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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask... how many of you honestly care about your work

128 replies

karmacoma1 · 10/02/2018 00:07

... and see it as a career. Or at least a stepping stone to where you want to be.

And how many of you just see it as a nessicary evil - to get paid, at the end of the day.

I ask because I’m in a fairly new job. Something happened today meaning our day to day roles were impacted. All of my colleagues were up in arms, even ones I had considered pretty passive.

I however just feel ‘meh’ towards it... I was so engaged in my last job. This can’t be a good sign for my new role, can it?

OP posts:
K9Time · 10/02/2018 08:01

I love my job. I work for myself in a creative field with people from age 5 to 85. But my job is what I am as well as what I do. I do a fair amount on a voluntary basis and I do not really earn minimum wage. Fortunately we don’t have/want kids and my partner is in a high paying job. He also values what I do. It’s not always been this way and I have been in jobs that simply pay the bills. I am acutely aware of how fortunate I am.

Mupflup · 10/02/2018 08:04

Right now, no. I've recently changed roles internally and it's ridiculously stressful compared to my old job. If I won the lotto tomorrow (£100k would do it) I'd walk away without a backwards glance. The only thing that's keeping me going is the director I work for - I care about her and not letting her down but that's about it.

I realised recently that my whole career has been about making money or protecting money for big companies. And none of it really 'matters' at all - it's certainly nothing I'm going to look back on on my death bed and be proud of or feel like I've made a difference. I suspect in the next few years I'll make a big career change out of the corporate world and into the charity sector or go self employed.

TartanDr3ams · 10/02/2018 08:09

I hate my job and turn up pretty much just to pay the mortgage

I was taken advantage of at my previous job, where i felt a career would arise from.

I took on a low paid easy job to pay the bills and i guess with a confidence hit from the previous job and the "easy" work in this job,i got too comfortable

I am now on the look out for a better job and to go back down the career route.

ChristmasCakes · 10/02/2018 08:11

I used to care, got promotions etc then had a baby and couldn't care less now. We might be made redundant soon and I could give a flying fig.

Etymology23 · 10/02/2018 08:12

My job is a mix of intellectually challenging and really rather dull. I think what I do is important and don’t cut corners.

However my department is massively understaffed and the expectations are absurd: I hugely resent the hours expected and a lot of the attitudes of senior management. My job is one that should really be public sector, but isn’t. This means I massively resent the fact that staff are being overworked to make a profit. We aren’t unionised and I can’t see a logistical way to get us unionised without my getting sacked in the process.

But it will get me where I want to go, so I’m just hanging on til I get there.

BeyondThePage · 10/02/2018 08:14

Had a career I loved, saw myself doing it forever, heavily invested in it emotionally...

Had kids - never went back

Now have a "little job" that I leave behind when I leave the building.

Stuff changes when you have kids.

allthgoodusernamesaretaken · 10/02/2018 08:17

I work with children and families. I'm proud of what I do and I think I'm pretty good at it. But my own family comes first

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 10/02/2018 08:17

I love my job and most days are great fun. I do feel I am achieving something worthwhile and there is a lot of freedom to plan my time as I wish. No kids though. This job requires a lot of travel and none of my colleagues in the same role have family responsibilities.

Hanuman · 10/02/2018 08:22

Civil servant - love my job. Just been promoted - actually more keen on progressing in my career now than before I had my son. I think I now feel like I need to provide. Also that there is more flexibility when you are more senior

speakout · 10/02/2018 08:28

BeyondThePage exactly.

I jacked in my career when I had kids and became a SAHM. I loved my job, but it was very incompatible with being a parent, long unpredictable hours, lots of travel.
Having the headspace and time as a SAHM once the kids were at school gave me huge freedoms and the opportunity to find alternatives to employment.

Sophisticatedsarcasm · 10/02/2018 08:30

Even though I complain a lot about the customers, I actually love working retail. It generally is just for the money but I’m pretty good at my job and am a jack of all trades (in retail) been working in retail since I was 17. That’s 13 years. My dream was to be a fbi or csi or at least something to do with crime. Was looking into university’s and then wanted to move to America to work there before I got pregnant. Unfortunately that’s still a dream....but I’m pretty content doing what I do.

OurMiracle1106 · 10/02/2018 08:33

I absolutely love my job and my colleague. I enjoy what I do which is why I don’t mind working extra hours or through lunch without pay/TOIL

I believe we spend too much of our lives at work to be doing something that makes us miserable

My corporate role previous was to pay the bills but I didn’t last long.

CanIBuffalo · 10/02/2018 08:35

I care about mine. It has a direct impact on people's lives. And on shitty days that thought keeps me going. Also I'm earning a decent salary.

