What is your favourite thing about your job, and what don't you like about it?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

And what line of work are you in?

Do the good bits massively outweigh the less good bits - or vice versa?

Thought this could be an interesting thread, to get some insights into what people do in their day to day at their job. There are lots of job titles out there where I only have the haziest idea of what people in those roles actually do!

I'm job hunting at the moment so a bit obsessed with jobs and careers and the roads people travel to build a career

What is your favourite thing about your job
The cash

and what don't you like about it?
Everything else

My favourite bit - playing/hanging out with dogs all day.
My least favourite bit - having to be out for hours in shitty weather.

I'm a dog walker.

Buyer here.

Favourite thing
My boss (I've had some shockers and he's honestly a breath of fresh air), and I'm paid quite well.

Worst thing
Blame culture and the new system is absolutely shite.

Pharmaceutical Publisher

Best bit: I do something that I found by accident that I really enjoy, and give me satisfaction

Worst bit: Relying on their people to produce work on time so that I can complete my part.

I work in the charity sector.

I like the work which is challenging.

I don't like the organisation, which is laissez faire, unprofessional, smug and self-congratulatory,; there are quite a few colleagues who think they are God's bloody gift (they're not - they're just ordinary bods sloffing away for barely above minimum wage).

Favourite: money. Only 3 days per week. Finishing time. Annual leave allowance. Wfh atm.
Dislike: absolutely everything else.
If I could get the same income from benefits, I would. And No, it's not "character building".

Fave(s): toss up between clever stats, exploratory data analysis & writing. There's a joke that writing is the bane of academics, I don't get it. Writing is a piece of piss. I like weaving the story of the science.

Least fave: people who delay or never answer emails. Chronic in my industry. and Any form of public speaking.

-Research scientist

I work for one of the big four supermarkets in head office.

What I like: Project based so every day is different, don't get bored doing the same thing or task everyday and get to work on some interesting stuff that most people who live in the UK will experience, and I get to see my work in the flesh all the time.

What I don't like: The hierarchy that comes with working in such a large corporate business. Bureaucracy, it can take an age to get decisions made. Can feel like a small fish in a huge pond.

I think the balance of both is fine. Some days I just want to sack it all in, some days are really rewarding and fulfilling.

I work for a large media company

Love:
Salary, perks, challenging but not too challenging - it’s a good balance of in and out of my comfort zone

Dislike:
How hard it is to build relationships remotely.

FFS.

R&D in a Biotech

Like
Always something new to learn or try in the lab

Dislike
I have a low level management role now and I hate the politics of being in industry

Like
Flexible part time hours which fit in with kids/ school
My boss & colleagues are nice
No pressure, finish on time
99.9% of customers are lovely

Dislikes
Having to work most weekends
Having to stand all the time while working

I work in retail

School office

I love it. Its admin but with a huge amount if autonomy and variety. It has a real purpose. I can actually see how what I do benefits the children. Ive had fancier career jobs but they felt like my purpose was to make rich men richer.

The worst bit is when a child is very poorly or badly injured and i have to call an ambulence, sit with them/do first aid and call their parent to come. I have a good cry when its all over. The other worse bit is if a child discloses some horrific safeguarding issue.

Recruitment Emergency Service
Like - reading applications / interviews. Good pay, flexi and generous annual leave / maternity and sick pay. Great people mostly.

Dislike - can be pressured and some time wasters who actually dont want the job.

I won't say what I do for a living.

The best thing are the people I work with, who work with and for each other, will help in a crisis and be supportive. It hasn't changed with the pandemic and wfh.

The worst is some of the bureaucracy and approvals processes.

Like
The money, autonomy and flexibility

Dislike
Worry, managing and retaining staff, never having genuine time off, responsibility for others and the boring and repetitive necessary tasks

Business owner

Marketing

Best bits - the people; the variation; the autonomy

Worst bits - none really - it's p/t, term time only, ok pay...

@mekitgubakuds

FFS.

Is that the good or bad bit?

I work in financial/pensions area. Best bit is actually doing the work, I'm a massive introvert so sitting at a desk writing all day is fun for me (at uni I loved a good essay) worst part is the people in my team and having to go on the phones 🙃 you can tell I'm a real people person huh.... 😂

Midwife.

Like: most of the women, my colleagues inc my manager and matron, the clinical aspects of the job, the relationships built throughout the pregnancy, making a difference to someone who really needs it.

Dislikes: the prescriptive policies and procedures, the time constraints, the lack of staff and subsequent heavy workload, poor IT systems, increasing expectations both from the public and the trust with no extra resources to fulfill said expectations (this is the worst aspect for me), poor working conditions, the sheer volume of work is overwhelming at times, hospital full to bursting and staffing levels are terrifying thus leading to fear of missing something or inadvertently causing harm. The impending plans for continuity which many of us don't want/are unable to do. I could carry on...

Freelance translator. Love the freedom and the fact I can work from anywhere and the satisfaction of a job well done. Like the fact that once a job is done it is done and I don't have any anxiety over never ending projects. It's instant gratification.

Dislike the uncertainty around my income, nagging late-payers, not interacting with people and the fear of what machine translation will mean for my future. It is already happening so I think I need to look at other work but am terrified as not used to working with people any more and I don't feel I have any skills. Or at least the skills I have are no longer valued.

I'm a mental health nurse working with young offenders.

The best bit is working directly with the kids, and see thr difference in them over time.

The worst bit is the workload and the stress - there aren't nearly enough staff and I continually work huge numbers of extra hours even to do the basics, and I can't really choose not to do this as it would have a negative effect on the kids.

Love ~ I work on my own for myself. Quite good money. School hours at the mo. Don't have to answer to anyone. I do like what I do as I'm helping people out.

Hate ~ no holiday or sick pay so if I don't work I don't get paid.

I'm a cleaner.

Teacher

Likes

• I like the work that I do. Planning, Teaching and Marking
• Kids are hilarious and I love being a consistent person in their lives.
• The 'holidays'

Dislikes

• Unrealistic expectations/entitlement simply because I work with children e.g. paying for resources myself, working for free etc.
• Jumping through unnecessary hoops to try and please parents

Finding these really interesting, thank you.