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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Do you think anyone can do any job if they work hard?

107 replies

Angryvindictivewasps · 01/02/2025 13:38

Let's say you're in nursing and you start a career in tax, something you've never done before and have no knowledge in.
You're given a rigorous programme to get through in order to become a 'tax specialist'.
Would you feel like if you just worked hard enough, put in the extra hours and did all the studying, you or anyone could become this tax expert or (insert profession)

Or, do you believe that some people are just not cut out for certain careers no matter what or will just feel out of their depth and shouldn't feel they have to? Honestly at my point in life I don't think I've got the headspace to train in and learn something completely new and alien, especially something like that which doesn't interest me.

OP posts:

RickiRaccoon · 01/02/2025 18:57

I think some people's brains just aren't set up for some jobs. Even within my job where others in my team have similar skill sets, I find there's certain tasks that only I and 2 others can do, eg, working on a data sets and organising them. Others don't have the combination of concentration, imagination and critical thinking skills to do it. They're just baffled by them and make a hash of them.

MargaretThursday · 01/02/2025 19:34

I could never be anything that involved using my art unless it was computer generated. I'm not bad at that, but I'd regard it as a triumph if I drew a tree and someone recognised it as such.
I also couldn't be an athlete. I've tried, I can play a reasonable game of tennis, but I'm just slow at running.
Nor a surgeon. I could manage the workload, but I'm not good with blood. Rather liable to faint with quantities of it, so that would kind of make it difficult.
I'd probably also make a rubbish cleaner. I can clean, but I find it boring, and I suspect that I'd miss stuff that needed to be done because I wasn't looking properly.

I could probably have been a lawyer, an accountant or an actuary, but didn't want to do more exams. (I'm quite good at exams, but had had enough of them by the time finals came)

When ds was at infants they did a lot of "you can be whoever/whatever you want if you work" for a while.
I pointed out that what ds wanted most of all was not to go to school, and he was putting in a lot of work to try and achieve his aim. He told me that when he grew up he'd dis-invent school (he's year 13 now and still has the same opinion of school). I suspect other parents said similar as it trailed off shortly after that.

Positivenancy · 01/02/2025 19:47

I have been a primary school teacher and I then retrained to become a microbiologist. I did both successfully but hated teaching so left. I couldn’t be a nurse/carer/doctor as I’m way too squeamish.

poemsandwine · 01/02/2025 19:49

No. People have different talents. It's a good thing I'm not a doctor.

User12435687 · 01/02/2025 19:55

BobbyBiscuits · 01/02/2025 13:55

No, of course not.
I couldn't be a high court judge, or kings counsel 'just by working hard'.
I couldn't build a company from scratch to a million profit in five years, no matter what I tried to do. I simply don't have the skills, ability, or personality type.
Nursing, you need to have a really caring nature. Be very resilient and of course you can't fail to have to work long hours. So I don't think I'd be able to do that either.
You can't become a supermodel or pop star just by 'working hard'. It's about luck and looks a lot of the time.

I'm quite a senior lawyer and I don't have what it takes to be a KC or judge! Although if I worked hard I'd certainly be a bit closer I suppose...

MelisandeLongfield · 01/02/2025 19:55

No, I think you need aptitude.

In your example of retraining as a tax advisor, it's very difficult to learn new things as an adult if you find them boring. I think that's a difference between the child and adult brain - I can remember all kinds of stuff that I had to learn at school, that didn't interest me at all - e.g. the elements of the periodic table - but now, if I try to learn something that doesn't interest me - and even sometimes when it does interest me - it doesn't seem to 'stick' in the same way.

AnaMond · 01/02/2025 20:03

Could I work hard to be a pilot or an air steward …absolutley not, I'm so scared I would be very bad at it.

Panic stricken staff and passengers as I grip the seat or close my eyes and cry!

Could I work hard to be a nurse, doctor, paramedic, police officer, absolutely not, I would probably need lifting off the floor, fainting at the sight of blood!

XenoBitch · 01/02/2025 20:36

No, not at all. It is so much more than working hard. It is about the aptitude etc too. And some qualities needed for certain jobs can not be learnt (such as empathy).
Sadly, sometimes we try something and fail horribly anyway, despite the fact we worked hard and very much wanted to do it.
I also find it very hard to do anything that I am not interested in.

Isseywith2witchycats · 01/02/2025 20:41

As someone who has severe dyscalculia any career involving more than basic maths would be a no no for me wouldn't be able to do the sums, so no amount of training would get me to any level, squeamish so nursing not on my list

Ultravox · 01/02/2025 20:48

Absolutely not. I have many skiils and probably could be decent at a number of things if I put my mind to it. But I’m well aware that there’s a ton of things that I’d never be able to do for a living. I am crap at art in any form and I have no interest in anything to do with sport or politics or finance.

Different strokes for different folks.

