Semi retired, but I do work part time for a friend who restores 1960s Minis. Most rewarding keeping old cars on the road. My MX5 is twenty years old.
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I qualified as an accountant 26 years ago (wow time flies!) and other than being a Managing Director for 4 1/2 years until a year ago (had its ups and downs - downs were having to manage people, which is never easy! - now I hardly speak to people which is greatā¦), I have been paid to play with spreadsheets.
I now work on them for a company for the whole of Europe, the Middle East and India. Great job, great boss that I have known now for 25 years and I get paid enough so I can afford a new MX5, so I consider myself very lucky.
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Professional Mechanical Design/Development Engineer employed over the years designing/developing such things as life science laboratory equipment, industrial photographic processing equipment, mass spectrometers for elemental analysis, downhole electrical instrumentation connector systems for offshore oil production wells and last 20 years as Technical Authority/Engineering Manager for naval and army cannon and artillery systems. Happily took early retirement a couple of years ago (because I could!).
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another IT Nerd here!
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Carpenter / Builder, with beaten up hands and fingers like leather sausages.
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I remember when I was a kid and my dad told me (he was an engineer), that if you have the choice - work with your head rather than your hands - it is an easier life. He also said that you should work for yourself rather than anyone else.
I managed the first but not the secondā¦
My fingers are nice and soft 
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Former Royal Marine, Police Officer, and now a driving instructor (the MX5 helps me let my hair downā¦whatās left )
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Too true!
After forty years in A/V repair, design and manufacture Iāve been retired for fifteen years. Retirement is the best job Iāve ever had, partly because it has the least stress and no commuting around the M25.
More to the point with children flown we do what we previously always wanted! If it were not for lockdown we would be busier and more physically active than ever before.
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Not bad advice from your Dad, I had the opposite as my Dad was a tradesman ( Antique upholsterer ) and his advice was " get a trade lad " it served me well over the years , first as a Butchers apprentice in a London market, then in the 80s, after I qualified as a Chippy. I was self employed for 30 years, but it all knocked the ā ā ā ā out of my Bod, particularly my hands 
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I can still remember my dad saying that to me , so I got a trade trouble was I think it was the wrong one , although I suppose that I canāt complain I was never out of work and always earned fairly good money.
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Well, I am female, but not a hairdresser?! (except for my husband - I do trim his hair - well, whatās left of it!)
When I first left college I worked at a well known Motorcycle Museum on the edge of the New Forest - my favourite part of that job was cleaning the motorbikes in the museum.
I then worked in a vintage and classic car restoration business for about ten years - hands on - in the workshop. After that, I worked for an engieering company for some years - doing both adminā and occasionally running the CNC machines (the owner used to programme the machine and leave me to āfeed itā and check tolerances, etc)
Since then I have worked doing adminā for a couple of other local companies, and also got involved with helping to organise and run a local Pedal Car Grand Prix too!
Now I only work part-time from home, doing a bit of adminā and I am also unpaid Secretary for another car club!
My husband is just retiring from his car restoration business and says his hands have never looked so clean!
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Retired from paid employment 15 years ago to become my parentsā carer for 14 years. Before that 27 years with a commodity shipper in āThe Cityā then for a bookseller until retirement. Have cut my own hair - No.3 - for the last 14 years, if that counts.
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Aha, man after my own heart, Iāve used the electric dog clippers for years also, and No 2 or 3 , or though there is less and less to clip nowadays 
P.S.
But my neck hair still keeps growing 
,maybe some sort of comb over is in order 
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Yes! Why is it that as it stops growing on top it sprouts more strongly on the neck? 
It seem to lack whatās needed to make it up to the higher altitude! 
Maybe this is the answer
Same here but plumbing/building trade for many years, got the scars and the dodgy back too.
Stood me in good stead when I packed it in, Iāve been able do my own home improvements and general maintenance now in my retirement.
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You must have the same haircut as me thatās the same as I do myself, although thereās not so much of it to cut these days.
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Iām a counsellor and alcohol therapist, I suffer from SAD so get my MX5 on prescription as therapy*
*One of these āfactsā may not be strictly trueā¦
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Who worries whether itās true or not this is the internet donāt you know.
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Its good being able to do your own DIY , although I havenāt retired just yet, but my wifeās list is constantly growing! , but going out to get " some bits " is a good excuse to give the car a quick run, depending on the changing Covid restrictions.
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