Forum members' careers

61 years old. I served a 4 year apprenticeship to get a journeyman’s license for carpentry. Along the way I realized Mom was right. You don’t want to earn your living with your back. A bachelor’s and a master’s later I’m designing spacecraft for NASA. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of New Horizons, Parker Solar Probe and now Dragonfly. If someone had told me I’d be doing this when I was 18 I’d have told them they were seriously off their rocker. I don’t plan to retire before Dragonfly launches. After that, I really enjoy what I do, I’ll have to see what my next assignment would be. I may just stay on for a while, especially if I could negotiate part time.

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Another member of the space cadets club. Cool! As for the question of what to do after ‘retirement’, working as a contract consultant is what I have my eye on. By working on contract the gig is typically never longer than 6 months to a year. If I decide I really want to be retired, I’m not tied down long term. Some folks go for the self-employed contractor option, some join companies that specialize in farming out consultants. The advantage of that is the company deals with the more heinous aspects of the paperwork part of consulting. Btw so awesome getting to work New Horizons. I very nearly got involved, but would have had to change employers. Wasn’t in the cards at the time.

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If you’ve visited an art museum you’ve no doubt seen the illustrated tomes about artists, exhibits, museums, and collections in their gift shops. I specialize in that kind of photography. I’ve worked for a print and sculpture atelier for the last twenty five years doing art reproduction photography as well as technical consulting on how to interface digital printing technology and photo editing with 19th century photographic processes like photogravure, direct gravure, gum printing, cyanotype, etc. I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best contemporary artists working today and most of the time my job felt as much like an adventure as work. Getting towards the end of my career and easing into retirement.

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New Horizons was absolutely awesome! The mission was cool, of course, but the team just jelled. I don’t know how else to put it. I was the lead mechanical designer. The engineer I worked with was fantastic. I actually spent my 46th birthday installing the power supply on the launch pad.

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And they paid you too? Wow!

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Yeah, I know, right? I always say they’ll have to throw me out of here.

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Likewise, and thanks, pleasure to “meet” you. Yup, absolutely life after retirement. I ski, bike, renovate, did I mention listen to audio?..anything I want. Newly minted grandpa, too!! Wife’s still AD and will retire in ~1 year. She’s the studious one and is finishing her DNP for a second career. Me, I’m now the house husband and enjoy every minute.

Been a long road as a brat and AD but it’s time to settle down and we are ready. However, wife and I love to travel…having many years overseas and will continue. I was a board member for an American/International ski club when we were in K-town, so still have friends in Germany and Italy that I do annual trips w/to the Alps.

Nice gear in your list. Recently stumbled into the deal of a lifetime and think I’ve found my ultimate speakers. You may have read about my good fortune, here: https://forum.psaudio.com/t/own-one-of-the-best-pair-of-speakers-ever-for-free/23628/38 Pic of my current setup has an acoustic panel w/a printed picture of my last trip to Val Thorens, France. Mt. Blanc in the distance. LOL on the concert posters! I, too, have a plethora of old concert posters that will someday find the light of day and “improve” the listening experience.

So, w/proper planning, good luck and a good wife…yes, there is life after retirement.

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I’m 58 and retired. I started in 1981 as an Emergency Medical Technician working for an ambulance company and later worked at Maricopa County Hospital. While I was an EMT I also picked up a part time gig at Rural Metro Fire Department as a Reserve Firefighter. I obtained my Bachelors Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice and started working for the Maricopa County Attorneys office as a Paralegal, later being promoted to Paralegal Supervisor. They had me in several Major Crimes Bureaus (sex crimes, child exploitation, fraud and identity theft). Once I became eligible for my full pension I pulled the plug and haven’t looked back. Honestly, it seems like yesterday when it all started.

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54 YO Electrical Engineer by education working in the Chemical Industry for 32 years. Hoping to retire soon. Been an audiophile nut ever since I could get into any audio equipment store back when they were around.

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Business and legal affairs manager for a small-business, nuclear and hazardous waste management/nuclear services company; servicing commercial and government (U.S. and international) clients.

Been at it since 1989. Been building my stereo since 1980. :grinning:

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I thought I recognized your name! Yeah I’ve been following your speaker journey. FUN!

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Sounds like fun! What was his air name?

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pipefitter/ steamfitter/plumber/ medical gas/

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Retired Air Force engineer/financial manager/cost analyst who now works as a government civilian cost estimator at Wright-Patterson AFB. I delayed entering the audiophile world because I moved every two years or less for the last 12 years of service and didn’t trust the movers not to break or steal my stuff. And, yes, I did have things stolen on moves. It sucks.

Mike in Dayton

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I went from professional ski ‘bum’ age 24 to 8 months of tech school to a 30+ year career in information technology infrastructure. Semi-retired 10 years ago but will work 5 more years part-time remote to reach 30 years at the same employer. My 25th anniversary was literally yesterday. I’m just a little invested.

Life long listener enjoying the best sound so far!

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Ken Johnson. His on-air partner for most of his career was a fellow named Jim Tofte (pronounced tof-tee).

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I’ve had a crazy career: Anti-submarine warfare; technical side of Olympics, Special Olympics, World Cup Soccer, Presidential Inaugurals, UN Summits; Lighter Then Air vehicles (blimps and aerostats); Nike; Global Oracle ERP and MRP deployments; Custom Scrap Metal S/W (grading and valuation); eMail Service provider (Coke, Pepsi, Dominoes, Harry and David, Nordstrom, and more); and now I run a team of S/W and H/W engineers at a major hospital system on the West Coast specializing in Electronic Healthcare Records and Virtual Application delivery.

Audio: Suffice it to say that I’ve over engineered our home network and our audio “systems”. If it wasn’t for Control4 making the use of the systems seamless for my wife, I’d be single.

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I’m retired 13 years now from the State of Texas. Worked for an agency that handled procurement and facilities design and management for the state, and worked in the procurement end, then in the middle in Human Resources, and then in the facilities management end. The last years were awful due to politics and how they more than decimated the state government–my agency was downsized by 40 percent! Made it through to retirement by shrewd behavior and a bit of luck.

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I’m retired now, over 6 years since I darkened the doors at Snap-On Tools. Electronics Technician by title, but fixed any kind of equipment in Industrial Maintenance for Snap On the last 26 years of employment, like Programmable Logic Controllers, CNC mills, any electrical controls, hydraulics, mechanical and so forth.
My most enjoyable job was with a Super Mini Computer company from the late 70s and 80s. I was the lead tech in printed circuit board test and repair of Central Processor boards (CPUs), before micro processors came out. When a new computer system was developed I was sent up North to R and D when the final artwork was spun for the CPU, worked with the Engineers and Techs to develop testing procedures, test beds and equipment for our facility down South. After I worked on the new CPUs, I would train other Techs on the CPUs and after a couple of years another system would come out and I’d start the whole process over, I stayed on the cutting edge of computers during that time.
I just have the knack in debugging and trouble shooting equipment.

Ever since I started my working years I’ve had some sort of stereo system, now just better equipment, from tube amps to PS Audio stuff, I don’t stream, got to have the LPs and CDs in my hands!!!

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36 years old. Doing SEC/FERC financial reporting for a utility in the upper Midwest.

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