Career Path

[MarkO]

I thought there were some interesting posts in the thread about what is stopping you buying a new watch thread. So I thought we could bring the discussion out in a new thread.
The concept of a job for life with one company died with my parents generation, my father in law worked for Rolls Royce his entire working and is now retired with a final salary pension, sweet !

I went to University studied a vocational degree and have followed that path for +25years since graduation.
I did a spell as a House Officer then Senior House Officer in a teaching hospital.
Moved to be an associate in an established practice that was mostly NHS with a little private work on the side.
At 27 I opened my first business which grew to employ 2 other dentists, 3 hygienists and a gaggle of nurses.
While running this I purchased a private clinic in central London and owned and worked both businesses by now only with private patients.
I sold my first business to a corporate entity and had to work for them for 2years during which time they ran it into the ground.
Time came for a change and I sold London as well, moved to Turks and Caicos Islands as an associate (There is a whole new thread here about have you ever worked for a boss who was a complete idiot)
after 6years and 4 babies it was time to be my own boss again so I opened my own office.

Essentially I am doing the same job my degree qualified me for, I have added additional skills such as Implant surgery, Invisalign and Botox/Fillers but I am still a dentist using my original degrees .
I am now approaching 49 with 26 years post graduate experience and I have no expectation of a career change between now and retirement.

What is your career path, do you still use your original qualifications?

[RayMac]

I've been retired for so long a career seems almost a historical footnote.
I studied chemistry, got a job in the research dept of a major food company. Ended up as a food technologist I suppose. 33 years with 4 different firms. R&D, Quality Assurance, laboratory management. I became a pretty good computer programmer and statistician along the way.
Since then I worked as a volunteer technical guy with a tiny coffee company, learned Linux and computer repair, blogged and participated in watch forums and also took on a part time job as Grandpa.

[Raza]

Pretty much everyone knows my story by now. 5 years as a financial analyst, now I'm in law school.

[Broker]

I have an MBA in Economics and used that to start my own Financial Planning Firm in 2004. I worked as a planner for the man for 6 years before that.

[BillyR___]

I majored in history, then moved to China. I'm working my second year as an english teacher, and primarily concerned with mastering my Chinese. I'm not sure what I'll do after that. For now, I'm taking it one step at a time.

[Rob]

From about 5-16 years I followed by grandfather around and watched him. He had lumber yards and hardware stores. He was the largest home and business contractor in the western side of my state. While he was a skilled entrepreneur, his real talent that I have never seen matched was mentoring and leading. I learned from him to naturally not be afraid of anything, to have faith that I was being directed innately to be great, and to focus on the well-being of others as a leader. Those skills took me into my teens and early 20's.

At 16 I had three crews of 3-4 guys which gutted dilapidated homes and rebuilt them inside and out. My exposure to building, lumber, and hardware was instrumental.

At 17 I started working at the ice plant in my home town. I managed several people and helped build the company into a profitable one. By 19, I owned 17% of the company. It was sold when I was 20 and that was my first significant success as an entrepreneur.

At 18 I was admitted to the US Naval Academy. By the Spring of that year of high school, I had a realization that while I knew I would be the best pilot the US Navy had (in my mind), I couldn't resolve the conflict of killing people under the direction of others. I am comfortable assessing the interests of my nation and making difficult decisions on my own behalf, but not on the behalf of others. The conflict is believing in chain of command and trust, but the moral conflict involved in being a mercenary. I withdrew from the Naval Academy one week before my high school graduation in 1991.

At 19 I moved away to go to medical school. I wanted to be a radiologist and save people. At 22, during my senior year at the major state university, I started rounds with real radiologists, just to see what was coming. Again, I couldn't handle the emotional conflict of being forced to make "efficient" decisions in a way that may or may not be in the best interests in the life of a human being. I was not able to reconcile the conflict and withdrew from school one semester prior to graduation.

At 23 I started an electrical engineering degree at a local community college, made great income selling mausoleum crypts and grave spaces (not joking), and fell in love for the first time.

