What kinda sorta rare job have you done for a living ?

[PGSigns]

Started working on cars and boats in high school and went to a marina first while in college. Then to a car dealer and in 1980 went to NASA in the apprentice program. Plan is to retire at the end of this year. My how time flies.
Jimmy

[69 C10 LWB]

I started working at an equipment dealer 10 yrs ago. Applied for a job because it was the first place I saw as I rolled into town after my wife got a job here. Since then it has taken me to Tucson AZ, Atlanta GA, and a bunch of other places in between. Ive been in an underground long wall coal mine, an underground lead mine, an open pit copper mine and most recently a gas storage facility. Ive worked on everything from leaf blowers to 40 ton haul trucks and 1000HP tree grinders.

[100%Chevy]

In 1978,( I think it was) during the gas shortage,I was riding a Honda 90 to work because gas was hard to get.
My company where I worked as an electrical apprentice,sent a bunch of us out to the govt's.crude oil storage facility at Bryan's beach in Freeport,Tx.They use salt domes to store the crude in.Pump salt water out and crude in.Back and forth as needed.
My pay almost doubled because of the govt. jobs much higher pay rate !
Working on millions of gallons of crude and could'nt hardly find the gas to get there!
Ironic!
Mike.

[crossfire84]

Wow I'm really boring, tool and die for 39 years.

[Myself]

I guess what I'm doing right now. I'm a self-employed watercraft mechanic. You have to travel over 100 miles any direction to find the next one.

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by crossfire84

Wow I'm really boring, tool and die for 39 years.

You might just have the best job for you there is .. steady for sure.. I'd hire ya with a record like that

Originally Posted by Myself

I guess what I'm doing right now. I'm a self-employed watercraft mechanic. You have to travel over 100 miles any direction to find the next one.

Well ,,this summer you will be plenty busy with all the lakes you have ,,I've been to Greers Ferry and Darden elle (sp) and they have all kinds of motorized fun things in them ..
My sis and her hubby had a gas station right out of Shirley on the way to the lake some years ago..

[71K20chevy]

Was offered a job learning engine machine work a couple months ago. Getting to build some fairly high HP race engines. I figured that with me being 20 years old, there won't be many people left in the field in the next few decades and the demand is still high.

[Palf70Step]

Nothing unique for me really, farm, gas stations, warehouses, coal mines, steel mills while in my school years, then 43+ years with US Air Force as an IT person/instructor (military and civilian role). Now I am the butler, yardman, and unskilled mechanic.

[4u2nv]

Not me but my son
I think that was at 600 ft.

[mingoman]

Originally Posted by 4u2nv

Not me but my son
I think that was at 600 ft.

Lol! I didn't do it for a living, but a friend of mine had a two way radio service and lightening struck his antenna tower ruining the antenna and coax. I helped him replace everything plus get his tower lights working again. When I get home I'll hunt up the pics I took. It's only 300' up, but it's a rohn tower and I'm wearing cowboy boots.

[Red71gmc]

Originally Posted by 71K20chevy

Was offered a job learning engine machine work a couple months ago. Getting to build some fairly high HP race engines. I figured that with me being 20 years old, there won't be many people left in the field in the next few decades and the demand is still high.

Absolutely, I'm always glad to see young people go into a trade.

[hans2]

Bailed on my corporate job in Washington 6 years ago and went commercial fishing in AK. I now own my own troller, a 47' freezer boat based out of Sitka.

I make way less money, but it was far and away the best decision I've ever made in my life. I will die with no regrets regarding chasing my dreams.

A word to the young fellas: pursue those dreams and passions.

[mingoman]

Originally Posted by hans2

Bailed on my corporate job in Washington 6 years ago and went commercial fishing in AK. I now own my own troller, a 47' freezer boat based out of Sitka.

I make way less money, but it was far and away the best decision I've ever made in my life. I will die with no regrets regarding chasing my dreams.

A word to the young fellas: pursue those dreams and passions.

You very may well be the winner of the coolest job ever contest!

[Troy Sr]

Originally Posted by hans2

Bailed on my corporate job in Washington 6 years ago and went commercial fishing in AK. I now own my own troller, a 47' freezer boat based out of Sitka.

I make way less money, but it was far and away the best decision I've ever made in my life. I will die with no regrets regarding chasing my dreams.

A word to the young fellas: pursue those dreams and passions.

Are those your frozen toes in that photo?!!!

[mingoman]

I actually work in a steel mill, but helped a friend out when his tower was struck by lightning.
We had to use headsets to talk back and forth since at 300' up, screaming didn't work. The tower was just regular rohn tower, heavy guage for the first 200' then light guage the last 100'. That was a bit of a headache since I had to adjust the jib pole for the difference between the two anytime I took it up the tower.
This was the old tower at Crockett Ar, it's down now. Think a storm got it.

[hans2]

Originally Posted by mingoman

You very may well be the winner of the coolest job ever contest!