Copernicus321 · 01/02/2025 21:03

I had to (by mistake / no choice) pass a year 1 degree in joint maths and computing. I really struggled with the maths element. I worked really hard, 4-5 times harder than others and just scraped it so I could give it up and focus on the computing electives for years 2 and 3. So no, it's not always possible to do everything well, no matter how hard you work.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 01/02/2025 21:10

Tax yes, other jobs, eg surgeon, no.

Londonmummy66 · 01/02/2025 23:27

mondaytosunday · 01/02/2025 18:42

In your example yes. Because doing taxes just requires knowledge. But I don't helieve anyone can do any job. I could not do a physically intensive job. I could not becone a surgeon. I could not be a astrophysicist. Why? Because I'm not strong or fit enough, I'm not clever enough fir the latter two.
I COULD be a teacher, an accountant or, say, a computer programmer. I wouldn't enjoy them necessarily but with training I could do them.

I've done tax - it requires a certain type of memory and a certain type of brain to interpret that. Not sure everyone could do it.

Allthenameshavegone1972 · 02/02/2025 00:00

@ViolinsPlayGentlyOn how did your maths teacher get on with teaching you all? Did you pass your exams? Did they understand all the theory and methods re horrible algebra etc but just could not add up?
Sorry for all the questions but I'm imagining a brilliantly, clever & eccentric maths teacher

researchers3 · 02/02/2025 00:05

No, definitely not. I have one subject that I'm interested in, and reasonably good at. There's nothing else I could do, or would want to do, at any sort of professional level.

Doitrightnow · 02/02/2025 00:06

No, I don't. People have their own strengths and weaknesses.

I do believe that with hard work you can improve most skills, but that still doesn't mean you'll be good enough to make it a successful career.

If I had singing lessons I'd be better at singing than I am now. But I'm never going to be Whitney.

stayathomer · 02/02/2025 00:11

Dh believes this- what he doesn’t get is that no matter how hard some people will work and study at something, they may never grasp it, let alone become extremely able at it. I left two of my old jobs because they were too fast paced and I couldn’t figure out some of the core skills needed on a day to day basis- dh thinks had I just asked for more training and worked away at it outside of work I’d have got there. He’ll never be convinced because he’s never not been able to work something out after some work at it

ChangeyerNameyer · 02/02/2025 00:11

It depends massively on the job, not only the skills it requires but also how much competition there is for places. You might manage to learn enough to make a passable zoo keeper, but it’s such a popular career that they only hire people who are exceptional, so you’d never get the chance.

Orangeandgold · 02/02/2025 00:51

No - some people are good at some things, and bad at other - visa versa

Needspaceforlego · 02/02/2025 01:09

I think everyone has their level.
Their skills & talents.

Some people just aren't cut out to do certain roles, not everyone could pass the exams to be a Doctor or Surgeon.

Not everyone has the ability to be a manager or teacher. Might be good at their job know their stuff but no ability to explain stuff to other people.

Not everyone can cope with the stresses of management.

As much as nobody wants to admit it women aren't as big or strong as men and some jobs do still require a bit of brute strength or height. Who's bright idea was it to put milk on top shelves in Sainsbury's - not a 5ft 2 woman that's for sure!

Allthenameshavegone1972 · 02/02/2025 01:40

I could never be a cleaner. Not because it's a menial job, far from it. It's one of the most important jobs in the workplace. Imagine an office of about 50 people & no cleaner, the mess after a couple of days would be unthinkable. It's the horror stories I've heard from my friend when she was a cleaner, how disgusting some people really are. She used to clean for a posh lady, you'd think they'd have some standards, but she'd leave her bathroom bin filled up with a few days worth of used period pads, instead of disposing of them herself. No cleaner should have to be made to clean someone's personal waste up like that 🤢

notatinydancer · 02/02/2025 01:56

Definitely not. The 'you can do anything you put your mind to' school of thought is very damaging.
My daughter always wanted a certain career , she is not academically able and her stepmother used to tell her she could do it if she put her mind to it, she absolutely can't.

LondonLawyer · 02/02/2025 03:01

Absolutely not. I love doing my job, and although it is hard work, I enjoy it. There are probably other jobs I'd both enjoy and be reasonably good at.
There are a large range of jobs that I could probably do with hard work if I put my mind to it. Some of them, though, would have aspects that would be difficult for me to do well, and not use things I'm good at.
There are a large number of jobs I absolutely couldn't do, either because I lack necessary skills or attributes, or because I'd be bored and fed up. That doesn't mean these are bad jobs, just ones that don't suit my strengths, weaknesses and abilities.

Ponoka7 · 02/02/2025 04:21

There's a lot of world class football players who have shown to be shit team managers. The motivation/want is definitely there, so is the knowledge, but they still can't do the job.
The military have selection.

2025ohdear · 02/02/2025 04:40

Poppyseeds79 · 01/02/2025 13:44

No, I'm pretty sure at 45 if I started training for the gymnastic Olympics I'd fail miserably.

You'd need a hoist to get me on and off the beam

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