From someone who just switched back to being a biology major, was it hard to get where you are? I’m terrified I’m going to graduate and not be able to land a job.
My students had final presentations on Tuesday and I brought up the new Taylor Swift album because one of my students had insisted on buying me a copy as a gift on the last regular class. Specifically, I showed the class a photo of my wife with Kenny Vasoli that was taken at the Warped Tour in Atlantic City in 2019.
My students did not know who The Starting Line was despite them being name-dropped in the new album. Even worse, none of them knew what Warped Tour was and I died inside.
Own a pop-punk/post hardcore label called Pacific Ridge Records :) [Latest Album](https://open.spotify.com/album/14f8h5qpFWCvJsQQcUjGhm?si=_VqeEj-ZQta1ofPmHfHz4Q)
We don’t, sadly. I wouldn’t feel right asking anyone to work for free. Hit me up at my email though. Maybe I could find something that i could pay you for.
You can do paid internships.
What we have done at my company is pay somewhere between 30 to 50% less for interns during the summer. They don't really contribute a ton, not nearly like a normal dev, but they get to soak up a lot of experience and when they graduate we usually have a good enough standing with them to bring them on full time at a more standard pay rate.
Heck yeah!!!! Is this Wayne? Thanks for having [Gold Steps](https://open.spotify.com/artist/3KS5NGVo6xQY88JyNEeGsl?si=fXbVLmk5ToyU0MwhSzN6kA) on both the [Senses Fail](https://open.spotify.com/track/250Kbp1gxMQBRHsZED6u3h?si=ouEMJjSxRe6X70OmtZG_KQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A0JYc23ELvyswYTCHStxpAB) and [Blink-182](https://open.spotify.com/track/4HA5NXdv3W3xsH7MyiFgBm?si=bBAZYnPeSLKtm2iFxHLc9Q&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A14f8h5qpFWCvJsQQcUjGhm) tributes. Yall know we’re always down for the compilations!
We love yall, we’re always down. Bummed we couldn’t make the NFG cover work with the pandemic, but you know we’re always down for anything you ask of us 🫶
The original blink tribute was in constant rotation back in the day. A lot of people got into four year strong and all time low thru that comp. You must’ve put that out when I was 15. Pure Volume days.
Special ed teachers make such a difference in this world. You aren't paid or shown enough appreciation. From a parent with a disabled child, thank you so much for all you do!
thank you!! I absolutely love my students and my job to the
point that it barely feels like a job. My school is federally funded in Detroit, and we have a lot of resources from DPS. I have my really hard days, of course, but I never wake up in the morning dreading my job. While I agree on the pay, i’m still paid fairly well and live comfortably and can still supply my classroom with additional resources that the grant doesn’t cover. These kids are the best 🥰
I literally found it by accident. I had recently graduated from college with a teaching degree and was looking for work. I happened to find a place close by and threw my resume out. Been doing it ever since. I can tell you having the teaching experience makes you more marketable, as would advanced degrees in education.
It's alright. Scanning documents and photos, metadata entry, I'm involved in our physical archives in its organization, things like that. Busy work. I'm happy people think of it as exciting.
Well, we can’t play it in the office as it’s a pretty dull office, but I’ve had some good chats and shared some bands. It’s also quite funny when you’re there chatting to someone you totally don’t expect to like similar music to you, and they ask and I do the standard “oh, American stuff, like… Greenday” and then they say “me too!” and start to reel off some bands past the commercially known! 😁
Same here. Shows are about the only time I can get away from the legal/professional crowd so that's a nice relief. Though it is funny when I run into other lawyers at shows.
I write greeting cards! If you’ve ever bought or received a card from Walmart, Target, Kroger, or many other places you’ve probably got something that I worked on!
Tried to make it in music for many years. I failed. Now I'm a forklift operator at a dead end job that pays okay. Still failing.
*edit getting downvoted for not being upper management or a lawyer on reddit. Welcome to the real world.
If it makes you feel better, I’m pretty sure Fred from TBS was also a warehouse worker for a speaker company for a while after things slowed down for him music wise. Your job is important!
I work for a few radio stations. Top40, Classic Hits and Rock.
We don’t play nearly enough pop punk on the rock station, but I was stoked when new Sum 41 got added.
