What do you do ...

[donna123]

What do / did you do for a job / career? I'm sure that this has been asked before but I'm a relative newbie so I'm asking the question again. Just out of pure curiosity, you understand, and because I'm nosey.
Oh, and I suppose that you could say what you do / do not like about it. My DD is a teenager and we have to think about careers soon!

Please, please, pleeeze do not turn this into a SAHM / WOHM shouting match.

interesting thread!

here goes...

I went to drama school when I was 18 and after that was an actress for a while but couldnt handle the instability and now I am mostly a SAHM but am doing a full time online degree in child and youth studies, working 12 hours per week in a chinese restaurant and doing the odd drama workshop/storytelling session with children. When I finish my degree I am hoping to do a PGDE (primary) and be a teacher.

In between the acting and having children I worked for the local council tax office (boo!)

I now sell nappies and give free advice

Before, nothing that really matters.

I work as a Legal Secretary for US law firm. Would rather work from home so that I can be with my DD who is 16mths but somehow you can't do secretarial work from home!! Well i dont think so anyway.

I teach French in a secondary school - was never ever going to be a teacher, but did a year teaching in a French collège during my degree, and absolutely loved it.

It is an incredibly rewarding job, and I still love doing it - and before you ask, I don't teach in an 'easy' middle-class suburb school, I work in an inner-city comp - and am the happiest there I have ever been in teaching (have taught in middle-class suburb schools and hated it).

Have been Head of Modern Languages for past 4 years - we enter students for exams in around 15 different languages each year - it's a real buzz!

Have been teaching for 14 years - am still working full time since had ds (now 4 1/2), and will be going back full time again after this lo is born (due October). Am intending to take a full academic year off this time though!

Divorce lawyer, 20 hours pwk.

Good things - the money

Bad things - the clients. (only joking, really, most of the women are lovely, but the men are generally stingy arseholes

Patient Safety Manager for NHS. FT (but on a promise from DH to be able to go to 4 days a week in next 12 months...)
Did a degree in psychology, temping work in office admin, got jobs as secretaries/PAs and took up secondment opportunities into 'co-ordinator' and'support officer' roles to move out of admin and into management.

I like the fact that in theory at least it is helping people, making things better etc.
I dislike the fact that the NHS is generally poorly organised and everytime things start to settle some numpty from government has another whizzo idea and re-designs the whole thing, again. But such is life!

Am a SAHM currently, but before that NHS dentist for past 10 years.

Currently work as Health and Safety Inspector.
Good things - work is interesting and varied; get to plan own work; travel a lot; meet interesting people and get tot ell them what to do (I've been told I'm very bossy )
Bad things - pay's not great; being in the office - the dreaded paperwork; civil service mentality and government targets and cut backs.
Best job I ever had was as a Police Officer - it was so much fun (honest)
Obviously it all depends on what your dd likes / dislikes etc.
Has she had any careers advice at school?

I am a registered childminder. Children are generally ok but parents are usually a PITA so only working cos i really need the money now.

Will be looking to do something else once girls are older tho

Hulababy - no further training needed to teach in an adult prison - just need a Level 4 qualification, and a teaching certificate of some form. For my job they have now introduced a new qualification that you have to have - a Level 4 qualifivcation in Information, Advice and Guidance. As I am already in the job they are paying for me to do it.

Sorry, that my message was for tigerschick, not myself!

bump

another teacher here, but have been part time since having children 5 years ago. Is great - am in special needs school, a world away from regular secondaries.

I'm a management accountant for a manufacturing company. It's not actually as boring as it sounds and the money is good. There also seem to be lots of jobs available, in many different industries.

I'm an Occupational Therapist. I wanted a career where I could use the sciences and the arts and it works out well. I like the warm fuzzy feeling I get from helping people too, I could never have gone down the the whole finding yourself through art route. I'm also a specialist patient for the migraine association which involves staying up to date on treatments etc and counselling (with a small 'c') other migraine patients.

Working for the NHS is good in terms of stability, career for life, flexible working etc but it is rather annoying to work for and the pay will never be fantastic.

It's over a week since I started this and I haven't been back to thank everyone who posted. Ooops
Apologies, ladies, and thanks for your posts. DD thinks that she may become a teacher.