[newmikey]

Q1: none of the above - pure chance, I'd say
Q2: I cannot un-remember/un-think the past 37 years so I really have no idea

The long story is that I got out of my mandatory IDF service (I lived in Israel at the time) as a combat engineer with a prior botched university career in physics - not really good skills for civilian success TBH. I frequented a job office for discharged soldiers and this really old, almost-dead, guy (he must have been at least 50 then, I'm 63 now!!) would go through these index cards - one by one, and sloooooooowly. He'd read a card, look at me, shake his head. Rinse & repeat about 20 times and he'd send me home to try again in two weeks.

After many sessions over a 2-month period (with unemployment pay not really covering my basic needs) I asked him if I could take a look at those cards myself. He shook his head at this literally unheard-of proposal (who would need civil servants if everyone would read their own cards, right?) but still let me grab the box of cards, quite certain I would find nothing.

I lifted out one card and said "how about this?". He told me it was for the Customs authorities over at the Lebanese border. He also said I would have to control a gate where some trucks would be wanting to pass on a daily basis (mostly UNIFIL). He explained I would have to walk out, check the documents, verify an unbroken seal on the container, stamp the document, open the gate, let the truck through, close the gate. (horribly exciting, I know!)

I told him I thought I could do that but getting back and forth to the "office" which was 35 km away might be an issue. He told me a Customs authorities patrol car would pick me up in the morning at a major crossroads near my home and drop me off there again at the end of the day. Sweet! I took the job.

That was 37 years ago this year. In the meantime, I have grown from opening and closing gates on the Israeli border to being an EMEA/Global Customs and Trade Compliance director for respectively US, Japanese and UK multinational industrial giants operating out of Amsterdam as well as chairing international conferences on Customs cooperation and technology. On the side, I teach a bit on subjects such as free trade agreement rules of origin, harmonized commodity coding and WTO valuation processes.

Looking back, I can safely say I had no ***** idea what I was getting into but it was worth it. My partial physics education helps me out now and then, knowing how to lay mines or defuse bombs regretfully does not...

Just as an afterthought: I just came back from Israel where we admired our newborn grandson - such a thrill! In between I managed to meet up with an ex-colleague (now retired like me) and his wife and the four of us had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant not 100 meters from the border station where both of our careers began almost 40 years ago!

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[lesmore49]

Unless you hit the big time like Anthony Horowitz or J K Rowling, or get on the staff of a newspaper or major website, can you make a living from purely writing? I imagine it is somewhat like painting or sport - unless you are exceptionally good combined with a lot of luck, it is best enjoyed as an amateur.

As an amateur I like writing both prose and poetry, and I have some websites that involve writing and graphical layout. But my career as an engineer has involved a great deal of technical writing, some of it rather legal and contractural for specifications, reports, and public enquiries, and I have enjoyed both that and the practical aspects - such as dealing with cracks found in critical structures. Among other things, I have written part of the formal report on a train crash, and designed the chassis re-inforcement for a fleet of a certain type of London bus which were otherwise going to break in the middle after a couple of year's use


PS: I didn't use that emoji at work though!

I agree. I would add photography to writing, when it comes to making a living. I enjoyed photography, but I know my skill limitations would never have provided the income I need to survive.

I think of the adage...'never quit your day job ' , well at least in my case.

[Lord Lucan]

I enjoyed photography, but I know my skill limitations would never have provided the income I need to survive.

It is not just technical skills, which I think I can manage, there are the "people skills", which I am not good at myself, except I do like writing if that is one.

My father was an engineering technician but also a semi-pro photographer who did weddings and portraits at weekends. I learned a lot of both skills at his knee, darkroom work, camera settings, mending the car, extending the house wiring, etc, but I would never have his extrovert skill at controlling a wedding group for the formal shots or posing people for portraits, nor would I want to. I reached a senior position in the heavy engineering industry, but am happiest at my home workbench, building or repairing electrical items or a car gearbox.

[lesmore49]

It is not just technical skills, which I think I can manage, there are the "people skills", which I am not good at myself, except I do like writing if that is one.

My father was an engineering technician but also a semi-pro photographer who did weddings and portraits at weekends. I learned a lot of both skills at his knee, darkroom work, camera settings, mending the car, extending the house wiring, etc, but I would never have his extrovert skill at controlling a wedding group for the formal shots or posing people for portraits, nor would I want to. I reached a senior position in the heavy engineering industry, but am happiest at my home workbench, building or repairing electrical items or a car gearbox.

Regarding the gearbox, any particular vehicle you're working on ?

BTW, I wish I had your engineering skills.

If I did I would put them to use, restoring my old English motorcycle.

A '67 Matchless 750cc Scrambler...G15CS. It has a Norton Dominator twin engine, in a lighter Matchless frame. Stock, the way it came from the Matchless factory.

Mostly just a North American model...some called them 'Desert Sleds'..

[Wasp]

As a teenager I was into model trains, citizen band radio and hi-fi systems. I built a few circuits with varying degree of success. So it seemed natural to study for a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering. I got into programming by writing little games on my HP-41C (and later an HP-75C) scientific calculators. We did have some coursework in programming and that is where my interest took me. I took some post-graduate courses in computers and programming.

My career started out in embedded systems, then LANs, WANs and servers came along. Over the years I have worked in telecommunication, business intelligence, financial services and air travel. I am currently employed in radio astronomy.

The photography bug bit while I was a student. I had a short part time career as student photo journalist. Good times!

[Lord Lucan]

Regarding the gearbox, any particular vehicle you're working on ?

I have rebuilt manual gearboxes of Volvos, Minis (the FWD ones in the engine sump), my father's Hillman Super-Minx and Triumph 2500. I've never rebuilt an automatic because too many special tools are needed. Usually just involves replacing the syncromesh ring, but when people keep driving with worn synchromesh it destroys the teeth on the gear shaft itself, which makes it much more expensive.

[robgski]

It's interesting to revisit this thread nearly two years on.

In the time since I wrote my entry, I left the position and company I had then for an opportunity that was both challenging, but also a dream job. The recession caused that opportunity to end just as was about to be fully realized and operational. Fortunately, at the end of that job, I was contacted to take on the management of something even bigger. To me, it's like a minor league baseball player being called up to play in the major leagues. The rewards are great, but the challenges and obstacles are also many and difficult to overcome. Am I up to the task, am I as capable as I believe myself to be? We'll soon find out.
In any case, I took this position determined that even though I might have to devote a lot of time and effort to mastering the complexities, I would not allow any setbacks to make me miserable.

I think that is the best way to apporach any job.

[lesmore49]

I have rebuilt manual gearboxes of Volvos, Minis (the FWD ones in the engine sump), my father's Hillman Super-Minx and Triumph 2500. I've never rebuilt an automatic because too many special tools are needed. Usually just involves replacing the syncromesh ring, but when people keep driving with worn synchromesh it destroys the teeth on the gear shaft itself, which makes it much more expensive.

I had a '62 Volvo PV544 with the B1800 engine...twin SU's, etc. It had a manual transmission and I heard that it may have been an American Borg Warner...or Spicer transmission. I never knew whether this was true.

But one thing I did know, was that it was the smoothest shifting, most precise gear selection linkage I've ever driven. I've had many different manual transmissions. And also driven many different light and medium duty trucks with manuals. But that old Volvo PV 544...had a wonderful transmission.