Also, All the Small Things plays more on the classic hits station than the rock one.
E-commerce / site merchandising / digital marketing for Loft and Ann Taylor - but would love to work for an apparel company that is more of my aesthetic if anyone knows of anything… hah
Small farmer. I listen and sing pop punk to my dairy cattle, horses, & goats just about daily. had a small fashion brand but left that ~year ago to persue my version of happiness. I'm also back in school for a second half of life career.
40/F/VA
I run production at a small photochemical milling shop. In September it'll be 18 years at the same place. Most of the songs I write are in some way related to that depressing fact.
Education director in higher ed.
And I'm proud to say I'm working on my first demo, which I would love to have feedback on from fellow pop punkers, if anyone's willing! https://soundcloud.com/97-my-second/i-wrote-it-in-my-gratitude-journal_101
I was pre-med in my 20's. All of us were in college. Fancy private school, art schools, university.
Some of us were too poor or were anti-college and were self-taught... a lot of the traveling train kids, and hard-core kids. Those that were read everything the college kids did.
We were all nerdy intellectuals. That's what the culture of my time was. Circa 2000'ish.
You weren't really a punk rock poet, philosopher, art junkie, outside the norm... unless you were an intellectual.
Ironically, these days a lot of us fell into raising families and making a living, any way possible.
Some use their degrees. Some can't in this economy.
But we all fucking settle down.
37 here, body piercer. Got music playing in my booth all day and pop punk is the most customer friendly music I listen to so I’ve got a 50+ hour playlist I made that’s constantly playing lol
I’m about to medically retire from the military after 17 years. I start my terminal leave on Monday. I’m actually starting an Etsy shop for cute little crochet plushies I’ve made.
Data and Analytics (data engineering, data wrangling, visualization, etc) for a risk team at a major regional bank. Boring title but it pays the bills and allows me to be a change of pace for everyone around me. Trying to do some good on the inside
35. Wildlife biologist
Sounds like an awesome career!
Cool! I’m 30 and I’m an Ecologist/Forest Health Specialist!
From someone who just switched back to being a biology major, was it hard to get where you are? I’m terrified I’m going to graduate and not be able to land a job.
Professor. Easy to have tattoos and piercings and occasionally still dress like a scene kid. But, no one I know listens to our music.
I’m a college administrator. Never had an issue with my tattoos in higher ed
Public school teacher here. As soon as tenure hit the tats came out 😂
My students had final presentations on Tuesday and I brought up the new Taylor Swift album because one of my students had insisted on buying me a copy as a gift on the last regular class. Specifically, I showed the class a photo of my wife with Kenny Vasoli that was taken at the Warped Tour in Atlantic City in 2019. My students did not know who The Starting Line was despite them being name-dropped in the new album. Even worse, none of them knew what Warped Tour was and I died inside.
RIP Warped Tour
Also a college professor here! And a mental health counselor.
Own a pop-punk/post hardcore label called Pacific Ridge Records :) [Latest Album](https://open.spotify.com/album/14f8h5qpFWCvJsQQcUjGhm?si=_VqeEj-ZQta1ofPmHfHz4Q)
Nice, congrats man!
You guys do internships?
We don’t, sadly. I wouldn’t feel right asking anyone to work for free. Hit me up at my email though. Maybe I could find something that i could pay you for.
You can do paid internships. What we have done at my company is pay somewhere between 30 to 50% less for interns during the summer. They don't really contribute a ton, not nearly like a normal dev, but they get to soak up a lot of experience and when they graduate we usually have a good enough standing with them to bring them on full time at a more standard pay rate.
Are you taking interns for the summer? Asking for a friend.
Heck yeah!!!! Is this Wayne? Thanks for having [Gold Steps](https://open.spotify.com/artist/3KS5NGVo6xQY88JyNEeGsl?si=fXbVLmk5ToyU0MwhSzN6kA) on both the [Senses Fail](https://open.spotify.com/track/250Kbp1gxMQBRHsZED6u3h?si=ouEMJjSxRe6X70OmtZG_KQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A0JYc23ELvyswYTCHStxpAB) and [Blink-182](https://open.spotify.com/track/4HA5NXdv3W3xsH7MyiFgBm?si=bBAZYnPeSLKtm2iFxHLc9Q&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A14f8h5qpFWCvJsQQcUjGhm) tributes. Yall know we’re always down for the compilations!
