What is your job? Are you happy with it?

[Sunnygirl07]

Hello All,

1. At what age did you start working?

2. How many jobs have you had?

3. Have you mainly had good relations at work with your managers & colleagues?

4. If you changed your job/career, what was the reason(s) for that? What job did you have and what new job did you get?

5. If you get/had any benefits at work, what are/were they?

6. At what age would you ideally like/love to retire?

7. Would you like/love to take a gap year from work for travelling? Or have you already done it before going to college/University or after graduating? I certainly would love to do it before I am 50.

8. Are you happy with the income your job gives you?

9. What and where (college, Uni) did you study to get this job, and for how long?

10. Have you ever been promoted at work (if you ever wanted it)?

11. Is your job what you were hoping to become in your childhood/school/student years?

You can answer only a few selected questions if there are too many of them :)

I've been working in retail with the same (good company) for 17! :) years now. I got stuck in a low-paid job a bit as first I stayed there because our son was young and it suited our family/life balance and for me working part-time when he was 4 (I've worked full time for 6 years). He is now 15.

So I've worked full-time for 6 years, 29 hours for 3 years, and 25 hours (4 days a week) for 8 years.

Now at 42, I would like to have a better-paid sitting-down job not on my feet all day. I would love to retire at 60 (God help us all to live a long and healthy life). I know it might not happen because the retirement age for women in the UK is 67 now and in 18 years' time, it will go up probably to 70-72-75.

Thank you

Goodness! You know a LOT about m&s!

1. 14 in a corner shop
2. I genuinely have no idea, lots.
3. I’m quite shy and I see work as work, so while I’m civil I don’t really see it as a place to make friends.
4. I started my main career after university, I like maths so I chose a career that reflected that skill.
5. We get health insurance
6. 55 hopefully, but who knows what will happen between then and now
7. No
8. Yes, it keeps us secure and means we don’t have to struggle each month
9. Cambridge, four years in total
10. Yes, sometimes it has been positive, othertimes not
11. Yes and no, I have two jobs, my main job at the moment is an actuary, I loved maths as a child and wanted something figures based, so 10 year old me would be very happy. My second job is playing rugby, I love rugby and for a while I played on a fulltime basis, 10 year old me would also be very happy about that.

At what age did you start working? 16

How many jobs have you had? 6

Have you mainly had good relations at work with your managers & colleagues? Yes

If you changed your job/career, what was the reason(s) for that? What job did you have and what new job did you get?
Redundancy every time ended up with better job.

If you get/had any benefits at work, what are/were they?
bonus, Xmas hamper, share save, birthday off, Xmas parties, Easter eggs, medical cover, discounted motor cycle spares

At what age would you ideally like/love to retire?
40 but I’m 53 already! Maybe 55 now

Would you like/love to take a gap year from work for travelling? Or have you already done it before going to college/University or after gradation.?
had 1 year self employed (bit like a gap year without the bank of mum to finance it)

Are you happy with the income your job gives you?
more than happy and a lot happier than my boss is

What and where (college, Uni) did you study to get this job, and for how long?
HNC for 3 years

Have you ever been promoted at work (if you ever wanted it)?
yes 1 job started as operator left as Engineer.

Is your job what you were hoping to become in your childhood/school/student years?
no I wanted to be a Tree

Either you’re being very disingenuous here, OP, or it’s a massive coincidence and you’re the friend of the woman who used to post here about being moved from fashion in M&S to a local food hall and having targets for yellow sticker items. You’re using the exact same language she did- right down to the length of the shelves.

She too had a 15 year old son and had unrealistic expectations about the types of jobs she could do instead of retail with no experience or training.

She showed herself to be a massively inflexible employee, and unwilling to listen.

What problem did he create???

How about journalism ?

NHS catering and I hate it, staff shortages and we are expected to work extra to cover, been going on since I started over 3 years ago now. Looking to get out. NHS is so behind, recruitment takes months

I have friends that have worked as chefs in hotels
Free accommodation & no bills
Free food
Free laundry
Great social life
Easy to pick up extra work on days off
Downside are working long hours, every weekend , every bank holiday
Not so much fun, working 12+ hours in a hot kitchen in your 60s+

Would you be at all interested in working in retail procurement? I fell into procurement about 15 years ago and its well paid, varied (retail, healthcare, estates, professional services, capital works, housing, construction - 99% of industries you can think of need to procure something).

Theres always work too, a lot of it can be done remotely or at least flexi working. I would recommend it to anyone.

I am older than you
By answering these questions, how will it help you decide what to do ?

I originally got my first office job with skills of typing minimum 45 WPM & typing qualifications & a degree. We were all graduate recruits.

I have progressed to various different departments & job roles & have learnt on the job.

I currently work in a 24x7x365 very busy department in a technical Engineering role, working 12 hour shifts. Just finished 77 hour shift, now on my off shift days.

Why don't you look at office based roles in your local hospital or council, police ?

You will need at the very least; basic computer skills, typing skills, good communication on phone & computer

Adding
I have worked in other industries too
The office roles all paid better than my previous jobs & better benefits too

If you wish to retire at 60, what plans have you put in place so far ?