Who is your daddy, and what does he do?

[Fuganater]

So I'll be the one to start a random thread today...

Did your parents jobs effect what you do now? If your still young and in college, did your parents effect what your major is? Some people want to do what their parents do/did or their parents kinda directed them into what they are going to do.


This was not the case for me. My dad is an industrial electrictian who worked for the railroad for awhile and now builds power sub stations. My mom sold Tupperware back in the 70's for a few years and then got into banking. She's still there 35 years later.

I got into IT in high school and decided I wanted to try and work for the FBI with a forensics degree. That didn't happen and the US State Dept. scooped me up to be a commo officer.

My brother followed my mom in to banking. My oldest sister is working for an insurance company and my other older sister was a nanny for years (the guy was a founder of Google) and has a degree for teaching but is a house mom for now. My borther-in-law (house mom's husband) works with my brother in banking and my sister-in-law is a high school teacher.

[xr4man]

my father was a fire control technician in the navy. i went in as an electronics technician and still work in that field.

[Drum Thumper]

My dad is a retired ranch hand. My mom was the ranch cook.

Growing up, I spent summers working on the ranch, but my true love has always been IT.

That said, I learned a lot of skills from both of them that I use every day.

[Airbozo]

I have no idea who or what my dad is/was. I never will.

What drove me to become something was having nothing. It was watching those around me expecting others to take care of them and provide for them that made me want to be something else. Anything else. Perhaps this is why I am a work-a-holic. I tend to identify with my job and become that person. I have worked hard to become something other than nothing which was my role model.

[d_stilgar]

My dad is a family practice doctor, and yes, that certainly influenced me . . .

to never go into medicine, especially family practice.

I could tell you guys all about the business. What is broken, and why it can't easily be fixed. Family practice has been the worst job in the market for a long time now, and now a lot of practices are being purchased by hospitals and the doctors are no longer professionals who own their practice, but employees. Most doctors game the insurance system, which is why it is so broken. They don't do anything illegal, but I would certainly call it unethical and bad medicine. A lot of practices are losing a lot of money as well and can't stay afloat.

My dad, however, always takes the high road and never calls people back in for multiple visits if he can do it in one, even if it means me makes less money from insurance. His practice is also doing well. He's had some offers from the hospitals, which were insanely low, and he would make a ton less money as an employee than he does as an owner. He declined, and they threatened to build and open a practice right next to his. He told them to go for it.

At the same time his practice has had several doctors want to join because of how bad the hospital run system is getting. So far none of them have impressed the owners (including my dad) or the practice manager.

So, yes, I will never go into that sinking ship. The government can't seem to keep their hands out of it. Insurance isn't failing, but is very expensive. The mentality of the system has moved away from healthy living to expensive drug solutions for every ailment. And the legal system around it all makes it nearly impossible for someone to legally rebel against it.

So . . . I'm studying architecture. I'm not sure if I'm just burned out from going to school for so long or what, but I'm not currently loving it.

However, I just figured out what my grad project is going to be. I'm going to write a Revit plugin that procedurally generates architecture based on a set of input data. I don't think anyone in my college is really qualified to oversee that project, but it's one of those things that would actually have value after school is over. Nobody has done it before (on an architectural level), and I really think it could make me a lot of money as well as find me a job at the sort of place I would want to work.

[NightrainSrt4]

The only influence I've gained from my father is the knowledge that he is everything I shall never be.

So, unsuccessful? Nope, nothing but success here! Lmfao.

[Technochicken]

My dad works on occupational safety for the CDC, and I'm starting college next year to study mechanical engineering...so I would say that his job has not really influenced my occupational interests.

[Bopher]

My dad was a Security Policeman for the Air Force for 20 years. And he told me it was fine if I wanted to do military service, but if I went into that field he's slap me silly. Now he builds furniture.

My mom for years was a stay at home mom then did little jobs like dishwashing at the NCO club, stocking. Now she is in the Air Guard and works at Walmart when she doesn't have orders.

I think my dad's love for tinkering with things is what placed me in my job and hobbies today. It has also given me a horrible habit of saving things I 'might be able to fix'

[TheGreatSatan]

I have no idea what my dad did. He died back when I was 12, and that was a loooong time ago

[crenn]

My father is a process consultant and a financial mismanaging moron. I'm almost finished a 4 year course (taking 6 years to complete due to problems I've had in my life) in robotics engineering. I start work as a 'triage' IT support system for my uni at the 'front line'.

[dr.walrus]

My dad was a builder until he had a brain injury at 29 that almost killed him - he recovered fully but on doctor's advice he took something less strenuous. He went to college and did some IT courses, worked his way up as a technician and became an IT consultant - the sort who specced your office, installed a network and your computers. He took a desk job at the council in more of an administrative IT role, before quitting aged 50 to become - wait for it - a tanker driver.

His course in life influenced me heavily. I spent my childhood and teens mucking about with the mountains of broken computers in the house, and helping my dad out building computers, pulling cables through walls, and on occasional building jobs, carrying bricks etc. I ended up with a few jobs in tech support and at 21 took a degree in Computer Science, from which I ended up as an ASP.NET developer.

I've always been glad that the IT side wasn't all I've had - I've been instilled with a wealth of practical, hands-on experience that really helps every day at work. It teaches you to think outside the box and find practical solutions in a way that can't be taught at university.

My mother? Hasn't had a job for 6 years - happy for the state to pay her mortgage claiming incapacity benefits she doesn't need, and to keep claiming them after her father died and the inheritance paid her mortgage. She simply isn't willing to work. I think it's fair to say that my dad has always been a much better example!

[Yeticorn]

My father is a physical therapist and has been working for hospitals for 25 years doing outpatient work. My mother works as a university professor teaching business information systems. I didn't really inherit my career path through either of them (I'm a cyber security programmer) but I certainly have been influenced by them. I hope to match the work ethic, pride, and patience of my father some day.

Edit: spelling

[Panda]

My Dad is an immigrant and signed up for the military when he got over here. He was a JAG Officer in the military for 30+ years (military lawyer/advisor). Mom owned many successful businesses and sold them once they grew. I work with the military (not in it) and Im not allowed to talk about what I do, its fun and at the end of the day I know I am aiding the soldier.