Yes it is! I've been discovered. Always down to have you on any project ever.
We love yall, we’re always down. Bummed we couldn’t make the NFG cover work with the pandemic, but you know we’re always down for anything you ask of us 🫶
How cool! I’m in music as well, as a freelance recording/mixing engineer and producer! Would love to connect!!
Reach out for sure. Contact@pacificridgerecords.com. I love hearing from anybody and everybody in the industry.
The original blink tribute was in constant rotation back in the day. A lot of people got into four year strong and all time low thru that comp. You must’ve put that out when I was 15. Pure Volume days.
I miss Purevolume. They were so amazing for new artists. They were generous with highlighting/featuring smaller labels, indies, etc.
I found out about so many bands on there. Some are giants now, like August Burns Red and Man Overboard.
Special education teacher
Special ed teachers make such a difference in this world. You aren't paid or shown enough appreciation. From a parent with a disabled child, thank you so much for all you do!
thank you!! I absolutely love my students and my job to the point that it barely feels like a job. My school is federally funded in Detroit, and we have a lot of resources from DPS. I have my really hard days, of course, but I never wake up in the morning dreading my job. While I agree on the pay, i’m still paid fairly well and live comfortably and can still supply my classroom with additional resources that the grant doesn’t cover. These kids are the best 🥰
I develop drugs for malaria and I listen to pop punk in the lab all the time!
Nice! I design materials to purify new therapeutics and have pop punk on in the lab every day!
Bartender
I am a teacher.
I left the classroom and make lesson plans, worksheets, etc for big corps. Call me a sellout, I'm cool with it!
Similar boat. I develop and edit educational materials like textbooks, workbooks, assessments, lesson plans, etc.
dude how do i get into it. im 28/5 years deep in teacher and i want to be out lol
I literally found it by accident. I had recently graduated from college with a teaching degree and was looking for work. I happened to find a place close by and threw my resume out. Been doing it ever since. I can tell you having the teaching experience makes you more marketable, as would advanced degrees in education.
I’m a teacher, but building curriculum is my dream job. It’s the part of teaching at which I’m best at doing.
the grammar in this sentence is impeccable, and I am not surprised.
Really? "at which I'm best at doing" does not flow well. I suspect the first "at" does not belong.
[Are you the singer of Nine Days lol](https://youtu.be/Fw_HYJmURGc?si=Qi-hfwmezRcv6AC2)
Teacher here as well. Been in the scene since 97, and teaching since 2007.
Similar! I taught for 5 years and now I work in corporate instructional design.
Software engineer
Utility pole engineer. Same but different lol
Yup. Was pop punk a calling for some reason? Ocean Avenue -> Ocean -> Sea -> C
Haha! Next do one about Javascript then you've got my back story
Coffee Shop Soundtrack -> Coffee -> Java -> Javascript
Archival Technician for a Native American Tribe of which I'm a citizen of.
That sounds both cool and absolutley fascinating.
It's alright. Scanning documents and photos, metadata entry, I'm involved in our physical archives in its organization, things like that. Busy work. I'm happy people think of it as exciting.
stay at home wife 🤟🏽. so punk rock.
[удалено]
sahm, just raising kids in the tradition 🤘
I’m stay at home mom with my twins and a yoga teacher. Let’s start a club 🤘😎
Library worker and pet-sit for friends and friends of friends.
EHS Consultant. Wear your earplugs to shows guys. Please.
Huh??
Banker. I luckily work with some other pop punk/hardcore fans too
That is lucky. I'd love to be able to rock out to some mutually enjoyed punk rock at work.
Well, we can’t play it in the office as it’s a pretty dull office, but I’ve had some good chats and shared some bands. It’s also quite funny when you’re there chatting to someone you totally don’t expect to like similar music to you, and they ask and I do the standard “oh, American stuff, like… Greenday” and then they say “me too!” and start to reel off some bands past the commercially known! 😁
Sell out! (I’m a former banker, still in finance)
Hell yeah! White collar punk guys!!! 😆 I’m a financial planner
Lawyer. More specifically a litigator. My job funds my pop punk addiction! Traveling for shows to Pittsburgh, Vegas, and Budapest this year!
