I'm a machinist working for a small engineering company that specializes in robotics and industrial automation systems.

It's a little interesting how I got to where I'm at. After college didn't pan out because of Life^TM, I joined the US Air Force, and my job ended up being the fancy-sounding Aircraft Metals Technology (translated as machining and welding shop).  Turns out that I love that kind of work, so after my enlistment, I found myself a job where I would get to do the same kind of stuff, mostly using CAD/CAM software to program CNC milling machines to make custom parts.

[lukethecoder64]

I'm ALSO still stuck in high school, but I want to major in Mechanical Engineering and/or video game development. I taught myself to code around 9. Sence then I have been doing game dev projects and the like. I currently use C# + Unity, but I have used HTML/CSS, JS, Python, Haxe, C++, an Java.

[adsii1970]

@monstah: I think this is becoming one of my favorite threads. It's nice being able to learn about the divers backgrounds of the many forum members we've seen around. I think it would also be interesting to share some of the extra-curricular activities (non-work related and/or non-school related)that we do.

I'm an Eagle Scout (class of 1988 and it's listed on another thread), a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Disabled American Veterans. In addition to playing KSP, I also play Cities: Skylines, Tropico (the original!), Banished, and Civilization V - whenever I have free time.

17 hours ago, monstah said:

Oh, man. Exactly what I meant by how surprising people's lives are! I've been chatting with you for a while now, I knew you lectured, so I figured you had had an academic life, right? Thanks for sharing this, and nice to see someone else who has been throught many different things through life (although you seem to have had more hardships through life than I did)!

Glad to know you like what you do, too. I agree with you, that's a key thing. I've always enjoyed everything I have done, and even if I had never found a job related to mathematics, if I could back I'd still chose to study that.

 

Yes, I will be the first to say that my life has been full of some challenges, but in all honesty, I caused most of the problems myself. Although in my original post I made light of them with the life lessons I shared, life is one continual learning experience - and I will be the first to tell you that I underwent a major life-change in 2006. It was at that time that I came to the realization that I was 1) not indestructible, 2) had to come to terms that there is a power greater than myself, 3) and that some day I would be held accountable for how I was living my life. (If you want to know more, you can send me a private message and I will elaborate further)

If there was one thing I could pass on to the younger crowd, it is this - Your life and how you live it is the only legacy you will ever leave behind; life never gives you a do-over. Right now is the only moment you have. You can either do something truly remarkable with it or you can squander it - and whatever happens, you've got no one to blame but yourself. So use your life and its time you have in it wisely...

Edited February 23, 2016 by adsii1970

[RizzoTheRat]

I used to be an aero engineer, doing R&D on gas turbine combustion and fuel injection.  I'll blame my poor abilities at building planes in KSP on the fact that I changed trades about 10 years ago.  I'm now an Operational Analyst and spend most of my time playing with spreadsheets.  Company I work for focuses on training and simulation, so most of my work in use/analysis/development of models, and providing OA support in training exercises.

So tying in with adsii's life lessons, mine would be don't worry if you don't really know what you want to do, find something interesting and take opportunities as they appear.  I now work on stuff that has no real link to my Aeronautical Engineering degree (except a bit of maths), but working in an area I enjoy and I wouldn't have got to without the analysis background I learned doing R&D.

I'm 42 and still have no idea what I want to do with my life

Edited February 23, 2016 by RizzoTheRat

[stratvox]

I'm the lead admin for a very large (>10M users) email site. Most of my job is dealing with the non-stop flood of spam and scams that come in, and keeping it from our users.

In fact, that's what I'm doing right now... waiting for a job to run so I can build a new blacklist so I thought I'd peek in here.

Edited February 23, 2016 by stratvox

[Mikki]

Mining and Tunneling Equipment Engineering. People drive through my work, by car and train.
Powertransmissions, custom gearboxes, hydraulics, pneumatics, userinstructions, customercare.
Need a hole?  Or a Robot?

https://youtu.be/20Y2SX6UIr4

 

[Norcalplanner]

Used to be an urban planner. Now I work on the private side of commercial development, frequently by navigating the byzantine regulatory processes that I used to help administer.

[Frybert]

Maybe I'll eventually get around to explaining all of things I have done to earn a living, but for now, please enjoy two tributes to the first job I ever had:

 

 

[Astronut]

I have been an Assistant Air Traffic Controller and Air Ops Clerk (when I was in the UK's Royal Air Force), followed by a three year stint working in IT Tech Support.  When my wife and I moved to the States in 2002  I got a job at my local municipal airport as a Line Service Technician (ie refueled, cleaned, parked and towed airplanes), then, when I had the appropriate licenses and ratings, I started flying airplanes for a living (which was my ambition/goal/dream since I was very young).  I have been doing that for 12 years now.

[stibbons]

I've been a professional system administrator since dropping out of university around 1999. My current job is for a large software development company, one of a couple of team leads responsible for the company's internal CI infrastructure. It's actually a really, really fun job, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're at least mildly crazy.