Making Gold IRL

So I've always kinda figured that with as awesome as Aetolians are, and with the wide variety of interests represented here, we've probably got some people working some neat/interesting jobs. It's popped up in the past on the rage thread what people do, but I'm just kinda curious what you folks do to make that gold(cash) outside the game. Feel free to tell us what you like/don't like about it!

I'll start since it's only fair!

I work in a family-owned pharmacy chain of 5 stores. I'll be hitting 6 years there this June! I really like that it's taught me how important customer service is, and going that extra mile to keep your customers regular customers. When you're competing with the big-box companies like Rite Aid and CVS, that quality one-on-one sort of interaction is really one of the few things we can offer that they can't.

I also work as a management assistant for a company called Student Lodging Inc. here at school that owns two of the off-campus apartment complexes. All we really do is check each apartment in the blocks we're assigned once a month to make sure there are no animals/holes in the walls/dead fire extinguishers/dead smoke detectors. In addition to that we each have two duty nights where we sit in an office and walk rounds around the complexes every hour to make sure there aren't any out of control parties going on that'd likely have the cops called. We're supposed to kinda talk with the tenets and handle that so this place isn't in the police log.

That second job provides free rent though, so that's awesome!

So, what do the rest of you do?
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Feelings, sensations that you thought were dead. No squealin' remember, that it's all in your head.

Comments

  • Student I.T. worker. Love getting to fix stuff, they let me break old hard drives with a hammer if they can't be wiped normally. But solving problems/fixing things is something I love, and I get to play with a computer while fixing things, seems like a perfect fit. Ideally I'll keep doing I.T. after school, too.

    I've worked a lot of random jobs as well, mostly because my dad hired me out to people when I was younger - worked a concession stand for years, sold shaved ice and funnel cakes, worked in a bookstore, done screen printing, did video analysis for softball/baseball swings, helped with softball camps...I.T. Is my favorite so far though.

    Arbre-Today at 7:27 PM

    You're a vindictive lil unicorn
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    Lartus-Today at 7:16 PM

    oh wait, toz is famous

    Karhast-Today at 7:01 PM

    You're a singularity of fucking awfulness Toz
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    Didi's voice resonates across the land, "Yay tox."
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    Ictinus11/01/2021

    Block Toz
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    limToday at 10:38 PM


    you disgust me
    ---------------------------
    (Web): Bryn says, "Toz is why we can't have nice things."

    AryanneEmelle
  • AishiaAishia Queen Bee
    I work at a grocery store stocking at midnight. Also do some ordering and inventory management/receiving etc.
    AryanneEmelle
  • I work for a company called Jeld-wen, we make windows and doors. Currently I load trucks for shipping, but I've bounced around multiple departments because I'm awesome. I also work part-time in a special needs childcare center.
    Jensen[Deleted User]AryanneAldricEmelle
  • JensenJensen Corruption's Butcher
    I currently work as an environmental scientist for a consulting firm here in VT. I travel around the country for various clients and perform phase II environmental monitoring, mostly for volatile organic compounds. The job is primarily 10 day work shifts with 4 days off in between. I'll also work at brownfields, petroleum, and superfund sites but it isn't as common. Mostly I collect groundwater data and send samples to laboratories.

    Previously:
    Collected field data and did GIS mapping of about 1000 acres of farm fields that were joining a biodigester program. Fields needed to me certain parameters to allow spreading of effluent for fertilizer/water. (Biodigester uses manure and food waste to produce methane. Product is heat/electricity, waste is stabilized manure/compost)

    Built reverse osmosis drinking water facilities (desalinization plants) in both the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. One was for the government, one was for the Atlantis hotel. The BVI one was building it while the old one was running, which meant doing work arounds, tying things in pressurized and live, and working with a very failing plant. The Bahamas one was already demolished when I arrived, and was all fresh new installs. Both plants operated at about 1.5 million gallons per day.

    I was a grave digger for a stint.

    I worked for 2 years at a wastewater facility, and also maintained the towns drinking water systems/reservoirs. Was a neat job I did in college. Used to pull apart pumps, fix/repair old and failing equipment, check waste water parameters, collect samples, check drinking water pH, flouride, and chlorine levels, check meters for pump hours and chemical levels. -a lot- of winterization. And do leachate sampling/gas sampling at our retired landfill. Did this till the town manager transferred me to cemetery crew.

    I did a fellowship project in Costa Rica assisting scientists and research assistants with various pollinator and biomass studies of rural coffee bean production.

    I used to work as an intern for a power distribution utility. We built and maintained all the infrastructure that took electricity from the powerplant to your local electric company. All substations and powerlines (Mostly 115kV-360ishkV) I used to help engineering with cad drawings, ran a forklift, assembled bids from various contractors, put together quotes for management, infrared photographed energized equipment, assist with maintenance an installs on live substations, put together and delivered utility pole hardware for linemen, plus various other tasks.

