What's your job?
- Thread starter DanTheMan
- Start date
Associate
- Joined
- 5 Apr 2004
- Posts
- 1,197
Scrum master / professional coach.
I've worked in software development for most of my career. Recently I've started to specialise in two areas to compliment what I already do as a Scrum master.
Professional coaching where I work with teams and individuals in identifying their own goals and helping them create new awareness in how they can realise them.
Data analytics for team health, performance and delivery analysis.
Ultimately I'm looking to take the next step from being a Scrum master into a more community focused role coaching and mentoring.
I enjoy my job as there's plenty of opportunity to feel like I'm making valuable contributions and stretch into directions I find interesting.
I've worked in software development for most of my career. Recently I've started to specialise in two areas to compliment what I already do as a Scrum master.
Professional coaching where I work with teams and individuals in identifying their own goals and helping them create new awareness in how they can realise them.
Data analytics for team health, performance and delivery analysis.
Ultimately I'm looking to take the next step from being a Scrum master into a more community focused role coaching and mentoring.
I enjoy my job as there's plenty of opportunity to feel like I'm making valuable contributions and stretch into directions I find interesting.
Previous- digital technical product manager/service owner for KYC and debt collections. Then accountable for 90 people (8 scrum teams) as part of digital deliveries.
COO mentor for graduates. Initiated and built out first steps in quantum for the bank.
The bank had 380,000 employees. However I was one of 42000 they let go as they moved their focus east.
Pros: ownership, leadership at scaled or four years.
Cons: senior management is seen as a length of service. Attitudes of some nations - superiority complex. Advancement normally on who you know rather than skill. even had one manager attempt to block my career move out out of spite. Top awards given to those that didn’t actually deliver anything.
Now - Lead technical advisor for quantum cryptography. Plus as a side job turning my attention to the operating model of the business.
Pros: interesting subject matter. Small team expanding.
Cons: Small team, growing pains, egos vs advice from experience. Subjectively slower career progression, in reality is more hands on.
COO mentor for graduates. Initiated and built out first steps in quantum for the bank.
The bank had 380,000 employees. However I was one of 42000 they let go as they moved their focus east.
Pros: ownership, leadership at scaled or four years.
Cons: senior management is seen as a length of service. Attitudes of some nations - superiority complex. Advancement normally on who you know rather than skill. even had one manager attempt to block my career move out out of spite. Top awards given to those that didn’t actually deliver anything.
Now - Lead technical advisor for quantum cryptography. Plus as a side job turning my attention to the operating model of the business.
Pros: interesting subject matter. Small team expanding.
Cons: Small team, growing pains, egos vs advice from experience. Subjectively slower career progression, in reality is more hands on.
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Previously - working in retail management for one of the big four supermarkets not in one specific department as people are often moved about. I decided to leave when due to a reduction in hours across departments it meant that a 12 hour shift at least one day of the week was not unheard of. It was fun though as whilst there was a general routine across days of the week no two days were alike, Christmas was a fun time though as whilst incredibly busy and working 60 hours a week sounds daunting, it was fun and a great deal of teamwork was there.
Now - I supervise a team of 12 for a formerly UK vehicle manufacturer. Much less stress and it does mean I get to drive some nice cars from time to time.
Now - I supervise a team of 12 for a formerly UK vehicle manufacturer. Much less stress and it does mean I get to drive some nice cars from time to time.
Soldato
Chief Existentialist at the University of Life.
I majored in melancholy and have a minor in misanthropy.
Pays okay but there's nothing in the way of future prospects.
I majored in melancholy and have a minor in misanthropy.
Pays okay but there's nothing in the way of future prospects.
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Associate
Data protection officer / IT tech / facilities op for a secondary school
Pro's: 32 days holiday & 2 weeks at Christmas, flexibility, good team
Cons: Stressful at times, no progression path and no pay rise
Pro's: 32 days holiday & 2 weeks at Christmas, flexibility, good team
Cons: Stressful at times, no progression path and no pay rise
I have a small headhunting firm. Have done it for 15 years.
Pros: lots of flexibility, work with friends and enjoy employing people - I take their careers seriously and it can be very rewarding watching the team develop. It's also fascinating being right at the forefront of big conversations that can change people's lives from a career perspective.
Cons: stressful, low volume/high margin business means that each mandate can make or break your month/quarter/year. Employing people during this crisis is unnerving too. From a remuneration perspective you're normally much better off either working for yourself or once you've got 15+ productive staff working for you - the middle bit can be frustrating, which is where we're at at the moment. It's in this environment I seriously consider going back to working for myself.
Pros: lots of flexibility, work with friends and enjoy employing people - I take their careers seriously and it can be very rewarding watching the team develop. It's also fascinating being right at the forefront of big conversations that can change people's lives from a career perspective.
Cons: stressful, low volume/high margin business means that each mandate can make or break your month/quarter/year. Employing people during this crisis is unnerving too. From a remuneration perspective you're normally much better off either working for yourself or once you've got 15+ productive staff working for you - the middle bit can be frustrating, which is where we're at at the moment. It's in this environment I seriously consider going back to working for myself.
Soldato
Tech support for a door access control company.
Pros: I know about locks and building security and reality of card readers, hacking them is not like the films. I am paid reasonably well.
Cons: I have to work and talk to people about locks. It's very dull.
Pros: I know about locks and building security and reality of card readers, hacking them is not like the films. I am paid reasonably well.
Cons: I have to work and talk to people about locks. It's very dull.
Soldato
I have great memories about working in education, but good god the pay is horrific especially with all of the extra stuff you tend to get saddled with. I ended up having to be the first aider, fire marhsall, go to whipping boy as well as third line engineer, I also ended up picking a load of music AV duties for after-school theatre plays. All for less than 25k. Loved the team, the school etc but it was painful on the wallet.
