what was your career?

[georgegeorgia]

To those of us mature aged eg over 60,or expats,what was your past job and how long did you remain there?

Most people in our GEN remained in a job 30 plus years unlike nowadays 

 

Was you glad to retire and get out OR do you sometimes wish to go back to work?

 

The reason i say this is because earlier this year i had a workmate 67yo retire to the phillipines ,every time i spoke to him he mentioned how he missed work.

When he was at work he did nothing but complain.

 

So the questions are What was your past jobs ?   are you happy you retired or do you still miss work? Did you lke going to work everyday or was you glad to get out 

Who had a job they remained in past 30 years ?

 

If you had that decision not to retire when you did would you have kept on working a few more years ? Do you regret retiring then?

Bear in mind financial considerations,most countries you cant get the old age pension till 67yo,so you would need to rely on your retirement savings and many nowadays are not saving 

Do you ever sit in Asia wherever you are and think,i really wish i stayed with my job,or i wished i worked a few more years or i miss the camraderie and friends or routine of my past job,i always remember talking to a ol english guy at a bar in pattaya who told me he missed his job as a bus driver in london because his workmates were like family and now in thailand he was a bit bored and retired too early

 

 

 

 

[rodknock]

i was an automotive technician from 1970 to 2005.

in 2005 i had a DVT and was no longer allowed to work, put on disability.

moved to Thailand in 2011 and have no regrets.

my main reason for moving was to improve my quality of life, which i have done.

i was in Thailand in 1969-1970 at udon thani air force base.

[tonray]

Professional Slacker, Management Level

[sezze]

I'm a chemical process operator for the last 31y and still need a few years to go . In my kind of work , you stay in the job for 99% of the time , since it takes years and years of training/learning and experience to get the process under control . The process i control take roughly 10y just to learn them , experience never stops , meaning , every year extra is a year extra and is learning and understanding the installation better as long as your brain can follow . With a learning process and experience of such time , you can understand that the company does not want you to leave also , so we do get good conditions for staying there .

[BritManToo]

52 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

If you had that decision not to retire when you did would you have kept on working a few more years ? Do you regret retiring then?

I worked in the media for 20 years (2 different companies, 10 years each).

Directly I had earned enough money to last the rest of my life, I left (age 45).

I much prefer not working, can't understand people who miss working.

[KC 71]

Greenkeeper (Golf)

[georgegeorgia]

18 minutes ago, KC 71 said:

Greenkeeper (Golf)

Would love that job,luv the smell of fresh green grass,free golf, outdoors all day,

that would be a dream job,why would you want to retire?????️‍♂️

[HAPPYNUFF]

Had many different occupations. The best being  a seaman in the  Merchant Navy  for  5 years, before settling down to a professional  position  for    32 years, which I hated, but paid very well, and I did as little as possible for as much as possible, and  3 months  before I was planning to retire I was offered a redundancy package whereby I was given a  full years salary as a parting gift..Walked out the door laughing and smiling.   Never missed it since.

[Peterw42]

Old school Telephone Technician, so rode the wave from analogue cord switchboards and relays etc, through to giant digital servers and networks.

Some great jobs as a lot of the time you were free to do whatever, waiting for something to break. Some great money as always on 24 hour call.

Great job satisfaction, would turn up to a place in complete chaos due to no comms, get them back on the air and they were always very thankful.

Eventually ended up in management postitions which became a whole lot less enjoyable, and easy to walk away from. Marketing selling stuff that hadn't been invented yet, 90% of day to day problems were inside the company you worked for. Meetings, emals office politics etc.  Don't miss that side of things.

[georgegeorgia]

5 minutes ago, HAPPYNUFF said:

and I did as little as possible for as much as possible

sounds like most of my work colleagues in the hospital i work at????

[roo860]

Semi retired 25yrs ago, still do a 6 month stint in the UK for the same company, seen them grow from a 10 man outfit to the biggest independent road marking company in the UK. I love the interaction with the public, especially when we install double yellow lines outside their house!????

I do miss the banter with the lads!

[CharlieH]

After the apprenticeship,pretty much self employed the entire time, with the occasional jobs in Management.Worked in allsorts, from Engineering to market trader to Taxi driver, done loads o fdifferent  things.

