Professional Drifter Currently I work as an accountant for a social service agency that provides care for people with disabilities. I'm also a night student finishing up a psychology BA and plan on either law school or a masters in social work for next year.
So that explains why meggoleggo is teaching instead of doing biology... I was wondering. (After all the various posts with incredibly detailed microbiology, epidemiology, etc. in them.) I was just kind of surprised you didn't keep doing research in the field after all that. Some grad schools essentially pay for themselves in the natural sciences... mine did. Not that you get to save up much, but at least you don't go into debt either. Research funding and all that. It depends what you go to school for.
Freelance theater artist. Mostly directing and playwriting. Ex-artistic director Ex-presidential campaign manager Ex-club manager/booker Ex-computer network admin Ex-coffee jerk, bartender, bookseller, waiter
Ex Environmental Engineer Ex lunch truck driver, school bus driver, delivery driver Ex Unionized factory worker. Ex Technical headhunter Ex- AFDC Caseworker The union steward. Quite an education. Ex Reference Librarian Self employed attorney. Law school in my 30's. No office politics. Most of the time I like dealing with the people who the US political system screws over. Makes me not susceptible to the happy talk news you generally see. The boss generally treats me well, and after all my misadventures as an employee my employees love my laid- back mangement techniques. No one ever quits. Of course they are better emoployees than I ever was. I can identify with Manny and Isabel. When I dropped out of psychology grad school people told me I would never amount to anything, too. I was a teaching assistant and watched my professor have practically a nervous breakdown when denied tenure. The bs in academia is not for anyone.
I invented "Post-Its". Okay...I'm in latex. I'm an importer/exporter. Or, is it exporter/importer? Hmm. Nah...I'm just a web developer.
As I said in my profile (I think!), it's driving my wife crazy. I must say that I have become superb at it, after decades of honing my abilities to a fine edge. In fact, I would challenge anyone to surpass my professionalism in my chosen field.
I went to UT-Austin for undergrad (BS in Zoology)- I know you didn't ask, but thought you might be interested. Grad school was Baylor College of Medicine in Houston- you'd be surprised how many people think it's affiliated with Baylor in Waco (it's not). The crazy thing is, you get paid, not the other way around. I think the stipend there is like $25,000 a year now. Like Isabel said, you won't be saving or anything, but it's pretty good, considering you also don't have to pay tuition, and you get the degree at the end (if you make it- but even if you don't get all the way through, you can get a masters and go back to teaching or to industry and make more money). You can also defer student loans during grad school, if that's an issue. In Houston, 25k is not too bad a salary, considering you're "going to school". Here in New York, however, it doesn't go quite as far (unfortunately, stipends are comparable here) but the students manage somehow. I liked grad school, and I am really enjoying my postdoc so far. Plus I don't have to teach any kids. I'm happy to talk to you about it in more detail if you're interested.
I quit my job with a company I had been with for 13years in October. (Underpaid in the corporate environ and sick of myself for never having the balls to do anything else different.) I sold some art to get me through the rest of the year. I got an offer to do some part time property consultation for tax auctions. I am still doing that, although its only like half a job. A month ago I got an offer from a friend to help with his two 15,000 sq ft buildings he bought to help tear down walls, build walls, paint walls inside and out and build some art studios. I am also on a short list for temp work hangin art with two local art museums here. For the 19 years I lived in Houston I can't tell you how many times I applied at the MFA and never ever even got one single interview. A little over a year here in San Antonio and I've THREE jobs in the arts hanging art and doing instalation. WTF H-town?! So basically I dont know what I do but I'm doing what I've always wanted to.
Geez, I am sorry I asked. I had no idea that this would be the response I would get. I am sorry you are that unhappy, Izzy.