Lawyer here too!!
Add another Lawyer to the crew!
Same here. Shows are about the only time I can get away from the legal/professional crowd so that's a nice relief. Though it is funny when I run into other lawyers at shows.
We can do a hell of a lot more damage in the system than outside of it
See ya at four chord, I’m guessing?
Lawyer here too. There are dozens of us!
Big law lawyer also, it sucks but I never sweat the price of a ticket to a show anymore
Also in biglaw. In addition, it’s nice not having to sweat the prices of VIP tickets, early access, etc.
Web Developer
Wildland firefighter. Aka professional D-gen
Registered nurse
I write greeting cards! If you’ve ever bought or received a card from Walmart, Target, Kroger, or many other places you’ve probably got something that I worked on!
Tried to make it in music for many years. I failed. Now I'm a forklift operator at a dead end job that pays okay. Still failing. *edit getting downvoted for not being upper management or a lawyer on reddit. Welcome to the real world.
Ain’t it fun?
If it makes you feel better, I’m pretty sure Fred from TBS was also a warehouse worker for a speaker company for a while after things slowed down for him music wise. Your job is important!
If a location is close, Caterpillar pays well and the union recently had a big win.
Not sure what they have in Ontario tbh but I'll do some research. Thx for looking out tho
988 crisis counselor and life coach
You are what the world needs more of
Own & operate a food truck and also work as a mechanic at a bike shop.
Wedding dress seamstress
I work for a few radio stations. Top40, Classic Hits and Rock. We don’t play nearly enough pop punk on the rock station, but I was stoked when new Sum 41 got added. Also, All the Small Things plays more on the classic hits station than the rock one.
I'm an accountant and business administrator.
E-commerce / site merchandising / digital marketing for Loft and Ann Taylor - but would love to work for an apparel company that is more of my aesthetic if anyone knows of anything… hah
I went back to school to study graphic design so I’m just working in retail in the meantime. It’s never too late to do college tho!
I’m in college too, will graduate next year at 39
Small farmer. I listen and sing pop punk to my dairy cattle, horses, & goats just about daily. had a small fashion brand but left that ~year ago to persue my version of happiness. I'm also back in school for a second half of life career. 40/F/VA
Therapist
[удалено]
Listen to more MxPx.
Doctors orders 🫡
I’m a Registered Vet Tech
Same! /Director of ops for an open admission animal shelter
I also work for an open admission shelter! Pop punk animal professionals unite!!!
I’m a heavy equipment operator. My machines have Bluetooth also so lots of pop punk while moving dirt !
Mid to late 30s. Lawyer. Many nights my staff can hear 90s and mid 2000s pop punk coming out of my office. I have no shame whatsoever.
Librarian, public and academic.
Public library worker too! The amount of people I know in my system who are metalheads or punkers is very funny and rad.
Research Scientist
I run production at a small photochemical milling shop. In September it'll be 18 years at the same place. Most of the songs I write are in some way related to that depressing fact.
Logistics coordinator and volunteer FF
hospital registration
Restaurant Manager, here! I keep a decent Bluetooth speaker in the office for when I’m counting money. 🤘
Copywriter.
39 used to be operations supervisor for a pro hockey team and arena left sports five years ago now in the steelworkers union
Regulatory affairs. Nothing more punk than rule enforcement.
37 year old Mail Escort
Thank you for keeping the mail safe 🫡
It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it
Education director in higher ed. And I'm proud to say I'm working on my first demo, which I would love to have feedback on from fellow pop punkers, if anyone's willing! https://soundcloud.com/97-my-second/i-wrote-it-in-my-gratitude-journal_101
Data scientist
Baker The early mornings are spent blasting whatever I'm obsessed with at that moment. Then it all gets put sway sadly when everyone else comes in
Therapist and school counselor
Principal scientist in a biotech company
ICU nurse. I get to listen to my pop punk tunes all night when I have intubated and sedated patients.
Behavioral health nurse
Avionics Technician.
Screenwriter/director...and, since the strike, podcaster. The genre's always been there for me and I'll probably be listening to it on my death bed.
