How has your chosen job or occupation changed you?

I began as a free spirited dream chasing young man who never really accepted reality and sort of assumed I would get my big break in the music or entertainment industry. After college (round 1) I joined the military. I learned about reality, responsibility, and after a few hard lessons learned about finances.

Now, 16 years later I continue to learn tough lessons about social dynamics, comradery, and productivity.

A bit of my dream-chasing spirit was crushed, but in the process I became more realistic with my dreams and goals.. realizing that it takes a lot of perserverance and hard work.

Part of that is just growing up as well, but the job has certainly taught me more than I ever would have learned in some other jobs.

I was a bubbly, high-energy, idealistic crusader who really didn’t understand that:
1. not everyone could keep up with me,
2. not everyone gives a flying flick,
3. even if they care to a degree, not many want to do the work,
4. many people will fight harder to maintain the status quo than to try new concepts or will have ennui about new concepts, and
5. people often will prefer that you do the job and take the fall if the status quo wins.

From my previous jobs and experiences, I gained some cynicism, I guess. My young self is still inside me somewhere, still playful and idealistic, but stays very hidden—I learned that too many people, especially in my line of work, have very little tolerance for that type of energy and discount its value.

I also used to be very open and interactive. Becoming a 6–12 teacher made me very private and distrusting. Most parents don’t feel comfortable with giddy and energetic high school teachers (really, think about it…) and the system doesn’t allow for many crusades. So, yes, my job changed my daily personality greatly, but my fundamental personality’s still in there somewhere.

I moved to another country to follow my job. At the time my wife and I had an agreement that she would follow me. That has failed, so I’m now completely rebuilding my life in a new country because I followed my job.
In the meantime, I’m studying (and speaking every day) another language and have learned a ton both about myself and also about business in general.

Librarianship has made me more open to meeting and connecting with a wide variety of people and new ideas. It keeps my young.

@janbb And you get to plan activities for Banned Books Week every year, right? That’s fun!

And I just go to mount (no pun intended) a lobby display on LGBTQ resources.

I don’t have a chosen job or occupation. I’ve always kind of bounced around to whatever seemed like the best fit I could find at the time. I feel like there was never such a big difference between me and my job that one changed the other so dramatically. Rather we always grew together.

As a result of being a police officer for 44 years, I have had to have 13 surgeries. Most problems police officers encounter are with their back and so it was with me. After four back surgeries, I have been left with scar tissue that is affecting my whole life. It not only is a physical problem, but a psychological problem as well, because of the constant back pain.

Engineering: Have learned new ways to think and solve problems.

@john65pennington Have you ever done any yoga?

It’s taught me it’s okay not to have my identity in my job, that a job can just be for the money without providing any personal fulfillment. Really, my recent jobs have taught me to focus on the rest of my life, that money can buy me outlets I hadn’t considered before when my job of choice seemed like all I wanted and needed.

I went from a very sheltered family environment to living in a commune with other like minded people, so when I actually entered the work force in a mundane job, I encountered the fact that not everyone makes choices in their own best interest.

Going into and being in the Army made me a stronger person. It woke me up into chasing and going after my dreams, when I got out. It made me realize that life is really precious, time is precious, and nothing is ever certain (Life). It helped me a lot. To have drive and do what I really want to do. I think it was the best choice for me to go in. Even though when I first went in I had no idea what to expect, and was very scared.

My job (working in the medical field at a start up but pretty huge primary care doctor’s group) has given me anxiety about my health! I’m learning how to separate what I see/hear about from me but it’s challenging sometimes.

I learned in the past from having daft supervisors that had college degrees (when I did not) that I needed to push through and find a way to do it myself.

In the military, I learned how to be patient and deal with incompetence.