Fabric and yarn shop owner. I spend most days chatting with people about sewing and knitting, doing it or thinking about it. Very rarely does anyone have a cross word to say and people genuinely enjoy being in my shop. Some people call it their happy place.

I'm in pharmaceutical development and academia. In my early career I helped develop the anti-HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors which has stayed with me as probably the most influential thing I've done albeit over 30 years ago!
In 2020 we were repurposing drugs with known anti fibrotic effects against COVID.
Since then we've been using all we learnt during the rush for COVID drugs to better understand fibrosis, viral loading vs infectivity, and a range of other research projects. I find my job interesting and rewarding. Also very tiring and I am at an age and stress level where I am very much less tolerant of others than I was a generation ago. So I'll give it a 80/20 love it/counting down to retirement 🙂.

Sewing/fairisle knitting teacher running workshops and offering maker space on my own purpose built premises (no beginners, no children).

After years of failing to please them one way or another I could never have an employer again.

Wedding Cake Designer. Used to work in IT and would sit dreaming about baking cakes all day and now I actually get paid to do it.
A bit of a salary drop but the job satisfaction and creative outlet is amazing, I can’t ever imagine not making cakes, even with a lottery win.

Lawyer! Would probably still do it if I won the lottery.

Sure! I got a law degree and a Masters in the Humanities. Then I went to work for an arts non-profit as a membership officer and basically just worked my way up.

I moved organisation roughly every three or four years for the next 15, as I’ve found that’s the best way to progress quickly (as opposed to inch your way up the ladder), increase earning potential and get a breadth of experience (people who spend a decade at one charity tend to have less flex on their way of operating, in my experience). And I always applied for roles that were a few steps up the ring from where I was and that I could do circa 60% of (if you’re reading a job description and you can already do all of it, you should be aiming to be that person’s boss).

I think what’s key is figuring out what you want your career trajectory to be and having an actual plan. Write it down, have a strategy, map out your KPIs and and a timeline. Lots of people seem to just do their jobs and wait for careers to happen to them, which isn’t generally an
effective approach unless you’re landed gentry or something. However, lots of people don’t want careers, and that’s fine as well.

I'm an academic/lecturer, love my area, and could bore on about it for England. Student interactions fulfilling; got good at teaching after many years. Have a love/hate relationship with writing, would do it anyway even if I won the lottery, but might write something else. Lucky to have such an interesting job.

I work in procurement for medical supplies for the past few years. I like the job and find it fine, just not as challenging now. I alwasy like learning something new.
I did used to have my own ghost hunting events company and I LOVED that job. going all round the uk to haunted places. It just did not pay very well and sometimes it was difficult to sell tickets at certain times of the year and we would work without pay some nights. It didnt pay the bills and had to give it up in the end. Still do it as a hobby, but loved every weekend going to all these amazing places.

University lecturer. I do love it, but am v v tired. If I won the lottery I’d stop!

Strategic development and change management. I come in and create the framework, then I toddle off and let everyone else do the work. 😊

I've just left a job I loved, community carer.
Not one day did I wake up and dread going to work. I just can't afford to continue. The cost of fuel and maintenance on my car ate into my ridiculously low wage.

I've got a office job now which I start next week

Hi OP

I know you were asking for success stories but I was in a similar position last year and took the plunge to the NFP sector from a brutal corporate job. Similar profession (law not accountancy). 40k pay cut but it hasn't solved the void I feel. I guess you won't know til you try but I thought this would be the answer to my need to do more meaningful work, but it hasn't turned out to be this way. I don't regret it because my previous job was making me ill, but the move hasn't solved all my problems as I was expecting it to. Adding in perimenopause and mid life crisis isn't helping to be fair.

I'm an interior designer specialised in sustainable residential design. I love my design job but dislike the other jobs that come with running your own practice - hopefully 2023 is the year I’ll outsource the admin!

Foster Carer. I love my foster son. He has been with me since he was 5 and 16 now. He feels like my own son.

As women, we are often conditioned to devalue and doubt ourselves and our professional abilities. There was a study a few years ago that found men would apply for jobs for which they were grossly unqualified, while extremely qualified women would only apply for jobs for which they were 100% qualified (even a slight shortfall and they’d deem themselves unworthy). It holds us back and it’s a hard mindset to get out of.

When reading a JD, remember that they are describing their PERFECT candidate. It’s all in there, everything they want (although tempered to be within reason, hopefully). There is no expectation that they’re going to get that person. That person doesn’t exist or, if they do and they’ve any sense, they’re applying for the next rung up. Apply for roles that stretch and teach and prepare you for what’s next.

