Everybody has to do something for living. I am no exception. In my life so far I did many things to earn few money.
Toata lumea trebuie sa faca ceva pentru a trai. Nici eu nu fac exceptie. Pana acum in viata mea am facut multe lucruri ca sa castig putini bani.
Back in Romania in 1988 at the age of 19 I first started working half-time (3 shifts) in a electronics plant (IEIA) as a milling machine operator. I had to go in the army in 1989 to 1990, but I came back after that. Same year I changed my working place to a heavy duty utility vehicles repair shop where I was a lathe machine operator, full time, 2 shifts.
In Romania in 1988 m-am angajat prima oara cu jumate de norma (3 schimburi) intr-o fabrica de electronica (IEIA) ca frezor. A trebuit sa merg in armata in '89 pana in '90 dar dupa aceea m-am reantors. In acelasi an m-am transferat intr-un atelier de reparatii utilaje si vehicule de santier unde am lucrat ca strungar, cu norma intreaga, 2 schimburi.
After 4 years I decided this is not what I really wanted to do and took a 6 months computer programing course. Then I started working as a computer operator at The Center of Applied Informatics. Now this was a really great job! I did lots of things there, starting as a plotter operator, then digitizing maps in Auto CAD, installing networks, building maps from field measurements, programing in Fox Pro and Lisp, technical drawings from sketches in Auto CAD and electronic schematics in Orcad for students and plotting them, supervising a team of data entering operators for the national printing of shares, installing internet accounts, text processing, newspaper editing, image processing, web pages design, building systems, installing software, maintenance...
Dupa 4 ani mi-am dat seama ca nu asta doream sa fac si am urmat un curs de 6 luni de programare pe computer. Apoi am inceput sa lucrez la Centrul de Informatica Aplicata ca operator de calculator. Asta da servici! Am facut o gramada de lucruri acolo, incepand ca operator la plotter, apoi am digitizat harti in Auto CAD, am instalat retele, am construit harti dupa masuratori in teren, am programat in Fox Pro si in Lisp, am facut desene tehnice dupa schite in Auto CAD si scheme electronice in Orcad si le-am plotterat pentru studenti, am supravegheat o echipa de operatoare pentru introducerea de date in vederea privatizarii nationale, am instalat conturi de internet, am editat texte, ziare, imagini, pagini de web, am construit sisteme, instalat software, am facut intretinere...
After 4 years I changed my working place again, this time for better money. I was hired by CG&GC, Toshiba and CONEX GSM Authorized Dealer, as a hardware and software specialist. There I was responsible with all computers and parts  inventory, building systems and networks, installing software, service, maintenance, network and internet administrator, advertising, teaching computer classes for my colleagues and sometimes customers, technical advisor for sales reps... Pretty cool, huh? Unfortunately not even this job could provide me enough money to live a decent life with my family there. Not company's fault... but economical conditions over there.
Dar dupa 4 ani a trebuit sa-mi schimb din nou locul de munca, de data aceasta pentru bani mai multi. Am fost angajat la CG&GC, dealer autorizat Toshiba si CONEX GSM, ca specialist hard si soft. Acolo am fost responsabil cu gestiunea de calculatoare si componente, am construit sisteme si retele, am instalat software, service, intretinere, am administrat reteaua si conturile de internet, am facut publicitate, am tinut cursuri de calculatoare pentru colegi, am acordat asistenta tehnica la vanzari... Interesant, nu? Din pacate nici chiar aceasta slujba nu a putut sa-mi asigure suficienti bani pentru a duce un trai decent impreuna cu familia. Nu din vina firmei... ci a conditiilor economice din tara.
So, after 2 years I had the chance to come to the USA to work here. But nothing came easily... The guy I was supposed to work for had bankruptcy. With no family here, no money, no conections, I was completely lost... I found some work in the construction field, doing siding, then roofing, installing and sanding hardwood floors, installing ceramic tiles. I found an arabic guy that hired me as a computer technician but was too stressful blaming everybody for everything. So I quit and returned to ceramic tiles and hardwood. Well, this what I do for living for now, hoping to find something better someday...
Asa ca, dupa 2 ani am avut sansa de a veni sa lucrez in SUA. Dar nimic nu vine prea usor... Tipul la care trebuia sa lucrez a dat faliment. Fara familie, bani, cunostinte, am fost pierdut... Am gasit ceva de lucru in condtructii si am facut siding (placari exterioare), acoperisuri, am instalat si raschetat parchet, am instalat gresie si faianta. Cam asta fac si acum, sperand sa gasesc ceva mai bun intr-o zi...