To ask if you actually enjoy your job?

[JanuaryJonez]

Five years ago I took a career break from an increasingly demanding role. My DH's business was starting to do well and by cutting back we've managed ok, and it's been lovely, after years in a stressful work environment, to spend time raising our DCs.

The DCs are becoming increasingly independent and it's now making sense for me to go back to work. I'd really like a different direction from my original career and have good transferable skills, but when I think back to the various roles I've had, I can't think of one that I could say I really enjoyed. It was just something I could do to the required standard that paid the bills and enabled the time not at work to be enjoyable. None were what I would call fulfilling (although quite well paid).

I thought most people's jobs were the same, but I've been very inspired by another thread on here where so many people are saying how fulfilled they are by their work. I'd just like to know, if you love your job, what do you do?

I love my job even though it drives me crackers a dozen times a day, I'm a TU official. Sometimes the pressure gets too much but when you resolve an issue for a member it's a great feeling.

I hated my old job, you had to wait for a buzzer before you could go for your break, had to be back by the 2nd buzzer, was like being at school!

Got made redundant from that job in the summer, and found a completely different job! I work in a massive wharehouse, i do inventory and work in a team of 4, my manager is a couple of years younger than me his 25 and is super chill guy! I get a 40 min break, and unlike the other departments in the warehouse i can take that whwn wver i like and split it how i like, so i have smoke breaks!

Best thing about the job, is the flexibility, i start at 7am and finish at 3pm, but if i wanted to i coukd do 6 till 2 or 9 till 5, my wife is a Nurse, so she has 0 flexibility, so i can do the childcare easier!

Plus i get 70% off all the products we sell!

Uni lecturer who teaches mainly small groups. I love it and happily do overtime, work evenings and weekends preparing learning materials and research on learning.

I've been teaching online since Sept and am bored witless all day, every day. I do the best I possibly can for my students but I hate it and clockwatch constantly.

I love my job. I'm Head of Marketing at my firm and I love both creating the strategy and being accountable for the results.

I acknowledge this is in large part due to the work environment being wonderful, with upper management that provides me few constraints as long as I get the job done, and co-workers that I genuinely like. My previous role caused me so much stress my hair started falling out and I started to develop real health problems -- so I'd say it's partially the duties and responsibilities that I love, and partially the work environment.

I wouldn't say I overly enjoyed my job - I work in admin and it can be a bit boring at times.

However, I do enjoy the way it fits in with my life!
I chose my days/hours to fit around my children. I am now permanently WFH. Management and colleagues are lovely and the pay isn't bad - for me all of that outweighs the occasional boring day

I love my job with a passion - supervisor in a cafe.
We have the nicest boss,she insisted that the directors give us a £50 bonus late last year for the way we coped with lockdown, and another £25 one last month to say thank you for everything.

She's a proper mother hen type of person and has our backs all of the time.

I'd be mad to ever leave. Let's hope the cafe survives these lockdowns.

Nhs midwife.

Still like the clinical side of the role but despise what the system has become.

I can no longer tolerate it and so will be leaving altogether this year. Covid has decimated the team I work with otherwise I would go now.

I'd just like to know, if you love your job, what do you do?

It’s so nice to read posts from people who truly love their careers. Massive range of different careers too. Such a breath of fresh air, at a time when we’re surrounded by complaints and pessimism.

Although I was unsurprised to read at least one post from someone moaning that they hate their job: couldn’t be bothered to read the OP’s question either! Just jumped onto the thread to whinge.

In answer to your question, OP: I’m a finance director. I love it. Intellectually challenging, able to influence the direction of the business, spending time solving problems with interesting and clever people, good camaraderie. I’d carry on even if I won the lottery. Which I won’t, because I never buy a ticket.

I love my job
I’m a nursery manager and no day is ever the same as the last
I’m more hands on with the children now, through choice and it’s very fulfilling

Hca in a care home. The pay is shite but I love my job. All of our residents are fab, some more challenging than others but I have a soft spot for all of them. All of the staff are genuinely upset when one of them passes away and pre covid would often go to their funerals.

I do have days where I dread going in but that's everything to with certain colleagues and nothing to do with the actual job.

I love my job. I currently work as a project manager in the civil service. I've enjoyed every CS job I've done, but I prefer the project and programme side. If I worked in the private sector I'd earn more than double what I earn...but I would never give up the CS because of the pension, benefits and work/life balance.

I work 37.5 hours (flex) with 30 days annual plus Bank Holidays. Options to work consolidated, part etc if I wanted. These things make a big difference.

@mummyoneboy19
*Care assistant. I have a degree and did roles related to my degree and hated it, I did office jobs and hated it.

Care work is my passion and I love every shift*

Thank you for all that you do. And I'm so glad it makes you happy. Sorry but this struck a real chord with me and I can't not comment

I used to love my job....almost 30 years as a primary school teacher. However I've got my resignation letter all typed up and it's only due to my very supportive and understanding SLT that I haven't submitted it yet. Who knew that a BEd Hons meant I would be accountable for every single problem in society - not me! I'm not actually back at work yet as we don't start until tomorrow but I've been out delivering food to families that we know struggle...not sure why that's the fault of the school though...won't stop folk sticking the boot in though🤷‍♀️

I love my job. I’m a structural engineer and I work for one of the big name engineering consultancies. Most of my colleagues are male and it’s a lovely, supportive, calm environment. I wouldn’t swap it for anything!

My happiness at work is totally dependent on my colleagues. I've done exactly the same role in three companies and I loved it in two, hated it in the third. It was all because of the people I worked with in the latter place - back stabbing, back covering, gossipy, nasty.

Yes, I love it.

But I am - self employed
work from home
my job has sprung from a hobby/activity that I am passionate about.

I took a few weeks off over christmas and I was itching to get back.

@popNlock
I wondered if you would like this, which is a really mindblowing piece of writing about the late dancer and choreographer Geoffrey Holder who was still choreographing during his last hours in hospital in 2014. Warning - it's extraordinary and beautiful but very emotional at the easiest of times, and this is not the easiest of times. Only read if feeling robust - but I hope you like it if you do read it: www.npr.org/2014/10/09/354529748/this-impromptu-dance-geoffrey-holders-son-tells-one-more-story?t=1609855206609

Yes I'm an HCA on a hospital ward & although it can be very stressful right now I do enjoy looking after patients.

Another primary midday supervisor here
Been doing this for 4 years now and I absolutely love it!

I used to do this plus 4 other little part time jobs, due to illness I've had to scale back work commitment and only do this one job now.

I'm a uni lecturer and I love my job. Online teaching is a bit boring but it could be worse!

I absolutely love my job. I run my own pet care business. I walk dogs, do drop in visits for cats/small animals and sell natural pet treats.

It's very quiet at the moment with lockdown which is a real shame (and why I've diversified by selling the pet treats) but I was really busy up until Christmas.

Yes I do (won't say what). Part of the enjoyment comes from working in a team that support each other not work against each other or backbite, as happens in too many teams.

I am a Speech Pathologist (speech and language therapist in the UK). I absolutely love what I do. I have my own business and work with children and have lots if job satisfaction

I am a care assistant in a care home and i love my job. Bad pay etc but so rewarding

It's alright some days, just hate corporate bullshit 😴😴😴😴😴😴