AIBU?
To ask what you do for a living if you genuinely love what you do?
waterfallswillfindyou · 23/01/2023 21:32
Like many people, I'm not fulfilled by what I do for a living. At all.
I was chatting to a doctor the other day who loves what she does - even with all the crap that NHS staff put up with - and it really hit home how I've never had that feeling. Work has always been a means to pay the bills. The money is nice, but I'm starting to struggle with not finding it rewarding, and am considering taking a pay cut for job satisfaction.
If you actually love your job - you're not just doing it for money - what do you do, please? And is it the role you actually love or the employer? (I have been wondering if working for a charity I believe in might be the answer, and am doing the sums to see if I could afford to live on third-sector wages.) I feel stuck, and I'm looking for inspiration to start researching a career change.
(Even if it's not something I can actually do, still interested in your answers. I've spent my whole adult life expecting everyone to be miserable at work, and now I'm wondering if that doesn't have to be true.)
OnTheRunWithMannyMontana · 26/01/2023 07:49
Daniella36 · 25/01/2023 23:49
The message from this thread seems to be that the key to happiness is to get a £50k pa year job working for a charity. You can spend half the day having lovely chats with your lovely colleagues, before perhaps maybe getting round to thinking about possibly doing something that might make a difference.
That's really quite insulting.
Aprilx · 26/01/2023 07:59
Penguinsaregreat · 26/01/2023 07:02
Interesting thread.
Those who love their jobs ( apart from teachers and NHS workers) seem to be earning a good salary with flexible wfh hours. I wonder if lower pay and having to commute would dampen the enthusiasm.
I am surprised to see so many NHS staff saying they love their job. We only ever get a very different narrative.
My career which I enjoyed for thirty years and was glad I chose, (accountant) has been very well paid. But it has never been flexible, it has meant very long hours on the whole, I have rarely had a commute less than an hour each way and pre pandemic WFH was something that was only done very very occasionally and only for specific reasons.
CleanQueen123 · 26/01/2023 08:02
Lobelia123 · 26/01/2023 07:36
The ref to Himmler in a polyester blouse had me in stitches :) One of my favourite people in our company is an HR practitioner - she's in charge of employee benefits & I cannot tell you how much she has worked to improve things for employees - doing incredible amounts of research, networking, pitching, and going in to bat for us so we have some really amazing employee benefits. Absolutely inspiring because what she does makes a real difference. Instead of the usual healthcare, pension etc we have wellbeing add ons, subsidised meals, schooling allowance etc. And she manages to take the decision makers along with her and get them to buy into it all, which is incredible.
CleanQueen123 · 26/01/2023 06:44
HR. I know Mumsnet opinion is that we're all Himmler in a polyester blouse but I spend more of my time talking managers out of treating people poorly than I do finding ways to get them out.
I love employment law, I love my job and my team and I like to think I make a positive impact on the organisations I support.
See, we're not all bad. That's not my area of the business but it sounds like she's gotten you an amazing benefits package.
Hellibore · 26/01/2023 08:16
UnicorseTime · 23/01/2023 21:47
Oooh what do all these home working charity workers do? I'm an ex teacher and would love to.leap but sometimes you just don't know what roles are there?
LakieLady · 26/01/2023 08:27
Welfare rights adviser for people with MH issues. Every day is different, usually because I discover some new piece of lunacy from the DWP.
The work is mentally challenging, the clients are very vulnerable, so need a lot of support, the satisfaction is immense. Every time I win an appeal, I feel like I've stuck two fingers up at the government and its ridiculous, callous, cheeseparing approach to welfare. The amount of extra money I get for my clients is massive, well over 10 times salary.
I have lovely colleagues, a brilliant manager, and a very supportive employer. The pay is shite, but I'm semi-retired so that's ok for me. And I'd probably do it on a voluntary basis if I didn't need the money.
MarkWithaC · 26/01/2023 08:30
CleanQueen123 · 26/01/2023 06:44
HR. I know Mumsnet opinion is that we're all Himmler in a polyester blouse but I spend more of my time talking managers out of treating people poorly than I do finding ways to get them out.
I love employment law, I love my job and my team and I like to think I make a positive impact on the organisations I support.
That made me snort 
I’m sure you’re great at your job, but are you sure you’re not a comedy writer manqué?
Reminded me I used to work at a place where the HR boss (a woman) was, to the life, Alastair Sim in the St Trinians films.
SweetSenorita · 28/01/2023 18:24
waterfallswillfindyou · 24/01/2023 17:14
Thank you. I think it's uncomfortably common in our line of work.
Find me a happy accountant and I'll find you a liar!
Fingers crossed you find something more suitable soon.
aynsleyredder · 24/01/2023 13:55
Oh OP, I resonate with your post completely. I work in accounts and I’m completely fed up. I hate the monotony and long for a role where I do something much more worthwhile.
I had an interview this morning, but it was my first in over 15 years and I struggled so don’t think I will have got it. I’m not sure it was right for me anyway. I’m a bit stuck in that I have two young children to pick up from school/nursery, so my options are a bit limited as I’d need flexibility.
Best of luck with your job hunt, I hope you get the job satisfaction you deserve.
Ouch 🤣
I'm a chartered accountant and am Head of Finance at a charity. Bloody love it. I've been an accountant for 25 years and I've always loved it.
I'm super happy and ..... I speak the truth 😘
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