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.
Stay at home mom
Director of Finance
Former Ford Service Manager, now business owner.
10 yrs Canadian army
10 yrs utility lineMAN
presently landlord/equipment consultant/semi-pro on-line poker player
Drywall contractor
radio announcer
police officer – ontario
Electrical Engineer – Field Applications
Never played piano in a whorehouse, but if anyone has open job reqs, please pass them along.
Office Manager in healthcare – private!
Senior Software Developer
Returning to lawyering after teaching for a few years. Also some magazine writing, as that was my first career.
Visual Effects Compositor
Chartered Accountant
Maritime Surface/Sub-Surface Officer in the Canadian Navy – a little over 10 years in.
Systems admin
recently in marketing now a web developer (.NET). So, tech savvy to a degree, but i’m almost 40
Instrumentation Sales, Oil and Gas markets
Retired Canadian Forces
potter/psychologist
Tech saavy twenty something, liberal, save the environment while working for government. I just read because you are a bright woman with incisive comments even if I don’t always intuitively support where you are coming from. Keep up the good work.
Professional Engineer (aerospace)
Network Administrator – non-profit sector
Museum Consultant
Finance
Business manager for a international Biotech Firm
Photogrammetrist (map-maker)…
..and general poop-disturber
Retired director of gov’t statistics agency; active international consultant on health and education policy
Interest rate derivative trader
research associate, now SAHM
40 years old
Retired military with 33 years service.
Physicist (lucrative physics) 65
sometime Department of Death Sciences,
School of Inhumannities
commercial litigator, 43, toronto
Carpenter/Scaffolder
Physicist (lucrative physics) 65
sometime Department of Death Sciences,
School of Inhumanities
Ex RAF avionics tech, flight sims, analogue and digital. Now retired and an ESL teacher in China. Age 66 so the twenty yrs nerds can stuff it. It was all done before this lot were born
Coffee shop owner/coffee roaster. Ex importer of South African goat embryoes and soon to be importer of Mayan breadnuts, the saviour of the tropical rain forest.
Kate’s blog is by far and away one of the best. I salute both her and all the talent that show up each day, as for the trolls? I just skip over them.
Production Manager, Manufacturing
Male, 33, software engineer
Management Consultant for IT, Telecommunications, Oil & Gas. 37
Petroleum Geologist
retired soldier
retired soldier
Independant contracting software developer
Marine Surveyor
Elementary school secretary.
Geologist in Calgary, 58ya
I am a pastor, male, 53.
Project manager, wireless systems engineering
My name (the color in it) has nothing to do with my political association!
It’s really of the blue type 😀
Stock Broker