Job inspiration

[Mumofthree1985]

I love my job but I’m bored. I’ve worked for the same company (large corporate health & fitness provider) for almost 10 years.

Without sounding too arrogant, am very good at my job, know it inside out so it’s ‘easy’ but relentless, fairly stressful with lots of responsibility and direct reports to manage. It doesn’t challenge me anymore I just find it a chore. The sector doesn’t pay particularly well (I’m 25 hours a week on £25,000pa which is significantly more then most and has been negotiated due to my performance) and is 7 days a week, 364 days a year with lots of unsociable hours which eats into family time as a mum of three.

I manage a team of 30-35, coordinate a lot and have to be exceptionally organised. All manner of admin-surely these skills are transferable for something better paid, Mon-Fri with WFH/hybrid opportunities?

Has anyone transitioned from fitness to another job? Looking for inspo on where I could even begin as this is all I’ve know since I was 18 (and I’m now 38 😂)

Sound alike a lot of work for 25k!

@Lochness1975, I thought the same, although the OP does work part-time I suppose.

I think you need to look for a new job OP - do you want to move sectors as well? It does sound like you should have a lot of useful experience etc. to offer.

Thanks for the replies, sometimes I feel like it’s an awful lot of work for the money but then other times when it’s ‘quieter’ (the industry follows trends) I think it’s okay for what I do. Summer is quiet for school hols, I take a full two weeks over Xmas and new year but it’s becoming monotonous now.

There are perks, full family membership worth £250 a month (we don’t utilise much however as a real busman’s holiday for me) but flexibility with hours when needed. Typically I work across 3, max 4 days a week but can move hours round when needed for kids etc. I’m trusted to ‘get on with my job’ never questioned, always exceeding targets but with that comes full responsibility and just recently I’m feeling the strain of being effectively on call for whoever needs me.

it’s prompted me to think I do need to move on and realistically that’s going to be outside of the industry, I suppose I don’t even know where to begin! My passion is within the client/member training element, Group exercise class delivery and means I don’t have to find my own time to work out but the admin side I could do for any business I assume.

@Mumofthree1985, are you able to increase your working hours, and do you still need to retain a certain amount of flexibility? The answer to these 2 questions will set how many jobs are open to you.

Are there any roles within your current company that you look at, and think you could and that they'd be interesting?

Still need the flexibility as younhest is about to turn three so would still like a day a week before school starts, older two need me less but would prefer the freedom at weekends/evenings with them which you don’t get in fitness! That’s the issue with promotional opportunities, have had multiple offered to me over the years but come with more responsibilities, bigger commercial targets and 5am starts/11pm finishes which I did for years pre kids. I’m done with that now.

Yes, I understand.

I know it's not what you asked about, but what's this about being on call - it sounds like you're not being paid for that. I wouldn't agree to that, I'd want some sort of agreement, probably a residual payment with extra if you actually have to do anything.

I think if I was you, I'd start to update my CV, do any courses that you fancy (I've just done a FutureLearn one, and I'm about to do an OpenLearn one), and keep an eye on advertised jobs.

Good luck 🙂.

Thanks so much, I’ll look into those you mentioned to generate some ideas.

I did negotiate a drop in hours I spend in person , so effectively I’m paid 5-7 hours a week for all the other ‘reactive’ stuff I have to do that doesn’t sit within my scheduled hours. It’s not actually about the money anymore though, it’s the work life balance and being left alone when I’m not at work that is draining me. I suppose (as I don’t know anything else) I want some sort of reassurance that job like that exist! That whole expectation of unless you’re going above and beyond you’re not doing enough seems to be the theme for my organisation-is that the case everywhere?

I see, so you're already remunerated to some degree for the on call work.

Yes, I think workplaces that only expect you to work your contracted hours definitely exist - both my last workplace and my new workplace are like this.

It really sounds like you need a new challenge, and with more defined working hours so that you can switch off when you're not working.

So your FTE salary is c£37.5k?

The responsibilities and expectations sound too much for that level of salary to me. Plenty of employers include free/discounted gym membership and variations of flexible working in their benefits packages.

Have you looked at civil service jobs? Even if you don't want to work in CS, it can be a good way to get a sense of the huge variety of roles you could do.

Just do a search based on your location - or a completely open search if you're using it purely for idea generation.

https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi

Thank you this is really insightful! I had no idea where to start so this is great thank you