FineAsWeAre · 10/02/2018 08:39

I love my job. I work with vulnerable children and families and it’s so draining that I’ve gone home and cried before. The hours are good but the wage is crap. I honestly couldn’t do anything else

MrsKoala · 10/02/2018 08:41

This is something I only really see on MN - People loving their jobs. I would say out of everyone i've met only about 1/4 give a shit. Most people i know just have jobs that pay the bills and not careers. Despite most being graduates few have jobs which involve their subject and most are on a fairly low wage doing admin monkey jobs. I've only ever had 2 jobs where i didn't cry on Sunday night and dread going in. I really hate working.

What always made me laugh is the jobs expect so much caring and loyalty from staff yet treat them like shit. Keep doing team building days to pick up the morale etc. Rather than just making the work less soul destroying. One of my friends worked somewhere for over 10 years, never promoted but went for every internal job, always got told he was a really close second. They did some kind of embarrassing 'awards' dinner 'for morale' at a big hotel in central London. Cost them £00000s and gave him a certificate for 'excellent service' as if that was going to pay his bills. It was a real kick in the swingers and he went off sick with depression and anxiety. He quit and now temps, for a better hourly rate. Doesn't give a shit. Turns up, works, leaves. Is so much happier.

I hate the protestant work ethic and the idea that is brainwashed into us that working to earn someone else money is somehow a virtue. I love hard work and being busy. I just hate the politics and bullshit that comes with working.

I'd only ever be self employed if i ever work again.

DotCottonDotcom · 10/02/2018 08:45

I have two jobs. One I’m meh about but I don’t intend to move on, it’s comfortable and flexible. My second job is in my hobby so I bloody love it

lljkk · 10/02/2018 08:48

It is a role which has to be done to a professional standard, but it’s still just a job, and I’m not emotionally invested in it. I neither love it nor hate it.

^ That. I have nice T&C (flexi hours & dress code). There's a nice view out the window (essential!!). I get satisfaction from achieving stuff & much of my work is intellectually intriguing.. I'd be bored without it. I need to be paid. I never figured out how to have a career (mostly am overqualified, but I appreciate not having too many balls to keep in the air). I don't have much in way of aspirations for it, which is fine.

Blaablaablaa · 10/02/2018 08:54

I love my job and it's definitely a career. It's hard work but is very rewarding on both a professional and personal level.
I've worked very hard to get where I am and it's a huge part of my identity.
I love being a mum but was definitely ready to return to work after mat leave .. I actually missed it while I was off and definitely missed it my brain!

Blaablaablaa · 10/02/2018 08:54

**using my brain

Sallystyle · 10/02/2018 08:56

I love my job and I very much care about it. I feel very privileged to do what I do. I never dread going in and after a couple of days off I look forward to going back.

I did not feel like this in my previous job.

It could lead to more for sure. There are opportunities to move up the ladder for sure.

Commuterface · 10/02/2018 08:58

I really like my job and really like my colleagues but after I had my first DD I went part time and it was obvious from that point that colleagues no longer viewed it as my career and nor did I. I’m happy with that though and I’ve even managed by go up a grade since then. I have no desire to reach the dizzy heights though and am just happy to have nice colleagues, a decent pension and a salary at the end of the month.

MyBonnieLiesOverTheOcean · 10/02/2018 09:10

I don't love my job but don't hate it either. It's mentally challenging enough to keep me busy but at the same time it's not really changing people's lives so I can't really care too much about it.

I do it because it's pretty well paid and very flexible. And I like my colleagues and my boss.

If I won the lottery I'd definitely resign, but I'd work my notice.

gingercat02 · 10/02/2018 09:20

I love my job mostly, but I feel that I have done all the things I want to do in my career now and am probably coasting more now than I have ever before. I've done 27 years and have 11 more before I can retire so that may change (have been in my current job 3 1/2 years)

NoUseNumber31 · 10/02/2018 09:24

I do it to pay the mortgage, I'm good at it but I don't love it. The people are work with are the only reason I don't move on!

Babbitywabbit · 10/02/2018 09:27

I enjoy my work, I definitely see it as something which contributes positively to society (I’m in education) and I appreciate the fact that it gives me experiences, challenges, friendships and opportunities which I wouldn’t otherwise get. I wouldn’t say I’m madly career driven though and of course there’s lots of stimulation to be had outside work too.

As a general principle I have always encouraged my own dd and ds to aim for a work life that they’ll enjoy. Work is a fairly major part of life for most people (and probably even more so for future generations who are likely to work for more years.) therefore it makes sense to aim for something a lot more than just a job to pay fhe bills.

It’s not a good sign that you don’t feel engaged with your new job but I would give it time and not be too quick to make a judgement