Not feeling fulfilled at work…does anyone really enjoy their job?

[bells2810]

I am pregnant with my first baby and expecting in Feb 2023. I currently work in an admin role which I really am starting to loathe. I started my new job just before I got pregnant, basically as a stop gap as the salary was better than my old job, and now I feel a bit stuck as I know I have to stay to qualify for maternity pay, otherwise I’d be looking for a new job now.

The people I work with are really nice and the hours are fine, but I do just find it really dull and I don’t look forward to going into work. I’m sat at a screen all day which I really don’t like, or on the phone, and I don’t find it fulfilling and there is no enjoyment or passion to it. A lot of colleagues who have worked there longer are also leaving, and have mentioned that there is no support for a work life balance from management, which really worries me as a first time parent!

I have a MSc in Psychology but I’ve never been 100% of what career I would like to pursue, and dabbled about in different jobs over the years mainly just to try new things and see what I enjoy. The one job I really enjoyed was as a teaching assistant in a primary school but the pay was dreadful, especially with no pay during school holidays etc, and I had to leave due to financial difficulties.

My partner and I both work full time currently, and I want to be able to do my part in providing for my baby and contribute towards our household, but I am really considering looking for a new job after mat leave. I’m interested to know - which jobs do other mums really enjoy which give them a good work life balance? Do you enjoy your job/find it fulfilling?

Some people will laugh at this but... teaching!

I am a teacher and I love my job. It is bloody hard at times but so fulfilling. You need to get through the gruelling training year/s and find a school that is right for you. Once you've done that, it's so great and I get all the school holidays off with my kids (yes of course you work in the holidays to a point but not the same as having a 9-5 all holiday).

Look at Teach First routes - with a masters in psychology they will snap you up and you get a salary to train.

I’m in performing arts and love, love, love my job. It is so fulfilling and varied, I never dread going into work.

Not that good a work/life balance though. I work a mixture of mornings and afternoons with no real schedule to it, all weekend afternoons and evenings, plus a couple weekday evenings on demand. Easy 60 hour week. There’s lots of international travel - up to 25% of the calendar year is spent abroad - which is very difficult to manage with a family.

I wouldn’t change it for the world but it’s not for everyone.

Same here! Admin role and its rubbish. I hate the screen, hate calendars, hate calls, group chats, cables. Unnecessary corporate speak... just hate it. BUT the job pays well, we can WFH and my team are all very nice but it is not fulfilling in the slightest. I get to the end of the day and feel it was just a waste of my time. The works monotonous and the slightest mistakes are hugely blown out of proportion. Image is everything and so many my age(35) want to climb the ladder become MORE corporate(important), nightmare, cannot think of anything worse. I am a single partent with no other income coming into the house so completely reliant on my current salary and the fexible working hours have been amazing. But the minute my DS is a little older currently 13, i will absolutely go for a role in the industry i really want to be in. Currently completing training (obtaining licenses) for the role BUT the salary is nowhere near what i currently earn and it would be irregular shift work and no WFH possibility. BUT i will make it work otherwise i think the monotonous/boredom combination could become fatal 😂

Could you do further training in psychology? I’ve been looking into educational psychology and although the training is intense the role after sounds very rewarding and like it would fit well around a family

I work in the environmental conservation sector. I earn good money given the field (famously underpaid because it's a 'passion'). I get to work almost exclusively from home, so my work life balance is great. You'd think it would be extremely fulfilling to 'save the Earth'. But it's not. Every day I get more and more depressed by the state of our environment. I know there are good news of course, but they are far outweighed by all the negative I see every day. I have spent such a long time in education to specialise myself, I feel like I am stuck doing this now. I am currently trying to take on different responsibilities at work that broaden my skills more (management, admin, client work), but not really sure where I would take that. I love explaining things to others and really wanted to be a lecturer, but after my PhD realised that the insecurity and competition of academia just wasn't for me. Maybe teaching at a college? I definitely wouldn't want to be a school teacher.

Heya

Admin IS boring!

I am Marketing Manager for a company, I work 8am - 4.30pm with 2 days work from home. If you're into psychology I'd say Marketing is a great career path - it's all about trying to get inside people's heads and understand how they think.

Been in marketing for 7 years and been a manager for 1 year, looking to go on to senior management soon and pay is really good, plus you can work at almost any company - meaning you can live anywhere. It's easy to do it remotely so I find that element helpful.

I am currently thinking of changing jobs though - looking for 9am til 4pm because my little one will start school in a year, but I'll likely switch, work full time, then make my request to reduce my hours.

I'm a project manager working on net zero projects and I love my job. It's a great team of motivated people, doing stuff that I feel matters, with huge variation both day to day and longer term and busy enough to be motivating.

Are there other roles in the same company that you could move to?

There's a lot of psychology in Marketing, understanding what tempts and motivates people to spend, how to maintain loyalty and to promote a positive image.

I'm a HCP and LOVE my job. I'm in a niche role and it provides a real sense of fulfilment. Of course there are occasionally office politics, but as I'm PT I avoid the worst of it.

Maybe use your mat leave to think about what it is you really want to do. It's hard enough leaving your baby to return to work when it's a job you enjoy, let alone one you don't like.