Safara Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Just curious as to how many of us are professionals (or are studying to become one). You don't have to say what you do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveb Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 how are you defining profession/professional here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5_♦♣ Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I'm a non professional. I think of my job as my hobby, to be considered a 'professional' in any sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safara Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 how are you defining profession/professional here? I was hoping people wouldn't ask awkward questions... :) I would say it's something you have to study to become (medicine/doctor, law/lawyer, architecture/architect etc etc) and requires a specific qualification. So a dentist would be a professional but his secretary would not. Hope that makes some sort of sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald M Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Studying to become a Computer Magician! :D Jk (MSc Maths and Software Engineering) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeopup Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Professional? I think? As in, I've finished studying Archaeology and I'm looking for a job as a Field Archaeologist :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRightHand Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Another software engineer here (final year at uni)... looking forward to joining the dole queue :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip027 Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Professional bum, reporting in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald M Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Another software engineer here (final year at uni)... looking forward to joining the dole queue :P Shhhhhh *Must keep one's hopes high* :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5_♦♣ Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 :lol: @Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janus the Fox Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Studied and graduated in the general computing field with a preference for systems design and VB programming. If this means that I am a IT professional, but not quite a specialist then yes I am. Otherwise have no job in this field and due to difficulties, may never experience work I graduated for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyB Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 how are you defining profession/professional here? I was hoping people wouldn't ask awkward questions... :) I would say it's something you have to study to become (medicine/doctor, law/lawyer, architecture/architect etc etc) and requires a specific qualification. So a dentist would be a professional but his secretary would not. Hope that makes some sort of sense. Not exactly, in my experience! After deciding not to use my post-grad teaching qualification, and having a number of other things happen in my life, I did an equally specialised training to be yes, a secretary. I managed the offices of a couple of charities, and am now in the health service as a medical secretary - not a receptionist - so am presumably not a professional according to your example, which doesn't bother me but I find the example a bit narrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracoBorealis Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Hmm, it depends on how you define "professional". I am a master welder/welder-fabricator, so I suppose that's a "yes". Edit// One thing I am most definitely professional level at, is being an outcast. I get kicked out from wherever I go to --jobs included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safara Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 how are you defining profession/professional here? I was hoping people wouldn't ask awkward questions... :) I would say it's something you have to study to become (medicine/doctor, law/lawyer, architecture/architect etc etc) and requires a specific qualification. So a dentist would be a professional but his secretary would not. Hope that makes some sort of sense. Not exactly, in my experience! After deciding not to use my post-grad teaching qualification, and having a number of other things happen in my life, I did an equally specialised training to be yes, a secretary. I managed the offices of a couple of charities, and am now in the health service as a medical secretary - not a receptionist - so am presumably not a professional according to your example, which doesn't bother me but I find the example a bit narrow. I think the following quote sums up what I was getting at: 'A profession is a vocation founded upon specialised educational training, the purpose of which is to supply objective counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Spoon Train Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Ex-professional here... Studied Computer Science at uni, was a software engineer for 10 years. Burned out in a similar fashion to Peter Gibbons from "Office Space", minus the massive embezzlement from my last employer. :lol: Kinda between careers now and working as a kitchen assistant in a function centre. Not 100% sure where I'll go next, but probably some form of "practical work", rather than going back to classic office-based "knowledge work" of any sort. In other words, I'm not a professional any more and chances are I won't be again, per se. I just don't see myself sitting in a cubicle pushing buttons all day, ever again. I came to the conclusion some time ago that - despite being an "intellectual" person - I simply can't do "knowledge work" for someone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRightHand Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Ex-professional here... Studied Computer Science at uni, was a software engineer for 10 years. Burned out in a similar fashion to Peter Gibbons from "Office Space", minus the massive embezzlement from my last employer. :lol: Kinda between careers now and working as a kitchen assistant in a function centre. Not 100% sure where I'll go next, but probably some form of "practical work", rather than going back to classic office-based "knowledge work" of any sort. In other words, I'm not a professional any more and chances are I won't be again, per se. I just don't see myself sitting in a cubicle pushing buttons all day, ever again. I came to the conclusion some time ago that - despite being an "intellectual" person - I simply can't do "knowledge work" for someone else. Ever thought about doing freelance work or developing your own products?? Sitting in your own home instead of a cubicle sounds much better! Mix it up with whatever else you want to do? I've spent 20 years doing minimum wage jobs, so I can't wait to do a stint in a cubicle away from the general public! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Cat Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Just curious as to why you're curious. Do you have a theory you are trying to prove/disprove? You may have guessed that I am a professional communicator, who was always taught, never give people a survey without telling them why or how the data will be used Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I'm a professional mental patient, does that count? Seriously, the Canadian government pays me because I'm insane. Same here. Except German instead of Canadian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safara Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 Just curious as to why you're curious. Do you have a theory you are trying to prove/disprove? You may have guessed that I am a professional communicator, who was always taught, never give people a survey without telling them why or how the data will be used No hidden agenda, no theories. Genuine curiosity. I would think the same is true of most of the polls in this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member4445 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Studying towards a profession in Neuroscience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Spoon Train Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Ever thought about doing freelance work or developing your own products?? Sitting in your own home instead of a cubicle sounds much better! Mix it up with whatever else you want to do? Yes. Tried that. Even tried getting a business idea off the ground with some friends - who are also in the biz - earlier this year (developing iOS apps, all of us working from home). It didn't work out. Although if being back "in IT" was ever going to work for me, something like this is probably the only way it would work. So yeah, I think about the only "knowledge work" that is psychologically sustainable for me would be to work for myself, most likely in some kind of inspiration-driven context such as a writer (I've written blogs in the past which people found fairly inspired for instance). It comes down to what they say (I think Marx said it), that the only form of work which isn't ultimately "alienating" is art - because when what you're doing is self-expression which you would want to be doing regardless of being paid for it, it's basically not "work" to your mind any more. Any other form of work for money will ultimately be something I'll end up having to "tolerate" more than "like", I think. I think this is what might eventually happen: I'll find some kind of inspiration and so something artsy someday. But as far as finding regular "day job" paycheck to paycheck type work goes, I'm thinking of relatively banal things to get into. I've worked out what it is I can tolerate pretty well in regular jobs at least, so that's been a good outcome of my psychological journey in this most recent crappy low-end job I've got. :lol: (I shouldn't whine too much, it's had some good moments, and the bad moments are more or less First World Problems level stuff, in the scheme of things) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illuminates Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Can't vote 'cause I'm not old enough for a university yet, but... LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHERS WILL RULE THE WORLD. Enough said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kolibri Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Mmh, I am studying towards the profession of an interpreter ... does that count? ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junebug03 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Studying towards a profession in Neuroscience. That is awesome! What do you want to do with it? I have a degree in Kinesiology and am working towards my PhD in Forensic Anthropology/Osteology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maat Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I'm studying Philosophy, so that I can be a professional bum. I'm kidding about that last part, but I do not see myself becoming a professor. It's just not for me (teaching, Philosophy itself is very much for me). I would rather leave that up to individuals who have the talents necessary to instruct others. I have been toying with the idea of studying computer science afterwards, as it used to be a subject I invested a lot of time into a few years ago, but who knows. That's still a long way off, and if I've learned one thing these past few years, then it's that planning on something doesn't necessarily mean it will happen as envisioned. That said, I am really not planning on becoming a professional bum. <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qutenkuddly Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I still maintain professional certification as a teacher. That count? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verust Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 In school for something "professional". I am a TA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skenasis Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Currently doing my last subject before I graduate with a Bachelor of Forensic Science. Since I want to work in a forensics lab, though, I will hopefully be continuing study next year in the form of Honours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prussan Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Studying towards a profession in Neuroscience. ^This. Me too. I'm want to get into research! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scrabbler Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Working towards a teaching degree. Then I need to get Montessori certification. Then I need to do many hours of continuing education every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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