Moved out here at 48, never stop trying to make a shilling one way or another, its been a way of life and cant see that changing, ever, just do it less now.????

[lazygourmet]

Sold my catering business when I was 30 years old.

Traveled the world during 25 years.

Stuck in Thailand for the last 2 years.

[Kwasaki]

Too longer story jobs in profile so since I left school I had employment in many jobs also self-employment in the construction industry but my main vocation for over 30 years was roofing and while employed by a company took exams with the Institute of roofing and got a Fellowship.

Aimed to retire at 55 managed it at 57 and retired Thailand.

 

 

[georgegeorgia]

9 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

After the apprenticeship,pretty much self employed the entire time, with the occasional jobs in Management.Worked in allsorts, from Engineering to market trader to Taxi driver, done loads o fdifferent  things.

Moved out here at 48, never stop trying to make a shilling one way or another, its been a way of life and cant see that changing, ever, just do it less now.????

I guess going from one career to another is more common nowadays,i remember my parents generation stayed in their jobs 25 years or more back in those days.

I think 48 is too young to retire though

 

[georgegeorgia]

12 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Too longer story so since I left school I had employment in many jobs also self-employment in the construction industry but my main vocation for over 30 years was roofing and while employed by a company took exams with the Institute of roofing and got a Fellowship.

Aimed to retire at 55 managed it at 57 and retired Thailand.

I met a retired roofer at the canterbury tales cafe in pattaya a few years ago, he was 60 and just retired from the UK, strange guy looked very fit ,and i asked him if he retired because of the physical work and of a sudden he went into a spiel about how he had "fights" with other tradesmen all day on construction sites..."used to go home with bloodied t shirts" he said.???? "I had to finally give it away "

He wasnt too happy when i said ,"so there wasnt much occupational health & safety on site then ?????

 

No idea who he was "fighting" ??? but he was a strange one 

 

[worgeordie]

I was a businessman, running 3 companies, Import, Export Pet products, a Garden peat plant, and a wholesale fruit and veg company, when my marriage failed from me spending too much time working and not putting enough into the family, I sold everything up  gave half to the wife, she had worked in the companies too, help build them up, so  I think she deserved that, So 35 years ago I left to go to Costa Rica, with a small bag, 2 pairs trousers, couple shirts, underpants, some socks and a short wave radio, Last time I was in Costa Rico, I had seen an add-in a newspaper for a small Fin ca on the side of a rain forest, with a waterfall!, and the price seemed very cheap to me, and I was hoping it was still for sale. .going the long way around, I arrived in Thailand.

 

Called into a former supplier in Bangkok, well to see a girl that worked there, while on business trips to the Far East for  the pet company, after doing business the owner of the company would let the girl off for a few days to be with me while I did a few days sightseeing, and she would be my translator and companion.

 

So 35 years later I am still in Thailand, never got to Costa Rica, with the same girl but older, wonderful lady, mother, and looks after me so well I made the right choice, I think if I had stayed in UK doing what I was doing I would have died, too much work, too much stress, I loved my work, it was the customers that spoiled it, I was not sure if I had enough money to retire at 42, but been canny, doing some property deals here, I have a lot more than I arrived with, Luck, yes I am sure that played a part, wonder what would have happened if I had made it to Costa Rica  ?

 

Regards

Worgeordie

 

 Sorry for the way this has come out, It was not like this when I typed it  .....what's the problem ?

  

 

[sanuk711]

2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

When he was at work he did nothing but complain.

He wasn't from a small rainy Isle in the channel by any chance.......and he doesn't contribute to Thai Visa does he.....?

 

My thoughts are with Britmantoo---I worked to live. Never lived for work

[georgegeorgia]

4 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

He wasn't from a small rainy Isle in the channel by any chance.......and he doesn't contribute to Thai Visa does he.....?

 

My thoughts are with Britmantoo---I worked to live. Never lived for work

he worked with me as a wardsman in a hospital in Australia but was originally from Liverpool in the UK

Behind his back he was nicknamed the whinging pom ????

[seedy]

28 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

i remember my parents generation stayed in their jobs 25 years or more back in those days.

Not just those days ...

Guys I went to high school with (I never graduated) did that - bought the house with the white picket fence, had 2-1/4 children, held out for the gold watch ...

