[ArcLight]

I am a professional contract killer. Can supply references.

When I'm waiting for a job to come in I work in Structured Finance wearing a number of hats (programmer, project manager, business analyst). What is "Structured Finance" you ask? Basically, anytime a company lends someone money, they usually don't want their money tied up waiting for it to be repaid. They want most of their money back fast, so they package and sell the loans, and make a cut. Mortgages, Credit cards, and other types of debt.

[Impact]

Barrister: commercial & equity (ie not real people.....)

Previously : solicitor, wine judge & writer, ski instructor...

[Robert]

Hello everyone

Light weapons infantry, radar mechanic, History teacher(high school),
Almost three decades worked for the U.S. Post Office.
Retired several years now.
Currently trying to get a game company going starting with a WWI/WWII naval game for the PC(hopefully finished by end of this year or early next year)
Next project is Barbarossa 'if' the first game sells.

Regards,
Robert

[luke warm]

vinnie barbarossa?

[Thymallus]

In US speak I am a Coloproctologist

why?

well all surgeons start at the bottom and some of us get no further.

[Al_U_Card]

Professional chemist with experience in process optimization and statistical analysis. Currently Division Head of Regulatory Affairs for a mid-sized private chemical products company.

Learned to play bridge at my mother's knee (and other joints) 45 years ago but fell into duplicate only in the late 80's. Gave it up in the late 90's but now play on-line when not working.

[Rain]

You forgot the poet part al_u_card ;--)

[Al_U_Card]

Rain, on Apr 24 2006, 03:49 PM, said:

You forgot the poet part al_u_card ;--)

Indeed. I wrote a poem last night to Bella in her site guest book.......wonder how I could forget that, speaking of wondering (as my thoughts wander.......)

Wandering Wondering

A single change is all required
to transform one into the other.

So similar, yet how can they
have meanings that are far apart.
To understand, we can't rely
on only that which meets the eye.
For when we look more deeply in
we see what comprehension brings.

To wander means to change your place
and wondering leads to the same
by transporting your mind to where
you may end up some day, and then
the two will be as one, you'll see,
because that's right where you will be.

Then only when you shift your gaze,
reality will light your way,
your vision now adjusted to
the brightness that belongs to you
and serves to show you where to go
by wandering where wonders grow.

[Deanrover]

I am soon to start a PhD in economics in Chicago, USA.

[whereagles]

Post-doc fellow at Lisbon technical university (physics).

Currently trying to get into the energy business and failing miserably

[1eyedjack]

Currently pushing a lump of sh*t up a hill with a short stick.
And the stick is wearing down to the nub.

[jdonn]

If any of you out there don't like your job, just remember it could be worse. Check this out:
http://www.wimp.com/worstjobs/
I feel better already

[pbleighton]

"In US speak I am a Coloproctologist

why?

well all surgeons start at the bottom and some of us get no further."

Well, look on the bright side. At least you have a warm place to sleep

Peter

[han]

I will say a few words about my job here, feel free to ignore me as usual.

I teach and do research in a field of pure mathematics called several complex variables. This has been my first year at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, I will be here for two more years. I don't know where I will be after these years, I enjoy living in the United States for the moment. I do know that I'd like to continue in pure mathematics (and thus in academics). I enjoy teaching, and I really enjoy my research when things go well.

It is often hard to explain why one would want to spend so much of his life studying problems in mathematics that have no apparent applications. I could argue that many problems that were solved in mathematics became useful later, but the truth is, I couldn't care less. I enjoy thinking about the problems I work on because I find them fascinating. I'm afraid that's not the only reason, disgusting things like trying to show that you are smart also play a role. But it also does in bridge, doesn't it?

I also enjoy the mathematical society for several reasons.

Firstly, there are no huge grants as in other fields of science. While this may mean that the top mathematicians may make less money then some other scientists, it also means that there is a little less politics going on. Secondly, as a mathematical proof is either correct or it isn't, there is not the kind of arguing going on like in other fields of science. I like that very much.

Maybe I give the impression that I think my job is useless, but that is far from the truth. I really believe that someone who is genuinely interested in mathematics and is an active researcher can provide something extra as a teacher. I certainly thought so as a student, I hope my students feel the same way. I think that the same is true in bridge, somebody who really loves the game can give something extra as a bridge teacher.

Sorry for going on and on like that, I will be quiet now.

[jchiu]

I'm living off a graduate student fellowship bumming around (really, I do some math when I'm not on BBO). This has been my first year at Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ), and I am in a five-year PhD program. Unlike the previous poster, I actually do math that looks like it might be useful, although it really is just as theoretical. However, just as he mentions, I do math because combinatorics problems are more interesting than purely practical applications (e.g. computer programming). I will continue to do math for the time being, but may choose to go into industry after completing my doctorate.

[hrothgar]

After a long period of sloth and indolence, its time to wander back to the professional world. The trip to Australia was great, completing the Scepter of the Shifting Sands quest on World of Warcraft was an accomplishment (of sorts), hiking Mt. Katahdin was a bitch and a half, however, enough is enough.

I just accepted a position at a mid-sized Massachusetts tech company called the MathWorks. I'm going to be working as the product manager for the company's statistics and curve fitting software packages. I'm quite excited about the position. The engineering team is all scary smart and the marketing types all have technical degrees. (Hell, most of the sales force is made up of E.E.s and the like)

I'm going to spend a couple weeks relaxing in the sun. With a bit of luck, I'm going to be taking a couple classes on cheesemaking. Come July 9th, I get to try to remember how to be a "professional"...

[keylime]

Time to break out the brew to celebrate. Very, very good to hear.

[Fluffy]

I also finally found a job as programmer.

Everyday I hope that something happens and I don't have to go to work again for a while, will it be the same every day of my life?

[helene_t]

Congrats, Richard, that sounds really cool. Does your company happen to do something in (bio)statistics? If so, is there a possibility for cooperation? I have a lot of crazy ideas that I have implemented in user-hostile software that only I can use, it would be very cool if someone could make use of some of it in comercial software.

I'm now at my second and final year as a post-doc biostatistics at a genetics department. Can't really make my mind up if I want to do research (cool work but short-term contracts so that every two years I have to either move or put a lot of time into grant applications) or consultancy (just a normal job).

[Gerben42]

Congratulations all that have a new job
Since I last posted in this thread I've now started work in the nuclear industry as a safety engineer (which means probabilistics mostly).