Jobs that you thought would be shit, but were actually fabulous

[Pizzatrip]

Inspired by the “Jobs you thought would be fabulous, but actually weren’t” thread, I thought the opposite would also be interesting!

I can’t offer anything myself as I’ve always had jobs that were “meh” rather than shit or fabulous, but thought this thread might give me some inspiration!

Cleaning. Left alone to plan and prioritise my work , no interference, no one bothers you , no office politics , got my holidays whenever I wanted them , go home and switch off completely.

Well, since you asked....
Not a job as such but retirement is the best thing I've ever done!!

I've tried several types of work over 60-odd years (see the other thread) but the point where you can manage financially (even if only just, I have NO fat pension pot, just state pension alone) means you can "work" voluntarily at anything you wish.

Jobs that would have required an interview competing against dozens of other candidates are suddenly open to you when you can volunteer. That means you can do a little bit of everything you like, working hours you have chosen, and mixing and matching work environments.

MN was actually very helpful in suggesting all sorts of voluntary roles - there are loads! I am on a couple of committees, help out at the village school, and now starting to work in National Trust. I can offer one or two days per week, it gives me lots of new people to meet and somewhere to "belong" to, but I am free from all the stress/management issues/tiredness from working 5 days a week. I have discovered that most voluntary roles do actually pay expenses or mileage and uniform costs, there are quite often perks such as free meals or free entrance for friends or whatever.

When I was very young (!) I used to dread retirement and think by then I'd be "elderly" and "past it". Ha ha!! It's the bloody best time of my life.

Customer service job for an “adult” store.

Was hilarious and the majority of the customers were absolutely lovely

Retirement sounds like the dream job! Sadly not quite there yet

@CraftyNavySeal please tell us some stories 🤣

Cleaning, bloody love it, can’t stand sitting in office all day

Funnily enough when I read the other thread I noticed that cleaning wasn’t mentioned. I always used to think I would quite enjoy that!

Primary Teaching - I know every one says it’s awful, but I decided to give it a go anyway.
It’s not; I love it, I get to teach, I get handle data, I get to plan, I get to advise people. I get to build relationships with so many people both children and adults. I love doing singing assembly it’s like doing a concert. There is reading and learning, putting what I’ve learned into practice. Doing my classroom at this time of year is interior design, I get to play sports in PE.
It’s the perfect combination of paperwork and practical skills.
I don’t think there is another job in the world that combines everything I love doing.
I’m well past being a starry eyed NQT - I love my job.

Cleaner,I’m left alone,no gossiping,keeps me trim too.

I love it much to my suprise . I am the only cleaner at my place of work so I'm not carrying other people. It's down to me to get the work done .

I worked nights in a book packing warehouse during sixth form school holidays - this was donkeys' years before Amazon and their productivity targets and surveillance. We cranked up radio1 and trotted about chatting while we picked orders. It was a big group of studenty types and didn't really feel like work.

Interested in the response to cleaning! It’s not something I’ve ever considered, however I hate cleaning my own house. I can see how it would appeal though.. just getting on with it, having a defined task and result, moving about.. maybe it’s one to consider

I worked in a Royal Mail sorting office over Xmas and absolutely loved it! There was radio coming out of the speakers (to stop you from being bored I guess) however I was just in my own little world and got on with the sorting, I absolutely loved it. We would be rotated between the manual, standing sorting area, the parcel area, and the computer where if the computer couldn't read the writing then we would type in the postcode or whatever.
There was a lovely big canteen and also a smoking room!! (Like the sitcom!)
I think if it were nowadays we the temps would've had a whatsapp group; we all went to the pub on Xmas eve but didn't stay in touch afterwards. We'd sit together in the canteen and give each other lifts home after work etc; it was a nice group of people. Everyone else who worked there (ie permanent staff) was very nice, didn't come across anyone who was horrible.

Bonus point was you really felt like you were spreading Xmas cheer by helping the cards get to their recipients!

This was around Y2k and I'm sure way less people send Xmas cards now so they might not have that huge recruitment drive for temps anymore.

I loved working as a carer - BUT this was a summer job as a student, so not the pressure re low wages etc. I bloody loved it, getting to know the same people every day, having a good old chat with them. Most of them weren't high care needs, so just needed their lunch/breakfast making up, bit of cleaning, mostly just a friendly face. Many years ago - it's probably awful now I suppose.

Factory work during the uni summer hols. A group of students on a machine making specific Christmas confectionery products to be shipped off to supermarkets. Radio One blasting, loads of laughs, an active job that kept my weight down too. We worked 8-1 four days per week.

Over twenty years ago, I worked in a chemist. Loved it - the regular patients, customers, ordering stock etc - it was a lovely friendly, community- spirited place to work.

However, my dealings with pharmacies recently portray a different picture - over-worked, under staffed, underpaid, stressful places to work.

Prison service

Very interesting job to be fair! Prisoners can be a laugh or a challenge but no 2 days the same. I enjoy it

Summer job as a “Sandwich Artist” (🤣) in Subway.

Quite a variety of tasks - making the sandwiches, doing the till, baking bread/cookies, chopping veg etc. so it didn’t get boring. Also got unlimited fountain drinks and a free Subway sandwich of my choice, made by me, every day for lunch. My colleagues were three Polish siblings who were absolutely lovely and beautiful human beings. They cried when I left! Then I cried!

Unexpected.

I worked in a McDonald’s as a teenager when my dad made me get a job and cried the whole way in in the car when he was bringing me to my first day. I thought it would be really rough. 🤣

It ended up being a really simple job, there’s really strict rules and guidelines for everything to ensure everything runs smoothly down to the minute. So many processes and checks you never have to worry really. There was so much staff and students needing odd hours that you could pick up or swap short 3 or 5 hour shifts which was great for me.

Stocktaking - did lots over school holidays, travelling and between other jobs. Counting everything from energy bars to aircraft parts. Great feeling of satisfaction when a stocktake is complete.