I bought a Harley

[Kwasaki]

29 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

I met a retired roofer at the canterbury tales cafe in pattaya a few years ago, he was 60 and just retired from the UK, strange guy looked very fit ,and i asked him if he retired because of the physical work and of a sudden he went into a spiel about how he had "fights" with other tradesmen all day on construction sites..."used to go home with bloodied t shirts" he said.???? "I had to finally give it away "

He wasnt too happy when i said ,"so there wasnt much occupational health & safety on site then ?????

 

No idea who he was "fighting" ??? but he was a strange one 

 

Yeah worked with many strange mix of guys over the years when I did the physical work myself started as a labourer.

 

Health and safety ending up making it difficult to earn a decent wage, fortunately that's when I was ask to work for a company as a contracts supervisor as most management office type guys surveyors e.g. couldn't really deal with site roofing gangs.

Through management I when on to achieved the fellowship and was proud to have letter after my name. 

I could sign passport pictures. ????????????????????

[Denim]

2 hours ago, tonray said:

Professional Slacker, Management Level

I did an apprenticeship in this which turned out to be a waste of time since I did a career change into Pro Mongering where I did very well , always on the rise. Finally gave this up and went into a partnership in a rural paradise.

 

In my teens I was in a Reggae band playing triangle. Had hopes of fame and fortune but finally had to give it up. It was just one 'ting after another.

[tonray]

2 minutes ago, Denim said:

In my teens I was in a Reggae band playing triangle. Had hopes of fame and fortune but finally had to give it up. It was just one 'ting after another.

[KC 71]

2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Would love that job,luv the smell of fresh green grass,free golf, outdoors all day,

that would be a dream job,why would you want to retire?????️‍♂️

For the most part it was great.I got to meet some nice people along the way too.

The wildlife seen (usually in those early hrs) was another plus ????

[Pravda]

Nothing. I always depend on my women to support me.

[The Fugitive]

Secondary Modern school. Never wanted to study. Got an office junior’s job at 16. Took early retirement/redundancy at 59 as a clerical assistant. Went to work because it gave some purpose to my life. Generally enjoyed the crack with colleagues. However, that was before home working became the norm/encouraged to save accommodation costs. Of course this was prior to Covid too. Don’t regret stopping work because I haven’t got the discipline to work from home. Enjoy married family life in Thailand, something I never had in UK.

[KhunLA]

Way too many job, talking 30+, though most under 1 month.  Didn't take long to figure out no reason to stay.

 

Then decided to get some paperwork behind me for resume, and worked for 4 airlines.  3 of them, 1 year or less, latter 2 both going bankrupt.  So figured self employment was more dependable income source.  Best thing that ever happened, being independent.

 

Self taught Chimney sweep.  Along with contract truck driver.  Slum lord was the equity builder which was rolled over to self taught market trader.

 

After 6 yrs of not being an employee, started 4th and last airlines job, only real job (13 yrs) took only for health bennies, since getting older, 32, though never needed, and more importantly to travel, while finalizing retirement planning ... where to ... flying almost free to recon locations to retire, which I finally did at 46 yrs old.  They also went belly up, NWA.  So no real long term future at any job I had.

 

Jobs I enjoyed:

Lithographic printing

Baker

Film / negative developing

Having RE license for my own investing, access to MLS.

[seedy]

Until about 25 was a criminal.

Then Placer mining.

Then Project Manager at a construction manager - building roads, installing bridges, etc. Work in the summer, LOS in the winter.

[simon43]

I was a design engineer/manager in the satellite comms sector, designing antenna and radiocomms systems for mostly scientific and television satellites.  When I moved to Thailand, I had to change careers, so built and managed small guesthouses in Phuket.  After that, I moved to Burma and Laos to work as an in-class Science and English teacher. 

 

I recently moved to the Turquoise coast in Turkey and continue my most recent job of teaching Science online - something that I've been doing for the past 3 years or so.  The internet and mobile connectivity have made it possible for me to work from almost any geographical location.

[JAS21]

UK Powerstations…Operations/ Maintenance/ Commissioning engineer… coal/ oil/ gas/ ccgt all my working life.

 

Did a slow rundown for a few years. Finally stopped when I was 59…. my choice.

 

No I don’t miss it… can now spend all my time with my Aging Asian Babe and in a somewhat better climate.