At 24 I became "the most heart-broken man in America" and withdrew from school. I moved to TN to work in oil and gas for my father, simply to get out of my hometown and avoid the memories that I was associating with it.

In the summer of 1997, still aged 24, I got into my father's SUV and started driving West. I drove down the roads that felt right until three months later I was standing in front of the Northern Arizona University main campus sign on US 66 in Flagstaff, AZ. Long story short, I left there seven years later, with my MSEE and a math degree.

I have spent the last 11 years as a project manager for three different oil/gas or engineering companies.

I am currently at a cross roads and about to drop everything from the heartbreak forward, and start over.

I'm excited to see what happens.

[Ryan]

From about 5-16 years I followed by grandfather around and watched him. He had lumber yards and hardware stores. He was the largest home and business contractor in the western side of my state. While he was a skilled entrepreneur, his real talent that I have never seen matched was mentoring and leading. I learned from him to naturally not be afraid of anything, to have faith that I was being directed innately to be great, and to focus on the well-being of others as a leader. Those skills took me into my teens and early 20's.

At 16 I had three crews of 3-4 guys which gutted dilapidated homes and rebuilt them inside and out. My exposure to building, lumber, and hardware was instrumental.

At 17 I started working at the ice plant in my home town. I managed several people and helped build the company into a profitable one. By 19, I owned 17% of the company. It was sold when I was 20 and that was my first significant success as an entrepreneur.

At 18 I was admitted to the US Naval Academy. By the Spring of that year of high school, I had a realization that while I knew I would be the best pilot the US Navy had (in my mind), I couldn't resolve the conflict of killing people under the direction of others. I am comfortable assessing the interests of my nation and making difficult decisions on my own behalf, but not on the behalf of others. The conflict is believing in chain of command and trust, but the moral conflict involved in being a mercenary. I withdrew from the Naval Academy one week before my high school graduation in 1991.

At 19 I moved away to go to medical school. I wanted to be a radiologist and save people. At 22, during my senior year at the major state university, I started rounds with real radiologists, just to see what was coming. Again, I couldn't handle the emotional conflict of being forced to make "efficient" decisions in a way that may or may not be in the best interests in the life of a human being. I was not able to reconcile the conflict and withdrew from school one semester prior to graduation.

At 23 I started an electrical engineering degree at a local community college, made great income selling mausoleum crypts and grave spaces (not joking), and fell in love for the first time.

At 24 I became "the most heart-broken man in America" and withdrew from school. I moved to TN to work in oil and gas for my father, simply to get out of my hometown and avoid the memories that I was associating with it.

In the summer of 1997, still aged 24, I got into my father's SUV and started driving West. I drove down the roads that felt right until three months later I was standing in front of the Northern Arizona University main campus sign on US 66 in Flagstaff, AZ. Long story short, I left there seven years later, with my MSEE and a math degree.

I have spent the last 11 years as a project manager for three different oil/gas or engineering companies.

I am currently at a cross roads and about to drop everything from the heartbreak forward, and start over.

I'm excited to see what happens.

Wow, Rob. What an amazing story. Sounds like you're on the verge of another big decision. Good luck!

[Nokie]

I was able to graduate with two degrees, and only endured "double secret probation" one time in my life......

[MarkO]

I was able to graduate with two degrees, and only endured "double secret probation" one time in my life......

Not sure what double secret probation is but I have signed the official secrets Act so you can tell me, you can call me Captain if that helps!

[pepperami]

I left school at 15..started an apprenticeship as a baker/confectioner,
Moved from Dublin to London at 19..worked in bakeries for a year or so and got fed up with..worked in construction, removals, warehouses. .a bit of every thing.

Moved back to Ireland at 23..worked in metal fabrication for 9 years and thought I need to do something. .

Happened into a pharmaceutical company and went back to night school.

Graduated with a science degree in 2007 and landed a great job in a multinational pharmaceutical company,

I'm still there today..and I love my job..

Biggest thing recently was an Epilepsy diagnosis. .which has been a challenge in so many ways..loosing my driving license was particularly hard but I'm still working and living.

Oh and I've had 3 kids along the way, met my soul mate and I'm a very content with my career paths


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