To be know if anyone has any interesting careers/jobs

[MrsKravitz]

Ok silly because I know its not quite a aibu

But thinking today about jobs that I am fascinated with , like personal shopper, and wondered what people on here do and if there is a big range of interesting careers. Ive read previously there are actors and writers on here,what other things? and is anyone a personal shopper?Do people actually use them?

I'm a Search Engine Optimisation consultant.

It's basically a specialised form of IT consultant - online (digitial) marketing to improve the performance of a website or a web page in search engines and/or to users.

So my job essentially is to promote our clients' websites. With lots and lots of research:

• What are they doing wrong on the site?
• What are other people doing better?
• How can they exploit this or that better?
• What are people looking for which is relevant?
• How do they attempt to find it?
• Viral marketing / social media
• How to market online to ABC demographic..
• And so on.

It involves conversion rate optimisation (getting more people to sign up to XYZ, more financial transactions, more interaction - whatever - all measured in statistics and goals). It also involves competitor analysis and lots of keyword/trend anaysis.

So, a bit of technical wizardry, a bit of marketing, a bit of psychology!

And the lesser areas I cover are the management of paid link building budgets, online ad revenue reporting/budgeting, as well as the occasional bit of copywriting and content management.

My degree was in artificial intelligence at uni, but my background is in software development (4 years working for a bank - yawn- and then another 2 years working freelance - fun but unstable income) but I also have marketing qualifications which lead to me convincing one of the top London agencies hiring me on a probationary basis.

I'm currently working on a project which involves some ad hoc troubleshooting work for a medium sized clothing retailer (women's fashion - it's a collection of independant boutiques) who just launched their new website 4 months ago, but their (utterly shite) web developer has made a few mistakes with the coding and design of the website which means it has significant visibility issues in search engines, as well as some usability flaws.

We've been hired to get their visibility back up (and to improve upon) pre-launch stats - I love it!

I love seeing the result of my work. For example, we did a 2 week project in September last year for a local government arm (mini health website) to consult on a viral marketing campaign with most of its budget online - they do the same thing every year (it's seasonal - like the anti drinking ads on TV at Christmas) - I'm sitting here reading through visitor and interaction levels for the last quarter's year on year figures, and we're sitting at an increase in visitor numbers in the thousands of percent... and people are (apparently) staying on the site for an average of 4.5minutes longer.

Gooood times!

Oh yes, and sometimes, I laugh out loud when I see certain things being done on MN, because I've used similar techniques to engage users / increase search engine visibility on my own clients' websites in the past.

The longer I do this job (I've only been here 6 months) the more I have my eyes opened to the techniques and methods my own favourite websites are using to make me do XYZ on their website.

I honestly feel like my eyes have been opened a lot since this time last year. And I speak as someone who's done marketing courses and did a few psychology modules at uni! I hadn't realised the efforts of digital marketing were just as well established (if less obvious to your Average Joe!) as the traditional marketing dicipline.

I am an academic (social scientist). I love my job, lots of writing, interviewing interesting people, intellectually challenging but with a human side. I would still work if I won the lottery.

I love this list and I love how many people like their jobs, I have felt at times like it's my dirty secret!

Wow, an amazing selection of jobs! I see that us lawyers are largely absent for once. Funny that.

As a Quantum Physicist I can confidently state with authority that being a Quantum Physicist is great fun. I also considered being a Brain Surgeon but the name was already taken

Up until now I've been a seasonal worker, working in one place (with accom/food paid for/cheap) for 6-12 months before moving onto another job. In the past three years I've had about 8 or 9 different jobs (inc voluntary ones), lived in 5 different counties and met loads of people, especially Aussies and Kiwis!

I'm now trying to settle down a little to start nannying, though I'm not sure what I want career wise. I'm thinking that working with home educated children (especially those with special needs) would be my ideal kind of work :)

We could call it MumsNetworking? - it'd be great fun!

I am a recruiter (I know, boo hiss) in corporate comms, government affairs, policy etc.

