What is your post-apocalyptic occupation?

[forinborin]

AIBU to ask you what your post-apocalyptic occupation would be?

With all the recent news about the shortage of skilled workers - HGV drivers, farm labourers, and today there are news about an emergency visa scheme considered for abattoir workers, I started wondering what would I do if the modern society suddenly fell back into - well, not Dark Ages exactly - but, say, mid-late 19th century ways of living.

And realised that I actually have very little in terms of real-life tradeable skills. In a world without computers, my other skills are worth zero to the community, and I would probably immediately fall to the bottom of the newly established social order.

What about you?

I guess I could quality test some of the males, I'd be OK with that.

I can make clothes

I've spent my whole life accumulating a small amount of skill in as many different areas as possible (also known as dabbling). I am expert in almost none of them, but I think generalists are underestimated - knowing the basics (or a little more) will often be enough, and being able to turn your hand to a variety of different things makes you useful in most circumstances.

In terms of specific skills, I can teach, bake bread and brew beer/wine. I can play a musical instrument well enough to be reasonably entertaining. I know the basics of spinning, dyeing and weaving (useful for the knitters, I can knit but not well tbh). I would be good at setting up communication systems (Morse code, basic electronics, cryptography).

Yeah I'm the same op, totally fucked 😂.

Dh on the other hand would thrive. He can do all the outdoorsy things - survival, wild camp, make a fire, set a trap, skin an animal, find water. He's a fantastic gardener and can grow things, has a deep knowledge of herbs. He's first aid trained and a fantastic cook. Great at DIY, making things, fixing things, all manner of things.

I think I'd just have to push dh forward and hope he was good enough for both of us!

I have an apocalypse plan (thanks to insomnia) Basically involves taking over a nearby castle, next to farmland and a river, ram raiding the chemist on the way for all the good drugs, and collecting the people I know with skills. So I’d be living it large like Negan or something. Castle is very nice, and there’s a boatload of swords and stuff.
I can make sloe gin and ginger wine.

I have 40 years of medical experience and can make herbal remedies, soap creams and I'm a good Gardner.

I went a bit overboard with my Brecht/covid planning and will therefore be the one living a life of luxury trading tins of beans and corned beef bbe December 2020

I'm not very outdoorsy but I do run a preschool room so I'll raise everyone kids, I once caught a massive dog that broke into our playground so I'm clearly able to protect them from zombies too.

@ipswichwitch

I have an apocalypse plan (thanks to insomnia) Basically involves taking over a nearby castle, next to farmland and a river, ram raiding the chemist on the way for all the good drugs, and collecting the people I know with skills. So I’d be living it large like Negan or something. Castle is very nice, and there’s a boatload of swords and stuff. I can make sloe gin and ginger wine.

That's a good idea. So you're using the fact you've got a prime dwelling to draw people to you that have skills.

@EatYourVegetables @madroid I'll join you in the Menopausal Militia. I've acquired plenty of practical skills in my life but am pretty sure the state murderous rage I'm in most of the time might be my most prized asste atm...

Id be a leader, I'm fabulous at corralling people. Particularly with physical tasks.
Until contact lenses ran out. Then I'd be a blind mole.

@SinoohXaenaHide

I shall be the village matriarch/elder/wisewoman/witch and shall command fear and respect from all. Because frankly there won't be a lot of call for database analytics if there isn't electricity any more.

Love this :)

Learned loads of skills as a guider for many years; shelter building, making fires, identifying mushrooms, first aid, cooking in a camp fire etc. In my electronics, theatre tech & teaching eras I could set up communications equipment, not afraid of hard work, can teach the kids in our apocalyptic settlement all of that survival stuff. I have lots of knowledge on nuclear stuff so might be a bit useful if WW3 kicks off.

Although I’d much rather be the wise old sage sitting by the fire crocheting.

Unfortunately, due to disability, in a zombie apocalypse I’d be one of the ones either eaten or turned as I’d be buggered if I have to run. So maybe I’d be useful as a rather slow moving, plump bait!

I can knit socks. But only really slowly so probably about 12 people a year may have warm feet and I don’t think anyone will pay a months wages for one pair of socks.

Also, I don’t know how to sheer sheep, or card abd spin wool so won’t have anything to knit anyway.

Once my asthma meds run out there’s no way I can run anywhere so I’m definitely going to end up eaten by zombies.

I would be the storyteller . Am really good at remembering and reciting stories.

I can do engineering type things. I'm a good cook too. I have done some teaching so I can cover maths and stuff for the post apocalyptic children. Too old to help repopulate really. All of this is predicated on not losing my glasses in the melee, or there would have to be stealth Specsavers raids!

I'm an academic (not useful) but my expertise is guerrilla warfare strategy (super useful?)

DH knows how to cook for hundreds of people at a time, if your castle needs a chef @ipswichwitch

Medicine woman. Rather like the witch upthread.

I’d also repair clothes.

And cook. Like Mrs Lovett.

I'm a beekeeper so I could help provide honey?
I'm also pretty good at herbal remedies so I'll volunteer for that too.

RubyFowler it is a prime dwelling indeed - thought I’d need a bit more than my scintillating wit and sparkling repartee to get all the useful people in 😂 plus DH used to be a bus driver so he’s in charge of collecting everyone!

dreamingbohemian yes I’ll definitely need a mass catering chef so you’re all on board!

I can build anything out of anything. My post apocalypse shelters will be the grand designs of mutant waste dump dwellings !

I’m good at detecting bullshit and would gladly stop suffering fools and shoot the bombastic idiots who think they know what they’re doing but will drag the whole group down with their stupidity.

AndStand you can have a place in my apocalypse castle - my dad used to keep bees so I could help out, plus someone has to supply my 7yo with honey - he’s like Winnie the Pooh the amount he gets through!

I've had this actual conversation with my family. My DH is a dab hand at DIY and building shit out of nothing, DD knows all about foraging and DS is generally very handy as well as being a judo black belt. Handy to fend off the zombies? Me? I'm the weakest link but reckon I'm the emotional glue that holds us all together and I have fabulous organisational skills. Take one, take us all.