Do you enjoy your job?

[CaraVann]

What do you do?
Is it enjoyable?
How old are you?
And if you were able to retire tomorrow, would you happily give up your job?

I'm in my early 50s and I've been a secondary school teacher for 30 years (very part time for quite a large chunk in the middle of that, but full time againfot the last 3 years).

I inherently enjoy teaching, but I have variously loved, liked, tolerated or hated my job, depending on what kind of school I was in at the time. I currently teach in a girls' grammar school and won't leave until I retire, if I can help it!

Most of the time I do enjoy my job and I think that’s the best you can really ask for! Sometimes it’s very tight deadlines and can get a little stressful but it’s also really good fun.

I’m 46 and a creative content writer for an agency, I get to work with some really great companies and write some lovely material.

I’m not ready to retire, I still enjoy having some structure and purpose in my day, having said that if a giant lottery win came my way I’d be handing in my notice. I’d stay for them to find a decent replacement though and wouldn’t skip straight out the door!

Construction buyer
I hate it - I’ve cried today
Mid 30’s
I’d leave right now if I could, but for the first time in my life, I’m struggling to find something else.

I am a physiotherapist
Bloody love it - I work in a brilliant team NHS part time and for myself part time
I am nearly 50 and assume I am going to have about another 20 years - happily!

I help run a small group of stations for a well known light rail system in a major city in the South East of England.
Mostly, but it only takes one tit to ruin your day.
I'm 47.
I would retire tomorrow, because then I don't have to get up for an early shift or fight sleep on a night shift anymore. If I could work regular hours I would be a lot happier. But my colleagues are lovely people who back me up when the 💩 hits the fan.

Cyber Security.
It's pretty dull. 100% WFH which helps. Also relatively well paid.
I'm 51 and would retire tomorrow if I could. But have 1 at university and another starting in Sept. I will definitely go part time in 4 years, when I hopefully no longer have kids to support.

Probation officer.
I loved it at first but now I hate it. I have 2 more days of annual leave and I’m an anxious wreck at the thought of going back and it’s ruining my time off 😭. The prison crisis has brought in endless changes and all they do is create extra work. It’s 90% paperwork, targets and arse covering and 10% actually helping people, who all expect you to manage every aspect of their life for them.
I’m 39 and if I won the lottery today, I wouldn’t even turn up on Thursday. I would do something else though, I’d open a horse riding school and yoga/ Pilates/ aerial arts studio.

My dream job, I would have loved to have been a physio.

So good to see that so many of you enjoy your jobs and I feel for those who don't. Sadly, I fall into that side of things although I am currently not working as I help care for my mum who has Alzheimer's.

How did you get into this, please? I think if I’m ever brave enough to try something new, I’d like to get into cyber security.

What subject?

Maths

I was a senior admin person in an international charity and retrained as a solicitor at the age of 40 thinking it would provide me with a better income and more options. Wrong on both accounts.

I hate it. I work in probate and in family law and I fucking hate every minute.

I am 52.

I recently handed in my notice because my DH is retired and my Ds1 who has arrange of SEN is about to hit GCSEs and we decided as a family that we need to re-group and support him and focus on him. Then we plan to take a gap year and travel Europe.

Lovely. What's it like working at a university? Do you feel part of a wider community?