What different types of work/jobs did you do up to now?

[Ferocitus]

TIL what a "dole bludger" is.

How'd you manage that for 30+ years, along with accomplishing co-operative housing and higher education? And then get a pension at the end? What is Australia's social security system like?

Brilliant, if you know the system. It's also very easy to live on if you don't
want much materially and prefer to be "time rich".

Some people get harassed to find work; I was assessed as "totally unemployable"
when I was about 17.

In the early 1970's there was no free health care so I created my own by never
paying doctors' fees. I preferred to study on my own, so I had no student debts.
I did my own research so I didn't have to finish under-grad. I had a good prof
who let me use his room at Uni while he went on extended sabbatical, so I had
free access to super-computers. When he came back I worked from home, so I
didn't have the same crippling expenses that most people who work have.

When we decided to have a kid it was time to give up my chemical predilections
and we organized coops, ending up with about 1200 houses around the city. Rent
was fixed at 20% of income/dole. What can I say? Commies are very organized and
effective with some government money backing them, especially when you have
bipartisan support. You just have to know how to present arguments to convince
the moderate-left and the moderate-right political parties.

After my partner finished a law degree we moved out of the coop and rented,
which was 2/3 tax deductible because it was our workplace. All computer
equipment was also tax deductible, and they were our primary form of
entertainment.

It was perfect for us; others would definitely find it difficult, especially if
they want to own cars, houses, and lots of shiny things.

 

[Ferocitus]

How'd you manage that for 30+ years, along with accomplishing co-operative housing...

Just an extra note on housing co-ops and how it relates to the game Hearts of
Iron!

In Hearts of Iron there is a focus in the Industrial Branch called "South
Australian Housing Trust". That Trust was actually set up by a very conservative
government and was very successful here. We were able to convince both major
political parties that it was cheaper to form small groups (5-30 people) to buy
and look after houses themselves, rather than just stuff the next people in the
queue into a house that might not suit them, in an area they might not like.

We took great inspiration from the co-op movement in Mondragon in the Basque
region of Spain, and also some work done by activists in Chicago. We also got a
great start by taking responsibility for all (200+) houses that were womens
shelters into our program.

Once you have a good stock, say about 500-1000, you can use that to get very
good deals on things like insurance. Maintenance can be planned and you can
offer trades-people a lump of 100 houses to do work like fix gutters, paint
woodwork, regular white-ant treatment if needed, etc etc.

Innovative designs can be tried to accommodate the special needs of people with
disabilities, rather than retro-fitting possibly unsuitable houses at greater
cost.

It was great fun!

 

[Kyriakos]

I see that no one is a thief of mopeds, using acid.
[censored] normies :/

 

[Synobun]

Brilliant, if you know the system. It's also very easy to live on if you don't
want much materially and prefer to be "time rich".

Some people get harassed to find work; I was assessed as "totally unemployable"
when I was about 17.

In the early 1970's there was no free health care so I created my own by never
paying doctors' fees. I preferred to study on my own, so I had no student debts.
I did my own research so I didn't have to finish under-grad. I had a good prof
who let me use his room at Uni while he went on extended sabbatical, so I had
free access to super-computers. When he came back I worked from home, so I
didn't have the same crippling expenses that most people who work have.

When we decided to have a kid it was time to give up my chemical predilections
and we organized coops, ending up with about 1200 houses around the city. Rent
was fixed at 20% of income/dole. What can I say? Commies are very organized and
effective with some government money backing them, especially when you have
bipartisan support. You just have to know how to present arguments to convince
the moderate-left and the moderate-right political parties.

After my partner finished a law degree we moved out of the coop and rented,
which was 2/3 tax deductible because it was our workplace. All computer
equipment was also tax deductible, and they were our primary form of
entertainment.

It was perfect for us; others would definitely find it difficult, especially if
they want to own cars, houses, and lots of shiny things.

Just an extra note on housing co-ops and how it relates to the game Hearts of
Iron!