Wow. I love this thread.

One of my fave songs is by Pink, and includes the line "Where oh where, have the smart people gone, where oh where, could they be?"

And I often think, yes, where the fuck have they gone. In recent times, it seems all that women are celebrated for are their looks, whether a rich man finds them attractive, whether they have the latest handbag.

It seems that all the smart women have been trampled on by hair extensions and tit jobs and grazia magazine.

But no! there is hope for us yet, because MN is where all the smart people have gone!

Honestly its really cheered me up, I get thought of as a bit weird for being into science and physics, and for not thinking my breasts are my best asset. I am meant to be getting ready for an operation but have instead spent the time reading all of this. Its made me a bit emotional.

I forgot to add: This thread is very inspiring, and some people have some really interesting jobs! :D

Nullius: I feel like I say the same thing RE Pink all of the time. She is an inspiring woman herself :D

Dammit. My smileys are wrong. This is what happens when you use two forums

I started off as a Forensic Scientist, then became a CSI and now I'm a University lecturer (I'm also an A-level failure - so how the hell did that career happen!)

I do research on medieval Latin and teach various medieval related things (including Latin) at university

I'm an Architectural Technician and I love it. I work from home most of the time, but pop into the office once a week to be briefed on new projects.

mazzi2fly, DS is thinknig about applying to become an architectural technican to university for the 2012 intake, but he's also applying to some architecture courses - so far he hasn't given us details on what the difference is... I've goolged it a bit but on a day to day level what's the difference? DS really liked tech drawing at school, but not art. Therefore it sounds like Arch. Technology would be a better fit?

interesting this has cropped up on here now, since before last month i didn't even know there was such a job as what you do

Hi FingandJeffing.

I applied to a generics company who are happy to take people in without experience and are very good in training (and make you work really hard!). I was very lucky!

Hours are 9-5. Some times you may need to work extra, but if you're organised you shouldn't have to. Some companies are more flexible than others. I work 7am-3pm and from home 2 days a week.

It can be considered boring becvause it's computer based and very adminy. But it's very varied and fast paced and it's definitely not dull!

Cat me if you want and I'll be happy to answer any questions

Pastry chef.

City lawyer. Would much rather write children's history books

ooo betty what a great job. more than any other aspecting of chef-ing pastry stuff is amazing. It's such a great combination of art and science. I recently discovered that, given a whole evening a very slow rubbing in, I can make a mean short-crust. If I had more time I'd love to move on to the more complex stuff

I am a hospital pharmacist, my days are spent advising how to optimize drug therapy for patients and providing teaching sessions to doctors about safe prescribing (no putting pills into bottles all day as it the common misconception!)

I'm an investment analyst - which means I get to be really, really nosey about companies and businesses, how they work, who their customers are, what their prospects are, who are the competitors, have they got enough cash/the right sort of debt etc. etc. I can ask lots of questions and senior management teams have to take time out to talk to me. Brilliant.

not yet, but i will be a qualified Biomedical scientist in 2 years hopefully!

I'm a scientist. I work on a gene involved in heart development.

lambshop

mazz2ifly will be better placed to tell you in detail what she does so I hope I'm correct in what I say here.

The only times I have worked with Technicians - or Technologists - I think it's the same thing were during my Year Out and my 'Part 3' (training year). They were mainly involved in preparing the detailed drawings and specifications and generally assisting the Architect on larger schemes but also designing and running smaller projects as well.

As an Assistant (i.e. trainee Architect with 'L' plates) I found them extremely knowledgeable and practical people. Architectural degrees are notorious for not being very practical and I must say during my 'Year Out' (that's where you work for a year between the first degree and the second) I was ill-prepared for life in a busy practice!

Where are all the docs today? I'm a GP, and absolutely adore it. Was a hospital medic for years; best career change ever! Ran my own (non medical) business for a while as well.

I qualified as a L3 Teaching Assistant, now work with adults who have sensory inpairments and mental health issues. Starting my Social Work Degree very very soon : )