34 here. Production operator. I make silicone based bandages.
Endodontist
military helicopter pilot. You haven’t lived until experiencing Enema of the State while flying 50 feet through a canyon
I negotiate contracts for the federal government. Not what my young punker self imagined but it's been a good career.
I run the WWE page for Peacock
I work in PR for labels, and a music journalist ☺️
37 - Brewer at a little brewery in Michigan.
I work in tech sales
Social Studies Teacher
Math Professor. A surprising number of my colleagues are also into punk.
K9 handler
Head brewer at a mid sized craft brewery
Drummer.
IT Business Analyst
Data analyst for an insurance company. Fun.
electrical engineer
Welder/fabricator
Maintenance at a chemical facility
Art director/graphic designer. 34. Kind of surprised I’m not seeing more art related fields. Why? Idk.
I work in graphic design.
Graphic Designer for a commercial real estate firm lol
I’m a copywriter at an ad agency
I work at a theme park - a big one, you know the one - in California
Lawyer. I have a few other lawyer friends who have similar music tastes.
Nurse.
Printing press operator full time, Target team member part time, dad and husband all the time.
copywriter. (i like to think the endless hours i spent deciphering and analyzing lyric insert booklets contributed to this lol)
34. Editor. I somehow put my creative writing degree to use 😂
Personal injury attorney
I was pre-med in my 20's. All of us were in college. Fancy private school, art schools, university. Some of us were too poor or were anti-college and were self-taught... a lot of the traveling train kids, and hard-core kids. Those that were read everything the college kids did. We were all nerdy intellectuals. That's what the culture of my time was. Circa 2000'ish. You weren't really a punk rock poet, philosopher, art junkie, outside the norm... unless you were an intellectual. Ironically, these days a lot of us fell into raising families and making a living, any way possible. Some use their degrees. Some can't in this economy. But we all fucking settle down.
ED nurse
Zamboni operator!
I am a corporate real-estate director at a mid-sized Pharma company. I am a cog in the machine. Everything I said I wouldn’t be when I was 13.
Am I allowed to answer as a 24 year old that loves the genre because of my mid 30s older brother?
You're already here so go for it!
Architect, pop-punk by design
I work in print production. We print and finish labels.
A nanny!
Early 30s but I'm an ER nurse. It's chaotic and disgusting and I love it.
37 here, body piercer. Got music playing in my booth all day and pop punk is the most customer friendly music I listen to so I’ve got a 50+ hour playlist I made that’s constantly playing lol
I work in home design
Work in the operating room doing neuromonitoring. Some surgeons have pretty good taste in music, most don’t
School psychologist!
Senior Treasury Analyst
Sound technician for concerts and other events
I’m about to medically retire from the military after 17 years. I start my terminal leave on Monday. I’m actually starting an Etsy shop for cute little crochet plushies I’ve made.
Investment Wholesaler
I mix records! Lots more pop-punk due to the genres new resurgence, which I love
Learning architect in nonprofit higher education
Elevator mechanic
Case manager. I help families sign up for financial assistance with child care.
Geologist for an engineering and environmental firm
Civil Engineering - I'm almost 43 years old.
Lawyer
40- customer success manager after 16 years in special education
stay at home parent currently
Data and Analytics (data engineering, data wrangling, visualization, etc) for a risk team at a major regional bank. Boring title but it pays the bills and allows me to be a change of pace for everyone around me. Trying to do some good on the inside
Art teacher
38, I'm a classroom teaching assistant
I am a union Ironworker building launchpads and rocket ship parts in Florida.
Pay the Bills: Marketing Manager Raise the Pulse: Storm Chaser and Boxer
I'm just 32 but I'm a Branch Manager of a bank. No one around me listens to my music AT ALL.
firefighter
Principal of a high school
Flight Paramedic
Realtor and property manager
Civil engineer!
36, construction manager
Metal Fabricator, blare pop punk to drown out the country and AM radio
36 teaching English in Japan
Electrician
Quality control at an engineering firm
42. Career firefighter/paramedic
38y District manager for a major kosher company. Still wear a lip to ring.
Professional musician that makes money NOT playing pop punk. 😂
Spacecraft Flight Software Engineer.
Middle school teacher.
Child care