Machinist: Replacing cogwheels, ad infinitum.

Introduction
For the love of God, find a good apprenticeship program! I cannot stress enough how much this can make or break your career, since it will give you all the tools necessary to be a great machinist. Also, working with the metalworking equipment requires both some mental and physical dexterity, so being in decent shape certainly help. Oh, and expect to get your hands dirty. This is not a job for the delicate.

Job Function
What I enjoy most is working on rare/unique objects. Sometimes you get a client that wants a part for something that is either wholly unique or no being longer made. So, as a machinist, you have to either design a new part or replicate the old one from blueprints (if you can find them!). One time I had to make a new set of gears for a friend's lathe machine (one of the metalworking tools we use). Let me tell you, there was no bigger thrill for me than finishing the part and bringing that dead behemoth back to life. So satisfying.

As for things I dislike, the job takes a lot out of you. It's strenuous work, and I always come home tired. That can be rough when you have children like me. My son always wants to play catch when I get home, but I'm genuinely too tired to do it. Another negative is all the legwork (tracking down blueprints, getting the right materials, etc.) you sometimes have to do before actually buckling down and working on the parts. Advertisement
Lifestyle
It's usually all work and no play, unless you're working on a specialty part. The hours aren't very flexible, and when you are on deadline, expect to work past 5PM. As for locations, machinists are required everywhere, but you want to be somewhere with a healthy industrial industry (at least in my experience; Chicago, for example). That said, if you love working with your hands, designing/building parts and seeing how machines work, then none of this will really bother you. You're a machinist at heart.

Additional Information
It may not be the most glamorous career, but it's a valuable trade to learn.