To ask you what you do for a living?

[attenborough1]

First week back at work after Christmas and I realise how unhappy I am in my job, it’s sucking the life out of me.

I would love to hear from those who enjoy their livelihoods, what do you do, and how did you get into it?

For context - I have worked in mostly sales type roles in the environmental sector. On the surface, some of the companies I have worked for probably seem quite interesting, but day to day, my job is boring corporate and feels like I’m churning out emails to people who aren’t really interested in what I have to say. It doesn’t help that my current boss is pretty rubbish. Doesn’t listen to any suggestions, his way is the only way, and he is a major micro manager. I work fully remote with occasional travel to London - another factor which probably doesn’t help but due to where I live (which I love) it’s the most practical.

Ideally I’d love to spend some time outdoors. A pipe dream would be to rent out a few lovely properties on Airbnb / Sykes etc. but as that is very unlikely, I would love inspiration for other lines of income. I would also be quite happy having multiple small sources of income, rather than relying on one main source of income.

Thanks in advance!

I do accounts mostly and a bit of reception in a small business which is a car dealership. Can't say I enjoy the work but I do enjoy my workmates. It helps that they're almost all male (excluding the bosses, there are 12 men and 3 women) as I find men far easier to work with than large groups of women. I've had jobs where I cried every day and it was never to do with the work, always the people. Probably why I've been in this job since 1999, don't want to risk ending up somewhere with horrible workmates again.

Job wise, if I changed, I'd never do accounts again, I don't particularly like it and I can do the job standing on my head plus it's a 5 minute commute so it has more going for it than against it. Have no qualifications of any kind, did a secretarial course after school, never did third level.

In an ideal world, I'd have loved to be a writer or a photographer.

My job isn’t relevant to your background but my BIL works for RSPB so lots of outdoor work but also fundraising/marketing type stuff. Do you have interest/knowledge of nature-type things like this?

@Sylver75 thanks for your response. I love the idea of being a photographer or a writer, or both! I guess it’s just having the confidence to do something a bit different, and knowing it could take years to build up to a level where it actually pays a decent income!

@KT8282 absolutely! I did have a couple of jobs working for charities in the past, I found they were still quite desk based / corporate, but it’s sounds like your BIL has a good mix of the two which could be pretty ideal!

I’m a nurse. I enjoy my work, I enjoy helping my patients but I HATE the politics!

I work in the NHS and also have a small design business. I immensely enjoy both although none of them are making me the kind of money to match your corporate salary.
The massive upside for me is that I can work remotely. We do have one member of staff who travels the country living in various airbnbs and last year I took a month long trip to Spain and was able to both work and enjoy the sunshine.