What do you do for a living?

[Bigcountry40]

I just switched careers from teaching (long story that dates back to February and not posting on the forum for about 6 months). I am now a safety coordinator for a flower, soil and landscape company that covers about 200 acres and 500 employees. I sort of have a mix of 3 jobs in 1-policing for major safety violations, training employees on skid steer, tow motor and loaders, workers compensation claims and a little bit of hands on maintenance work here and there. I really really enjoy it and glad I got out of the public sector. I need to sit down and create a thread explaining my departure from the teaching world, it should take up about 3 pages lol

 

[Buckmaster]

I need to sit down and create a thread explaining my departure from the teaching world, it should take up about 3 pages lol

This is kind of ironic. My parents were teachers and my wife is a teacher. Last year I applied for a Marketing Instructor job at our local Vo-Ed school. I went through the interviewing process but did not make the final cut. The guy they hired lasted one school year. He was a 43 old pharmacy sales manager. I saw the job posted this Spring once again so I applied again. This go round I did not receive any interview requests. They ended up hiring a 29 year female that was a digital marketing specialist. I'll keep a watchful eye next Spring for the availability of the position once again. I would think it to be rewarding and fulfilling sculpting the future and career of our kids. Also the STRS is attractive from a personal standpoint.

 

[Riverdude]

I am an account manager selling specialty powders / resins for the rotomolding industry.

 

["J"]

Semi-Professional TOO.com forum reader.....

 

[giles]

Semi-Professional TOO.com forum reader.....

Professional heckler should be added...

 

[Riverdude]

I should have mentioned I have a home office but do a lot of traveling from Minnesota, WI, MI, IN, OH, NY, PA and all the way to Maine. Last week had to go the Carle Place, NY and had to drive through down town NY City....................That sucked and to make matters worse while at Carle Place my electronic power steering went out and with the other sales calls and driving through NY city again without power steering SUCKED!!! My shoulders still ache!!!!

 

[Chass]

I should have mentioned I have a home office but do a lot of traveling from Minnesota, WI, MI, IN, OH, NY, PA and all the way to Maine. Last week had to go the Carle Place, NY and had to drive through down town NY City....................That sucked and to make matters worse while at Carle Place my electronic power steering went out and with the other sales calls and driving through NY city again without power steering SUCKED!!! My shoulders still ache!!!!

EPAS is completely fkin garbage dude. I've been thru two racks in two different vehicles this year. Instead a couple hundred dollars to fix a power steering pump, with this new EPAS bs, if the power steering gears go your only option is to replace the entire rack which costs upwards of 2k before labor. I wish you luck.

 

[Riverdude]

Well once I got home with arms made of steel I got a call yesterday, $3,946.56 for the power steering, one new back tire and back brake works...........................$4,000.00 +++ Glad it is a fleet car and I don't have to pay for it.

 

[cotty16]

History/Science teacher at the middle school level for 16 years. Then moved to middle school guidance counselor for 4 years. Just moved to high school guidance counselor this year as I start my 21st year in education. I am also the head baseball coach for our high school and the spring of 2019 will be my 19th season as the head coach.

 

["J"]

History/Science teacher at the middle school level for 16 years. Then moved to middle school guidance counselor for 4 years. Just moved to high school guidance counselor this year as I start my 21st year in education. I am also the head baseball coach for our high school and the spring of 2019 will be my 19th season as the head coach.

And one awesome dad to 3 great kids....

 

[jwiley77]

HVAC technician.
Worked all across the US, worked for a large manufacturer as a sort of field service leason which took me to many places, got sick of the constant travel, and went into the residential HVAC sector for 17 years, then for some reason that evades me still to this day I had the wisdom to switch to commercial HVAC, now I get to work on huge chillers, boilers, cooling towers. Still have the regular old split systems here and there but for the most part I just get to play with really huge motors and pumps.
No grand stories just a blue collar tradesman.

 

[bowhunter1023]

I may only make it a year in education too. I'm in no way attracted to staying in just for the SERS payout. My future is in private enterprise, but I'm in a great "training" position right now and I'm building a great network, which is why I took the job. I'll milk it for what it's worth, but I'm already planning my exit strategy 5 months in.

If I could just find $100K in startup capital, I'd bail tomorrow...

 

[Chass]

I may only make it a year in education too. I'm in no way attracted to staying in just for the SERS payout. My future is in private enterprise, but I'm in a great "training" position right now and I'm building a great network, which is why I took the job. I'll milk it for what it's worth, but I'm already planning my exit strategy 5 months in.

If I could just find $100K in startup capital, I'd bail tomorrow...

What do you get in SERS? OPERS we get 10% into retirement prior to being vested which is what we put in and are forced to but I don't pay into Social Security. Once we are vested they give 14% which brings it up to 24% of salary. That and we get a pretty nice yearly bump as well, while still able to get steps it's around 8% increase a year. Never found that in the private sector.

 

[bowhunter1023]

10% mandatory (don't pay SS) plus 14% from start of employment. It's a good perk, but not enough to sell me on being tied to the system for another 25 years.

 

[jwiley77]

10% mandatory (don't pay SS) plus 14% from start of employment. It's a good perk, but not enough to sell me on being tied to the system for another 25 years.

Wait, what, when does your 14% start?

 

[Bigcountry40]

10% mandatory (don't pay SS) plus 14% from start of employment. It's a good perk, but not enough to sell me on being tied to the system for another 25 years.

STRS- you can't retire until you're 60 now, its almost pointless to get a teaching job right out of college in ohio now (not that they are easy to get, extremely competitive), you start at 22 you're in for 38 years (by then an individual is so disconnected from the current generation they are teaching anyway). I didnt get into the ohio teaching system until I was 31 or 32 so it would have been perfect for me, but oh well.

 

[Chass]

STRS- you can't retire until you're 60 now, its almost pointless to get a teaching job right out of college in ohio now (not that they are easy to get, extremely competitive), you start at 22 you're in for 38 years (by then an individual is so disconnected from the current generation they are teaching anyway). I didnt get into the ohio teaching system until I was 31 or 32 so it would have been perfect for me, but oh well.

I don't fault you at all there. They don't pay y'all enough to begin with to make the retirement benefits worth it.

 

[jwiley77]

What do you get in SERS? OPERS we get 10% into retirement prior to being vested which is what we put in and are forced to but I don't pay into Social Security. Once we are vested they give 14% which brings it up to 24% of salary. That and we get a pretty nice yearly bump as well, while still able to get steps it's around 8% increase a year. Never found that in the private sector.

Sorry copied wrong person's quote.
I ask because I have been being offered a county position as a head HVAC engineer and that wasn't discussed, the loss of some hourly pay to get a 14% return match towards retirement would be sweet but not sure what that time period is.

 

[Chass]

I think vested for me is 5 years. But this is all based on the contract through OPERS with the state, it may be different for you.

 

[jwiley77]

I think vested for me is 5 years. But this is all based on the contract through OPERS with the state, it may be different for you.

Given government burocracy and red tape that could very well be a fact