What's your job ? What do you do?

[Jill]

Independent ERP Software (PeopleSoft) Implementation Consultant [yawn].

Primary advantage(s):
1) Significant compensation for the work I do*
2) Serves as a daily reminder why I MUST continue to pursue my Fastlane avenue.
3) Opportunity to work with different people, different companies and in different cities for 6-12 months at a time.
4) Enables me to accrue 100s of thousands of travel loyalty points for personal use. One of the (only?) remaining tax-free benefits still in existence.

Primary disadvantage(s):
1) I hate the subject matter
2) Requires me to be there!... and therein lies the rub.


*One of my favorite anecdotes to illustrate this:

When my step-daughter was 12ish, after watching me work from home one week, she said, "Ms. Jill, Daddy says that you work really hard to help us have a nice life. But it seems like all you do is send emails and talk on the phone.... and even I could do THAT!" So I handed her my laptop and phone and said, 'then do it'. . . to which she responded, "But I wouldn't know what to say!!" LOL

"Ahhh!", I said. "You see, they don't pay me to make calls and emails. They pay me to know WHAT TO SAY when I call and email."

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Underwriter for Metlife. It's really boring. I get to telecommute once I've been here 2+ years and on snow days. If I got to telecommute 3 days a week right now, I might actually consider keeping it awhile. Hate coming into the office with a dress code on 3 of the 5 days a week for no reason, other than to sit in a cube. Work is tedious and boring like no other.

OMG, I seriously had a rush of anxiety and claustrophobia reading this ... probably because I interviewed after college for an insurance job and foreshadowed a similar existence. Instead, I chose years of pizza delivery, stock clerking, and limo driving -- not exactly glamorous either.

 

[Runum]

Elementary school teacher (science).

Pros: Like being a rock star most days, the kids love the class. 2 months off during the summer and long breaks throughout the year.

Cons: Parents making excuses for their kid's poor choices, not allowing the kids to learn cause and effect. Gov. regs and high stakes standardized tests.

Several other ventures in process.

 

[GuestUser8117]

For those of you who are still stuck in the slowlane, I'm a little curious about your occupation...What do you do if you don't mind sharing?

 

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[DennisD]

I was in advertising. I did video production, editing, special effects, and motion graphics. First job out of college. 2 years.

After the place closed its doors, I did freelance video work for a buncha different clients.

The next REAL job I had was telemarketing for half a year, dating service. Then worked at the golf course mowing lawns and spinning sandtraps for another 5 months.

Offered a job at a car dealership doing marketing, turned it down. Now I'm working on a business idea fulltime. No profit yet, but it's coming.

 

[Almantas]

Off-topic, but age is just a number. No matter how old you are now, you are never too old for success or going after what you want.

 

[Vigilante]

Yeah, agree with this. Just spent a weekend with friends I don't see too often anymore, and it is just mind-boggling how I just don't even want to throw opinions out on anything anymore. While my mindset still sucks, just reading, reading, and doing more reading brings up all of the material in your head when you're around these people. I'm really tired of hearing "That's so expensive (for a $20/person dinner), I had to take off work Monday, we can't afford an expensive wedding because DJ is too much" yada yada.

I had dinner with a group of people from the Fastlane Forum last night in Hong Kong. As I reflect back on the discussions that stretched well into the night, I am realizing that none of the above was ever mentioned. It was all good, all positive, all forward looking, and all fun.

 

[EastWind]

Everyone in this thread should stop referring themselves by their current occupation.
If you are to make it, when someone asks you what your job is. Say an ENTREPRENEUR!
We are entrepreneurs first! "Our jobs" are part times! Doesn't matter if you are putting 80hrs at your job.

 

[Cult45]

Yikes! So you went to school for years and now you hate your profession?

MJ, I have always hated the "job" of dentistry. Trying to do precision work in a pool of spit, blood and pus in the back of the throats of jumpy/skittish people gets really old !!!!

However, it has provided me and my family a great living. I pretty much make my own hours and thus can adjust my income accordingly. It has been a profitable "job", but definitely not fastlane.

I am 43 years old and made my 1st million by 35. Mostly from dentistry, but also from wise and sometimes lucky stock market investments. Still, I am counting the days to early retirement.

ps....Thank You for this awesome website and your fantastic book.

 

[CurlyRX]

I'm a 32 yo female retail pharmacist (recent grad), although I've been in this setting with the same company for 13+ years. Definitely a slow-lane lifestyle, although I do enjoy pharmacy.

Always have been interested in entrepreneurship and building my own brand. Grateful for this forum and the Millionaire Fastlane book. Just started reading and eager to learn as much as I can. Seems like I'm way older than most people on here though :/.

Feel like I've fallen behind and could have made better choices in my 20's but I have to start somewhere.

 

[DeletedUser2]

MJ, I have always hated the "job" of dentistry. Trying to do precision work in a pool of spit, blood and pus in the back of the throats of jumpy/skittish people gets really old !!!!

I am counting the days to early retirement.

I cant tell you how often I have heard that from my dentist friends.

"up to my elbows in blood and spit all day.
secretly counting the hours until retirement."

Im telling you, if someone can tap that market, and provide a value, or escape hatch to those dentists.... well they would be a wealthy man indeed.


now, what value could you offer dentists.... to speed that transition.?

 

[theag]

I work in weapon acquisitions for the Department of Defense.

Sounds bad-a$$.

 

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[JEdwards]

I race cars, play tennis, and fondle women, BUT! I have weekends off, and I am my own boss.

 

[joeswift]

 

[Andy Black]

Now I have a small team, my job is no longer to DO the work, my job is to GET the work.

