This is aimed mostly at the older guys here, but what do you guys do? What careers do you pursue? How do you make your money so you can blow it all on glued veneer and cast metal?

Me? I work for my church as a coffee shop manager. I have five years experience and have competed in various barista competitions in my time. I also occasionally freelance for other coffee shops, and have worked with chocolatiers to create coffee flavoured chocolates

So what about you guys?

I applied for a for a job expereicen in British airways, I'm going for a interview in next 3 weeks.

i was a diesel mechanic, quit that.
now i just sit at home fingerboarding, and applying for jobs.

Not much right now, aha. I have a job interview at marks and spencers today though

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I work at McDonald's. It's my first job, I'm lovin' it so far.(pun intended)

Awesome. Kerry, that's awesome and I've been stoked for you ever since you first told people! And guys applying for jobs, best of luck!

Also, barista competitions? Are those like, several baristas lining up and making the best coffee whilst the crowd goes wild?
I'm intrigued as to what happens there!

I did the UKBC and NECTA Young Barista of the Year. Basically you get 15 minutes to make 4 cappuccinos, 4 single espressos and 4 of a sig drink which can have anything except alcohol in. You have to talk about the coffee you're using, why you used it, the philosophy behind your signature drink, all that kind've thing. You're marked on milk consistency, how closely the flavour profile you describe is to what the judges are tasting, your technical proficiency, etc... Overall there are seven judges watching you and over 800 marks in total. I won NECTA in 2011 and came 30 points off the UK top 16 in 2009 (my first competition). It's cool if you know what people are talking about, but if you don't it can be a bit dull when people are talking about how their honey process, single origin Guatemala was turned once every hour which means the coffee has light floral and strawberry notes, and how they roasted it just past second crack to ensure the origin flavour wasn't lost among roast flavour...

There are videos online though the 2011 World Barista Champion was great; his sig drink was to brew different parts of the coffee tree as infusions, add an espresso and a brewed coffee and drink the whole thing as one drink. It was all from Finca La Ilusion in El Salvador as well, down the road from where the guy lived. It also happens to be my favourite coffee ever; gorgeous Fruit Salad sweets up front, developing into pink lemonade. As an espresso it has a genuine fizziness to it as well which is just amazing

EDIT: now that I think of it, you're in Leeds...Opposite Cafe in The Victoria shopping mall thing in the centre of Leeds uses Has Bean (the same roastry we use), which is the company who buy up the entire La Ilusion crop each year. They'll know all about competition AND have some gorgeous coffees tell them SeamusMcFlurry sent you; it'll be interesting to see how well my reputation has lasted lol.

I'm somewhere in between being a musician, music producer, fingerboard distributor and manufacturer or unemployed loser..

I have chosen to do what i love instead of getting some shitty job.. Unfortunately my savings are running out, so sooner or later i will have to conform.



(unless you start spending more money on my shop )

What type of music? My old boss and co-worker have started up a record label

I work with a lot of different genres. But i am about to release my debut album with my Post hardcore/punk/metal band.

I put labels on boxes, it's the most boring thing ever, but I feel like I really deserve to get payed as I wake up at 6, start at 8 and finish at 4:30, working a full day t 100% all day is so tiring so I feel happy with the pay I get (which is a really good price per hour considering)

Hey man, long as money's gong in, who cares? If you're doing a job you deserve to get paid, and I know how you feel about long hours

Yeah exactly man, I reckon it actually feels good to pay for things with the money you've earned yourself rather than relying on other people to lend you the money

I did potwashing for a few months but it fucked up my hands so i quit.
Im in my second year of 6th form though, and hoping to go to uni next year

I edit videos for a call of duty clan called WiLD, I know it sounds almost childish but hey, getting paid to edit some video game clips? Better then some borring office job. I am also a dishwasher at my local summer camp haha. nothing to serious yet.

kerryDETH wrote:

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That's awesome. You only get one chance in life! I'd much rather chase a dream and fail than die wondering!

I'm unemployed at the minute (chasing the dream haha). I have pretty good grades from school and I have a degree, yet no one will hire me. The only jobs at local job centre all say I'm over qualified, it's kind of annoying. I'd rather work a dull job earning a decent wage than have no job at all, but I'm overlooked for those jobs because I have a degree and overlooked for most graduate jobs because I don't have a 1st class degree.

SeamusMcFlurry wrote:

EDIT: now that I think of it, you're in Leeds...Opposite Cafe in The Victoria shopping mall thing in the centre of Leeds uses Has Bean (the same roastry we use), which is the company who buy up the entire La Ilusion crop each year. They'll know all about competition AND have some gorgeous coffees tell them SeamusMcFlurry sent you; it'll be interesting to see how well my reputation has lasted lol.

That sounds rad, aha, I'd love to be able to make nice coffee! Now you've made me want to make a coffee, aha.
I'll have top check that coffee shop out some time though!

On the other hand, I didn't get the job at M&S, apparently I offered the customer the wrong sort of ham? lmfao.

even though im much younger.. i work in a hairdressers ( no hate) i sweep up hair, make coffee and order new magazines:P