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Hi

As you know I moved to australia almost a year ago, I was(I am) a professional photographer.

anyway, at the moment im in between jobs as I can not get a lot of work as a photographer and im trying to save for a d2x and a few other things.

I would like to as to the member what other jobs have you done in you life that is not related to what you are currently doing? or profession?

thanks

christian

Hi Christian ,

I havent worked, umm rephrase had paid job for over 30 years, been wife and mother, helped run family businesses, but before that I was a warrenty clerk for repco,,,

If I was to depend on my photography for a living I think I would be loosing a bit of weight,, hehehe,,


Suzanne

Pre 1975:
I was a "jockey" on fighter jet, "driver" on other various aircraft both fixed and rotary wing.
Post 1975: POW, labourer.
1979: boat people
Then: A janitor, paper runner, strawberry picker, etc... while studying at UCLA.
Then Aeronautics Engineer worked at Boeing and MCDonnel Douglas.
Got involved with AP in a short period as PJ, dreamt to become a war correspondence or war journalist.

In Australia:
Janitor and labourer while waiting for residence status.
Build our own "empire", am running the show as an IT consultant.
Photography is just one of my hobby, purely hobby.

I'm a big lazy fat oaf - before I had a 'real job' for a couple of years after uni I was playing the markets on margin loans and with some of my savings, and protected call option loans... as well as ol' fashion casino gambling. Since the former lines of credit can be approved without requiring income or asset tests, it suited me. It got me by, but eventually I ran into self-inflicted financial strive. Had to sell off some of my 'toys'...

Nowadays, I've been involved in a string of casual warehousing/logistics jobs. The pay is quite exceptional IMHO - with casual loadings (pre IR reforms), I could take home close to a grand a week.

Truck driver and/or forklift drivers get paid a ton too - for what amounts to fairly easy work.

Don't underestimate the value of unskilled labouring in this country.

Most of my income for the last 10 years has come from IT, mostly programming. I've also done screen printing and sold photo skills in various ways. During my uni career I did all sorts - from driving trucks to pruning roses.

A lot of my work has been unpaid - in 15 years since uni I've accumulated nearly 10 years IT work experience. Being a contractor or conslutant has let me take time off to do full time activism or just go on extended scenic tours on my bike. And I buy toys

Started working with NAB. Left to go to uni. After uni, worked in operations in a manufacturing company. While there, I was always envious of the sales reps, so after a few years I changed my career path and became a sales rep. Worked for various companies and always loved repping. Ended up in sales management which I hated so I left. Another change of career path and I'm now teaching people to drive racing cars as well as providing advanced/defensive driving instruction, both of which have been life long passions. I've picked up a few gigs along the way which have made me very small amounts of money from photography. For me, it's another passion, but in this case, purely a hobby.

I was a office hand, casual univerity demonstrator, casual university recruitment, PhD student, research assistant and now a research scientist. Career highlight, got a award in which only 35 were awarded in Aus to support my work out of several hundreds of new researchers. Of which only 2 were from NSW. Photography is a fun hobby.

My only other full time job was as a storeman packer. After I left uni I was waiting for my call up and the storeman job at least gave me a few bucks and kept me out of the fridge.

22 years later and I am still with the same government agency but have had a heap of different roles as I moved sideways and up the ladder. Its like having had 4 or 5 jobs but all with the same mob. Certainly complain about the variety of jobs and the opportunities it has given me - something I am always quite grateful for.

Still aways up that ladder to climb if I don't wack the ceiling too early.

hi



thank you for your responses, i was a bit down yesterday. i am working as a cleaner for a major cleaning company, at the moment i do from toilets, floors, air ducts, offices, kitchens, and a supermarket, and the most important job a full time dad. i just can not wait to have a nikon d2x will be worth it!!!

it is so strange to see people in the offices and not been friendly, some of them think that been a cleaner you are less than them. so strange.

thanks for sharing your life, i feel a bit better today

christian

I have had more jobs than I can remember but now I am a warehouse solutions provider
I work with another couple of guys and do all from telephone sales to picking and processing orders, invoicing, everything. BUT I was very surprised to see Carnarvon as your home address, my old stomping ground from about 1979 to 1981, I bet it has changed no end.
Andrew

hi andrew

well not sure, it is a very small town. been here something like 6 months? there is a lot of tourist passing through. some people have told it has change a bit.

http://www.sunpixs.com/lancephotos/carnarvontown.html some snaps of the town.

take care

christian

Christian, only ignorant people act like that.
I've been a:
cleaner
labourer
electrical fitter
photographer
duty free sales person
sales representative
NSW sales manager
Storeman
telemarketer

... so I can tell you that you I've met my share of idiots. Don't let it get to you.

Not all office people are unfriendly (..but there is a fair share...)

Anyway working career started as slave child labour in my parents cake shop..that experience left a life long scar of never ever again being able to wake up early. During my Uni days I packed grocery shelves at Franklins Big Fresh @ Leichhardt. We had the night shift (so no customers) and had a ball. After a while though, the hours start to wear down your body (I lost a lot of weight). I have regained all the weight and some in my current profession in the IT industry.

