Does anyone really enjoy their job? What do you do?

[eddm]

Am being made redundant this summer... have applied for similar job but is chance to reassess what I really want to do when I'm grown up. Have had mad ideas about doing something completely different... but thought would be interesting to find out what jobs people actually enjoy. So, if you are happy at work, tell me what you do and what's so great about it!

Redundancy is OK if scary - get nice pot of money and hate my company so much wouldn't stay anyway. Nice tip re librarian - my job involves sharing information so could be an idea.

I sell advertising space in a Home Interest magazine.

I love it (mad I know) as it is challenging and really friendly. It suits my personality, and more importantly I enjoy the company I work for.

What I love for instance is the battle of the negotiation and teh respect you get when it is done. I also like the money as although I am not in London I earn over £30k a year.

I think that is as important as the job you do, to like the comapny your work for as you will spend 8 hrs a day there.

I went through what you are doing now, and tried to reasses what I wanted form a job 2 yrs ago. I nearly changed direction then found a job 10 mins form home You can get 'life/career coaches' who for a fee, will help you look at strengths/weaknesses and perhaps help steer you to a suitable position. Could you persaude your current emplyer to get one in, particularly if more than one persoe is being made redundant? I know companies who do this, and it helps as there emplyees don't feel so shafted by the redundecy.

sorry to hijack this thread....crunchie that sounds like something that my dh might be good at and he too is looking for a career change......
any more info?

I'm a radio producer. love it to death, wouldn't swap it for anything

University administrator and i love it. Loads of different tasks, lots of interaction with people for lots of different reasons. Relatively family friendly and regular hours. Suspect that I'm at an advantage because the uni I work at is rich and (relatively) prestigious though.

Freelance journalist, usually love it although having bad day

I'm an account manager for an event management company. Organise events in UK and Europe. Very interesting and I love it. Although I've just taken my 3rd call of the day from Lithuanian doctors asking if they need to bring their 'winter coats' to a conference in London next week ...............

(I am a MUm. I take the job very seriously. Ui love it, )

Yes, I love my job, its only 2 mins away from home....I work for an Estate Agents..

I was a youth worker (now just one afternoon a week). I loved it so much I did it unpaid for two years. Then eventually got paid 16 hrs a week (min wage) working full time plus some evenings and weekends. Good grief I really was a few sandwiches short!! Still loved it though

Ditto Marina. From time to time I go through a phase of wondering if I am in the right job and after great soul searching, the answer is yes. I love my job as a librarian helping students and the fact that I learn something new everyday.

I used to love my job pre dd but can't seem to find the same enthusiasm any more. I'm a Business Analyst for a software house, I like the variety and I do lots of Project Management so get to boss people around in a constructive way.

The think I like the most about it, however, is the money!!!

I am front of house in our restaurant and I LOVE it. We dont get much of a social life and so I sort of incorporate it into what I do by being chatty and friendly to our guests. I couldnt do anything that I hated as life is too short and when I have been in crappy jobs I have to leave asap. I used to be a nanny and there are some horrible jobs out there. My DH is a chef and he loves it too.

Collision that sounds fab. My dh is a chef - don't know if I could work with him though. What type of food does your restaurant serve?

Fine dining.....he used to work for the Roux Brothers and Carluccio. We fight like cat and dog during service and row like anything. We just have to remember not to take it home with us!! What bout yr DH?

I work in a day nursery and I am having a wonderful time there

The staff are fab, the children are gorgeous and I find it a very rewarding job.

Only downside is money - not well-paid (minimum wage).

oooh where is your restaurant? Took dh to Waterside Inn for his bday - is that where your dh worked?

It is in Tuscany!!!! No.....not Waterside but the one in Liverpool St which was sold in 1993.

Wow! My dh's background is alos fine dining his last job was exec chef in a restaurant in Leeds where he got a Red M. He trained under a well known Yorkshire chef called Simon Gueller (1 michelin star)but after the arrival of ds was fed up with the horrendous hours, weekends, bank holidays etc so he is now Catering Manager for Betty's & Taylors of Harrogate. Hours are much better but I know he misses being creative and the buzz of service.

collision - never talking to you again! How wonderful! How do you deal with childcare?

Given I have the sweetest tooth ever I'm in heaven working in the global innovation department of a company that makes chocolate! Spend all day thinking of different things to do with it. Perfect!

Ds goes to nursery 10am til 3pm for 4 days a week so that covers us for lunch. We close Thurs and so we have family day (me on MN today!) We live next door to the restaurant and ds is on the baby monitor in the kitchen. If he wakes up which is rare now, I just pop back to check on him. Have no idea how we will cope when baby is born in Nov!! Will be fun and games!

Popsycal, where are you based?? Given that the majority of the jobs in advertising sales are in the South East and more London based.

Just to give you a potted history however of how long it took me to reach this position though. I started out on a wedding magazine in classified advertising - this is where most people start, usually graduates etc. I was 25 and was changing career path and had previously been in Retail management (Oasis) and door-to-door sales. Afetr 18 months I took a couple of quick moves and moved to EMAP (one of the largest publishing companies) as a display sales rep. This is the full glossy stuff. A big corporation is great as you get fantatsic training. I was with Emap Fashion, working on business to business magazines for about 3 or 4 years and I then moved internally to Mother and Baby magazine, as a promotions manager (selling sponsorships). In total I was with EMAP for around 6 years and then I got pushed out. I took a local job (v.lucky) with a 30% salary drop, so I could have life and give up commuting 2 hrs each way to work. I have been here for 2 years and have worked my way back up the salary scale and onto a leading magazine.

It is a great job but most people are under 30, I am 34 and have about 10 years experience which is a rare commodity. As a new career it pays rubbish money for a longtime, most starting salaries are around £14 - £15K, London wages start around £16k. Not much money.

If you need more info, let me know

So what career path took you there, Pancake? Not that I'm jealous or anything...