In Hearts of Iron there is a focus in the Industrial Branch called "South
Australian Housing Trust". That Trust was actually set up by a very conservative
government and was very successful here. We were able to convince both major
political parties that it was cheaper to form small groups (5-30 people) to buy
and look after houses themselves, rather than just stuff the next people in the
queue into a house that might not suit them, in an area they might not like.

We took great inspiration from the co-op movement in Mondragon in the Basque
region of Spain, and also some work done by activists in Chicago. We also got a
great start by taking responsibility for all (200+) houses that were womens
shelters into our program.

Once you have a good stock, say about 500-1000, you can use that to get very
good deals on things like insurance. Maintenance can be planned and you can
offer trades-people a lump of 100 houses to do work like fix gutters, paint
woodwork, regular white-ant treatment if needed, etc etc.

Innovative designs can be tried to accommodate the special needs of people with
disabilities, rather than retro-fitting possibly unsuitable houses at greater
cost.

It was great fun!

Interesting. This would never work in Canada. Co-ops are far more exclusive here and especially unkind towards the "bottom feeders" of society (such as myself today!), and they are also far more small scale. A co-op is more like a hippy-inclined gathering of middle class or upper class people instead of a communal program for anyone who has a need and is willing to pull their weight. They're also less eager to mark someone as unemployable here; it took 3 years to get the government to acknowledge that my health will continue to be poor/deteriorate for the next 2 years, even though I've been sick and getting worse for 9 years now.

As well, I don't think the education thing would work here either. @Lemon Merchant has a PhD from Canada so she could probably say definitively if that sort of approach would work. But my gut says that that too would not be doable. Australia's system seems more susceptible to abuse, but also inducing a lot less stress for those who need the social net (which, if you got assessed at 17 as being unemployable, you need exactly that). Interesting to compare against. Thanks for being so open about it.

 

[Disgustipated]

I did inventory counting as a teenager before the Navy.
In the Navy I worked in a nuclear propulsion plant, my specialty was NEC 3386- Engineering Laboratory Technician. Which was mostly chemistry control/radiological control.
I had a short stint post Navy working as an Operating Engineer apprentice in a local union. And then my current job which I prefer to remain secret to maintain some sense of anonymity on the internet. I've been doing my current career for about 18 years now.

Never was motivated for college despite easily having the grades and test scores for it. Funny I still find people who think they are so smart because they have a degree, but really understand little how things work.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Funny I still find people who think they are so smart because they have a degree, but really understand little how things work.

Some of the stupidest people I know have PhDs and M.D.s

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I did inventory counting as a teenager before the Navy.
In the Navy I worked in a nuclear propulsion plant, my specialty was NEC 3386- Engineering Laboratory Technician. Which was mostly chemistry control/radiological control.
I had a short stint post Navy working as an Operating Engineer apprentice in a local union. And then my current job which I prefer to remain secret to maintain some sense of anonymity on the internet. I've been doing my current career for about 18 years now.

Never was motivated for college despite easily having the grades and test scores for it. Funny I still find people who think they are so smart because they have a degree, but really understand little how things work.

How long were you in the navy? Looks like you got out about twenty years ago, so if you did more than twelve we overlap, which will make for interesting questions. Especially if you did twenty, since that would mean we would have gone through NPS and NPTU at about the same time.

 

[CKS]

Construction worker - unpaid, ages 10-22 - My dad decided we should build our own house, almost entirely by ourselves, during our 8-week summer vacations. 40 years later it still isn't done, but we lived in it anyway - my parents still live there.
Cabin cleaner at a resort - on Saturdays for two summers
Teaching assistant
Research assistant
Post-doc
Community college professor
Coach for kids' sports/activities - unpaid - not fun when you get stuck coaching sports you've never played because no-one else will.

 

[Yeekim]

10-19 Various summer jobs in sales/customer service
21 municipal clerk
22-26 Corporate lawyer/project manager
27 taxman
28-33 (present) civil servant/policymaker

Also had a side gig as a translator for a few years.

 

[luiz]

As a proper middle class Brazilian I never worked before college - we're weirdly aristocratic in some ways, and the least aristocratic society in the world in others.

