To ask what you do for a living if you genuinely love what you do?

[waterfallswillfindyou]

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.)

[Teenagehorrorbag]

@redshoeswhiteshoes

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.

Hats off to you! I watched that 'This is going to hurt' show on TV and thought nobody will ever train to be a doctor ever again. The system is clearly broken and I hope they can get more people on board - and soon. You are a star!!!!

[Itawapuddytat]

Interpreter. I love what I do.

[TheOrigRights]

Scientific journal editor. I love working with the authors and enabling them to get their research published. It helps that they are very motivated to get published, so communication is very good. They are appreciative.
I feel pride when I read press releases for papers I've worked on.
I've had very niche scientific jobs in the past, but I can talk about my current job w/o people's eyes glazing over!
I work with an amazing team of people - brilliant, funny, and caring.

[Golightly133]

Holistic therapist love every single day, if I won the lottery I would work for free 👣

[Mamanyt]

I'm in the USA, so not sure if the job translates well, but for years, until I retired, I was a psychiatric technician for the State of Tennessee, and I adored it. Here, PsyTechs are responsible for most aspects of daily patient care, with the exception of giving meds, and private therapy sessions, although they do attend group sessions. It was never boring, although physically demanding, and occasionally physically dangerous. But I loved every minute of it.

The pay was decent, and the benefits and perks were excellent.

[StrandedStarfish]

Also midwife with niche caseload. Love my job.

[krustykittens]

Writer and journalist. I love what I do and I work for really nice people who value me, which always helps. I am freelancer so it allows me to have good work/life balance.

[tobee]

I've worked in lowly not v interesting jobs in art galleries and theatres which were places I loved to work in and (most) of my colleagues were lovely, but the work was mostly repetitive.

After kids I trained as a teacher of English as a foreign language. I loved doing it (self employed 1 - 1) tailoring lessons to my students's requirements. But the most rewarding and worthwhile work was volunteering teaching at a refugee drop in. I find people fascinating.

But covid put a stop to a lot of it and I need to build up my work again. Which is quite daunting.

[SammyScrounge]

I'm a retired teacher and I miss teaching and the good feeling when children succeeded.

[Agapornis]

Accountancy could get you a good role in the civil service/a quango.

Not a success story, but I've just left the charity sector after 15 years. Be very picky about your new employer. I'd stay away from very small charities as they are prone to founder syndrome. Things I didn't like:

• bad pay: related to lack of union recognition, and a sector dominated by middle class women subsidised by better-earning husbands.
• lack of professionalism: forever taking on more work without checking staff capacity, not seeking continuous funding for essential roles on temporary contracts, people with no ambition staying in the same role for far too long, management unwillingness to do proper performance management and get rid of dead wood, little training, no push to stay current and be competitive.
• white saviourism: lots of white / able bodied people feeling the need to save black and brown / disabled / poor / foreign people.

If that hasn't put you off, lots of jobs are advertised on Charity job, where employers are forced to show the salary.

[PousseyNotMoira]

@Agapornis

Accountancy could get you a good role in the civil service/a quango.

Not a success story, but I've just left the charity sector after 15 years. Be very picky about your new employer. I'd stay away from very small charities as they are prone to founder syndrome. Things I didn't like:

• bad pay: related to lack of union recognition, and a sector dominated by middle class women subsidised by better-earning husbands.
• lack of professionalism: forever taking on more work without checking staff capacity, not seeking continuous funding for essential roles on temporary contracts, people with no ambition staying in the same role for far too long, management unwillingness to do proper performance management and get rid of dead wood, little training, no push to stay current and be competitive.
• white saviourism: lots of white / able bodied people feeling the need to save black and brown / disabled / poor / foreign people.

If that hasn't put you off, lots of jobs are advertised on Charity job, where employers are forced to show the salary.

I think the sector can be wonderful, but I agree with all of this.

Have you seen this? mobile.twitter.com/nonprofitssay?t=IWcJvGlkIDiWCCyY5wgPXg&s=08

It’s hilarious, but also not.

[Ohdofuckofdear]

Not now(disabled can no longer work) I used to work with children and I loved every single day of it,it was amazing.

Other job I really loved was working with a charity that was all about families and children and I loved that job as well.

I know it's not always possible but if you can do something you love, I know I was very lucky the working with children started from when I left school and carried on till after I'd had children and the work with the charity came around because I'm a parent, I hope you find something you love OP and that your able to go for it.

[Itsnotalternateuniverses]

I'm an antiques dealer. I love my job and the flexibility it gives me. Both my partner and I work on it. It's all online so we have the freedom of doing what we want when we want. We can take DC for days out without worrying about whether we're missing customers. Plus, no childcare costs.

[Desiredeffect]

Residential children's worker (cse) seeing them grow and. Move forward. It's a very hard job one of the hardest out there.

[ChorltonWheelie]

Software Architect specialising in AI. Love it

[QuentininQuarantino]

I have my own business providing english tuition to companies in Spain (one of which is a school so I get to work with children and adults). I learn so much from them, work in school time only (which in Spain entails 3 month summer holidays!) and get paid far more than tefl teachers because I set the rates. I employ 8 teachers.

There are drawbacks however, the pay is still an absolute pittance compared to a uk salary (mainly due to the long holidays) and so I still haven’t started paying off my student loan. But I live somewhere it is very cheap to live!

[PurpleFlower1983]

Teacher - it has its ups and downs but I love it.

[Maggie178]

Physiologist. I mainly look after patients with pacemakers. Love most of my job except on call.

[Pinkandpurplehairedlady]

I’m a youth worker in the charity sector. I get paid peanuts but love it. My days are really varied so there’s no chance of getting bored and I love that I get to make a difference in peoples lives.

[Alittlenonsensenowandthen]

Piano teacher - I do really enjoy my job when I'm doing it and love being my own boss. Honestly though if I could not work I would as I get more satisfaction from other stuff but there's nothing else I'd rather do.
Interesting that most of the jobs listed are vocational ones and the arty lower pay sector!

[AvocadoPlant]

Finance Manager for a GB Olympic sport. Small team, all lovely, great place to work and feels very worthwhile especially when watching the athletes compete.

[DoorStopper]

I own and run a business providing security for pubs, clubs and events.
I love it.

[GlitteryUnicornSparkles]

I work in animal care, I love my job but the money is crap and I do struggle financially.

[PoorMegHopkins]

Primary teacher. It can be frustrating and exhausting- lack of funding is particularly challenging right now. But the kids are sassy and funny and I suspect I laugh more than the adult average.
Sometimes I think I’ve made a difference and that’s amazing.
If I didn’t need the money I’d still do it part time I think. I get bored easily.

[RampantIvy]

Sourcing data for website content.
It isn't just the work, but the people I work with and for who are all, without exception, lovely.