To ask how much you enjoy your job on a 1-10 scale?

[LittleKitty1985]

I was having a conversation with a work-hating friend recently and she claimed that very few people actually enjoy their job more than 2/10 (so they're mostly just doing it for the money) and that it's not realistic to search for a job you love.

I found this to be such a sad idea as I enjoy my job (teaching) a lot, at at least 8/10, and I think everyone should be able to find a job that they mostly enjoy if they look hard enough.

So how much do you enjoy your job on a scale of 1-10 and what do you think about people who just "work to live"?

0
I've had great jobs in the past, when it was just me and no dependents.

Its a good civil service job. I do it because its a convenient location, pays well and other terms and conditions are good. I am office bound wheras I used to be out and about a lot which is what really drags me down.

I work part time because my son has additional needs. If I had to do it full time I would really struggle. Part time options at the salary level I need are limited. I have a truckload of qualifications already and can't afford retraining. I'm also 53 and have to think about pension. If I stay her for another 10 years I will have an adequate pension. The thought of another 10 years makes me feel sick.

When my son is 16 and through GCSEs I may have the freedom to look elsewhere. Until then I'm stuck with it.

Geography teacher. I'd say 8 when I'm in work teaching but 3 when I'm at home thinking about all the shot I haven't hit time to do!

I seriously love being in the classroom with 20 odd kids. The rest of it is just life invading and a bit shit!!

1. My job is very 'meh'.

The work itself is repetitive. I get in really well with most of the other staff. But there are a couple who are a complete pain in the arse to work with.

The hours really suit around dp's work and the children so that's a big plus.

More than min. wage but pay could be better.

Very much a dead end job but the skills and experience will work in my favour when I eventually look elsewhere.

It's a relaxed, informal environment but I do spend alot of more time being yelled and moaned at by customers down the phone generally for things that are out of my control.

‘Find a job you love and you’re never work a day in your life’ will never ever apply to me. My job is a solid 9 but no way would I rather be doing it than be at home. I love it and don’t ever have a yearning to not be here but equally when I’m at home I’m definitely not yearning to be in work!

8 on the best days, 2 on the worst. The worst relates to all the corporate nonsense that impinges on the good stuff. Like PinkFlamingo, I love my job but would much rather be at home.

*you’ll

9-10. I adore my work. Freelance so depends on the nature of the project and the people I'm working with, but I'm so privileged to be able to do what I do and get paid well for doing so. My job (strategy consulting) is nowhere near as valuable or as important as a nurse or carer. I didn't get where I am purely on the basis of hard work. I have benefitted from a great deal of luck and privilege to be able to do the job I do

Hate it.

I used to love my job. I used to be a real enthusiastic employee, believe in the company values etc. I would love coming to work!

This past year I’ve hated it (been here 8 years). The work is repetitive and boring, and I can’t move up because I can’t do a stupid internal course they insist I do (it’s 100s of miles away for 2/3 days every month and I don’t have the childcare) so I’ve been stuck doing the same shit for 8 years.

But it’s convenient, I work from home 3 days a week due to disability, it’s close enough for nursery pick up times etc. Also I have a big op coming up meaning I’m going to need as much paid sick leave as I can get.

But next tax year I’m out of there. And I’m not getting another desk job. I want to be a prison officer!

I don’t mind my job, it’s okay but I hate working so I don’t know how to answer this! Would run out the door with a lottery win.

Jealous of all the high score people! I would probably say 5 in that I don’t hate it but I don’t care about it either.

9 - 10 most of the time (occasionally its a bit stressful or have to deal with something that's upsetting). It's challenging, complex and I feel like I'm learning something new each day. Great colleagues too!

I've enjoyed most roles including cleaning aside from one with an odd boss (supermarket and she refused to give out correctly sized uniforms) and when working for small consultancy (I prefer to be in house and part of a larger organisation).

I agree with the 'work to live' concept but I also aimed to find something where I would enjoy the work (as you spend a fair amount of time there) and get decent $ so as to be able to live well, also where I could be in a position to negotiate part-time hours.

9-10, I love my job and would still work if I won the lottery.
I realise not everyone is as lucky

In my mind a 10 means you wouldn't give it up even if you won £100m on Euromillions

I'd probably give it a 7.5 or an 8.

Happy enough to come to work, enjoyable usually. Interesting enough of the time. Nice people. Quite flexible sometimes.

If I won a single mil I would still come to work but try drop down to 4 days.

If I won 10+ mil I would be outta here so fast, because I work to live, I don;t live to work.

10

My job is amazing and I love it

I used to work to live. It actually was the best possible hob for me given my interests, but at its best I "liked" it at 5-6.
You are lucky that you love your job, and you as a teacher then must be fantastic at it and benefit a lot of youngsters. But, you know, people are different. For me there is absolutely NOTHING I can like doing 8 hours a day 5 days a week - simple as that. And heck I resented having to work! Absolutely love not having to now, it's fucking bliss.

There was a study quoted in the Graun recently, saying 25% positively hate their jobs, 25% love them and everyone else is neither hates nor loves it but just works because they have to.

job not hob, sorry. I prefer the hob actually :)

My former manager used to have a go at me for my general opinion of work as an overrated virtue, usually at social events, but in a mild manner. She once introduced me to her former boss saying "This is Bloody Disgrace. She works to live, not lives to work" and I added "But it is hard to live on what you pay me". we all had a laugh.

So can everyone find a job they mostly enjoy and should we always encourage this? Or is it impossible for some people?

I think it's unrealistic to expect it to be possible for everyone all the time. Sometimes you just have to do what you can to get what you need. And sometimes what you enjoy doing is not worth enough to anyone else to pay you for it. So then you have to work enough to be able to do what you enjoy outside of work. And all jobs have unenjoyable bits.

I'm with the posters who reference a lottery win - if your finances changed and you didn't need to work and would still do the same job then I would say that's a 10.

I really enjoy my job (most days) but if I won the lottery tomorrow I would be handing in my notice that day. Working to live and doing a job you enjoy aren't necessarily mutually exclusive imo.

On a good day, 10, on a bad day about a 6-7... pretty lucky I think.

4-6. It's a job, it's okay, it pays the bills. It's never going to set my world alight and it varies between deadly dull and stupidly stressful with not much in between, but the location / flexible hours suit me, I have a decent manager and it's the kind of job I can leave at the office door every evening when I head home.

I had a 9/10 job from which I was sadly made redundant, and personal circumstances mean that sort of role is no longer an option to seek out, so I've made my peace with knowing I'll never get that same buzz from work again. That's fine - my current job is relatively secure and at least I had that 'dream job' experience which many people never get. Now I work to live rather than living to work.

I would still do my job if I won the lottery, but if we took money out of the equation I'd use the opportunity to work for/with some companies I've always admired for less / no money, and offer my services for charity or third sector digital transformation projects

So yes I'd not stop work, but I'd use the opportunity of a £100m jackpot to explore different opportunities within the industry, once we took paying my extortionate day rate out of the equation

2-4.

8

I'm a teacher (secondary physics) and by and large I love my job.

There are stressful points but I do enjoy it!

3-4, depending on my boss's mood. Counting down the days til mat leave, to be honest.