As promised, I’ve brought this post to the top.
On June 1st, I asked our readers the question – “What is your primary occupation?”
(Physicist and engineer) Ed Minchau collated the 633 responses as of 1:46 am, June 3rd. Do read the whole thread – many of our readers have multiple or specialized fields of expertise that general categories don’t quite do justice to.
engineers: 61
computer programmers/consultants/systems analysts: 47
management: 46
military: 36
educators: 31
scientists: 28
small business: 28
technicians/technologists: 27
accountants/bookkeepers/economists/taxation/insurance: 24
construction/electricians/plumbers/carpenters/contractors: 23
financiers/brokers/bankers: 21
farmer/rancher/cowboy/agriculture/veterinary: 19
stay-at-home parents: 18
consultants: 18
sales: 16
pilots/air traffic control: 15
lawyers/legal assistants/advocates: 14
doctors/nurses/healthcare: 14
pastors/priests/missionaries/social workers/psychologists/counselors: 13
civil servants: 12
artists/musicians/photographers: 12
manufacturing/machinists: 10
writers/journalists/reporters: 10
police/corrections/security/investigation: 8
students: 8
truckers/railroad workers: 8
statisticians/actuaries/data analysts/librarians: 8
architects/draftsmen/urban planners: 8
radio/television/telecom: 7
mechanics/heavy equipment operators: 6
oil workers: 6
real estate: 4
forestry: 3
purchasing/logistics/warehousing: 3
secretary/administrative assistant:3
quality assurance: 2
map maker/surveyor: 2
human resources: 2
other: 12
total: 633 (ignored obvious duplicate entries, general comments)
Oh, and … whorehouse piano players (aspiring or claiming to be): 10
piano teachers (listed under educators): 2
Responses are still trickling in.
Thanks to everyone who participated. To quote (air traffic controller) “Yukon Gold” – “Boy, what a bunch of highly-educated, highly learned and experienced bunch of mouth-breathing knuckle draggers we are.”
And to think – we do it all in our pajamas!
Note – submissions are still welcome, but please refrain from using this thread to chatter about the survey. If you wish to discuss the survey, please do so here.
Original post continues below:
About 18 months ago, I asked readers to share their ages in a dedicated comments thread, in response to yet another media portrayal of blog readers as “tech savvy twenty-somethings”. As it turned out, around here the “tech savvy” includes a lot more 40, 50 and 60 year olds than most people would have guessed.
Today, I have a different question: What is your primary occupation? (or occupation prior to retirement). No need to provide extensive information, just a quick job title (eg. in my case, “freelance commercial artist”.)
I already know you encompass a pretty wide field of expertise, based on some of the discussions here. I think it would be interesting to find out just how wide it is.
I’d like to encourage those who are regular readers but who don’t typically comment to participate in this one. You aren’t required to provide a name or valid email address.
Age 28, M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy, aspiring therapist.
72
Civil engineer, systems analyst, farmer, pastor, retired.
I grow crystals. I’m 45.
Faculty member, post secondary institute
38 years in the army
Retired (after 29 yrs) Air Traffic Control (CATCA)….PATCO still lives!!
Electronics technician (industrial) 61
heavy equipment mechanic
apprentice eccentric
ex gummint (foreign service)
ex teacher
ex liberal
38
I own a trucking company
Now: Small business Owner – Motorcycle Focus
Previous: Systems Analyst, Marketing Consultant
BSc Comp Sc Dip-Marketing
Age 53
land developer 53
Retired(65) high school teacher 17 years a principal
Receiver (wharehouse) formerly Inside Sales also work Part-time at The Beer Store (Ontario)
Professional Engineer, Mining
45
45, High school diploma, 2.5 years University of Manitoba Business Administration.
I too own a small independent trucking company, really small: me, my 2005 Freightliner Columbia, my Alberta Certificate of Safety Fitness (also known as operating authority) and my sole customer (Saputo).
cheers!
Canadian Naval Officer. Ship driver. Operations type. Also, from time to time, reluctant staff weenie. Been around over 30 years.
Great work Kate
Control Systems Engineering Technologist. Own consulting company.
cabinetmaker, self-employed,45. Kate is a Canadian heroine.
Cashier at a grocery store.
Wear red on Friday, talk about more than the weather with the people I serve. Love what i learn here.
Cashier at a grocery store.
Wear red on Friday, talk about more than the weather with the people I serve. Love what i learn here.
Cashier at a grocery store.
Wear red on Friday, talk about more than the weather with the people I serve. Love what i learn here.
Cashier at a grocery store.
Wear red on Friday, talk about more than the weather with the people I serve. Love what i learn here.
Cashier at a grocery store.
Wear red on Friday, talk about more than the weather with the people I serve. Love what i learn here.
Artist – watercolours/mixed media
Manager of violence.
Actually, I am a reserve force army officer, and a provincial civil servant.
Agronomist
High school dropout / computer technician
Retired teacher,57, amateur musician, dedicated horticulturalist & confirmed fabriholic (I quilt).
also a buglady.
age 63 retired city worker
Amendment to above:
I am suppossed to be a teacher, but other than briefly working as a substitute teacher in Regina, I can’t get a full time teaching job in Saskatchewan. I guess I am just too right-wing for the mostly left teaching profession.
Software Engineer – 25 years
Retired Airline Pilot
long haul trucker 47
retired railway hoghead 46 years (ask a rail buff)
now own a leasing co. age 77
retired electrical enegineer and telecom/broadcast management consultant,
current farmer and rural community development practitioner
pilot, freight train conductor. (hoghead or hogger is the corpulent fellow that drives the locomotive)
age 51 owner of promotional products distributor company
Age 80. Ham radio operator. Retired communications company owner. Ex farmer. Definitely right wing politically. Anti Suzuki but see definite need for conservation and pollution control.
Best blog site on the ‘net!
Engineer (Mechanical, now working in Management)
Engineer (Mechanical, now working in Management)
Software\hardware developer, small business owner, Burlington Ontario, age 43
truck driver,Castlegar,B.C., 46 yrs.
Retired printer, orator, sportsman and al’round good egg.
Yet another geologist.
Early fifties. VERY early fifties.
Economist/Farmer
Age 47. Quit canada Post last July after 19 years. Now I’m a full time Grain and Oilseeds farmer in North West Alberta. Yeah, yeah, I know. My wife says I’m nuts too. But you gotta do what you gotta do. I still sneek into the P.O. to do a little casual work just in case things get real bad on the Ponderosa.
plumber, 47. regular reader ’cause kate rocks!
24yo
-4 years Tim Hortons (peon –> manager)
–
Retired – age 64. Was a non-commissioned insurance, pension, and long-term care “consultant” for a large corporation. I could advise you to buy or not to buy and still get paid!