Also, if roles are advertised via an agent, ring them and ask them what the salary band is. If it’s the charity itself that’s organising sans pay grade, then they’re unlikely to be an organisation you’d like working for, anyway.

Wow. So jealous of all you lovely people who LOVE your jobs. I've had 5 jobs and still not found my niche. Starting a new job in two weeks. Really didn't want to take it but it's a leap of faith so hoping this pays.

I teach adult social care to people already in the sector so apprenticeships, diplomas and short courses. I love helping people achieve their qualifications and move into the next level qualification and/or the next level in the workplace. I love seeing people grow in confidence and also meeting a range of different people. There is a lot of admin and paperwork involved which I love less!!

I also write courses and I really love this part of the job, all the reading and research and putting together something interesting and engaging l!

I am self employed so I get to do a range of different things under the social care training umbrella so nothing gets boring and every day is different.

if I won the lottery or didn’t need to work for financial reasons I would set up my own care company with outstanding training opportunities and double the money carers currently get!

I'm a Senior Social Worker in Adult Social Care. I love my job despite how complex and stressful it can be at times. I work in a fabulous team and feel valued every day. I especially love supervising students on placement and sharing my knowledge, skills and enthusiasm for the job with them. I love seeing the difference I can make in someone's life, who is really struggling and to think of creative ways to help them to help themselves. I've been a Social Worker for over 20 years and it is who I am, can't imagine what else I would do.

I would love to just sit and listen to you talk about your job! It sounds fascinating!

Self employed photographer, mostly brand shoots for small businesses plus some portraiture and self portrait art photographs.

I love it, I'm really good at it, and it's the one thing I couldn't give up and I'm fairly certain I'll never get bored with. Which, given I had 17 jobs in 12 years before I took my business full time, is something of a relief!

I have two other side businesses too, one I've had for ten years and one was a lockdown project with family.

Income is not at all linear, I don't love the admin and finance side, and the last couple of years have been tough, but I love what I do and am still amazed I get to do it for a living as well as for fun.

Definitely wouldn't give it up if I won the lottery, but would shift to being able to also work with tiny startups/charities who don't have budget but still deserve brilliant images for their marketing, I reckon.

Museum assistant and absolutely love it!

The money is pretty average but I feel as though I'm being paid to indulge my passion/hobby.

I'm 13 years off retirement and if/when I do, I'll continue as a volunteer.

I'm a junior doctor, and even though the work conditions are not great, I do love my job. I had the option of doing something else much easier with similar pay before joining med school but still wanted to do medicine.

I have done a number of jobs in the past that I really loved, since the early 80s. Unfortunately times have changed and companies can no longer make profits without really squeezing everything, so I suspect many jobs nowadays are too stressful to be enjoyable.

I worked in a high street bank years ago - we closed to the public at 3pm and once we'd balanced the books etc we could go home! Officially our hours were 9 to 5 but sometimes we left at 3.45! That would never happen anywhere these days........ The job was varied and enjoyable, and there were loads of us so we had a great social life! I think that branch has about 7 staff now where had about 50.....

I worked in a city Head Office in the noughties as an HR partner to senior business directors. I loved that job more than anything - had great colleagues and social stuff, good pay and bonuses, (loads of holiday, private healthcare etc), plenty of autonomy to manage myself, and freedom to work from home when appropriate. I also travelled all over the country and spent hours in hotels, so left when I started a family. But it was the best job ever - much due to the culture and some amazing managers. I also got paid to do my degree equivalent qualification as part of my role. I left in 2008 before austerity hit - doubt things are the same these days.

I now work 9 hours a week in a flexible role at a local secondary school. I took the job 12 years ago when I had young DCs as it was WFH / evenings, and I still do it as it keeps my brain alive, I meet people and I learn about the education system. The money isn't much more than minimum wage, and DH keeps saying I should quit, but I do really enjoy it (apart from typing minutes....) and love having an interest outside sorting out my family.......!

I'm very lucky that I've never had to do a job I don't like - it must be soul destroying. (I left the high street bank in the mid 90s when it all became about sales and centralised all the specialised functions). I do think it's harder these days, and money is more key than it ever was. I'm glad I'm older and out of the rat race!

Sorry - lots of waffling and no advice. No-one can advise you because only you know what you really enjoy doing. I'm an office and paperwork kind of person, my DD is 14 and is dyslexic and hates the idea of an office. She wants to work abroad as a tourist rep - horses for courses!

Good luck! I hope you find something you love.