What do you do for a living?

I am multi-careerist and explaining how it works is complicated so I just touch the surface. Even that is long winded!.
I've recently worked three different jobs. One pays. Two ohters are "volunteer". To sum up a long complicated story, I have been building two home businesses.

I had to quit one for a while due to various factors.
I worked long hours, it was wicked tedious and boring. =There was hardly a moment to put a morsel of food into my mouth at times so I could get the work done. Even if I had time, the business expenses interfered with my high need for more food. Gosh, I don't want to admit here how much money I've thrown at my home business.
Actually I'm more ashamed at the money I've thrown at hobbies, but that's another story!.

Home businesses are tough because you need money to make money...and if the funds trickle in too slowly and you are spending massive amounts of money on bills and rent, then the home business takes forever to get off the ground. It's much better to earn a good sized chunck of money and give the business a good kick start .

The solution is yet another job on the side to help fund your business and pay living expenses while you get it off the ground. Which I have had, but this job doesn't pay well enough so I'm trying once again to try and get a better paying one.
I have two leads which I'm going to follow after the next housing inspection is over.

I am happy to say that one of my two home businesses is on the verge of making money for me after almost three years of investment on my part.
I think when the time is right I will need a real business loan as it will take forever to keep funding these projects by myself.
I'm sorta anti-credit so I put it off. It's a long hard road, but I think in the end when I don't have to put up with criminals, unreliable people, getting laid off all the time, discriminated against( yes it has happened to me many times) and other ****, it'll be worth it.
 
I'm 25 and a graduate student in Environmental Microbiology.

What do I make? Barely enough to live (and support this fish habit) but I do get paid to be a grad. student....
 
24...I've travelled as a hippy kid on zero budget, worked fast food, dedicated three years to a title company as an escrow agent/limited practice officer (real estate closings), spent the last two years earning a general associate of arts degree focusing on nursing prereqs. Now I'm married to an Army guy and not knowing where we'd be posted nixed my chances of getting into a nursing program this year, so I just started work at a pet store where I'll be doing fish/reptiles/birds/small mammals part time. Mainly because I don't like sitting at home feeling like a dependent while I wait to apply to nursing programs and I love animals. Honestly...except for in rare cases, no one comes out of highschool knowing exactly what they want to do, with time-lined goals that they stick to. College easily turns into an expensive place where instead of learning the classwork, one parties, does some self exploration, and after 50 changed majors and 30K in student loans, one finally figures out what one wants to do. It never hurts to take a summer (in my case it was a couple years) to travel, meet different people, look at other options, find what moves you and then a way to make that pay for you (and maybe pay for your college too). Everyone is so pushed into college right out of school, and while I totally support higher education, I support even more the concept of being self-aware while pursuing it, knowing why you chose a certain major and having the passion and tenacity to follow through. It's way more interesting (and your grades are a lot better) if you're actually working towards something you love. While a lot of people entering college are in the 18 age range, I also met a lot of older people, a few younger, and some right around my age. In my experience, many of those right out of highschool were still treating their education like they were in high school and it was sad to see them wasting their time skipping the classes they paid top dollar for. It's not a race to see who can be making 50k, have a wife, 3.2 kids and a white picket fence by the time we go back to our 10 year reunion. Don't stress too much and don't rush the decision. Once you know, you'll be on it like white on rice because it will be something you genuinely want.
 
I'm 25 and I'm a third-year law student. I guess you could say I make -$70K (that's negative $70k) a year since I have no income and that is about how much I have to take out in loans per year for tuition and living expenses. That doesn't include future interest I will have to pay. Hopefully next year I will have some positive income to report, though I will surely still be in a heap of debt.
 
JustaHannah, you are so right about the inner journey you have to go through, instead of going to college, as you develop alot of aspects in life through journey.
And all you people have some really awesome and rewarding jobs.
I might look into being a car dealer or a real estate agent, not too sure yet.

I heard from alot of people, that one loses their social life, once they get a job.
I probably would want 1day off, for socialising etc. But I know, life gets worse
 
I am 36 and an Architect. I get paid to watch the buildings my company designs, get built. I answer questions from the contractors and make sure that they follow the documents showing the building designs. It is a very rewarding career. I prefer being out in the field rather than sitting in an office all day. I get paid well but like most people I don't think I get paid enough. The most important part of any job is to like what you do.
 
ChoiAquarium said:
JustaHannah, you are so right about the inner journey you have to go through, instead of going to college, as you develop alot of aspects in life through journey.
And all you people have some really awesome and rewarding jobs.
I might look into being a car dealer or a real estate agent, not too sure yet.

I heard from alot of people, that one loses their social life, once they get a job.
I probably would want 1day off, for socialising etc. But I know, life gets worse
Click to expand...

Work doesn't kill your social life...the spouse and kids do...;)...but they are worth it too...in most cases.
 
Well I'm 28 and my job title is a "Marketing Manager" but I mostly do graphic design.
On the weekend I'm a hired merchenary.
 
30 with a degree in Econ.

After college, I continued to worked in the bars since most the people I knew were making about 28k in offices while I was making 50-60k (take home) tax free and working 4 days (and drunk 6 days) a week.

Few years ago I wanted to settle down and started working in retail, worked my way up to a store manager making 42k, but I add benefits like insurance and paid vacation which the bars don't give you. But I left, to work as a mortgage loan officer and apartment rental agent. Got screwed at the apartment real estate office and I'm sure you can guess how the mortgage thing worked out.

So I'm back working at my old store as a part-timer and spend more time home with my son which is a huge plus compared to working 50+ hours, and taking work/stress home every day, as a manager. I work one night a week at a bar, which is my "get drunk" night and bring home about $450-650 a week between the two jobs.
My wife (a nutrition student and wine sommelier student) works 3-5 nights at a few fine dining restaurants and wine bars and makes anywhere between 300-1000+ a week.

My only advice is to look at the big picture. Whether its 20k or 120k, its never enough. So think about where you want your time and energy going to, working as a drone in some office being miserable and being stressed out about being downsized and meeting your budget, deadline, quota, etc. Or actually enjoying your life.

And read "The Millionaire Next Door", It puts all the "money" careers and lifestyles in perspective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Millionaire_Next_Door
 
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