Christian

Why people behave like that I don't know but don't let it get you down.

You don't need their approval or otherwise to feel good about yourself.

The way I see it is that you are gainfully filling in time and earning a living while you seek to find the opportunity that surely awaits you. So you should be feeling mighty proud of yourself so keep your chin up and pat yourself on the back for doing a job that needs to be done.

I've not had many jobs. I was a clerk, then became a nurse, then a travel consultant, travel agency manager and am now a teacher. Along the way, attended uni for eight years part time and picked up a Business degree and a Diploma of teaching.

Cheers

Graham

My first paid job was as a used car detailer. Sometimes I wish I had stuck to that.

Wanted to be a photographer when I left school but instead ended up being a camera technician trainee. Shifted onto computers (poor move), then onto the NZ Army Band (could blow the horn ok but was not good at getting over high obstacles... lasted six weeks of the basic training!!).

Decided to get a job doing anything and work on getting into photography from there. Ended up working as a photolithographer in the printing industry. After a while I started working parttime for a local pro and then went on to study photography at Wellington Polytech (a one year course). Left there and after working in a camera shop to pay off my account with them I ended up working in newspapers for a few years. Went freelance after that.

The move to Australia was not easy... initlal plans failed and after a while I opted to do some factory work to pay the bills... then shifted into writing combined with some retail and work and last year finally managed to get on track with the business. I had dinner with another NZ colleague and was told that it took them 7 years to start showing a real profit in their business after moving to Australia.... and I can tell you that they know their stuff.

Hope this makes you feel a little better ... your not the only one trying to make it work.

what a great thread it's great hearing about people's assorted histories

i never had a simple casual job. Straight out of college i got a design job in the advertising industry, before that i did nothing at all.

somehow i ended up working for a web development company as a Designer

after work hours i work for Tito media a photo press agency specialising in social and fashion event coverage - this is what i want to do.

My first paid job was in an aquarium - cleaning fish tanks, I loved fish, and aquariums and thought I was in heaven in this job, and the owners loved it too - they got their tanks cleaned for next to nothing, they occasionally bought me lunch too, I thought they were great! My next job was as a very young salesman in Brashs (when they still existed, for those that don't know - a fairly big audio/visual/hi-fi type chain), then to sales job at David Jones Audio Visual Dept. I also had a love (still do) for kite flying and landed a 'job' flying kites on the beach for a kite shop!!

From there I went to TAFE and became an enrolled nurse, worked in a nursing home for a while, then worked in a Medical Centre (whilst studying my Bachelor of Nursing at Uni) with a variety of different roles including assisting suturing, taking people's blood, cleaning doctors rooms and their equipment including the old metal speculums. I'm still nursing, and most of the time love it, I'm also making a bit of extra $$ on the side with some photography .

First paid job was at a farm as a casual in gatton it was fun but also boring at times work and very HOT.

Now I do casual and freelance work for toowoomba newspapers and the toowoomba city council doing photography, and run my own little money making business type thing doing promo shots for bands and what have you (very small time)

I've also been in the rural fire service for 3 and a half years got in as soon as I could join at 16 and a half. I have aspirations to join the QLD fire and rescue service as a full time fire fighter.

Between photography and the fire service well we'll see where they take me I love both and can't decide.

I'm only 20 as of last saturday the 8th of april so I'm not really old enough to have much of a history so there you have it.

Michael wrote:I'm only 20 as of last saturday the 8th of april so I'm not really old enough to have much of a history so there you have it.

Happy bday for last Sunday mate

My first few jobs after completing high school were factory labourer jobs, stacking tons of boxes a day. I then went to uni and did Criminology, which worked out well, given my current employment as a cop. I don't plan on changing my job, but it might not be my choice one day.

Interesting reading so far. Birdy holds the most varied job list, I take my hat off to him. Not to single anyone out, but the Birdys of this country make it a far better place to live!

I finished myh hsc in '98 then did a tafe course in it. mid-way through that course i got an IT traineeship at the department of educaton doing the course that was the next level up. after that i got my currrent job (IT in local government) where i have been for almost 6 years. started my traineeship making about $18000 a year, and then started this job on about $30k but it was a means to get experience so i was willing to sacrifice a bit of money.

I have great respect for cleaners. Often they are nicer than the people you work with.

Geoff wrote:

Michael wrote:I'm only 20 as of last saturday the 8th of april so I'm not really old enough to have much of a history so there you have it.

Happy bday for last Sunday mate

Thank ya

Vet nurse, checkout chick, administration, secretary, taxation, waitress, cook, project officer for several environmental projects, taught 'oldies' about the bush, PhD, editor for entomologial newsbulletin, secretary for environmental volunteer organisation, uni research assistant, acting entomologist, quarantine officer as well as run our own business doing fauna and environmental work and occassional photography work for councils/developers, as well as running workshops for the wildlife preservation society, and doing brochures/pamphletts and signage for several voluntary groups down the coast....

