I work in a bookstore, and have worked in bookstores for most of my life. I ran my own independent shop for many years, and post-covid, never reopened and instead moved to the big chain bookstore. If i could go back, knowing what I know now, I would work harder to maintain my own shop, but I would also have started writing a lot earlier than I did. Ideally, my career should be as a writer, not a bookstore guy.
I’m a security guard for the Jordan Creek Mall in Des Moines and I wouldn’t want any other career. I protect the shopping community of the entire Des Moines metro area. The public believes in the stereotype that Security Guards just sit around monitors and eat donuts all day, that’s not true at all, I am offended by that assumption. Every morning when I put that plastic badge onto my uniform and look at myself in the mirror I feel immense amounts of pride. I protect soccer moms, teenagers, and power walking grandma’s from criminals, thief’s, and rapists every single day.
I’d be in the same field but I’d have pursued it differently. I went to college where it was most affordable, then they cancelled my major, then I transferred and decided to take on a bunch of jobs and try to do a full class load. Ended up having to withdraw from some classes because I just didn’t have the mental energy to do all of that plus the full time night stock shift, website building gig, and pc repair.
I shoulda just gone to Stanford or Carnegie Mellon instead and worked on graduating in 4 years, because when I got out of school, we were in the middle of a tech bust and it took a LONG time to get my pay up to par even though I was building million dollar applications solo.
I’d have been long retired by now with those sorts of industry connections.
I work in grocery. Not what I studied for, but then again what was I studying for? It’s union, and benefits are good. Make it another 11 years and there’s a full pension. There was never really a choice to do this, so it’s not like I could choose anything different. <shrug.>
White collar engineering and probably not shit is mind numbing. If I could do it over with an eye for money I’d just become a radiologic tech or something. If money wasn’t an issue I’d love to work as a novel editor or something similar at a publisher or as a gardener.
I’m a self-employed house painter and I absolutely love what I do. I get to make things that people have neglected for years look beautiful again and it’s genuinely heartwarming to see the sparkle in peoples eyes when they see their living space looking fresh and clean and in some cases liveable again. Granted, it’s a lot of work to try to find work and invoice people and at times it can feel very uncertain but the only regret that I have is that I didn’t start doing it sooner.
Data entry. I do it because it pays my bills and because I’m not really suitable for anything better. In that context, I would do it again because it’s my only choice. In any other context: fuck no.
I’m an aircraft maintenance engineer. It’s a very broad, and wide ranging job. There can be a lot of upside for the right person. On the other hand there is also a lot to not like about it. Night shifts, almost everything based on seniority, and high stress to keep things flying while maintaining high safety standards.
If I was to go back in time and advise my younger self I wouldn’t tell myself not to get into this career. But for people other than myself I’d have a lot of reservations about advising them to get into it. A lot of aspects about it make it difficult, and you kind of need to be a certain type of person to thrive.
I work at a Tiffany’s production facility setting diamonds, and yes 100% would choose this over and over. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect but realistically nothing is. Whatever problems I’ve had working here pale in comparison to what I’ve had working retail. That’s not even mentioning how satisfying it feels to work with my hands and really utilize my skills as a craftsman. The only gripe I honestly have, and it’s minor, is that i wish I was able to make the same amount of money working less hours so I could work on my blacksmithing as well. My job is 40 hours a week full time Monday through Friday. There is no one coming in to take over, I have a bench and it is effectively mine for my shift. Any time I need off I need to use pto, sick, or vacation time si my only days to relax and do anything for me is in the weekends. That’s really my only gripe.
Comments
I work in a bookstore, and have worked in bookstores for most of my life. I ran my own independent shop for many years, and post-covid, never reopened and instead moved to the big chain bookstore. If i could go back, knowing what I know now, I would work harder to maintain my own shop, but I would also have started writing a lot earlier than I did. Ideally, my career should be as a writer, not a bookstore guy.
No. But what would I do instead? 🤷♀️
Graphic Designer and no I would have jumped ship had I known AI was going to be this advanced
Accounting. No I would have probably gone into social work.
I’m a security guard for the Jordan Creek Mall in Des Moines and I wouldn’t want any other career. I protect the shopping community of the entire Des Moines metro area. The public believes in the stereotype that Security Guards just sit around monitors and eat donuts all day, that’s not true at all, I am offended by that assumption. Every morning when I put that plastic badge onto my uniform and look at myself in the mirror I feel immense amounts of pride. I protect soccer moms, teenagers, and power walking grandma’s from criminals, thief’s, and rapists every single day.
I’d be in the same field but I’d have pursued it differently. I went to college where it was most affordable, then they cancelled my major, then I transferred and decided to take on a bunch of jobs and try to do a full class load. Ended up having to withdraw from some classes because I just didn’t have the mental energy to do all of that plus the full time night stock shift, website building gig, and pc repair.
I shoulda just gone to Stanford or Carnegie Mellon instead and worked on graduating in 4 years, because when I got out of school, we were in the middle of a tech bust and it took a LONG time to get my pay up to par even though I was building million dollar applications solo.
I’d have been long retired by now with those sorts of industry connections.
Software dev. Sure, money is great, work is flexible and Im not breaking my body.
I work in grocery. Not what I studied for, but then again what was I studying for? It’s union, and benefits are good. Make it another 11 years and there’s a full pension. There was never really a choice to do this, so it’s not like I could choose anything different. <shrug.>
Luxury and sports car sales.
Ride the highs when sales are good. Drink the pain away when sales are bad.
White collar engineering and probably not shit is mind numbing. If I could do it over with an eye for money I’d just become a radiologic tech or something. If money wasn’t an issue I’d love to work as a novel editor or something similar at a publisher or as a gardener.
I’m a self-employed house painter and I absolutely love what I do. I get to make things that people have neglected for years look beautiful again and it’s genuinely heartwarming to see the sparkle in peoples eyes when they see their living space looking fresh and clean and in some cases liveable again. Granted, it’s a lot of work to try to find work and invoice people and at times it can feel very uncertain but the only regret that I have is that I didn’t start doing it sooner.
Data entry. I do it because it pays my bills and because I’m not really suitable for anything better. In that context, I would do it again because it’s my only choice. In any other context: fuck no.
I’m an aircraft maintenance engineer. It’s a very broad, and wide ranging job. There can be a lot of upside for the right person. On the other hand there is also a lot to not like about it. Night shifts, almost everything based on seniority, and high stress to keep things flying while maintaining high safety standards.
If I was to go back in time and advise my younger self I wouldn’t tell myself not to get into this career. But for people other than myself I’d have a lot of reservations about advising them to get into it. A lot of aspects about it make it difficult, and you kind of need to be a certain type of person to thrive.
I work at a Tiffany’s production facility setting diamonds, and yes 100% would choose this over and over. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect but realistically nothing is. Whatever problems I’ve had working here pale in comparison to what I’ve had working retail. That’s not even mentioning how satisfying it feels to work with my hands and really utilize my skills as a craftsman. The only gripe I honestly have, and it’s minor, is that i wish I was able to make the same amount of money working less hours so I could work on my blacksmithing as well. My job is 40 hours a week full time Monday through Friday. There is no one coming in to take over, I have a bench and it is effectively mine for my shift. Any time I need off I need to use pto, sick, or vacation time si my only days to relax and do anything for me is in the weekends. That’s really my only gripe.