Do you feel like your profession is in demand right now? How are things going in your line of work?

[fujiyama]

As we all know, for a huge number of people, possibly a vast majority, this has been a difficult economy. We see improvements in job numbers and statistically things seem to be getting better, but at the same time, much of the jobs being created are lower wage and aren't enough to really provide any sort of real middle class life. Many are graduating college with poor job prospects with crushing debt loads.

So what is your experience with the current economy from a personal level? Do you feel like you have options? Do you feel like your skills are in demand? Did your education pay off?

[bhikkhu]

1. As a mechanic, its been steady demand for the last 30 years

I've moved all over the country and never had a problem getting a job and paying the bills anywhere.

I've also never trained a single person to do the job I do in all those years. I've always figured its not especially prestigious, or easy, or clean, so in spite of the pay and good work situation, there's never been much interest.

[cherokeeprogressive]

2. Right now, TRASH is my "profession", and trash neither sleeps nor takes holidays.

I've done a lot of things: Machinist, Auto Painter on the GM assembly line, Sailor, Teacher, Realtor, Trainer... Now I drive a "front loader" and empty commercial dumpsters at stores, restaurants, hotels, B&B's etc.

Someone at my company works 365 days a year. Holiday pay is double-time and a half, Sundays double.

I fucking love my job, not so much because of the job but because of where it allows me to live. I smile all day long. $22+/hr, 100% medical with no co-pay (that's gonna change though thanks to ACA), 401K... plus I do my job all day with the music BLARING in the cab of my truck. I stop when I like, pull out my cellphone and piss some DUers off... It's all good.

I have a BA in Voc Ed. Got it at night and on weekends and finished at 38. ZERO student loans. I'm happy as a clam at the moment, and will retire permanently at 55 or 56. It was iffy for a while, but my Wells Fargo stock which fell all the way from $44 to $8 in 2008/9, is now back over $40.

Life is good. Trashy, but good.

[The Straight Story]

3. My skills are in demand, just don't have a car anymore

So makes it hard to get to interviews to get a job to get a car

Programmer/data bases/data center management/tech support etc (going on 18 years experience covering a wide range of skills).

[pipoman]

4. People need to eat, and not that many people know how to cook anymore..

and even fewer know how to fix broken restaurants..so yes, in demand..

[Zorra]

5. My education paid off by giving me a clear understanding of my options.

I have a few skills for which there is always a demand.

[Warpy]

6. I was an RN and I'm glad I'm not one now

Hospitals are in full panic mode, cutting staff by attrition and nobody is hiring. Floors are understaffed past the unsafe point for both patients and nurses.

This has been especially hard on new grads over the last year and a half. Experienced nurses are favored for the little hiring that's being done and there's no way for them to get hired to get experienced.

Once those asshole MBAs running hospitals realize the sky aint falling, they'll probably set those dangerously low staffing levels in stone and start picking out new vacation palaces. However, hiring should pick up a bit next year.

[pipoman]

9. Geriatric nursing is steady in demand in these parts..

[jberryhill]

7. I hear that paid Internet trolling is booming

At least half of DU makes big money at home that way.

[Zorra]

10. When times are hard, punking for the 1% is always a sure bet. nt

[pnwest]

8. Artist/crafter here. I and my colleagues

have been talking about how good our sales have been this year. If people are spending money on arts n crafts, a completely unnecessary luxury, we all consider it a very big, positive sign that the economy is on an upswing. It's been consistently good all year so far! Woohoo!

[Blue_In_AK]

11. I'm retired,

but someone offered me a job out of the blue a couple of weeks ago. (I declined.). I was a legal secretary/paralegal for 25 years and then a court transcriptionist for about 10. I never had a problem finding work.