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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you love your job, what is it you do?

184 replies

C1239 · 22/04/2023 18:39

Really not enjoying my job at the moment, and wasting quite a bit of time thinking about how im not enjoying it. If you really like your job on the whole what is it you do?

OP posts:
pippinsleftleg · 23/04/2023 17:09

IDontWantToBeAPie · 23/04/2023 10:58

I'm a travel writer. I write about holidays, I go on holidays, I review hotels and experiences. Sometimes I even get to take DP 😁

This sounds amazing! Are you freelance or employed?

Isomissmyoldlife · 23/04/2023 17:25

I was a professional freelance violinist and I worked for most of the big orchestras in the UK at one point or another. I loved it more than I can say, I was a great player and although the traveling wasn't great, the tours were fabulous. I loved the cameraderie and the people almost as much as the music. Then I had a life changing illness and I couldn't play anymore. Now I teach other people's uninterested and lazy kids to play the violin and my soul dies a little bit more every year. I stick with it because now I have a child and it fits really well around her. I would dearly love to do something else but don't know what and think it's too late to retrain and start at entry level at 41 years old.

Jemimapinotduck · 23/04/2023 17:56

A looked down upon retail worker. However what a lot of people don't realise is that we complete a lot of trading to sell what we do and I have a diploma in it too

thebaneofmylifeisacat · 23/04/2023 18:29

I was a nursing sister/district nurse/TA/catering manager/ran my own child minder business and expanded into running my own nursery.

Hated the bones of it all but did my jobs. Very sucessfuly.

Happily retired at 50 and it's bloody fucking fantastic 😂

HappyJoyousFree · 23/04/2023 18:38

I'm a social worker. I love my job. It's a privilege to support families when they're at their most vulnerable and see changes happen. The strength and resilience of people always amazes me.

EffortlessDesmond · 23/04/2023 18:48

I am now retired, but when I worked I was a freelance copywriter specialising in big company's annual reports. I was always interested in law, politics and finance and fell into it by accident. No two days or projects were ever the same, you met the people making decisions for huge global businesses. Downside was huge amounts of early (0230) starts to be in London suburbs at 8.00 am for a breakfast meeting, 220 miles home and a fresh set of papers before 5.30.

WelcomeToMonkeyTown · 23/04/2023 19:07

I work in Finance for a software company.

A large part of my job is dealing with customers who haven't paid us. It's not for everyone but I love it - I get a real kick out of finally getting their money 😂

TooManyPringles · 23/04/2023 19:14

I would say on balance I do actually love my job. I’m a teacher in an independent prep school. On the whole it’s fun, interesting, and the children make me laugh. I do get really tired during term time, but I love the holidays and do a lot of traveling during the time off.

Saddogmum73 · 23/04/2023 19:18

Head up a team which develops and implements project management best practice for a company.

Daisydu · 23/04/2023 19:19

I work in a hotel, doing various things, sometimes in the restaurant, sometimes the bar, sometimes in the kitchen… I like it. Great people, moneys ok, they are flexible employers too so great working round my young kids and my dps job.

Greenfoxx1 · 23/04/2023 19:29

Health visitor

Greenfoxx1 · 23/04/2023 19:29

Health visitor

SnoringPains · 23/04/2023 20:37

Tarantullah · 22/04/2023 20:32

I'll PM you more info as to not clog up the thread, but no you don't need to necessarily know much beforehand (although it's handy to have an aptitude for logical thinking etc), there are funded courses and a fair number of employers now will take you on and fund your degree or training as you work for a higher salary than a traditional apprentiship. I have a degree now but many people I work with don't.

Show quote history

Would you mind PM’ing me some info too?! My DH is a data analyst but would like to move into cyber security, be good to know what the requirements are / how easy it is to retrain etc. thank you!

SnoringPains · 23/04/2023 20:40

And to answer the thread question - I’m a midwife and I love my job. I know a lot of people are quitting and the NHS is a very different place to when I qualified, but I still feel so privileged to get to do my job and I wouldn’t swap it. I would, however, leave without a second thought if I won the euromillions!

