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 am a funeral celebrant and I couldn't love my job more, I would do it even if I wasn't paid and do often offer my services for free.
Helping people at a difficult time in their life to celebrate and rememebr the life of someone they love is a real privilege and I love to learn and tell their stories.

I really hate my job. I’m prevented from doing a lot of tasks in the job description that would alleviate the boredom and I watch the clock and try to find things I will be allowed to do. I am hugely under-utilized and I feel like it’s killing brain cells and aging me. I cannot wait to retire. I’m too old and broke to retrain.

I don’t enjoy my job, and some days I hate it. Local government is horribly underfunded and everyone hates you for working for “the council”. You get slated all the time and the papers keep insisting you have a “gold plated pension” when you really don’t. Nor do you have “a job for life”.
However, despite being nearly 50 I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, so don’t know what I would enjoy. I fell into this job and have accidentally become well qualified in it, so I wouldn’t be able to get another job at a similar salary, and I can’t take the risk of leaving to do something less well paid, only to find out that I don’t like that either. I don’t have a degree and I’d be competing for jobs with people who are half my age and have a degree.

I do envy those who enjoy their jobs. I’ve been reading several books by paramedics lately and have seen the tv programs that follow ambulance crews and am somewhat jealous that they all seem to love their job. I’m most definitely not cut out to be a paramedic though! I’m very sure that it’s not as easy as they make it look on tv.

@Kissthepastrychef

I love my job, I work in the control room of my local police. We are the voices at the other end of the radio when you watch those police chase programmes. I've been an officer, that wasn't for me. My job is the perfect mix of adrenaline when it gets busy or you have a big job running like a potential terrorist incident and being able to just hang up my headset at the end of the shift and forget all about it. No paperwork. Well paid and we get to be part of the front line team without having to smell, touch or interact with the Actual Public other than via a telephone.

That sounds so enjoyable. I would have liked to have been a police Officer but I always knew I didn’t have what it took. I especially like the sound of being able to get up and leave at the end of the shift and not having the work you didn’t have time to do still waiting for you the next day.

I do love my job but it can be hectic. I am a makeup artist and stylist do most of the design work myself etc to
I have a regular 4 days a week job for a well known popular tv show. Then 1-2 days a week do individual jobs can be anything from west end to London fashion week or films abroad etc.
I do love it but it probably doesn’t bring much to the world haha

I'm a GP receptionist and I really enjoy it. It can be stressful and you get a lot of grief, but this past year has been challenging but really interesting. Plus, my colleagues are great

I do love it but it probably doesn’t bring much to the world haha

On the contrary. One more happy and fulfilled person in the world benefits everyone.

I love my job. I'm a teacher for an online school. Do a bit of writing/editing as well.

I especially like the sound of being able to get up and leave at the end of the shift and not having the work you didn’t have time to do still waiting for you the next day.
I went from an investigative role to the control room, I came from a caseloading role and it was amazing ! I rarely have to action any emails, that was a shock goign from 35-40 emails a day that needed action to almost nothing other than "overtime available x,y,z days".
Don't get me wrong, it can be incredibly stressful as we never have enough officers to meet demand and you have to deal with some ver6 distressing jobs but on the whole it's brilliant. Being able to call the family of a 90yr old that's gone wandering in the middle of the night to say we have got him is a fantastic feeling that never gets old.
The night I took a 999 call from a woman so distressed she couldn't tell me who she was or where she was and we couldn't trace her was less nice. Turned out she'd just seen one of her friends be killed in an altercation. Those calls, the sounds of their voice never leave you

Fortunately she was not the only witness so it had been called in already

Ormally

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

Oh wow, thanks so much Ormally !!!

I just came back to this thread. Off to make a cuppa to read your link. Thanks a mill!😃

I love my job. I'm a civil servant for a big Central Government Department. Lots of opportunities to move jobs internally and do different things.

Really interesting work as well and opportunities to progress upwards of you want to.

Do you have to be a PC before being able to do this job?
Nope

Kissthepastrychef
It sounds like one of those jobs that's so amazing...you never hear or see them be advertised! Its always someone you know.

I have always said I could never ever do a desk job but your job sounds fantastic!!

I've not worked for someone else for maybe 10 years, this thread is so nice I might apply for something...

I'm a secondary English teacher and I love it.

Not so much enjoying the online learning, as it's just so weird, but it's great when things are normal.

I'm a hospice doctor and I love my job 😊

It's all right.

Love it, love it, love it. I'm a teaching assistant. However, I've only been doing it for 3 years and I see it as the beginning of something exciting rather than a means to pay the bills. My ultimate dream is to write children books.

This thread just keeps on giving - so many amazing jobs and happy, fulfilled people!!

When I've more time this evening I'll message a few more that caught my eye (hope you don't mind).

Susiesue61

Wow- what a job. So many questions I would love to ask. I am glad you enjoy your work.

I used to work in Investment Banking and Hedge Funds. I liked it and it was interesting.

Since having children, I WFH for the film industry, translating and localising films and TV series. It keeps my mind sharp and I have a fully flexible schedule.

Part time academic, part time industry consultant. LOVE my job. Have done lots of other things, which I didnt love but paid the bills. This mix suits me down to the ground.
That said, neither is permanent. So I always feel a little frightened for the future. Have managed to hang onto both during COVID so far (though thought I had lost both at one stage). But worry..... If I do lose either, I know I ll never have it so good.

Teacher, primary. Current horrible situation aside I bloody love it. I think I get to laugh more at work than most people. Sometimes it breaks my heart but I always feel like I’m learning new things and there are moments of utter joy.

I don't always love my actual job or my company, but I love what I DO (problem solve, help people, talk to people....a LOT). I'm in HR.