To ask whether you enjoy your job?

[Bollypears]

..... and if so, what do you do?!

I work in Corporate Governance and it’s mind numbingly boring and monotonous. I fell in to this career years ago rather than choosing it but now my experience, qualifications and skills are all very specific to this field and don’t seem to be particularly transferable. Due to my role being quite specialist and well paid, it’s not easy to change career without taking a substantial pay cut which I just can’t really do (mortgage etc).

Every day consists of clock watching, wishing the day away and thinking about how much I’d rather be anywhere else but there. I work with nice people, the role is relatively low stress, performance wise I’m doing well... I’m just utterly bored and demotivated inside. From Monday onwards I count down to the weekend and even by Sunday I feel horrendous about the thought of another week at work.

Some of my colleagues appear to love their job and I wonder whether I’m the odd one out. I often daydream about quitting the job all together or getting signed off work just for a break from the boredom, but of course I don’t. I sit at my desk and/or in meetings thinking to myself, is this really how life is supposed to be?

I’m genuinely interested to know whether others feel the same or if this isn’t the norm. I know those who come across me at work would have no idea I feel this way. I can’t speak to many people about this IRL as it’s a bit shameful. I know I should be grateful to be in well paid employment but it doesn’t help how I feel.

For those who do enjoy their jobs, I’m very interested to know what you do if you don’t mind sharing please!

I enjoy my job. I have had lots of other jobs and this is the best one I have had.
I am a school nurse assistant
Best things about the job:- interesting, meeting children and young people, creating resources, helping others, building positive relationships with others, positive feedback from parents and patients, can manage my own workload to a certain extent (can't control amount of work coming in but can arrange how and when it's done) supportive colleagues, family friendly hours
Worst things: lots of meetings and changes, low pay

I'm another one who loves their job.
But I got really lucky, I'm a museum curator. No academic qualifications in my case, I took a gap year and fell into museum work that way.
Some days can be a bit long, with some of the work being a bit on the monotonous side, but on the whole it's been a lot of fun.

Police officer.
Absolutely love it, I’m ready for my rest days when they roll round as it’s a long week with long hours but I actively look forward to getting back to work. Obviously nature of the job means plenty of bad bits but the good far outweigh them. Just wish our pay remotely reflects what we do!

However I am very young in service so I fully expect to become bitter and worn down in time.

I currently manage my household, and nope I can't say I enjoy it, I detest cooking, find meal planning hard and generally lack motivation. That said at least husband is less grumpy than when we were both (until recently) working full time and trying to fit everything else in, and he doesn't complain too much about my burnt offerings 😁 I've never really had a job I enjoyed... Until I leave then I seem to have Rose coloured glasses 🤓

I'm a support assistant in a special needs school. I've been looking to change for a while now but not getting anywhere as I lack experience in other areas. I love the kids but the day is relentless in terms of noise, interaction and chaos. I'm an introvert and leave school every day with a headache, feeling like I've been assaulted (and often literally have been!). The thought of being able to have a job where I can sit with a cup of tea in a calm environment just cracking on with something sounds blissful...

I love what I do - running a marketing agency - and am fortunate to work with some lovely people. I thrive on not knowing what challenge is going to come up with next! Plus, keeping up with trends within my markets and the wider world is pretty interesting. I've surprised myself by becoming a bit of a data geek.

It works really well for my family and the flexibility is great. I have learnt a huge amount over the past few years and met some really interesting and inspirational people, as well as completed some amazing projects.

On the downside, I don't get to do so much hands on work these days. And the flexibility cuts both ways if a client needs me in the evening / at the weekend. Plus, the buck stops with me. I've had to make some pretty tough decisions and that's not always been easy.

I’m a teacher, been doing it for 25 years and still love it. Fantastic colleagues, great kids, never boring and reasonably well paid.

