- Went to school for body, frame and paint. Worked in a shop for 15 months... miserable dirty work, quit that nonsense.
- Wrenched at a real "service station" for a couple years. I liked it, but my back said otherwise. ( hockey injury)
- Went to an RV dealership's service shop and soon became their welder. (Thanks to my training in frame repair) I did that for 6 or 7 years, then partnered with a few co-workers and started our own RV business. I left the business after 3 years... "personality conflict" to put it mildly.
- Left town (angry) and took an extended "vacation" in Beautiful British Columbia. I worked at a boat manufacturer (fitting and rigging) for 8 months and really liked it, but it wasn't "home".
- Came home and took a welding job in a stock trailer shop. (livestock trailers) Built a trailer a week for three years and left for greener pastures...
- Tanker-trailer manufacturer - Mostly petroleum trains but many styles, shapes and applications. Good union job, 99% aluminum work, learned the TIG pretty well, stayed there 15 years until my body (again) said NO MORE.
- "Retired" for a couple years. Flipped some cars, fixed some cars and did small welding jobs at home including boat prop repairs. (Thanks to a friend's dormant equipment which I had in my little backyard shop... until he sold the whole mess last year. Good riddance!)
- And finally... I took a contract to move and renovate new space for a small local blind manufacturer. (Residential and commercial window coverings.) I had 6 months to do it at my discretion and "pace". When it was done, I was offered a permanent position as their installer/service/maintenance man. I've been doing the job for a year and I've been offered the manager's position when that person retires later this year. I'm not wild about this "career" but I have to do something with my sagging, broken frame and it'll keep food on the table.
Sorry. You didn't ask for my life's story, but you got it anyways.
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