Jobs you thought would be fabulous but actually weren't?

[GardenDreams]

I was a full time fine artist for 30 years (traditional painting, mixed media and pattern design) worked with book publishing, freelance, galleries, online print sales, various large companies and a few partnerships with celebs. Not as exciting as it sounds though, lol.

Throughout this period, many people looked at me with awe after asking what I did, mostly in surprise that I could earn enough to live on (it came close, at times). I do get the impression that many people think that this is a very thrilling and freeing way to live, but the reality was quite stressful and scary, at least financially, at times. It was a good long slog, with some tricky customers and another full time job dealing with social media. And the work never, ever stopped - there was no clocking off or guilt free holidays. Aside from the online glamour of how it looks, it eventually becomes less about self expression and more like a production line. At times I was completely, visually exhausted.

There are tons of newly proclaimed artists of a certain age on insta, and now more than ever before are offering art courses (after only 6 months in to being self taught), so it's very much a competitive kind of 'grind' culture which has multiplied in the past 6 years.. It is 'sold' as an alternative, lucrative side hustle, but is actually far from the oh so relaxing vibe these insta accounts make out in their posts.

I am still creating but have moved over into a new field that I love, and only now can I see how utterly draining and hard it was when I look back on it. But I am sure so many people still think the idea is quite romantic and liberating.

Anyone else with a similar story? I am cure there are tons of careers that sound wonderful to me, that might be really soul destroying or at least stressful in reality. My fantasy job would have been an archivist, but I took such a different path at ui that I dare say that boat sailed a long time ago!

As a jewellery designer and maker I could have written your post.

I was sitting in the garden yesterday instead of the studio as I'm overwhelmed with work and it just isn't fun any more. The arrival of a big order of silver yesterday didn't spark the usual excitement either. I haven't opened it yet.

And yes - social media promotion is soul destroying and I hate it. The competition now is intense and I have no choice but I still hate it. I'm now expanding into more passive traditional sales channels to take some of the pressure off but I still have to promote the retail spaces....

I have a successful career but it can be stressful at times and I go through phases (esp when struggling with health) of being like ‘fuck I can’t do this for the next 30 years’. Lots of second career options sound worse though from this thread 😂

The passion career I never quite made it to was dance - dropped out of uni when I got injured but tbh dance college was grim and I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it. If you go into dance teaching the pay is mediocre and the hours not great (generally evenings and weekends) & if you don’t there’s way more people than available jobs. Went to college with loads of talented people, the vast majority are doing something else 10 years later. And you’re always at risk of injury letting you down too.

This. Even more stressful if your business is dealing with members of the general public every day of the week as mine is.

I joined the International Team at my workplace because I had heard of all the nice places people go. The job description even had it on the essential criteria that must be willing to travel overseas etc.

10 months has passed and my days are spent knee deep in boring spreadsheets from the time I come in till the time I go home- the job was absolutely nothing what I imagined. Managers do all the travelling. Notice is handed in and last day is coming! 👏

Interior design. Insta makes it all look so wonderful and effortless.

It ain’t….

Your post makes me worry for my dd who is doing an art-based degree. She thinks she’s going to make a living from it but she’ll end up doing a day job (already works customer facing in uni hols) and art on the side (which is what I predicted, but it’s her life). I’ve got a friend who is quite successful in her art but teaches, is a photographer, has a p/t side job etc.

About 25 years ago I worked as a writer for a weekly BBC magazine show. This had always been my dream job but actually it turned out to be boringly like working in an office. Endless, endless meetings. Definitely a corporate style that you had to adhere to and weren’t allowed to deviate from. Also I was unprepared for how incredibly upper-middle class everyone else seemed to be! Pretty much everyone had been to public school and Oxbridge, which made me feel like a prole.

My friends sister is a fashion stylist and apparently doing really well and has styled shoots for really high end stuff. Anyway my friend went along once when she was visiting her and said it as awful and she was shattered afterwards and it wasn't at all glamorous

I ran a holiday let abroad for 10 years. Eco lodges in a location with all year sunshine - great Winter Sun destination. We renovated them ourselves and they were stunning inside. But I hated it. We lived in a separate property in site. It wasn't our only stream of income, husband out at work every day.I had a remote job from home so was always around. The idea was that we would provide info on tours/ could organise tours, were around if any problems but apart from that self catering - get on with it. However, we had so many guests that treated me like a holiday rep and were the sort of people who would want to be best friends with their holiday rep.Knocking on my door for a chat and a run down on what they had been up to. I didn't mind a bit of that but some were a nightmare.When I've stayed in similar placed the only time I've had contact with the owner is check in/check out. I was forever having to make excuses not to socialise with them. I also had a young family at the time. It got to the stage where I was glad if we didn't have a booking. We're now back in the Uk and rent out to long term renters. Wouldn't do it again if living on site.

