Do you find your job intellectually challenging?

[ColouringPencils]

I am thinking of changing careers and I don't know what area to go into. The jobs I have done all require a high degree of education, but they don't really require much thought. The challenge is about getting work done on time, fitting in competing demands, managing other people and different stakeholders etc, but I wonder what jobs actually require you to think really hard. I love that feeling and rarely get a chance to use my brain.

Academic physician (running clinical trials plus clinical work). I find the academic side really intellectually challenging, but that’s probably because it’s a bit new to me. The clinical work is more straightforward (because I’ve been doing it for 15yrs) but it’s very varied, and I love interacting with patients and their families.

DH gets bored at work easily (experience architect), and he talked that by working freelance, so he is always working in new agencies/teams and on different projects/clients. Would that be a possibility for you?

God no! I trained in a creative field and am currently an administrator.

As a divorced mum with a mortgage to pay it's the most practical option for the time being but it bores me to tears, often literally.

Hi colouring, I find my job challenging, its in the international aid sector doing evaluation of programmes. So it's using research methods (mainly qualitative) and although the methods are pretty standard, the subject matter changes depending on the programme (e.g. water and sanitation, energy access, child health, humanitarian work) so it stays interesting and you're always learning. Not sure if research is up your street, and you need a post grad degree in something relevant (research, international development, or technical area) so you'd need to retrain. Maybe you could build on your creative background to focus on that area of work - art therapy etc.

Anyway hope that helps and you get some good advice on here

It used to be but since i now manage people doing what i used to it's boring and very precise.

Hi, yes I do. I run my own organization, and because I do have special needs I have a lot of very supportive college, but right now for example we are doing dental programs and it requires a lot of learning, preparation etc. And it's something I really enjoy so yes

I often think of and create materials to use for projects as well, so it requires research, and then finding how to do it etc.

And I get to use my languages as well, since I work in a lot of developing countries. I am working on language number 10 now.

Yes very.
I’m a part time ICU nurse, part time theatre nurse.
Both challenging and stimulating in their own way, very very interesting work with no two days the same.
I’m very very lucky, I love my jobs.

Yes. I work I logistics & it keeps my brain busy.

I am a teacher and I love the intellectual challenge it brings. I used to be a nurse and one of the reasons I retrained was because the job didn't stimulate me in any meaningful way.

I'm now retired but, yes, I did.

Yes, I'm a developer/programmer/coder so I spend my days constantly problem solving.

I also work in compliance for a large bank. waves at Violet and agree it’s intellectually challenging. I regularly have to assess a set of facts, apply policy to the situation and make decisions based on level of risk. As I manage a small team, I also use high level Excel skills to track their progress and workload and am always looking for ways to automate this process so get to be involved in projects to assess new technology also.

I'm a psychoanalyst and find my work very challenging!

Yes. I'm a conveyancing solicitor dealing with complex titles.

It's not a forever job though as it's a bit one-dimensional.

Civil service policy roles have big element of intellectual challenge. When you said your experience is in the arts, do you mean music/theatre /art trip stuff, or arts subjects like history, languages etc? What sort of field are you thinking of moving into?

Art TYPE stuff, not “trip”

Yes - university lecturer. Every day presents new challenges.

I've never had an intellectually challenging job, I've had one job I loved as it was stimulating. Now I run a small business and I'd describe that as physically and mentally exhausting at times.

Pre own-business I studied after work and got qualified in an area which I enjoy very much but is poorly paid. It's something I'd like to go back to though.

No, but it's definitely socially challenging. I don't necessarily have to use my brain and be smart but I do have to make quick decisions with not much information at times.

Mine isn’t massively at the moment. I’m overqualified for what I do. But the other things (flexibility, hours, environment, pay, lack of stress) suit me and compensate. If it gets too dull I seek out new challenges and always make myself available for projects. I did some retraining earlier this year for this purpose which should make my job more challenging and give me something to focus on this year.