Associate
I feel your pain bro and the dread of September is creeping in now because of how utterly crazy its going to be.
I train battletoads to protect Earth and the universe from the forces of evil.
Pros:
- lots of travel, get to see the universe (Andromeda is beautiful at this time of the celestial calendar)
- satisfaction of watching my little toads grow to be legendary warriors <3
Cons:
- little job flexibility, you never know when the next existential threat to the universe will present itself
- once you are appointed to be Earth's battletoad guardian, it's a lifetime appointment
Pros:
- lots of travel, get to see the universe (Andromeda is beautiful at this time of the celestial calendar)
- satisfaction of watching my little toads grow to be legendary warriors <3
Cons:
- little job flexibility, you never know when the next existential threat to the universe will present itself
- once you are appointed to be Earth's battletoad guardian, it's a lifetime appointment
Soldato
Formerly, an RF performance/field test engineer for Apple in the U.K.
Now, a proprietor for a gité business in SW France which means I’m a host, plumber, carpenter, electrician (minor things only), builder, gardener, pool boy etc...
I can’t believe that I thought I was retiring.
Now, a proprietor for a gité business in SW France which means I’m a host, plumber, carpenter, electrician (minor things only), builder, gardener, pool boy etc...
I can’t believe that I thought I was retiring.
Soldato
Financial Analyst
Basically play with spreadsheets all day and complain at various people that they're under/over budget depending on whether they sell things or cost us money.
Basically play with spreadsheets all day and complain at various people that they're under/over budget depending on whether they sell things or cost us money.
Soldato
Network engineer for a UK university covering 6 campuses. Job is ok, no pay rises and no real progression available unless my boss leaves. I have a nice team of people though, my main campus is a 10 minute walk from my house. I get to walk my kids to school in the morning and then walk to work so it's not all bad.
I don't really want to work in IT at all I would love to be an Arborist, but I can't take the pay cut to jump ship
I don't really want to work in IT at all I would love to be an Arborist, but I can't take the pay cut to jump ship
Soldato
I make videos at the moment for a global ad agency (from concept to delivery; motion graphics, editor, director, 3D, 2D, colour grading, VFX, compositing, etc - jack of all trades, master of none). Thinking about teaching myself Csharp and Unity for a change in direction.
Pros:
Can be great fun, have worked with quite a few famous people and gone to some nice places filming
Can be very rewarding doing a great piece and it being recognized
Pay is pretty decent and Lockdown is proving I can work from home easily
Cons:
Clients are usually clueless
Can get very repetitive
Can be really really time-consuming, ingesting, rendering, fixing problems
Very oversubscribed career, so many very talented people doing it
Pros:
Can be great fun, have worked with quite a few famous people and gone to some nice places filming
Can be very rewarding doing a great piece and it being recognized
Pay is pretty decent and Lockdown is proving I can work from home easily
Cons:
Clients are usually clueless
Can get very repetitive
Can be really really time-consuming, ingesting, rendering, fixing problems
Very oversubscribed career, so many very talented people doing it
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Soldato
My job title is Technical Pre-Sales and Project Engineer
What this means is I liaise with Sales and customers to spec and quantify the sales we are making and then once sold I am main lead in getting the sale actually built and installed for the company.
Been here 13 years now after starting as a trainee helpdesk guy.
What this means is I liaise with Sales and customers to spec and quantify the sales we are making and then once sold I am main lead in getting the sale actually built and installed for the company.
Been here 13 years now after starting as a trainee helpdesk guy.
Solicitor
Pros:
- Above average (albeit not stellar) pay.
- The core job is challenging, in a good way.
- Opportunities to be ‘clever’ and innovative.
- Camaraderie between colleagues.
- Potential high earning when senior.
- Almost never boring.
Cons:
- Above average working hours, occasionally absurd and fatiguing.
- Perpetually stressful, occasionally very stressful and fatiguing. It often feels like ‘final exams’.
- Admin heavy.
- Requires serious commitment and sacrifice for career progression.
- Pressures from clients often conflict with pressures from the internal business, to the point that you often feel that you cannot win.
- Very difficult to master the balance between diligence and efficiency/profitability.
To thrive requires serious (abnormal) ambition, stamina and the ability to dissipate stress.
Not something I could easily recommend to most, if I put my hand on my heart.
Pros:
- Above average (albeit not stellar) pay.
- The core job is challenging, in a good way.
- Opportunities to be ‘clever’ and innovative.
- Camaraderie between colleagues.
- Potential high earning when senior.
- Almost never boring.
Cons:
- Above average working hours, occasionally absurd and fatiguing.
- Perpetually stressful, occasionally very stressful and fatiguing. It often feels like ‘final exams’.
- Admin heavy.
- Requires serious commitment and sacrifice for career progression.
- Pressures from clients often conflict with pressures from the internal business, to the point that you often feel that you cannot win.
- Very difficult to master the balance between diligence and efficiency/profitability.
To thrive requires serious (abnormal) ambition, stamina and the ability to dissipate stress.
Not something I could easily recommend to most, if I put my hand on my heart.
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Soldato
- Joined
- 13 May 2003
- Posts
- 8,851
Chartered Mechanical Engineer working in heavy industry as team leader for a group of technical specialists.
Pro’s has paid well over the years. Work can be varied and engineering is generally filled with easy going people just like you.
Cons I don’t get to play with the toys the way I used to. Declining sector with ever more pinched budgets kills some of the old enjoyment.
Pro’s has paid well over the years. Work can be varied and engineering is generally filled with easy going people just like you.
Cons I don’t get to play with the toys the way I used to. Declining sector with ever more pinched budgets kills some of the old enjoyment.
