Jobs that used to be Dream Jobs

I was lucky in that I always, and I mean always, knew what I wanted to do. I played in a band and earned enough money to take flying lessons with the financial help from Dad and soloed by age 16. My goal was to fly military or commercial. 8.5 years military flying until I hung up my guns and said no more, 8.5 years corporate pilot, and 25 years commercial for a major.

I am glad I got to realize my life's goals as many of my friends had no idea what they wanted to do or become so many settled for much less than their potential and certainly a fulfilled work life.

During the time frame I flew we actually had to fly and make approaches unlike today where the pilot is a glorified computer programmer.

Lucky, lucky, lucky, as I retired well and can live in just about any country I choose as long as there are golf courses and I do not feel like I am getting ripped off at every turn. Being ripped off is a personal peeve of mine.

Amazing how doggedness and just bold stubbornness can pay off with a bit of luck and proper education.

Speaking of education I was just about flunking in school up to the 7th grade. I hated school other than my friends it was boring and repetitively stupid in my mind. At home a dog, a horse, and a gun was all I need for happiness and excitement. A senior Captain for American Airlines was a good friend of the family. He asked me how I was doing in school and I told him I hated school as it was so boring I wanted to just stay home.

He explained without passing school I would never be able to fly for the military or a commercial airline as no one wants a dummy working for them.. I was on the honor role from 7 thru 12 grade and that was with me playing in a rock and roll band Wednesday thru Saturday nights starting in my freshman year.

Sometimes all it takes is to get someone's attention...even for a dummy like me...

For all those quoting IT as one of the jobs, it's one of the main reasons my job exists, information security consulting. There's so much stuff unprotected from the endpoints, network, databases, applications, web interfaces, cloud deployments, etc. that keep my days full along with my pockets.

I figure it's got another 10 years in it, which is why I'm in to industrial automaton which isn't going anywhere until I retire.

United pilot neighbor used to make $190k in in1988 flying 747 chicago to hawaii. Stay there 2 days. Fly back to Chicago. Off 2 days. Repeat.

Passed out travel vouchers to anyone who asked. Loved his job. Retired age 55 with 80% salary and annual COL increase.

Some tenured flight attendants make more than the pilots flying their plane now.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: Soloprotocol

There's still good money to be made in IT for very little actual physical work (if you've ever actually had a job that requires hard graft, that is) I know from experience of working both sides.

I’ve worked both sides and I honestly believe sometimes mentally draining work is worse than physically draining.

Physical work often has a benefit in that the result of one's efforts is easy to see.

Cheers

Growing up I had always wanted to be in the army. I thank God I wasnt allowed due to eye and equilibrium problems now. Soldiers get a bum rap now and have nothing to do with protecting our nation. Instead they have become the tools of mass murder and taken for granted by politicians who have no idea what sacrifice and patriotism is.

Really, I surmise no job is any longer safe when we have politicians who encourage disobedience and law breaking. I never would have thought entire city blocks could be torched in the name of protest. What changed but a murderous corrupt thug got elected, yet protest have fallen silent and the individual violence has taken the front page.

I don't think we will ever see a time of peace,honor and harmony as long as the thugs, liars and corruption is not purged from all layers of government.

The two party system has become the down fall of our society and is run by career liars. Instead of honesty and integrity the vast majority find either party abhorrent but tolerant of the party they choose to align with. When will folks realize both parties are toxic to the American way of life and the our being the symbolic shining city on the hill for the rest of the world.