My jobs:
-intern at a consulting company
-project engineer at a steel company
-project manager at a steel company
-project manager at an oil company
-senior consultant at a consulting company
-partner at a (small) private equity firm

Quite an unorthodox career, but I can't complain. I've had some lucky breaks.

 

[rah]

After reading this thread, has anyone learned anything about someone here? Have their jobs influenced their world views?
Does anything make more sense now?

 

[Synobun]

After reading this thread, has anyone learned anything about someone here? Have their jobs influenced their world views?
Does anything make more sense now?

@Ferocitus was most surprising to me. Doesn't really enlighten me about who he is as a person as most of his posts are mathemagician nonsense ( ) but it was probably the most interesting to learn.

Everyone else has been fairly expected.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

After reading this thread, has anyone learned anything about someone here? Have their jobs influenced their world views?
Does anything make more sense now?

I learned there was another veteran of naval nuclear power, though I'm still waiting for @Disgustipated to be more specific.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

1. Dishwasher
2. Line Cook
3. Tape Factory Laborer ---> This is the one that got me motivated to get a GED
   
4. Chef
5. Lab Assistant/Tutor
6. Cashier
   
7. Patent Clerk/Copywriter
   
8. Rocket Scientist

Sucked:
1, 3, 4, 7

Awesome:
2, 5, 6, 8

They all paid ~minimum wage until 8.

If I had a choice, I will be 8 until I die and would be even if the pay sucked. 'Life calling' and all that.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

McDonalds
Office administration
Very minor contract type work (clean out properties, painting, minor repairs mostly)

 

[Synobun]

1. Dishwasher
2. Line Cook
3. Tape Factory Laborer ---> This is the one that got me motivated to get a GED
   
4. Chef
5. Lab Assistant/Tutor
6. Cashier
   
7. Patent Clerk/Copywriter
   
8. Rocket Scientist

Sucked:
1, 3, 4, 7

Awesome:
2, 5, 6, 8

They all paid ~minimum wage until 8.

If I had a choice, I will be 8 until I die and would be even if the pay sucked. 'Life calling' and all that.

Bruh, min wage for #7?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Bruh, min wage for #7?

Yes.

Millenials entering the job market are screwed. Wage stagnation is a thing.

 

[rah]

My daughter has had to change jobs twice to make a decent salary. Now that she has a good base salary, it should be ok.
What's the old joke? 10% of nothing is still nothing. 3% of a lot is much better.

 

[Synobun]

Yes.

Millenials entering the job market are screwed. Wage stagnation is a thing.

I mean, I know, but yikes. Even when I was a bus lackey I wasn't making minimum wage. You were making that for two specialized jobs. You got screeeeeewed. Big leagues.

 

[Disgustipated]

How long were you in the navy? Looks like you got out about twenty years ago, so if you did more than twelve we overlap, which will make for interesting questions. Especially if you did twenty, since that would mean we would have gone through NPS and NPTU at about the same time.

No 20 for me. I figured I wasn't supervisor material (and I'm not). Boot camp in 1991 (Orlando), completed Nuclear Power School in 1992 (Orlando), Prototype at MTS 626 (Daniel Webster former SSBN) in 1993 including Engineering Laboratory Technician school, and first ship in 1993. I did re-enlist once in Prototpye school in Charleston, South Carolina. 8 years total for me. Ahh the joys of Norfolk, Virginia (I'm being sarcastic here). Actually upon returning to Virginia a couple years ago on vacation, it wasn't so bad. Though I still prefer Western Virginia out by Roanoke. The traffic in Hampton Roads is worse than when I was in. I showed my then girlfriend the haunts I used to visit in Newport News, Hampton, and Norfolk, and we went to Virginia Beach as well. My ship (Enterprise) was in the shipyards when I got there in 93. A very cold winter. The river started icing up. And my ship had no heat. So my later roommates and I ended up in apartments on that side of the bay in both Hampton and Newport News even after my ship moved over to Norfolk.