    After that it's all highschool jobs. Deli, movie store, videogame store, dish washer, kitchen work, landscaping, construction, rec counselor, ect...
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    AryanneDraimanAldricEmelleHaven
  • I mostly laze about.
    JensenAryanneAldric
  • I work logistics for a Major department store and do fashion merchandising and event management when I am not doing grunt work in the back offices and hauling fixtures and mannequins about.

    That being said I have just finished a chapter by being the manager of said events and fashion merchandising and am currently in a transfer program for store management and a significant raise, so that is a thing.
    Emelle
  • (for those who don't know)
    VancouverGranite.Com

    Because pictures are worth 1000 words. Or something.

    Being a small, family-owned business, my position does a little bit of everything. Sales, management, book-keeping, design, occasional installation, slacking off while RPing....

    I was also a licensed massage therapist for a spell as well.

    [Deleted User]IshinEmelle
  • DraimanDraiman Dr. Drai
    I work derricks on a work over rig. Work over rigs go and fix oil wells when something stops or slows oil/gas production down hole. Job includes a bunch of small things and 3 big ones. I hang/run the rods from the rod basket, I unlatch/latch pipe in the tubing board, and whenever we need to lay down the rods or tubing (usually to replace them) I lay it all down. Oil wells can be anywhere from a couple hundred feet deep (super shallow) to 3-4 miles deep around here. Average depth is around 7500 ft.

    Here's a video of someone (not me!) latching pipe from the board. He's 50-52 ft. in the air here, but you go up to 80 ft in the rod basket. This is my favorite part of my job. I usually put on headphones, blast music, and zone out and think about Aetolia for the next 2-4 hours.



    There are no walls to block the wind and no ceiling to stop the rain or snow and we only very rarely shut down for either. It's hard, the hours suck, the conditions are worse, and the majority of my co-workers have a couple felonies for being stupid.

    I absolutely love my job though.
    "You ever been divided by zero?" Nia asks you with a squint.



    JensenAryanneAldricEmelleHaven
  • HadrakHadrak Dorohedoro
    I work with the developmentally disabled in their group home. Cooking, cleaning, shoulder to cry on, facilitator for their outings into the community, etc, etc. I'm there to make their day a little brighter and a little better. (or more annoying when I tell them 'no')

    DraimanAldricRashar[Deleted User]AryanneJensenIshinArekaEmelle
  • As somebody with a little brother that's developmentally disabled that will probably end up needing a place like that when he's older, thank you Hadrak. That's so awesome <3
    image
    Feelings, sensations that you thought were dead. No squealin' remember, that it's all in your head.
    Rashar[Deleted User]AryanneIshinPerilunaEmelle
  • Seconded. I've got a cousin in such a place as we speak. All I'm going to say is thank you - you are amazing, and greatly appreciated.
    [Deleted User]AldricIshinPerilunaAreka
  • TeaniTeani Shadow Mistress Sweden
    For starters, what haven't I worked with?

    - enrolled nurse (just a base education)
    - licensed massage and healthcare therapist (still licensed!)

    - 3 years as a warehouse hand with mechanical supervising responsibilities (sorting incoming and outgoing packages to the region, making sure the equipment is serviced and functioning). As soon as I got my driver's license I started as a package distributor (deliveries and pick-ups within certain sections of the city, and more) at the same place. Complete workout every work day for about 8-15 hours a day!

    - 1-2 years as a telephone operator for 2 large taxi companies (booking taxis as well as directing traffic at the slightly smaller company)

    - 5 years on and off as a Cab driver (both normal taxi and the community service kind for elderly and disabled)

    - 3 years as a Customer service/information desk/administrator - We had a new environmental tax system set up in Stockholm, where drivers had to pay a fee to pass into the center of the city by car. It was set up to reduce traffic, obviously. However, despite information, the public was not quite ready for this, so as a member of the information and customer service staff, I got some very interesting calls. It takes quite a bit pf patience to handle 10 minutes of being yelled at in stride and then proceed to sort their problems with a smile on the face and also making them feel happy with the service. This was later changed into a Telemarketing job, which was my death. That's what made me move on to the next step in my life - University studies!

    Currently studying to become a teacher in English and Geography (ages 13-19) and at this final stage I am out working full time as a substitute teacher or at least grabbing as many hours as I can. At the same time, I am trying to finish my final essays to graduate.

