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.
What a fascinating exercise, Kate…good on you for doing this.
And I’m stunned by the sheer number of responses, certainly an indication of the kind of traffic you draw..
Professional Engineer and semi-retired owner of a software company.
Past: foster parent, power engineer
Present: Self employed used furniture/antique dealer.
Grew upon a farm in Sask, learned how to fix things and think for myself, RCAF Firefighter, Fire Prevention Officer, Sport Fishing Charters Owner Operator, Private Pilot, Financial Planner and Portfolio Manager, just turned 65 and kind of retired.
Whew…….that tired me out…..gotta take a nap now……..LOL
Tax professional 40 yrs. young
Mechanical Engineering Technologist
Warehouse foreman.
Sport administrator (former mine geologist, environmental engineer, high school teacher, university coach, tin basher). Age 51.
Accountant, CGA. Currently stay-at-home mom, the most challenging job I’ve had to date.
Housewife, mum, run family business, 59
Entrepreneur / Business Owner
Marketing & Promotion
(aka: non-gov’t funded, no entitlements, honest)
Automotive aftermarket Industry
Speed & Custom, Truck & Van Acc, AutoSales & Tires
(Not A Canadian Tire Store)
age 51, Gen. Manager
Male 63. Own and operate a small high tech company which I started in 1987 after working for a large multi-national for 18 years. No plans for retirement … work is still fun.
Semi-retired mum, now grand-mumming my way to senescence! I was also a banker. And I’m no twenty-something – still 19 😉
Retired public health nurse. 80 years old.
High school teacher, age 37
flightservicwdirector
SK. bachelors in global missinons?????
flight service director 20 years,10 years paratrooping cdn. forces.
Home-schooling mom, investor relations manager for independent think tank, contracted immigration facilitator, operate rv storage business on my acreage, widow
Engineer – Design and deploy radio systems for Public Safety departments.
Industrial Mechanic
Financial Systems Consultant, Age 42
Currently reading Aristotle’s Physics.
Blacksmith, art and furniture design and fabrication,
self employed.
Male 52 years old – Retired police officer (23 years) Beef producer for 8 years (thank God for a good horse and a great dog) and now semi retired dabbling in land developing.
Stormwater and Erosion Control Specialist, Sales Manager
Computer Programmer
B.C.Sc. UMan.
Retired , formerly worked in technical marketing for a major international chemical company .
PhD Candidate, Neuroscience, U of Alberta
43, Investment Advisor/Financial Planner, mother of a 7 year old.
I love your blog, Kate, read it every day. MOst time it seems like this is the only place to find rational thought!
Retired English teacher, 62.
Fortyfive year old printing and promotions, business owner.
38, small business owner (serving the grinhoos gaz producing, izzy munny makhers), voracious reader.
Heartened to see so many teachers represented. Keep up the good work Kate.
Non-profit ED – the kind that has to fundraise from private funds, not the kind that gets govn’t hand outs. Age 45
Metal refinery operator, 53 years old.
Semi retired….own a manufacturing company that fabricates pollution control equipment.
Postal worker,gruntled.
Maritime Surface/Sub-Surface Officer in the Canadian Navy i.e. Naval Officer – a little over 31 years in – so far! I drive the ships that Jim repairs the Sonar on….
Former Banker, now retired. Tech savvy 72-year old
Past and forever: Involved in agriculture
Former: Registered Nurse
2 decades: Co-owner service-related family business
Professor of multi-tasking 101.Dispatcher for my bothers’knuckle draggers.Mother of three hooligans and one princess and one DAWG that my husband and one son wanted.
IT Consultant
PhD epidemiologist … I do health research.
However, most days I’m a stay-at-home (???) mom.
Age 40
20 years in the Navy. 18 years as a Bos’n then, due to medical reasons, remustered to Supply. Remuster was due to hearing loss, but I tell everyone that the powers that be found out I have a working brain. All the Navy types should understand. 😉
government policy wonk (insurance regulation)
Administration Clerk-Fire Dept
Currently a Mr Mom, raising my 2 year old daughter. Prior to that, database administrator (IE glorified computer geek)
For Rob C: The official title is Bachelor of Arts in Global Ministries, it’s basically a pastoral theology degree with more of an emphasis of cross-cultural communication, hence more beneficial for working as a missionary.
Post Office currently.
Former careers in television and horticulture. (college diplomas for the last two)
Production Audio Technician
News Producer/Director