To have hated every job ive ever had?

[Coffeeebean]

Just as the title says really – I hate my current job, and I have come to realise that I have hated every single job I have ever had.

I currently work for the civil service and today is my first day back since the 24th. I didn’t sleep a wink last night because I was so anxious and full of dread, and I’ve already been in tears this morning. I have worked in a few other civil service roles, in education (non-teaching), with animals and in hospitality and grown to hate every single one.

Its usually around the 6 month point that the boredom and dread start to set in and I start having thoughts like ‘maybe I could just have a minor car crash and have a few days off’ (not ideal)..

I find the constant interaction and pressure to deliver exhausting. I don’t have ‘passion’ for anything I’m working on so just get so bored and fed up. I definitely don’t have a ‘dream job’, and above all else I completely resent the loss of freedom and the manic Monday-Friday trying to fit everything in, for the weekend to fly by and having to start all over again.

Does anyone else feel like this? How do you cope?

Ive been so happy the last 10 days and immidiately just feel awful now i have to go back. The thought of doing this for another 40 years makes me feel like theres really no point to any of it, but everyone else just seems to get on with it and be perfectly fine!

What am I doing wrong?

Me too.

I like the regular pay check and sense of community with permanent employment but that's about it.

I find that I am actually much happier with freelancing and contracting where I can dip in and out. If a job or work environment becomes too irritating or overwhelming I remove myself from it. I work for a few organisations and sometimes removing myself is temporary.

I'm also working towards being self employed this year and taking on my own work. I'm at the age now where no one is ever going to promote me so I might as well run my own empire. I'm fed up of other people running what is usually a very bad show.

Isn’t it just something you need to accept and not dwell on? We are paid for it because it’s work? Most (not all) people who work would rather not. But that’s the society we live in? The implication of the work “work” is that it’s something that takes effort. Of course you’ve been happy whilst off with no work. If we all decided not to contribute then what would happen?

Such a good point!

You're not alone. I'd much rather spend my time travelling, reading and sitting in coffee shops. We were DINKs for years due to fertility issues and we saved hard in the hopes of being able to retire early. We were lucky to have our baby so plans have changed.

My issue with jobs has never been the actual work, it's been the stress of having to navigate the social game playing, which just feels so utterly ridiculous to me. I found some people to be so difficult, obstructive and bullying. Then there's the whole 'we are like a family' blah blah which I found to be so utterly disingenuous.

I just want to turn up and do my job well. People ruin workplaces.

I really enjoy my job...... NOW

Now that the useless, bullying, narcissistic fucktard of a manger has gone. The job itself was always lovely but they made it hell.

I was fortunate to be able to afford to drop a couple of grades pay so now I do all the bits I like without having to do the bits i dont.

I like my new manager a lot and have some good supportive colleagues with whom I can safely eye roll with about the colleagues who aren't my cup of tea.

Pay is fine for what I do. I work 4 days a week. I manage my own diary and as long as work is done..no drama. It's a secure job with good benefits.

I could be doing more with my degree and experience but I can't really be arsed.

Agreed

Read that as 'spend my time time travelling' and I was very impressed! 🙈

How old are you OP? I'm in my early 30s and felt much the same until a few years ago when I could work more from home.

Is Morrisby really good for careers?

Op, have you thought about working for a charity? Fundraising and strategy? Events?

I worked boring office jobs then did a silversmithing course in the evenings for fun and loved it. 10 years later and I'm now a full time goldsmith. See what courses might interest you at an adult education centre maybe, ceramics, silversmithing, textiles? or think totally getting out of the office and doing a different role like joining the police, being a healthcare assistant or a pharmacist perhaps. Lots of those roles you don't need a qualification before but can learn on the job

I feel for you OP. My first 'grown up' FT job was as a bank clerk. I used to feel wprried and sick every Sunday. All the other employees were older than me and many spoke their own language between themselves which made me feel so alone. And there was a lechy manager who tried it on a couple of times, but I was 22 and just got a mortgage and was scared to change jobs. I stayed there for 4 years which was far too long. My next job was at a call centre and whilst it was very fast paced I felt like a weight off my shoulders and my colleagues were good fun.
Can you seek some careers advice or consider dropping hours and doing some training/OU degree to retrain? I'm doing a degree apprenticeship atm which means my work pays for my degree, I work 4 days get 1 day uni day and have teaching weeks and placements. It's busy but the variety stops me getting bored. Good luck!

