Why do you do the job you do?

[moomina]

Just wondering what makes people choose the particular jobs they do. I'm going for a complete career change and lots of people have asked me why I want to do it - so I'm going to ask back!

Job satisfaction? Money? Necessity? Because you love it? Because it's worthwhile? Because it's a vocation? Because it's what you've always done? Or do you wonder how you ever ended up doing the job you do?

Just curious.

Was a nanny for years and loved it. Went back to work with ds and was a nanny again for a baby the same age as him which worked well.

Then we upped sticks and moved to Italy and opened a restaurant. DH is the chef and I am front of house (tho on unpaid maternity leave ATM!) and again, I really love it. It works well as we live next door to the restaurant and we put the baby monitor on so we can hear ds if he wakes up.

Heaven help us when the next one arrives!

I suppose I do the job I do because I love it and we cant afford for someone else to do it at the moment. Life is too short to do a job that you hate.

moomina...the reason am doing my job now is because I neede a job in a week and it was the first offer I had...BUT prior to that I did a job that I love doing...not because it was paid well, or because it's what I'd always done, necessity a little but the most important reason was because I used to love going to work every day and NEVER got the Monday morning blues EVER....and it was my favourite interest I was doing....when you love what you doing you are enthusiastic and it far outweighs a huge pay packet.

..what were you doing and what are you doing now?
do you like the area of work you are going into???

Money. Sanity/self-esteem.

Hours suited at the time (evenings and weekends so less nursery bills to pay). That's it. Money's crap. Job's crap. Working environment is pretty crap.
Hhhm, time for a change methinks.

Collision - I bet everyone says this to you but that just sounds so lovely (and hard work)!

Lav - have always worked in publishing/book trade, but am now applying to train as a midwife. Massive change of direction, everyone thinks I'm mad, but I know it's right.

I'm an accountant. Not sure why I do it really - well it does bring in some money (once nursery has been paid...)

And it exercises what is left of my brain

I have no idea how or why i got into it. Its not something that i have "always wanted to do".
It seemed to suit me at the begining and kept my interest.
Its a weird thing because deep down i am really proud of what i do and what i have achieved whilst in the profession yet i dread any one asking me what i do and where i work and avoid the subject of work completely.
I have worked very very hard and earned qualifications that i always thought were beyond my capabilities.
It is so frustrating and complicated to explain my job to people as every single person has a preconcieved idea of what my job entails which more often than not is completely innaccurate.
The job itself is complicated, interesting and has been something that i will always be glad that i got into. That is why i do it i suppose.

I've always worked in the pharmaceutical/medical field because it's always genuinely interested me. I didn't want to be a doctor so did physiology/pharmacology at university and have always had jobs that use the knowledge I gained there. I'm naturally very organised, quite bossy but a good communicator, so aswell as being involved in this field, I've always ended up in a management position too - which I love.

Now I'm a SAHM (have been for 3 years now) and look after 3 ds's full time BUT I also work freelance for my last employer.

I still love the actual work I do so I do it partly for that reason, to keep my brain 'ticking over' and keep up the contact with old colleagues. But aside from that it's really for the money too as fitting the work into my evenings and weekends is not 'ideal' and leaves me pretty much knackered - we could do without the money but I still want to be moving onwards and upwards financially and my earnings are allowing us to move to a bigger house in January.

I'm lucky in the sense that I get the best of both worlds - I can be a SAHM and be there for the kids for the whole of their waking hours but also earn money which allows us to maintain a pretty comfortable lifestyle.

I was a civil servant for 7 yrs, and I hated it.

I wasn't looking to change jobs - but was looking for something for DH to do (he's medically retired) and we were looking into Childminding. It seemed possible to make a bit on money, stay at home, spend time with DD & DH....

I'm now a childminder - I love it - the money doesn't come into it any more - the only down side is the hrs 730 - 6 and the lack of holidays.

Best thing I ever did - job satisfaction

the money - never been ambitious - dh was ambitious enough for both of us. Started out as a telephonist - marraige, kids - dinner lady then dh started making noises about me using my brain - got coerced into secretarial work - became a PA - but really can't say I've every loved it - the people have been great but the work is dull! (construction - yawn!) dh gets frustrated that I haven't reached my potential - but I'M happy

KatieMac - I can imagine that your job is satisfying. To my mind, anything medical or caring (looking after kids, the ill, the elderly) would have real job satisfaction.

That's why being a SAHM doesn't bother me - to me it's the most important job in the world and very rewarding.

yeah - I loved being a SAHM and a homemaker - call me boring (but I'm not!!)

I get so excited by the little things - I took a 2yo swimming for the first time today - It was so special - even tho' he isn't mine (iyswim)

Skate, just out of interest, why didn't you want to be a doctor?

i work in travel, have done since i was 18 when i went to work as an overseas rep for a large tour operator. now work in a travel agents, cannot imagine spending the rest of my life there, im going for a complete careeer change, want to be a midwife so badly.

Donbean - I'm intrigued - what do you do??! I'm actually reading a book at the moment which is about my line of work and why people do it and it's fascinating. I started off doing something that I thought would make a difference. Now - like so many of my colleagues - I am less sure about how much of a difference I make but still doing the same thing because of a really strange love-hate relationship with my work. can't live with it. Can't live without it(like so many of my collegues). Cling to the belief that maybe some of what I do counts. Spend every day wondering how I can make it count more

I work in a job where the hours fitted in with dd's school, fitted in with dh's hours and paid a fairly good wage. It's also in a place where I'd always wanted to work so when I got the job I was really pleased. It gets me out of the house enough to stay sane but still spend enough time with dd, money to call my own(although not a huge amount after I've put in my share of the bills etc) and I love what I do. I always look forward to going to work.

Hatter - I'm curious, what do you do?

Eemie - I didn't want to be a doctor because I didn't fancy 5 years of uni, I didn't fancy the hours that went with being a doctor and really I wanted to go to uni and get on with getting a job and settling down. I also thought about medicine a little too late and hadn't done chemistry A level which you HAVE to have.

To be honest, the main things I've always wanted from my life, if nothing else, was a happy marriage and children. Although I've been successful in my career and I worked hard at school and uni, and have even studied further while working, all I've ever really wanted is to be comfortable financially and have my own happy family, like the one I grew up in. Those things mean more to me than a 'career' although it's nice that in a sense I do have both.