I am a physical therapy technician. I went to school and earned my certification for it. I also took writing classes because I planned to get a creative writing certificate but I knew the financial side won't be too good. In the future however! What about you? And how do you fit time to write/edit/ submit with your work schedule?
I was a consulting electrical and software engineer. That drains a lot of time out of your life. Now, thanks to achieving an advanced (sort of) age, I'm retired. Now I have a lot more time each day. Problem is, I don't have as many days left as I used to. Turns out, you can't win.
I sit and play with spreadsheets all day, it pays the bills. I write at night when everyone else is in bed... or early morning, when it's just me and the kitten.
I'm a department head with the National Trust (though I'm currently off work with work stress related depression). I also used to be a self employed wedding photographer though that is currently also on hold When iIm working I write in the evenings or at weekends, currently I've time to write during the day which also helps as a mental escape from the round of panic attacks, anxiety, and other less than fun stuff
I finished a manuscript when I was teaching English as a foreign language! Now I teach after school history classes. It's pretty fun.
Sometimes you can though. This life is our story and even if it's over someday, the same story keeps going for others in your life. We'll just be one of the characters that is killed off!
I work at a pet supply store. I was once the Merchandise Operations Lead, which meant I was a key-holding manager and in charge of all inventory. But I stepped down because I couldn't handle the pressure. I'm still a key-holder but now I don't have all the responsibility. I'm basically a backup manager should they need me. I'm looking into doing something new though. One can only stand at a register for so many hours and clean up so much shit (literally) before it stops being enjoyable.
Programming. Though these days, my brain is trying to escape out my ears, so a change may be coming. Ramen noodles and library books sound like a tremendous improvement.
I'm a games designer at Guerrilla Games in Amsterdam. I do a bit of level design and gameplay mechanics design. Luckily I know there are other game devs out there who are also published authors (Austin Grossman) so I know it can be done
I'm a bid writer in the construction industry. Very well paid, a good challenge, and complements fiction writing. Nice!
I work in marketing for a science publisher. Feel a wee bit trapped. Started job hunting for the first time in five or six years and not getting a great response. I'm spoiled, really: I get pretty good pay, it's varied work, and I'm completely in control of my own workload. I suffer from the standard desk-monkey complaint of wanting to do something 'useful'. Jobs I think I want to do: builder, plumber, electrician, programmer, paramedic, watchmaker, dog walker, bicycle courier, civil engineer, cafe owner, air force officer, camera operator, lighting technician, the job of the last person I met or saw on TV. (Writer isn't on the list because I honestly think I would go mad if that was all I did every day.)
I write advertising, and I'm working on a startup. It's a lot of fun, but I don't get much time for fiction these days - I'm writing all day anyhow, and by the end of the day I tend to be a bit burned out.
Well I'm glad not everyone is a writer full-time on some capacity or another. Right now I'm a manager within retail, which takes up a lot of my time but the money is hella good and I'm looking to set myself up for a few years to travel Europe and Africa so that helps. Writing is what I do around those hours because I'm in the arse-end of Wales and there ain't a whole lot else to do here besides walk, and it rains ALL the time. Something I'd like to add to this conversation, if I may, is...what do people get from their jobs that helps their writing? For me, I probably take a lot of stock character ideas from my colleagues and the customers because of the strange interactions that occur. However, on a personal level it probably darkens the tone of my writing because most people there are either mad or depressed.
Before I retired I was an Old Dragon, working at our local GP practice. That's the only kind of job I had during my 12-year working life here in Scotland. Before that ...many other jobs in the USA, mostly in catering, but was a coordinator (paid) of our local wholefoods co-op for several years, and I did teach English for a short SHORT period back in the early 1970s, after I finished university. A checkered life, some may say, but it's been fun. I liked most of these jobs a lot. (Except for teaching English ...did not enjoy working within the school system at all.) I got the most writing done while I was an Old Dragon. I got up really really early every morning and got in about 3 hours' worth of writing before going to work. And on weekends as well. Since retiring, I've kind of slacked off. What I've taken for my writing from my working life? Well, aside from lots of people-watching and dealing with folks, I certainly learned what makes a good boss. One of these 'good bosses' informed one of my major characters in my novel.
I manage apartments for turist renting on Airbnb. Meet a lot of interesting people that way too Gives me time to write and have other hobbies.
I'm an information security and record management adviser in a government department. If anyone asks I just tend to say civil servant. I'm never the good guy at work. My degree is in archaeology but I sold out for the money.