Bluelightbaby · 23/04/2023 21:31

I was a dental nurse then registered nurse (in maxfacs) and loved it ! But couldn’t afford to continue once I had kids :(

I was then a childminder for ten years and again loved it, worked well around my kids but then once they didn’t need me home anyway more I took on another role

I now work as emergency ambulance crew for the nhs frontline ambulances and love it ! Every job is different and driving on blue lights is so much fun. It can be hugely frustrating though with the pointless jobs we get sent to ! But the ‘proper’ jobs are so rewarding

McSlowburn · 23/04/2023 21:39

DancingFlamingo · 22/04/2023 21:57

Best advice I had was to think about what you enjoyed at school when you were young - before exams put the pressure on. I loved maths! I'm now an accountant and although I don't 'love' it, i really really like it - solving problems and helping people understand something quite complex and boring to most people. Plus the work/life balance is about right, and it's got good financial security.

My hobbies are what i love - ballet, dress-making - but i would never want to make them my job with the pressure that adds.

This!

People always say do what you love, but I swear the best balance is to do a job that's predictable but safe, with a decent salary and then focus on your hobbie.

It's been thus since time immemorial.

Luckydog7 · 23/04/2023 21:49

3D artist and designer, i work in landscaping, making the pretty pictures to send to clients. I work freelance subcontracting for a few companies so client contact is minimal and i just get paid to sit in my kitchen and model/draw. Took a while to get here but after i lost my last job I decided to market the set of skills that i really enjoyed and have made a little niche for myself. I was planning on doing a website to get more work but currently too busy! in 6 months im making a decent part time wage about 300-400 per week over two/three days.

TheGlitterFairy · 23/04/2023 21:58

STM publishing - the best!

Concernedneighbour21 · 23/04/2023 22:04

I work for the DWP. We get a bad rep generally but I'm very good at what I do. I work for my customers, they are my main focus. I advocate for them as much as possible. I love my job.

StepAwayFromTheBiscuitJar · 23/04/2023 22:14

Truck driver in the construction sector. I only do about 7.5-8 hours a day which is low for driving and get paid equivalent to many professional salaries.

I'm thinking of joining my mate on the arctics. I'm not as keen on lots of motorway driving but a '4 on/4 off' shift pattern sound great. Worst case scenario he does a 12 day but four hours of that is chilling - maybe 3.5 hours driving, four hours nap or watch some films whilst waiting to be unloaded, and then 3.5 hours driving back.

However, usually he gets offloaded straight away and does an 8ish hour day.

The thought of working one less day a week and having a a four day weekend is epic. Some of the guys work a fifth day which is paid at almost double time, so it bumps annual salary from £40k-ish to £65k.

Having a three day weekend every week whilst earning £65k ain't half bad considering it's a pretty low stress job.

Starseeking · 23/04/2023 22:15

I'm a Finance Director, although quite frankly I think it should be renamed as Forensic Investigator, the amount of following trails and digging into historic information I am having to carry out in my current role.

Due to my level of seniority, I can't get into the detail as much as I would like to, and the most frustrating thing about my role is waiting for others to get to the end of the trail.

The hours go by so quickly, I sit down at my desk at 8.30am, have many meetings, then it's time to go home. It doesn't feel like work at all, as the main skills I enjoy utilising are problem solving and providing simple explanations for complex calculations.

It's not a job or environment for everyone, given the pressure to get things out to particular deadlines is significant, however I feel like this role was made for me.

StepAwayFromTheBiscuitJar · 23/04/2023 22:15

'12hr day' that was meant to be.

MaraScottie · 23/04/2023 22:25

Accessibility Engineer (digital)

Bassetlover · 23/04/2023 22:36

Nurse working in the community with homeless people, so rewarding.

blueshoes · 24/04/2023 00:53

Concernedneighbour21 · 23/04/2023 22:04

I work for the DWP. We get a bad rep generally but I'm very good at what I do. I work for my customers, they are my main focus. I advocate for them as much as possible. I love my job.

I am curious who are your customers? My only contact with the DWP is in turning down PIP applications.