Well, I don't know about that, now. There's some pretty cool stuff on this thread.

[Steeveedee]

I did have to climb a radio tower one time at a test site, but the "stairway" was entirely inside the structure. 200 feet to the top, and I get vertigo, but managed to keep going. One guy crawled out the hatch and counted to ten, then crawled back down. I stuck my head through the hatch, but didn't go out on the platform. The other guy stopped at 30 feet and went back down. All I think about when I'm up high like that is that there is going to be an earthquake and I'm going to take a long, not-so-slow fall to the ground. From that height it's about 3.5 seconds to consider what you would have done in your life, if you lived. I elected to serve in the US Navy, and it took a lot of mental effort to not think about how far it was to the bottom. But you get used to it after awhile.

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by hans2

Bailed on my corporate job in Washington 6 years ago and went commercial fishing in AK. I now own my own troller, a 47' freezer boat based out of Sitka.

I make way less money, but it was far and away the best decision I've ever made in my life. I will die with no regrets regarding chasing my dreams.

A word to the young fellas: pursue those dreams and passions.

You've done what I have dreamed of doing. Do you need a deck hand?

[hans2]

Originally Posted by Troy Sr

Are those your frozen toes in that photo?!!!

Haha, nope, those are Spot Prawn tails. I think by the time that pic was taken my toes were rolling around loose in my boots, though.

I should probably share a pic of what I catch the highest volume of every year - coho.

[hans2]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

You've done what I have dreamed of doing. Do you need a deck hand?

Always taking names of serious potential crew. If not for my boat, there's always someone in my code group looking for help.

Folks are welcome to PM me if they want more info.

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by hans2

Haha, nope, those are Spot Prawn tails. I think by the time that pic was taken my toes were rolling around loose in my boots, though.

I should probably share a pic of what I catch the highest volume of every year - coho.

No need in trying to get a television show like some others in Alaska do ,,with catching fish like you have shown,,

[rsavage]

I grew up working on farms, baling hay etc. and went to college to get a teaching degree. While in college I did roofing and worked in a steel mill. Once out of college there were few teaching jobs so I went to work in a county correctional facility teaching inmates. Switched to working for the state and worked my way up the ranks to Superintendent. Worked at many state facilities including as a Deputy Superintendent at Attica. My second job for 23 consecutive years during that time frame was as an elected local official, including 12 years as the Town Supervisor. I retired from that in 2005 as the state didn't want me in local politics once I was promoted to Superintendent. I spent the first 6 or 7 years of my retirement restoring cars and trucks. Three years ago, I was asked to run for Town Supervisor again. I did. I have one year to go and I am back to total retirement, as I won't run again. Want to go back to traveling/camping and stay out of the cold northeast in the winter. I'm on my last two projects (my wife says I've said that before). I've worked my whole life and I am one of those people that have to keep busy.

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by rsavage

I grew up working on farms, baling hay etc. and went to college to get a teaching degree. While in college I did roofing and worked in a steel mill. Once out of college there were few teaching jobs so I went to work in a county correctional facility teaching inmates. Switched to working for the state and worked my way up the ranks to Superintendent. Worked at many state facilities including as a Deputy Superintendent at Attica. My second job for 23 consecutive years during that time frame was as an elected local official, including 12 years as the Town Supervisor. I retired from that in 2005 as the state didn't want me in local politics once I was promoted to Superintendent. I spent the first 6 or 7 years of my retirement restoring cars and trucks. Three years ago, I was asked to run for Town Supervisor again. I did. I have one year to go and I am back to total retirement, as I won't run again. Want to go back to traveling/camping and stay out of the cold northeast in the winter. I'm on my last two projects (my wife says I've said that before). I've worked my whole life and I am one of those people that have to keep busy.

Quite the record you have ,,at different jobs .. and all the cars and trucks you restored ,, if you have photos and will share them ,,I for one would really like to see them ...The 1970 K10 fleetside is one of my picks to see ,, as I would trade my 2 wheeler 71 up for a 4 wheel drive ,, any way I think I would ??

[Chris4x4Gill2]

My first job out of school we produced guidance system components for missile systems. The inner workings had a .0000015 tolerance. Not to mention the material this stuff was made from - at the time we were one of 3 places in the country set up to machine it.

Then I moved to doing pre-flight reviews / audits for PATRIOTs at White Sands.

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by Chris4x4Gill2

My first job out of school we produced guidance system components for missile systems. The inner workings had a .0000015 tolerance. Not to mention the material this stuff was made from - at the time we were one of 3 places in the country set up to machine it.

Then I moved to doing pre-flight reviews / audits for PATRIOTs at White Sands.

Interesting ,,my nephew flew jets in the National Guard,,in fact he was the commander of Kingsley Field in Kalamath Falls Oregon and he talked to me once about missiles and he brought up acelerometers or gyro scopes if I remember correctly ,,of course it was above my head ,,you just brought an old memory back and that's all I remember about it ...