Market gardener. For 9 months of the year it’s relentless hard work and you scrape by financially. The the public don’t really value the produce or how you’re caring for nature and the soil. Farmer friends say it’s the same for them.

I was a solicitor for 10 years. Before I started I imagined it would be an intellectually challenging role, I would be solving problems and puzzles for clients all day and righting wrongs.

maybe it was the area of law I went into but in reality it was mostly a boring procedural slog, sat at my desk for hours on end. Most of my clients were lovely but there were enough of the ‘not lovely’ ones to deal with as well.

the worst part was the time recording - living my life in units of 6 minutes, being greeted each morning with a screen telling me exactly how far I front of or behind my monthly target I was. The monthly departmental meetings (or character assassinations as I would call them) when we sat around discussed each others’ performance. Absolutely shockingly awful.

as you can tell, I am pleased I left this behind and wonder to this day why anyone would chose it as a career.

Ran my own bespoke furniture business, did work for all sorts of people including some v. wealthy clients who 90% of the time were a nightmare, compared to the ordinary folk who were mostly lively. Very stressful and I packed it in and went back to my old 'traditional' job.

All very fabulous in the face of it...visits to fancy homes if the rich and famous.

One client refused to pay their balance at the end of a HUGE job despite me making exactly what they asked for and pretty much caused me to go under 🙄

I work in festivals. Spend the summer months travelling from festival to festival with husband and young child.
it’s a management role and sometimes we are working at a festival while remotely managing the job on others, with child in tow.
It’s completely brutal and exhausting, the budgets are tiny and we are constantly being asked to reduce our bill whilst our costs go up. We are operating in a completely different time zone to normal people and it feels very strange… all the hard work that goes into a three day party, only to see it all torn down again on the Monday.
The norm is torrential rain and the exception is glorious sunshine, and then come September, it all stops dead and is back to being a desk job, whilst it’s nice to come home, nest and get your washing done properly, the adrenaline comedown and change of pace really messes with your head.

Personally I like my teaching job most of the time, I don’t love it, but there are element I love. I know a lot of people dream of being a teacher and are quickly disillusioned.

my friend was a video video games tester - dream job for many teens in sure- the reality was that he spent hours jumping at every single part of a wall (how he described it)
he only really played the full game after months and months of boring, repetitive work and even then there was paperwork attached. His name is credited on some very well known video games apparently but ultimately left the industry for conservation.

Yep- came here to say ‘any job with horses’ but also a vet.

People watch them on TV and think it’s all cuddling puppies and client’s bringing you gifts.
In reality, it’s a lot of paperwork, pants hours and little thanks. People are leaving clinical work in their droves and just lost another graduate from our year to suicide. Would I do it if I had my time again? No.

This.

Plus the culture in the profession, starting in university, is pretty toxic. Long hours expected for low pay (because money talk is dirty, architecture is your passion), employee bonuses/benefits are inexistent in most companies compared to other industries (no enhanced mat pay, few holidays etc.) plus, as said above, a lot of responsibility, expected to sort out most project issues by all sides and constant worrying about being sued.

I still enjoy (most of) my work, but I gave up mentoring students. I just can’t encourage someone to sacrifice 5-8 years of their life and go into ridiculous amounts of debt for so little return.

Also, the construction industry can be quite sexist.

But acquaintances are still impressed when I say I’m an architect so I’ve got that going for me I suppose 😄

I am a Relocator and while I have to say I absolutely love my job I do get l;ots of comments about how lovely it must be to look around nice houses for people (it is) thats just 1 part of what I do.
Some of it can be pretty stressful and involves juggling multiple people who are used to getting their own way while trying to navigate the nightmare that is the British Rental Market.
I don't just waft around looking at posh houses, I work long hours across multiple time zones and while 99% of my clients are great the odd one (usually Russian) makes me rethink my career choice.

Primary Headteacher.

The children are amazing and make it all worthwhile, however...

Department for Education, over the last 13 years, have made so many last minute and ineffective changes, that I'm frontline, carrying the can for.

The Home Office, again last 13 years, that set up half baked, under funded refugee re-settlement programmes. It was fantastic to welcome and support refugee families, they have enriched our school life, but their backgrounds are so horrific and I'm no expert in PTSD. ( and without resource or funding to help).

