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ENWorld vs. Real World
- Thread starter DungeonmasterCal
- Start date
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
I know it will come as a shock to many of you, used as you are to your image of me as a wandering sword-for-hire, treading the soil of distant planets as I battle my way through one army of unpleasant insectoid baddies after another, always with a cynical smile on my lips and a beautiful princess panting in my arms, but in fact...
I'm a project manager in a software company. I run a team of about thirty programmers, testers, business analysts and sundry others, building good products for smart people. It's tons of fun. I've jumped a few times from one company to the other, since the tech market in Vancouver is, um, "volatile", I guess you'd say, but I haven't come across anything more fun that I might do.
Oh, except that posting at Wizards for an R&D Manager for Magic. THAT would be more fun. But I'd have to invest way more time and money into playing Magic than I'm currently willing to invest.
I write enough to keep me sane, and ENWorld gives me a place to publish most of it, and an appreciative audience, and fun feedback and other people's writing that's good for me, and my wife is writing a novel and we write and direct short films together and maybe in a couple of years we'll try and put a feature together but who knows?
I like project management, which is by and large what both DMing and film directing are. I would love a PM kind of role in the RPG industry (Line Manager like what ENWorld is looking for), but right now I need to be making software money. Maybe in a few years financial pressures will ease (my wife and had a couple of irresponsible years we're currently paying for) and I can broaden my horizons.
Maybe that sword-for-hire dream's not so far away...
I'm a project manager in a software company. I run a team of about thirty programmers, testers, business analysts and sundry others, building good products for smart people. It's tons of fun. I've jumped a few times from one company to the other, since the tech market in Vancouver is, um, "volatile", I guess you'd say, but I haven't come across anything more fun that I might do.
Oh, except that posting at Wizards for an R&D Manager for Magic. THAT would be more fun. But I'd have to invest way more time and money into playing Magic than I'm currently willing to invest.
I write enough to keep me sane, and ENWorld gives me a place to publish most of it, and an appreciative audience, and fun feedback and other people's writing that's good for me, and my wife is writing a novel and we write and direct short films together and maybe in a couple of years we'll try and put a feature together but who knows?
I like project management, which is by and large what both DMing and film directing are. I would love a PM kind of role in the RPG industry (Line Manager like what ENWorld is looking for), but right now I need to be making software money. Maybe in a few years financial pressures will ease (my wife and had a couple of irresponsible years we're currently paying for) and I can broaden my horizons.
Maybe that sword-for-hire dream's not so far away...
DungeonmasterCal
First Post
barsoomcore said:
That does it...the dream is over. *throws hands up in disgust and cracks the seal on a bottle of cheap bourbon*
Achan hiArusa
Explorer
My Job
I am currently trying to get my Masters in Physics doing a Thesis in Astronomy and I am starting my PhD in Planetary Science doing a Thesis in Microbiology. I sustain myself on a Graduate Assistantship where I do library research on Journal use over the past five years by Chemistry Graduate Students.
Before that I was a Teaching Assistant who taught University Physics I, Physics in Human Affairs (Physics for Poets), and Astronomy Labs.
Before that I was a Library Academic Tech working in Interlibrary Loan.
Before that I had jobs as a Fry cook or Janitor (sometimes both) or unemployed.
Before that I was earning my Bachelors in Physics while working jobs as a landscaper (the kind behind the lawnmower), library staff, dishwasher, fry cook, or babysitter.
Before that I was a high school student and mowed lawns, cleaned the local elementary school, was a stockman at Wal-Mart, and worked in a college library.
My gaming group:
Buff: Buff is a professional student who supports himself by working in the University computer labs as a lab op. He has his bachelors in Physics
Dok: Dok works for an ISP as phone help. He has his bachelors in Computer Science
Asad: Asad works for a company that does inventory control for Wal-Mart. He has his bachelors in Computer Engineering. He is getting married and moving to Atlanta in about a year.
Justin: Justin is getting his Bachelors in Creative Writing and works at the on-campus coffee shop.
Jeff: Jeff used to be a financial analyst and now is a Pre-Vet (or Pre-med, he can't decide right now, so he's doing both). He has his bachelors in business.
Other People I have gamed with
John: John works at the VA scanning in documents.
Theron: Theron is (last I heard) a CSA at Wal-Mart.
TJ: TJ is a clerk at the Wal-Mart Electronics Section.
CK: TJ's fiancee is another professional student, who is making some cash on the side managing message boards.
Rick: Rick is a CNA (certified nurse's assistant) who runs the desk.
Keith: Keith is a programmer at JB Hunt.
Scarlet: Haven't heard from her in awhile. Last I saw she was getting her bachelors in Biology.
Rachel: (got to call her) she is still deciding on what computing field she wants to get her degree in.
Willie: Last I heard he has a life-partner named Fenris who takes care of him.
Raymond: Another one I haven't heard from in awhile. Last I knew he was a fry cook at Wendy's.
William: William does some kind of IT work in Dallas. I need to get ahold of him.
Aaron: Aaron is in his first year of law school.
Joel: Joel is now a full-fledged law-shark having just finished his clerking.
David: I haven't heard from David since he was doing his residency at John Hopkins, but I think he was leaning towards pediatric medicine (hey, his Dad delivers them and he takes care of them).
Bill: Bill is almost done with culinary school.
Brandy: Bill's wife does special orders for the Barnes & Noble in Little Rock.