    In between all these things, as well as doubling or trippling a few jobs, I've worked as a:
    - park service worker at a campsite (cleaning, customer service, rentals, restaurant work, park work etc.)
    - salesrep (ice cream van)
    - restaurant assistant (Route 66)
    - Teacher (basic computer stuff like Office to noobs)
    - Caretaker at child care centers
    - Black Jack dealer (incl. Roulette, craps and 3-card Poker)



    EmelleHaven
  • ArekaAreka Drifting in a sea of wenches' bosoms
    Currently, pre-sales business development, project management, design consulting, user experience research, and so on. In short, I help start ups and small companies sort out how to analyze their customers' needs, market products and services to them, and allocate resources to best get their projects from A to B.
    image
    ValenaeEmelle
  • edited March 2015
    I have a degree in Broadcast Communications, but I am a department manager for a grocery store. My department is the front end area. Basically, I'm and underpaid accountant and an overpaid baby-sitter. I'm also the one you come to yell at that your items don't ring up correctly because either I apparently screwed up or my cashiers are idiots and need to be fired. 
    AryanneDamonicus
  • I own a pizza shop, wut
    EmelleXeniaHaven
  • I pretty much fix/do anything IT related for my squadron in the AF.
    (Oasis): Benedicto says, "There was like 0.5 seconds between "Oh hey, they're in area. That was quick." and "OMFG THEY'RE IN THE AREA STAHP STAHP!""


  • I'm a lawyer for a local government. That includes some fun things... Like working on a project across eight governments to restore a failing aquatic ecosystem... Or terribly dull things... Like taking people's property (typically commercial property for road expansions) and haggling over how much the government is going to pay for it. I also review/draft contracts and local ordinances... And some other really boring stuff. :neutral:

    Previously, I worked social security disability/permanency planning/public benefits for the homeless (typically, but not always, AIDS/HIV afflicted) of Miami, Florida. I also worked immigration law with Haitians after the 2010 earthquake (that was intense).

    Before thatttttt.... I was a grant writer for a state university. While there I also wrote some grants for some local food banks/transitional housing nonprofits as well.
    ValenaeAldricEmelleHaven
  • I'm a Sociology student and law school hopeful. I'm working my way through caring for people with developmental disabilities. I'm also a social researcher studying social theory/perceptual geography. I also help advocate at the VT state house when it is relevant to my interests/work. I was a debater and last year I was promoted to coach, though I realized I don't have the patience to teach. Lol.

    Ocassionally I man the phone for the rape crisis center on campus and direct people toward services/people who can help them. While I was in high school, I was a baker and could bake some mean cupcakes. I still bake, though not professionally.


    "To be awkward or unkempt, to talk or move wrongly is to be a dangerous giant, a destroyer of worlds...any accurately improper move can poke through the thin sleeve of immediate reality." - Erving Goffman



    Emelle
  • I work in a law firm. In the midst of my practical legal training, which is a requirement to pass the Bar. In three months I'll be a corporate lawyer, helping companies raise funds on the exchange. Yes, corporate monkey working for evil Big Business.
    TragerFaerahHaven
  • JensenJensen Corruption's Butcher
    @Hadrak & @Aldric & @rashar

    My sister has down syndrome and now lives in a wonderful community
    http://heartbeet.org/
    image
  • MarienaMariena By a lake.
    I have had an etsy store on and off for the past five years.

    My major place of employment since I've started taking jobs has been my local college. When going for my associates, I was a work study and office support for the Records Office (so. much. filing). I was responsible for ensuring names were spelled correctly on diplomas, too.

    After graduation, I was the Quarter to Semester Data Entry Specialist. A fancy title that meant I took all the quarter courses, and inputted them into the database in the new semester fields. Every. Single. Course. we offered.

    After THAT and to current day, I work in the Testing Center and Accommodation Services as an office specialist and testing proctor. I essentially monitor tests for other colleges, for Pearson Vue, for ACT, and for our college professors who teach online courses, or whose students missed classes, OR whose students require testing accommodations.


    RasharValenaeEmelleTeani
  • EmelleEmelle Dreamshaper Tecpatl's Cradle
    edited April 2015
    I'm a research and teaching librarian at a small private college, and I love basically everything about my work. I work with a LOT of classes each term, from showing first-years the basics of navigating our library resources to assisting seniors with advanced research for their capstone projects, and just about everything in between. I aspire to expand people's definitions of "research" and spark their curiosity about the world; one of my favorite collaborations is with the graphic design department, where I use my background in music to inspire their visual designs with sound.

    I have an assortment of other responsibilities and projects: I coordinate and help design our library displays and events, which are different every term; serve on campus-wide committees to help make our college the best community it can be; work with faculty to curate the resources they and their students need; collaborate with my colleagues to make our library awesome (and it really is). Oh, and on Friday mornings I go to a local school and read with second graders. :)
    RasharJensenHavenValenaeTeaniMarienaDidi
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