Why do adults treat each other so badly? We meet once a term as a group of local headteachers, to support each other and to share CPD. Part of it was to explore issues faced and supported by a coach, carry out solution based scenarios. These were NEVER about the children, the issues were always about adults ( staff, parents, general public) who always know better than you, how to do your job, who don't understand the reason for rules and policies and who don't want to be held to account. My first headteacher meeting there were at least 3 colleagues in tears in that safe space. Absolutely broken. I wondered what I'd done taking on my role.

Exhausting job, 12 hours per day minimum as it was inadequate when I was appointed. Great LA support though.

Having to put (DfE & Ofsted ) led expectations on staff members. Primary teachers don't have time ( and are not paid) to lead subject(s) - in a small school sometimes 4 or 5 subjects, but the last Ofsted Framework meant this had to happen.

Expected to pick up the slack for every other failing connected service. We are the only ‘service’ that parents see and have access to regularly. We listen, we fight parent and child corner but my main responsibility is head TEACHER, supposed to be leading learning.

The responsibility to safeguard children when thresholds are so high. I can't take them all home, or give them more opportunities than the school day allows.

Responsibility for everything to do with school. Who knew I'd need to be ‘asbestos and legionella trained! I make a great traffic warden, mid day supervisor and as we can't currently find a cleaner/caretaker, I'm brilliant (in the short term) with a mop!

Juggling teaching a class or an aspect (phonics) or supporting children with SEND, resolving behavioural issues when we are short of staff. My leadership workload often starts at 15.30 when the children have gone home.

I do love leading, I love working to develop children ( and adults) I'm passionate about closing gaps created by disadvantage and helping everybody in the school community to excel. My leadership skills are tested but resilience and perseverance are key.

To enjoy being an artist you have to be able to indulge your own whims; not creating for a client, or making art that you think has saleability, but indulging yourself and following your own authentic path... If you're extremely lucky, that sort of passion will be picked up on by others, but it's a very difficult route to take. The potential for living in poverty is high, and if you have family responsibilities, it might always be a pipe dream. That alone is enough to steer most people away from it, but for those who find it; wow, what a fulfilling life!

I came on here to see if anyone said Architect ))

I bloody hate the perception of the profession people get through films and TV - stylish moody person sitting in the huge glass house, looking at a roll of paper or a model and getting paid a fortune.

The reality is - study for 5 years, get paid shit salary for life unless you become a director (but even then its not a lot compared to other similar professions), everyone expects a lot of overtime, there's lot of competition and backstabbing for promotions/ good positions as there so many bloody architects around, the job is ok but repetitive and stressful and oh, did I say shit salary? I'm a senior architect with 15 year experience and I'm paid 50k. I'm unlikely to get more unless I get a promotion/ change jobs/ go work for a construction company.

Don't ever become an architect unless you are from a wealthy background already.

My best friend is a midwife, they work 12 hour shifts and staffing levels have been reduced over the years to save money, she feels it’s now at dangerous levels.
This means having been a dedicated and experienced midwife she is desperate to leave, she said she rarely gets a break comes home feeling dehydrated pounding headache. It’s a highly responsible job dealing with stressed mums and even worst sometimes abusive dads. She rarely gets time needed to help new mums and is just fire fighting buzzers all night trying to do her best with one mum post section while other mums and babies are waiting also needing help Staff rotas are made for the favourites, they get the Christmas holidays off rest are given what’s left and there can be a bullying culture from management.

Travel Agent for many years, so much time sat with nothing to do, then dramas of non payers, things gone wrong, I.e. staff booking things wrong, customers getting sick or dying abroad etc.

Pay was terrible.

Florist!

I've worked in shops, workshops, full time, part time, employed, self employed doing retail, wedding, event and funeral floristry.

It's exactly the same issues as the fine art now. Lots of middle age ladies doing a couple of workshops then setting up from their home studio. They've no experience whatsoever but feel they know enough after a couple of hours training to run workshops themselves. Their Instagram accounts are perfectly curated and they generally waft around in white cotton dresses. It all looks very convincing but I'm very doubtful if they are making any sort of living. The general public fall for it though.

Meanwhile, in the real world I'm sweating my arse off scrubbing buckets, lugging stone urns, panicking that the flower order is late/wrong, pacifying rude customers, jumping in the overflowing Biffa, digging out the dirt from under my fingernails....

I do love it though and like another person upthread, it's an itch I need to scratch.

Working in a bookshop. Customers constantly used to say how lovely it must be, but actually it's just retail like any other and you spend your time on the till or putting stock on the shelves. I didn't sit around reading and would have got in trouble if I had.

Midwifery is hard, sweaty, incredibly stressful and also at times pretty boring. Yes birth itself is magical but that’s such a tiny part of the job. About half my workload is admin in the computer.