Do you have a bullshit job?

[bogrl]

On zoom earlier with some friends and were having this discussion about what constitutes a 'bullshit job' (ie one that doesn't really matter in the great scheme of life.

Given the current circumstances and how life has really been pulled into focus we were thinking about what we contribute.

I was being smug as a teacher and then when I thought about it, all I really do is prepare kids for bullshit jobs!

We basically ended up with saying we need to live in small communities where everyone works for the good of that community with no travel - essentially going back hundreds of years. No bullshit jobs and living off the land.

Do you have a bullshit job? Has all this made you look at things differently?

Yes, and yes. But it’s a bullshit job that pays the mortgage bills etc, and I think after all this is over, one I’m going to be very thankful to have. It would be wonderful to retrain and do something much more meaningful but I don’t think the next few years are going to be the time to do this.

I help make rich people richer. Doesn't get any more bullshittier than that. Do I win a prize?

I totally agree and I think most people with corporate / office jobs would say hand on heart that they waste their time day in and day out.

But I am trapped. I have a mortgage and want to pay it off. As much as I would love to work locally and contribute and look after people and society like we used to, Capitalism started and we all owe money. Yes we can spend less and be more conscious. But it just feels inevitable we have to play the game and work

And totally agree @1555CC I have spent my whole career making billion pound companies more money. As much as I hate that I am grateful they pay me

I try and make sure my actual day to day work is to make other colleagues lives easier and be a good person to be around

No, I work in the third sector assisting people with universal credit claims and referring them into other agencies as required.
I've been working from home and speaking to service users on the phone everyday.
I really think we help people.

I think the lockdown will expose that a lot of middle managers have bullshit jobs.

I do wonder how many people are going to be prompted to retrain or get new jobs after all of this. At the moment my job feels bullshit, but I work in a job related to schools and exams so it's feeling quite relentless at the moment. Normally however I like to feel like I am helping people so hoping it goes back to normal as I can't afford to open the bakery I have been daydreaming about

It's like a game we created but actually we all end up missing out!

Obviously there is some great stuff brought about by the increase in wealth (healthcare, school etc) but in general people are unhappier and more anxious.

It really shocked me when I thought about what I'm preparing my lovely young people for - more bullshit!!

Farmer.

I spent a long time in a bullshit job and my happiness levels are off the scale now in comparison to then.

This whole thing has made me think that I want to guide my kids into a career that provides or helps society.

They probably won't listen - I didn't listen to my farming parents for 20 years!!

Im public sector. Lots of people are quite vocal about how useless my institution is. But I think im quite good at helping the unemployed get jobs.

Yep, completely pointless. I work in finance. I do assessments that check that other people are doing their job right. There is then another team that does the exact same thing and same cases, except their results count and my team doesn't. I'm holding out daily for redundancy.

@percentageshelp

So one of the people involved in the conversation works in a similar role as you. They came to the conclusion that although it was lovely to be able to help people, it's only because of the bullshit system that they have to do it. If the system changed for the better - poof! No need for benefits!

@flowerycurtain

Farmer!

Genuine non bullshit job right there!!

You were feeling smug as a teacher?!! What did you even mean by that OP?

@Ticklemelmo

The people in finance at my FE college always look like they want to cry.

I'm a PA. It's mostly bullshit, but nicely organised.

I’m a lecturer. I teach research methods and statistics. I try to teach students to think critically and to evaluate the quality of evidence so they can improve their decision making skills. I think that, in this day and age, what I do has never been more important. How successful I am is a different matter

I’ve been thinking this since lockdown, but I did think about it a bit before. I have a bullshit job for sure, but it’s very interesting. I used to do the same profession in circumstances where it was definitely not a bullshit job, but yet it was extremely boring.

I used to, when I worked for a bank.

Honestly, I was paid a lot of money to shuffle papers around and play with spreadsheets.

Totally demotivating, and I ended up leaving for a job on a third of the salary but more satisfying.

@IdblowJonSnow

I was being facetious.

I should add that I have always thought being a farmer would be satisfying, but it’s too much like hard work and very hard financially sometimes.

@MNnicknameforCVthreads

I look at the salary of my siblings (3-4x mine) and am not one bit envious of their jobs (they are both 'bs' jobs). But I am proud of them. I do wonder how amazing it would be for them to use their superpowers for 'good' rather than 'evil'.

I've always had bullshit jobs - but I can do useful stuff like plumbing and electrical work (really) and mend mechanical things. My bullshit job in IT just pays better and is less satisfying.

Well OP...according to Mumsnet teaching IS a bullshit job!!

If the system changed for the better - poof! No need for benefits!

There will always be some form of state benefits. The system will not change that much.