I love my job. It’s constantly challenging and as I’m senior I get a lot of crap and blame but I’m never bored and often don’t know where the day has gone. I’ve had a few days off and I’m looking forward to going back tomorrow

I'm a sixth form Economics teacher and I like it; love it on a good day. I've been doing it nine years and am not bored yet, which is a record for me.

I worked in an office for years and it was mind numbingly boring.

Worked in multiple jobs but found my feet renovating houses

Love what I do

I enjoy 50% of my job. Not all of it.

Being doing it for 30 years though so not too bad to still broadly enjoy it.

It pays reasonably well and gives me a nice lifestyle and I can come and go as I please within reason which means I can drop my child at School every day.

If it helps, OP, lots of my colleagues work in corporate governance policy. Recommending what the rules should be, and talking to gvt about how it works at the moment.

It sounds very interesting and they seem to enjoy it - could you move into something like that?

I used to feel like this when practising law. I career changed about 8 years ago and have been so much more fulfilled. I genuinely find my new area interesting - but it’s not been without stress as I have a fairly senior role without the usual no. of years’ direct experience so have found it a struggle at times. But I don’t regret changing. I also took quite a pay cut to change. I justified this on the basis that my new role/ industry is very flexible and I’ve managed to keep working through kids and negotiate part time working and working at home etc which would have much harder in my original and higher paid role.

I sort of enjoy mine but it's quite stressful (underpaid & overworked public sector) & my income is terrible.
I wish I'd worked for money. Grass is always greener OP

I absolutely hate my job. Kind of stuck in it really (admin role), it’s a great wage for a part time job, hours are flexible and fits in well with school pick ups etc. I can’t leave a job like a this with all the ‘perks’ I get while DC are young - I’d be silly to.
Having said that, I have little to do, what I do do is boring, I’m in a small office but no atmosphere, no work friends or social side to it.
I did well at school and I don’t know how it happened but I ended up in a admin pit I can’t get out of. Now mid-30s with a degree but no actual qualifications or experience I could transfer and very much regretful how my career life has turned out.
I would love to do a job that matters. Goodness that was a depressing post wasn’t it?!

I am a self employed holistic therapist love my job, work 2-3 days per week excellent pay couldn’t imagine doing anything else now. Used to be corporate and had a career change it’s a revelation x x

Absolutely love it. I am a clinical systems analyst in gp surgery. I've been there 28 years.

@Bollypears im an A+E nurse and I love it. I changed to this career in my mid-20's after having done 4/5 years in another career (logistic management - yawn), I had to go to uni again and start on basic pay again.

Going from a job I HATED to one I love has made the world of difference and im so glad I did. I used to cry before going to work and think of every reason under the sun on sunday evenings to not go to work on mondays.

I will admit I had it easier to swap careers. I didnt own a house and had no children at the time, so I didnt have much consideration for anyone but myself.

I was a teacher but hated it and left when I had DD. Currently a SAHM. I’m hoping to get a job as a teaching assistant when DS is at school and DD is at nursery. The plan is to supplement the lower pay with marking exam papers and some tutoring, fitting it round the DC.

Foreverlexicon
How much service do you have, I did 6 yr and didn't end up to cynical, I do kind of miss it. I still take to some who now have 12-15 yrs, they now hate it!

Talk not take

I'm a chartered accountant and I love my job

I work in Private Client Tax and I absolutely love it. My work is purely advisory and the projects are varied across a range of taxes, so no two are the same.

My team is awesome, can WFH whenever I want without question, pay is good with great prospects for advancement and it has a much better maternity leave policy over statutory (which I will be using next year).

It lends itself to my curiosity as I love to research new things and I am constantly learning. My previous job was compliance and I got bored after a few years as it was monotonous.

I work in a consumer/brand insight agency and I love it. It’s immensely varied, never dull.

It can be very full on and pressurised sometimes. I find that hard to manage.

In my experience, interesting, highly skilled jobs tend to be stressful. That’s just life. A supportive company culture makes a huge difference in managing that.