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Original poster

Why do you work?

70 replies

Thumperduck · 31/10/2019 15:15

Just that really. Why do you do the job you do? Have you always wanted to? Realised later on? What drives you to get out of bed to do your job?

I'm at a stage in my career where I'm questioning what I want - I know I want to work and the general area, but have the opportunity to move industries. The upshot is that I'd learn about other industries, apply my skills in different ways, but they have different drivers and I'm trying to work out what's most important to me.

How did you make the decisions to do what you do now?

OP posts:
OnlyFoolsnMothers · 31/10/2019 15:19

Because I earn quite a good salary for a job that doesn’t require qualifications- also my company pays good bonuses - just over 20% of my salary.
I was always conscious once I started work (at 18) to keep my cv solid, 2 years min at each job, always in the same industry etc.(makes up for no degree), I like what I do I wouldn’t say I love it, but I’m good at it.

xraytangocharlie · 31/10/2019 15:19

I wouldn't be working if I didn't need the money.

welshweasel · 31/10/2019 15:26

Because I genuinely love my job, find it very rewarding and it pays well!

BikeRunSki · 31/10/2019 15:27

Because I need an income.
I do the job I do, because it’s what I trained to do, what I have academic and professional qualifications to do, and which I still enjoy 25 + years after graduating.
Because it’s all I’ve ever done.
Because I’m nearly 50 and really don’t want to start again in a different field.
Because I’m quite good at it.

I work for the employer I do (public sector), because i have flexi time and a more generous leave allowance than when I worked in the private sector.

holidays987 · 31/10/2019 15:45

The money is useful (though DH is the main breadwinner). The hours suit me and allow me to pick up my DC from school most days.

I'm also inclined to work because I would feel judged / bored / demotivated if I didn't.

Wineislifex · 31/10/2019 15:47

Because I enjoy it, I love my colleagues and it pays well!

megletthesecond · 31/10/2019 15:49

Because I like eating and a warm house.

I do like my job but daren't risk a move for almost another decade when the dc's are at Uni and my mortgage is paid off. It's quite a risk changing when I know I won't have much protection until I've been there for two years.

happypotamus · 31/10/2019 15:53

I am a nurse, and this job is the only thing I have ever wanted to do since I was a small child. It is a really hard job, physically and emotionally, but, after more than 10 years, I still love it and find it very rewarding. Some days it threatens to break me and I feel like I can't do it anymore and it is incredibly family-unfriendly with shifts/ nights/ weekends/ working on Christmas, but I have no idea what else I would ever want to do. I also work with a fantastic team of people, and, if I didn't go to work, I would be even more isolated than I am now and barely see or speak to any adults. I know that because it is basically what happened when I was on maternity leave.
We do also need the money.

AfterSchoolWorry · 31/10/2019 16:02

Money. The end.

TheQueef · 31/10/2019 16:06

This is bad.
I work part time and get a small pension.
I only work because I want spare cash to buy drugs.
If I quit the 🚬 I could quit work

CherryPlum · 31/10/2019 16:06

Money

Greatnorthwoods · 31/10/2019 16:13

DH and I both work for the money to support our family, and to better ourselves. We work hard solely for the purpose of looking after the 4 of us.

historysock · 31/10/2019 16:51

Because I need the money.
But also because I suspect if I didn't work-and out of the home as well- I would get very depressed. I had a job mostly working from home until recently which I loved-but for the wrong reasons-I'm inherently quite lazy and will happily do nothing all day if I can-but that in turn batters my self esteem. I start to really dislike myself for it. So I need work where I have responsibilities and am visible to keep me stimulated and stop me falling down a mental hole of my own making iyswim?

Whatsyournameagain · 31/10/2019 16:55

Because I need the money. I’ve never in 25 years of working found a job I’ve enjoyed, but can’t afford to retrain so here I am! It’s a fairly safe, secure job, so that’s something.

TSSDNCOP · 31/10/2019 16:56

Because DH makes me Grin

Also, because it’s good for my mental health, it’s good for me to develop new skills (this is my third career), it adds a small but useful amount to our household spending, it’s good for DC to see parents working and working together so both can work. Sometimes I also make an actual contribution to improving someone else’s job, which I did today, and will make a huge difference to them and their family.

Seemstress · 31/10/2019 16:58

To pay my bills, pay something into a pension and have a few luxuries...I used to love my job but the Management are prize arseholes and have lost my team's respect and goodwill due to their ineptitude - I'm only staying because the flexibility fits in around my other self employed job.

Finchy19 · 31/10/2019 16:59

To pay my mortgage. But once that's paid off I will be stopping asap.

ScreamingCosArgosHaveNoRavens · 31/10/2019 17:01

Because if I didn't, I wouldn't have anything to live off.

SallyWD · 31/10/2019 17:02

My husband earns well and I don't need to work (I feel very lucky that this is the case) but I was a SAHM for 7 years and got so bored. Now I'm working part time in a non stressful bit very stimulating office job. I love it. I love the work, I love using my brain, I love the social aspect of it, I love earning money, I love having something to do other than housework.

Cailleach · 31/10/2019 17:52

Because if I didn't I'd be hungry and homeless.

Asta19 · 31/10/2019 17:56

I used to enjoy my job until all the budget cuts (public sector). After that I was only doing it for the money. Literally no other reason. I switched to a WFH role a few months back, which was overall less pay but it is well paid for what it is. It’s pretty monotonous and not very interesting but we get paid for producing x amount of work which I can do in about 20 hours a week. But I am 50 now and would be reluctant to go back to a 37hr +commute time week, so the time for any major career change is behind me. If I won the lottery I would happily give up working without a backward glance!

katielilly · 31/10/2019 17:58

I like helping people ( caring profession) and get a great deal of satisfaction from that. It's what I trained to do and I'm good at it. It's intellectually challenging and the salary is good.
I also like keeping busy.

Drinkciderfromalemon · 31/10/2019 19:06

I work now because I am a single parent.
I worked up until I separated because although I did not need to financially, I like being busy, i like having a purpose and I like having financial independence. Unless I win the lottery so can travel 48 weeks of the year, the thought of retirement bores me shirtless.

IScreamForIceCreams · 31/10/2019 19:11

I spent many happy years in the City of London - great wage, fab job, amazing colleagues. Then I had a baby and wham, the City didn't need me any more. Now I have a 9-5 job, take my DD to school and we have family dinner every night, rather than being stuck on train. Wage is a fraction of what I used to earn, but my stress level is zero. And I work because we need the income.

CTRL · 31/10/2019 19:11

Money and I work because I feel if I’m working towards a goal there’s more chance of me getting to it than not working all together

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