 

[Vick]

Video game character artist

 

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[InLikeFlint]

Full Time Student

Part Time Baller

 

[G_Alexander]

I'm on Wall Street (leaving ASAP).

I run a brothel out of the back of biophase's hideout in Monaco on the weekends.

 

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[LRY]

Senior International Tax Analyst for a private company in Maryland.

I handle all of the companies tax filings, but get this...I don't actually fill out the forms. We have other accounting firms that actually file the returns. All I do is provide the accounting records to the outside firms. And the accounting information is done by the company accountants. So basically I'm just a middle man! And I'm making in the 70's for this privilege of being a middle man.

It's a sweet gig and I don't know how long it will last ( been here almost 18 months), but I'm trying to grow my Youtube channel/web presence while I'm here. I do all my non work stuff on my iPad so that I can't get caught.

Also, the hours are not set. I come in around 9:15am and leave around 5. I only stay that late because others would get jealous if I were to leave earlier, but I'm usually working on my iPad anyway.

This job allowed me the free time to pass the CPA exam because I had so much free time as work, I just studied for the exam at work! Now that I'm done with that, it's time to get Fastlane with all my company paid free time.

Side note, there really is a shortage of tax professionals with international tax experience. It's slow lane, but a good gig to have while becoming Fastlane if you don't go the public accounting firm route.

 

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[Red]

I own & manage a small boutique residential real estate brokerage here in the Phoenix Metro area.

Pros:
The buck stops here.
I work with clients I choose, refer off the others to my agents.
No office politics or professional decorum standards. When someone needs to f*ck off, I enjoy telling them to do so.
I make my own hours/schedule. Decent income.
In a world where no one has your back, I can unabashedly say that my clients have someone looking out for their best interest. Period.

Cons:
Liability for the actions of my agents.
Income is mostly tied to investment of personal time.
So many people have to be competent at their jobs for me to obtain a paycheck & it's becoming ridiculous.
Realizing I'm not as free as I led myself to believe & that I believe less & less in the "American Dream" of homeownership...

My background is IT & Design. I have a BFA in Graphic Design & hate it with a f*cking passion.

I'm currently assessing a few different ventures, everything from product importing to senior placement assistance & even a paleo-themed restaurant. I have too many interests to do the same thing for the rest of my life.... my eyes & ears are always open for opportunity, as I believe it's everywhere, I just need to decide what I want to pursue first.

 

[jindo]

Doctor (Surgeon, actually...)
It's EXCEEDINGLY Slowlane---especially with all of the "Healthcare Reform" coming

I realized this a few years ago, but didn't know to call it that!
I am trying to figure out my exit plan ( have been for some time now)
I really do enjoy helping others (I consider it a privilege, actually) ---I am trying to figure out how I can continue to do that, but in a Fastlane manner

 

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[Iwokeup]

By the way, I consider this to be an extremely noble calling and I hope you find your fast lane but don't give up on helping people.

Sigh. Yeah man, I hear you. I probably won't give up on this, not totally.

I'm actually inspired by the story of an ED physician that I ran across at one of my away rotations in medical school. This guy was coming on shift and you would have thought that a rock star was descending on the place by all of the buzz emanating from the nurses, residents, and other attendings.

Turns out that the guy had developed some sort of multi-million/billion dollar medical device and was reported to be richer than Croesus. I asked him why he still worked in the ER (part time, of course) and he replied, "Nothing, and I mean nothing beats saving a life and knowing that you were the one to do it."

 

[DeletedUser394]

Soap. I make and sell soap. The yardstick of civilization.

 

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[Ronnie Bryan]

I'm a 32 yo female retail pharmacist (recent grad), although I've been in this setting with the same company for 13+ years. Definitely a slow-lane lifestyle, although I do enjoy pharmacy.

Always have been interested in entrepreneurship and building my own brand. Grateful for this forum and the Millionaire Fastlane book. Just started reading and eager to learn as much as I can. Seems like I'm way older than most people on here though :/.

Feel like I've fallen behind and could have made better choices in my 20's but I have to start somewhere.

You are never too Old read Col Sanders story, and I am a 47 year old, person who just started the journey to being a successful inventor a little over a year ago.Before, then I was thinking I would find my success in sales and worked for several companies.Peddling online, on phone, and door to door.I am presently working with Golden Corral, it took a couple years in the dish-room, but now I am advancing into training new hires in new stores that open., I get to travel more, and it is considered a salary position. Sometimes what seems to be slow lane is just getting off the sidewalk,and merging over to the on ramp to the highway=)

 

[Skys]

I am "currently unemployed"

 

[lookingahead]

I am a dishwasher/cook at Outback Steakhouse...yea seems like I have the most menial job here. lol But hey it pays the bills while I am in school (finishing soon with a B.S. in Psychology) and I absolutely HATE the job so it keeps me miserable so I can focus on my future as a fastlaner.

 

[high]

Derivatives Analyst for a Trading Desk. Have been diligently working towards getting a proper Trading Position on my Desk, but new boss has nixed that idea. Spent/wasted six years - changing to middle lane thwarted. So, I will move directly to the fast lane; initially my world crumbled, but this will turn out to be a blessing/opportunity.

 

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[Vigilante]

I actually had some a$$ hat ask me for my resume a month ago. I just laughed. I haven't had a resume in 10 years. Do people still even have resumes?

 

[Iwokeup]

ER physician. If you're dying, I'm your man.

 

[Vigilante]

A low level employee who worked for a company I was in some discussions with. His job title was "director of sales" but his company is suffering from a lack of sales. It's amazing what happens sometimes when you turn the lights on, cockroaches scatter. People tend to get nervous when somebody more experienced than them walks into the room, and their bullshit that masquerades as expertise is threatened.