My profession is in programming. Initially, my dad tried to teach me Javascript. It was a struggle and couldn’t get it.
A few years later, I took up computer science in college and that’s where it all clicked: I can imagine the end result. It’s a matter of being curious and finding (or I daresay… hacking) my way to that conclusion. Programming languages have a very funny way of allowing you to do just that. In studying computer science, I discovered the art of engineering all kinds of software-based solutions.
Because my way of solving problems is more deductive than inductive, I have to consciously build foundational knowledge and routines. Constant learning and insatiable curiosity is required for me to identify when my hunches are wrong and discard them accordingly.
I do IT category management, sourcing/procurement for F500 companies. Been doing it for like 15 years and I don’t know what else I would be doing. I like the work. It’s challenging, changes enough, and there is a mix of strategic and tactical work. Notably, I don’t get burned out with it.
Also developer. Been writing code since around 1985. I wrote a system in the logistics field back in 1999 and I’ve been expanding it ever since.
I always enter “exotic dancer” when a form requires me to for some bullshit reason.
I’m a Technical IT Consultant, consulting for a large cloud IT platform company.
On the client side, I take on new implementation projects, setups + configurations, maintenance, and help desk tasks that are beyond the help desk department.
Internally, I’m involved in our DevOps and custom app development teams.
Jerk.
(me, not OP)
I’m in IT. Wish I could have gotten into programming, but I’m just not suited to it for whatever reasons. I love tinkering on Linux boxes and figuring out networking issues. Interested in infosec, but discouraged by how many of those jobs involve working for the war machine.
I’m kind of in the same boat, thought I’d be programming but figured out early on that sitting at a desk coding for 8+ hours a day just wasn’t my thing. Turns out I’m happier doing all the other IT grunt work e.g. setting up servers, backups, dealing with the network/wireless/firewalls, even provisioning and supporting user desktops gets interesting.
counselor/mental health
I work Logisitcs Management and manage 200+ drivers for last-mile deliveries for a large company. I don’t like the company but I take pride in my work and the projects that I manage, but I’m using it as a stepping-stone for something better in the future
HAAAWOOO!
HAAAWOOO!
HAAAWOOO!
Werewolf? London by any chance?
PROFESSIONAL HOG CRANKER? WOW BROTHER, YOU’RE LIVING MY DREAM! AROOOOO
Had to scroll way too far for this.
“You see old friend. I brought more soldiers than you did” Lol my first thought as well
You work as a fog horn?
Dropship Door Nerf Gunner
QA Manager. I started out as a test analyst, then taught myself to code with JS, C#, Python and a little bit of C++. moved into a test automation engineer role then a QA engineer at a different company before being promoted to manager
Manager in the neuroscience lab where I did my PhD. Actually pretty nice because I know the lab and everyone so we’ll I can often do the management in a few hours and then just focus on my research (finishing my thesis because behavior plus in vivo neurophysiology takes more like 7 years instead of 4 lol). Although, there can be some very stressful moments, big grants or so (and my boss is one of those breathing-science profs that will msg on WhatsApp on the weekend or days off lol, but yeah fuck that). I learned that I’m not good enough/invested enough to actually become a PI or prof, so this management stuff is pretty nice on the edge. I don’t have the responsibilities but my opinion is often respected due to my research experience in the lab. Pay is shit tho.
I manage an infectious disease monitoring lab in industry. Pay’s a whole lot better out here, and my team is amazing and self-driven so I can do minimal people managing.
Oh that’s sounds nice. Not sure how to word it well, but: is that a bit interesting to do long term? Is it following the advancements in science in a nice tempo? Do you have room for innovation yourself?
What I do specifically is called wastewater based epidemiology. While the term has been around for a few decades, it really took off in concordance with COVID. Previous PCR techniques like qPCR are heavily inhibited by co-elutors from wastewater extract. We use digital PCR which is way more resistant to inhibition due to the partitioning. We are using cutting edge technology and our R&D dept is constantly looking into additional targets we can test for. As a company we also do some non-pcr-based wastewater testing (drugs of abuse by LC/MS is a big one).
Additionally we also do next gen sequencing to track the COVID variants in communities.