Wow, kind of freaky when you write it down !!!! (and some other stuff along the way !!!!)

Rel PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL !!!!

hi everyone

thanks for all the wonderful commets, it is very nice to heard from you all.

I always wanted to be a photographer, since high school i have been involved in photography. when i moved to south africa i was lucky that at the time there was a small newspaper that they needed a darkroom assitance. so i apply and show my portfolio and got the job. most of my first year i develop 35mm and 120mm b/w film. made contact sheets and thursday/fridays i printed. then they gave me a chance to do some photography and was great! finally did what i wanted. anyway after that i moved to a dept of communication and to the premiers office. was excellent as i meet wonderful people, i even was lucky enought to meet the presindent...nelson mandela!! it was wonderful 8 years with that company,i resigned and started freelancing for the arts and my first newspaper job.

here are some of my work











thanks again for all the comments, it is very nice to know you all.

regards

christian

Casual retail & hotel employee, bank clerk, full-time student (teaching), Articled Clerk and part-time student (law), shipping clerk, customs officer, security consultant, quarantine officer, full-time procrastinator.

Making news today, this is where I work:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18 ... 62,00.html

Good thing we have good cleaners too!

Very sophisticated establishment, Owen

You should see the xmas parties we have when everyone swings from the rafters throwing faeces at each other... they're great fun!

Nowra, i'm moving there in August

I've been a banker, a baker and an electronic tech, a cook, a kitchen hand, labourer, removals, picked up recyclables, currently a sailor and returned serviceman Missed a few too. I do a bit of photography on the side both at work and as a hobby.

owen wrote:You should see the xmas parties we have when everyone swings from the rafters throwing faeces at each other... they're great fun!

reminds me of that classic line from "Madagascar" - "If you have any poo, fling it now!"

Sales assistant, Lab demonstrator and tutor, student, tech support, Currently disallusioned PhD student

Thinking about a small change and going into Meteorology next...

MHD wrote:Thinking about a small change and going into Meteorology next...

Can you make good weather this weekend for the Mount Panorama circuit then?

1961 passed exams for entry as an officer into the RN passed that up for uni in chemistry. 1967 thru 69 worked for a foreign naval organisation (classified), 1970 shop assistant then wholesale before moving to Oz in 1973.

Worked for John Border Photographics then as Hi Fi sales manager with Trickie Dickie before transferring to the DS art department - from there on in I have been associated with graphic design and photography in a freelance capacity.

Barman
Crane Chaser at BHP
Tally Clerk at BHP
Labourer
Builders Labourer
Did BA Dip Ed & started teaching
Did M Ed while teaching and became deputy principal
Left teaching did MBA and started consulting
Worked as a Manager of Consulting and Intellectual Property UoW
Consulted to IT division for a while
Project manager & worked in India & Thailand
Work with Australasian centre for TPM
Started own consulting company 8 yrs ago
Work in all states and OS (especially Samoa) delivering leadership & management development programs
Busy as at the moment but never too busy to take photos
I like my work a lot

Peter Mc

hi peter

woooww thats a long list! what is a "Crane Chaser"

thanks for your post

christian

Baker
Bakery Manager (current)
Sex Slave (volenteer work )

NB: Grew up my whole life saying I wouldn't have anything to do with bakeries (My dad's a baker) and it's the only job I've ever had . Trying to work out what I really want to do with myself

Paul

did electronic engineering uts and tech.
worked for defence department on weapons electronics
lived breathed slept photography from early teens to mid 20s also.
covered sports, general school stuff, around 400 odd weddings.misc photo stuff. part time on weekends and nights
got so photoed out that I didnt touch the cameras for 20-25 years.


left defence dept over 10 years ago. working for myself computers, network engineering, systems integration.

had d70 for 15months to take a few pix again although dont wish to take another photo of a person if I can help it. Thats why I am only posting shots of birds. something completely different for me.

Steve

Great thread... My turn

Interesting comment about office workes not talking to you, I always say G'day to the cleaner of an evening, if they can communicate well I'll have a natter... Was a cleaner years ago (too bloody many!), then became a draftsman for Telecom for about 7-8 years, then went to IT when a 'puter meant I didn't have to use those bloody drafting pens anymore That was nearly 20 years ago, been IT since then...

Ah great question
1st job was as a trainee mechanic for Ford which lasted 4 months until I earned my next position.
2nd job was my 5 year apprenticeship as a mechanical engineer for the one of the biggest engineering companies in Germany, progressed through the company and finished up as there senior production engineer; lasted all of 13 years before moving to Australia.
Now working for a certain "Fitness" company as there production manager of their joinery shop for the past 3 years.
Looking to change my job again but still deciding which career route to take..

hi paul

NikonUser wrote:Sex Slave (volenteer work )

thats a good one....