THREW Mikes EyEz

Original Writings, Images, Video and Artworks of Mike Hartley

Tag Archives: career


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Last career

What is your career plan? – Not a bad question for me at this stage of life by the daily writing prompt.

I never thought about asking myself that question (What is your career plan) after I retired. Not that I don’t keep very busy with things, it’s just that I never thought about my activities at this stage (retirement) as a career.

I’m not even sure I want another career after 50 years in newspapers. I hope my days of working for another boss are over.

I guess my retirement plan was sort of a career plan unintentionally. Though I doubt I’ll reach a professional status at any of them, but who knows unless you try.

I’m attempting to be a photographer, writer and artist in the later stages of my life. I have a lot of grand plans. Some of them are coming along. Some others I’ve been slow to start at, but a little progress is better than none.

Right now, I have a temporary career as an active grandfather to 3 young children. Of course, that time is short because we all know children grow up quickly and will be off with friends and their own careers before I blink my eyes.

Life Tip – When I was working, I thought this type of question was one of the most important ones I could ask as a manager or get as an employee from my manager. I used to ask it like this. What do you want to accomplish this coming year towards your career goal, and what would you like to be doing the following year. What do you see yourself doing in 5 years and where? I would also add that if there career goal had nothing to do with the job they were in that wasn’t an issue.

If I could get them talking, I’d let them go even further. It allowed me as a manager to know what opportunities they were looking for and if I could assist in that, I would.

I also always found those that asked me about my future interest, desires and goals were the best managers.

No problem getting down to shoot in that position but getting up isn’t as easy as it used to be..
Photo by Mike Hartley


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Professions

What jobs have you had? – The Daily Writing prompt inquires.

Before I graduated high school, I delivered newspapers and worked in a few kitchens and an ice cream factory. I did some drywall work for a bit.

A bumper sticker I can Support. Photo by Mike Hartley

At 18 I started in Newspapers in the Engraving department. Occasionally I’d get out to the pressroom and mailroom when they were short-handed. Next, I became the Graphics manager and then the Photo Coordinator. Then I was moved to Pre-Press Technology and Development manager and finally Systems Operations manager. This was 21 years of my life with the Times/Patuxent Publishing Newspaper group.

After that, 3 of us struck out on our own and started a weekly newspaper. I tried to learn how to sell and, that I wasn’t a salesman after a year and a half. We all wore a great number of hats being so small.

For the next 26 years, I was a Pre-Press Systems Programmer/Analyst, a System Consultant, a publishing system Team Lead for CCI, a Senior UNIX System Administrator, and a System Analyst again at The Washington Post.

Now I’m working on my passions and I don’t call that a job but it’s a fair amount of work.

Wall of front pages on 9/11/2001. Photo by Mike Hartley

Other replies can be found here: https://wordpress.com/tag/dailyprompt-1953


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Mission Control

What is your career plan? – Ask the Daily Writing prompt.

To hell with the career plan. The 48-year career in newspapers is in the rearview mirror now. I’m on a Mission now, and that is to enjoy retirement and let loose all those creative things I wanted to do when I was a teenager but went to work instead of challenging myself.

The end of Newsprint Rolls are called end rolls or a roll-end from presses. At the beginning of my career, I got the opportunity to work on a press a bit when it was slow in Engraving. The term I believe I remember the pressmen using for them was “Butt Ends.” Photo by Mike Hartley

Now I get to test myself and I don’t have to starve to do it. My mission is to work each day till my last one on my artistic hobbies. I have no idea how many days I have, just entering my senior years. I have no idea what the effort will amount to but it’s not the end, it’s the journey.

A corner of the basement is my Mission Control. The band of me myself and I get up each day ready to kick ass. It’s a nice commute. The hours are flexible. My boss is cool and into all kinds of management techniques, some I’ve worked for never thought of, or wouldn’t listen to.

Anyway, the plan in short for whatever it is I’m doing.

  • Photograph, print, draw, etch, carve, sculpt, write, and paint.
  • Create a body of work for my family and friends that would touch them.
  • Maybe bring joy to a stranger’s life in some way.
  • To use my photography to see the world and the people in it better.
  • To go places of interest and enjoy them with my better half while snapping away and learning.
  • Have a lot of fun in the MX5 go-cart and lay waste to a few more sets of tires.

It would be neat to put together a body of work that someone might say after I’m gone. “Imagine what he might have done if he spent his lifetime at these pursuits.”

Have a good day all.

Other replies to today’s daily prompt – https://wordpress.com/tag/dailyprompt-1933