How did you choose your career (semi-long)

[Toro]

My father was a building contractor and started taking me on jobs from when I was about 8 years old. One day I saw the building plans on the job and was fascinated with that. So much so that I started drawing design plans of different things like buildings and bridges at home. So from that early age I had already decided that I wanted to be an Engineer and the only other thing that ever challenged it was sports.

But when I realized that I just wasn't good enough to play any sport professionally, I stuck with the Engineering.

[Hornacek]

I always liked numbers and probability -> Trading.
BS and Masters in Computer Science -> Automated Trading Strategies.

[Shajen]

I went into the Marine Corps, was guaranteed Avionics. Working on planes and [censored], to you laymen. Anyway, about a month before I was to go to bootcamp, I hit a deer on my motorcycle. The Corps will discharge you all banged up, but you have to be in good health for them to accept you. My date got pushed out and I lost my contract. So, I essentially went in open contract, meaning they could make me a 5-ton driver, or a cook, or a basic grunt. Luckily I scored pretty high on the ASVAB and did well on the intel tests....they put me in IT. The rest is history.

Luckbox.