If you enjoy your job, what do you do?

[UsernameShmusername2024]

Have struggled for years to really understand what I actually want to do. I've mainly worked in public sector policy type roles and currently am in a reasonably senior role where I manage direct programme delivery and also lead strategic decisions about programme design and aligning with local and national govt policy, etc. This is challenging and it's constantly an uphill battle to get different politicians to agree, to find internal funding to invest in projects, etc.
In some ways it's a great job - we'll paid, flexible, great manager and team, and I believe in our mission. BUT it also has the usual way-too-massive workload, I constantly feel like I'm not good enough for it and lack confidence - this sort of strategy role always involves slowly chipping away at things and it can be very demoralising and just generally hard work!

I'm early 40s so have years of working ahead of me and just can't imagine doing this sort of role forever but have no idea really what I'd be happy doing. If you enjoy your job, what do you do? Would love to get some ideas!

Teaching assistant in a primary school. Everydays totally different but am enjoying it

I've worked in various satisfying jobs, in private, charity and public sectors. I think the main advice I'd give for enjoying your job is not to stay anywhere for over 7 years, definitely not more than 10.

Snap!
Currently enjoying being a primary TA. Hated secondary teaching (after many enjoyable years) so I am enjoying being in school in a different, less stressful (well maybe different stresses) role.

I work in a corporate environment which means I travel a lot for work all international. I have to wine and dine a lot of clients, deal with CEOs and millionaires….fascinating and the people I meet are very interesting and all have a story to tell.
I do a lot of solo business travel, lots of 121 business meetings, events etc
my job is very varied and I’ve seen the world thanks to my job. I get lots of perks which I’m extremely fortunate for.

more so I have a great team who I get on really well with and my boss is great. I’m never micromanaged and fully trusted.

I’m an Executive Assistant. I’ve done it for 8 years now in a variety of sectors and I love it. I’m a control freak and it just fulfils me so much. Plus the people I work for are always lovely, paid an eye watering amount and boy do I get perks.

I’ve been allowed to use holiday homes, event tickets, one even let us rent his second huge house for a year for £200 a month whilst we were struggling to save for a mortgage. I find Executives to be really genuinely lovely and generous people - which makes it easy to work alongside them and support them.

I work mostly from home as they are usually travelling, I get paid well and I can switch off at the end of the day. I think I’ve hit the sweet spot before I tip over into ‘personal’ assistant and I think I could do it forever.

I work in Learning and Development training social work staff and 3rd sector staff. I love my job although I'm such a stress head I still do get stressed out and worry about stuff. Before that I was a social worker for a long time 😊

The clue’s in my username, though I’ve never actually wielded the hammer! My job is really interesting but I do get annoyed by the ridiculous amount of money involved (“they could build a new hospital for the price of that”) so I’d say it’s rewarding for me because I look at nice things all day long, but it’s really not important in the grand scheme of things.

Psychologist/psychotherapist and love it. Sense of purpose, challenge, always learning, endless variety and a massive privilege.

Occupational therapy in a community mental health team. I love it and wouldn't want to do anything else.

Primary school teacher and HOY. I do love the role although it’s very demanding and I’m constantly tired.

Colleagues are great and it’s very rewarding!

Academic. I get to work with very smart people and teach very smart kids. I work in a lovely building and have lots of flexibility. It’s a privilege and I thoroughly enjoy it.

You’re all so lucky to have jobs you love. I’ve retrained twice and still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up!

Work with dogs.....prefer them to humans.

Publisher

Retired now but I was in a multi faceted NHS job. I was an Occupational Therapist and worked in Community Rehab, but I also jobshare managed the team and was pulled out to do work on various other stuff, all change management/clinical documentation/IT based. I did love my job but when the labour party under Blair/Brown kicked off the amalgamation/reorganisation and we were constantly being told "how to do it better" I'd had enough.

Why don't you try some career coaching. I was in the same situation as you a few years ago where some of the basics were right but it wasn't adding up to what I wanted. You probably have all the answers to fix it but just need a little help getting there. It changed my life and I'm much happier now.

I'm a Behaviour Change Practitioner and work in a lovely team.

Play therapist and I love the kids, the paperwork not so much.

TA in a SEN school.
Lovely job, crap pay.

data scientist - love uncovering the hidden meaning in huge volumes of data, I feel like a detective! Lots of coding which is no different mentally to doing crosswords and sudokus, which is what I would be doing all day if I wasn't working, so I might as well get paid to enjoy myself solving puzzles all day.

HR and I love all the issues,
my favourite is saying: No, I cannot send you home because you feel unwell. You’re an adult who has to make that decision based on your symptoms. But yes I will support you when you tell your manager

Global comms. Love it. Lots of travel.

Senior NHS podiatrist. We don't do nails or corns its more like a&e podiatry...acute. I could be removing a mummified foot or toe or treating severe diabetic ulcers, diagnosing all kinds of conditions like skin cancer or having people admitted for sepsis.
It's different everyday and never boring.

Plumber. It pays extremely well and I choose my hours. Previously I was a university lecturer. I hope to go to Rabbinical school soon.

I have a first class degree but have never really used it! After a whole lot of life crap I do what makes me happy. My weeks are a mishmash of different self employed work, including:

1. being a book dealer of rare books
2. dog walking and house sitting
3. horse related yard work
4. support work for a family with two autistic kids
5. dog grooming
6. ironing for a lovely family who live in a massive country pile, as and when their housekeeper is snowed under.
7. festival work

My weeks are pretty busy! And no two days or weeks are the same. I think I have commitment issues when it comes to work 🤣

It’s mostly very flexible in terms of choosing when I work, so if there’s other things I want to do ‘for me’, eg my hobby or going away, then I just plan my work around that. Life is too short to be told how many days and when you’re allowed to not be working.