I feel the same OP and have done for the last 25 years. The people I know that enjoy work are the ones that have made their hobby their work or work doing something they love, such as working with dogs, even if the pay isn’t great.

The other group are those with their own business. Not having to answer to a boss or have to deal with the tittle tattle of work politics and being able to keep the majority of the income the business creates would make it worthwhile.

Yeh, me too tbh. I'm also in the civil service and the upside is that it's easy and I work almost entirely from home, but I still wish I didn't have to do it. I don't think there's a way around it. I need money to pay my bills. The day goes faster and I feel more productive if I take my ADHD medication.

Totally get you, OP. I'm 61 and have lurched from job to job my whole life. Some good jobs and I'm very highly paid now but hate every minute of it. Been dreading today for a week.

So envy people who like their work.

I feel exactly the same. I also didn’t sleep much last due to anxiety about returning to work. I’ve come to the conclusion I just don’t really want to work (I have to, though) I was a SAHM for a long time before returning to work and I loved it-I never felt bored.

I have ended up hating all the jobs I have ever had. I didn't hate them initially.

The reason I have hated these jobs has been the people I needed to interact with .

But each job had different reasons. Some were cliquey. ,one was the customers , sometimes due to disorganisation . Once I didn't get paid enough because someone didn't mark me in for that shift.

I can put up with boring work, I hate jobs because of how the behaviour of others make me feel.

Never liked any job. Currently, I've had around 8 in 20 years. I leave because of red tape, management, and unrealistic workload. I get bored very easily, too. I'm hoping to retire at 60, so another 20 yrs to go. I've done admin/office and work at quite high level now, but I just want out of work.

I feel you OP. I hate work. I hate the inflexibility of it, and 9-5 is bullshit, it's 8-6 plus commute nowadays! I'm also in a rut where my health conditions need exercise to really be the best me, but after that long at work I'm exhausted on its own, then exercise, get dinner and do a chore I'm not making it to bed until gone 11 so sleep is also suffering. I feel like if you want to be able to live comfortably, then it always seems to have to be the cooking, cleaning, exercising that has to give, but if that gives and life is so miserable then you don't need the money so much from working.

For me, it's the people, mostly the customers. Everyone seems to want the moon on a stick and not pay for it. I'm fed up of dodgy Dave needing a 'deal' to get something over the line. Negotiations with belligerent arseholes all the time is draining beyond belief. They don't try this shit buying their meal deal at the self scan in Tescos so why do they think at work everything needs to be a cringey Apprentice style "it's £20, will you take £19.99" barter just to feel like they have 'won', especially when you ask them if they have a budget at the start and they say no. It's always slimey men too.

Thing is, if you've found every single job shit, and you've had lots...it's not the jobs, is it? It's you. You're the common denominator. It's a you problem.

Nobody would have expected you to (just like nobody actually expects you to be passionate about any job) . They'd just expect you to get on with your job without the whining.

The answer for me was to get off the corporate treadmill and do lesser paid fulfilling work. I've found the answer for me and I no longer get sunday dread.

So think self employed then! What is your passion? What do you like, naturally gravitate towards etc It may be the relentless 9 to 5 that's killing you rather than the work itself. If you could work but to your own timetable does that sound feasible?

'@DowntonBlabbie · Today 13:50

Thing is, if you've found every single job shit, and you've had lots...it's not the jobs, is it? It's you. You're the common denominator. It's a you problem.'

Read the thread.

It is not just the OP that feels that way.

You have a thread full of people talking of toxic workplaces/colleagues, unrealistic deadlines, bad management or having problems combining work and managing a long term health conditions.

They are many good reasons why people struggle with work.

Not to mention that so many employers seem to love being stuck in the past and refuse to support positive change like Hybrid/remote working which in many cases have improved people's work-life balance.

No wonder many of us had enough of this...

The 9 to 5 working in an office for a single employer with added long or uncomfortable commute is not always the best option for many people.

Are you willing to downsize your life and living costs enough not to have to work or do to very minimal work?

Buy a tiny house somewhere cheap, eat very cheaply, no holidays or hobbies/activities that aren't free, minimal spending?

Not working and not having any money to do anything but go for a walk from your front door might be much less attractive than a Xmas holiday when you have an income is.