Bob: Last I heard from Bob, he had to move back to Shamokin, PA to take care of his father. When he was here he worked at Zero Mountain which was a food storage facility. I gamed with him and two other guys from his job whose names escape me.
Bishop: He should be in his Journeyman years as an electrician, haven't seen him in awhile though.
Max: How could I forget Max. He has degrees in theater and graphic arts, last I heard he was working as a tour guide in Dallas.
Jeremy: Last I heard he was doing IT in Austin.
Will: Will had somehow convinced the University that he was a Mac Expert and gotten a job. He was fired after a year.
There are a few other people I have played with as an adult: Floyd, Danny (sold drugs from his apartment, sometimes during our games), James (last time I knew he was doing Dinner Theater at Murray's), Kevin (supposedly went to culinary school), and some others whose names I can't remember whose fates I don't know about.
I am currently trying to get my Masters in Physics doing a Thesis in Astronomy and I am starting my PhD in Planetary Science doing a Thesis in Microbiology. I sustain myself on a Graduate Assistantship where I do library research on Journal use over the past five years by Chemistry Graduate Students.
Before that I was a Teaching Assistant who taught University Physics I, Physics in Human Affairs (Physics for Poets), and Astronomy Labs.
Before that I was a Library Academic Tech working in Interlibrary Loan.
Before that I had jobs as a Fry cook or Janitor (sometimes both) or unemployed.
Before that I was earning my Bachelors in Physics while working jobs as a landscaper (the kind behind the lawnmower), library staff, dishwasher, fry cook, or babysitter.
Before that I was a high school student and mowed lawns, cleaned the local elementary school, was a stockman at Wal-Mart, and worked in a college library.
My gaming group:
Buff: Buff is a professional student who supports himself by working in the University computer labs as a lab op. He has his bachelors in Physics
Dok: Dok works for an ISP as phone help. He has his bachelors in Computer Science
Asad: Asad works for a company that does inventory control for Wal-Mart. He has his bachelors in Computer Engineering. He is getting married and moving to Atlanta in about a year.
Justin: Justin is getting his Bachelors in Creative Writing and works at the on-campus coffee shop.
Jeff: Jeff used to be a financial analyst and now is a Pre-Vet (or Pre-med, he can't decide right now, so he's doing both). He has his bachelors in business.
Other People I have gamed with
John: John works at the VA scanning in documents.
Theron: Theron is (last I heard) a CSA at Wal-Mart.
TJ: TJ is a clerk at the Wal-Mart Electronics Section.
CK: TJ's fiancee is another professional student, who is making some cash on the side managing message boards.
Rick: Rick is a CNA (certified nurse's assistant) who runs the desk.
Keith: Keith is a programmer at JB Hunt.
Scarlet: Haven't heard from her in awhile. Last I saw she was getting her bachelors in Biology.
Rachel: (got to call her) she is still deciding on what computing field she wants to get her degree in.
Willie: Last I heard he has a life-partner named Fenris who takes care of him.
Raymond: Another one I haven't heard from in awhile. Last I knew he was a fry cook at Wendy's.
William: William does some kind of IT work in Dallas. I need to get ahold of him.
Aaron: Aaron is in his first year of law school.
Joel: Joel is now a full-fledged law-shark having just finished his clerking.
David: I haven't heard from David since he was doing his residency at John Hopkins, but I think he was leaning towards pediatric medicine (hey, his Dad delivers them and he takes care of them).
Bill: Bill is almost done with culinary school.
Brandy: Bill's wife does special orders for the Barnes & Noble in Little Rock.
Bob: Last I heard from Bob, he had to move back to Shamokin, PA to take care of his father. When he was here he worked at Zero Mountain which was a food storage facility. I gamed with him and two other guys from his job whose names escape me.
Bishop: He should be in his Journeyman years as an electrician, haven't seen him in awhile though.
Max: How could I forget Max. He has degrees in theater and graphic arts, last I heard he was working as a tour guide in Dallas.
Jeremy: Last I heard he was doing IT in Austin.
Will: Will had somehow convinced the University that he was a Mac Expert and gotten a job. He was fired after a year.
There are a few other people I have played with as an adult: Floyd, Danny (sold drugs from his apartment, sometimes during our games), James (last time I knew he was doing Dinner Theater at Murray's), Kevin (supposedly went to culinary school), and some others whose names I can't remember whose fates I don't know about.
Desdichado
Hero
Not really; it's just that the whole point of the thread was to ask what we did professionally, so that's what most people have answered...Zappo said:
DungeonmasterCal
First Post
Achan hiArusa said:
His last name wouldn't be Hightower, would it?
Tarrasque Wrangler
First Post
I work in the risk review department for a major bank. Check fraud, signature verification, ATM fraud, suspicious account activity, that sort of thing.
CarlZog
Explorer
I edit a series of marine navigation handbooks used by sailors and ship captains. I also work as a professional sailor -- teaching nav and seamanship on tall ships that run high school and college semester-at-sea programs.
Working on boats full time kept me out of regular gaming for a long time. Now, life is a little more settled. The office gig allows me to be in a weekly game, and I still go sailing a few months out of the year. Life is good.
Although it would still be OK to win the lottery and spend a year catching up on all the gaming I'd like to do.
Working on boats full time kept me out of regular gaming for a long time. Now, life is a little more settled. The office gig allows me to be in a weekly game, and I still go sailing a few months out of the year. Life is good.
Although it would still be OK to win the lottery and spend a year catching up on all the gaming I'd like to do.
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