What job do you do? Being nosy!

[OnTheJourneyOnwards]

Basically what it says on the title!

What job do you do?

I'm trying to work out a new path for myself - I've been a teacher (too people-y and long hours), and spent the last 8 years in marketing, getting quite senior but I'm now looking for something new.

So tell me what you do, and if you like it, and why!

Bonus points for jobs that let you drop off and pick up kids from school or be flexible around school holidays 😁

While it's true that I have QTS, yet came to be an AHT via support staff roles and don't teach as an AHT - you absolutely can be an AHT without QTS.

Most AHT are teaching, the non-teaching posts come up less frequently but are not uncommon. All schools can offer them, including maintained and academies.

Quite common in the pastoral roles, eg safeguarding lead, inclusion lead, behaviour lead. These areas are often departments full of support staff. A good and very experienced support staff with a behaviour background can be promoted to, for example, AHT behaviour and culture, or pastoral. I know staff whose done this without QTS and have seen at least 2 AHT jobs like this that have QTS as desirable, not essential.

I came via DDSL, support staff. I'm now AHT Safeguarding and Attendance. I could probably also lead on pastoral and behaviour, since I line manage in that area too. I've seen several AHT jobs I could have gone for which also have QTS as desirable not essential. The last person in my role was a social worker, not a teacher. Because I don't want to teach, I look for AHT jobs that are happy with non-QTS because it means I can request non-teaching.

I’m a veterinary nurse and I’ve done it for over 20 years, still love the job although have always struggled with the low wages. But would rather be doing a job I enjoy. Money isn’t everything.

Support worker in oncology.
I enjoy supporting people but my job is very palliative so emotionally draining. Wages aren't high either.

Thanks for the detailed reply, @LittleHangleton - very interesting!

Accounts part time. Love it, can do it with my eyes closed, non stressful, but irritating having to deal with others who don't do their jobs properly.

Technically not a job, but a calling. I'm an ordinand and I love it!

Health and safety officer.

Don't do it. I hate it more than I can articulate.

I'm the designated safeguarding lead in a primary school. I am also on the senior leadership team. I lead on safeguarding, attendance and pastoral. I am support staff so don't have QTS and am therefore poorly paid. My qualifications are social care however I have not worked within social care, only in education. I love my job although it is emotional hard and causes me many sleepless nights.

IT Business Analyst for supply chain global processes. Long hours to connect effectively with both the business and service providers in different time zones (Europe, US, India, Australia), and stressful.

Some projects and teams can be great fun, interesting and you get a great sense of achievement. Others, difficult and frustrating and when you get on a bad project and/or team (either wrong skill sets, or changing business leads so constantly changing requirements) that runs for years it can be very challenging to keep motivated.

Yeah, been there done that. I hated it too. I still do a bit of H&S within my charity role, but fortunately the activities are much more less hazardous and therefore it’s less stressful.

I work for a local authority. I do love it but it’s not flexible at my level, there’s no way I could work school hours and even though it’s hybrid I need to be flexible on my WFH days. Salary is actually pretty good and pension is excellent

I agree, I'm in another part of the public sector that's commonly suggested as being flexible and family friendly and while it is in some ways, many jobs still involve travel, compulsory office time on random days of the employer's choosing and often being away from home or long days so it's not the cosy WFH option with hours that suit you gig that it's often presented as.

Of course some do try and do it that way, which they generally achieve by leaving the parts of the job that are unattractive to them to others to pick up or simply don't bother doing the work.

Journalist and want out of the sector unfortunately.

Own a small b&b in northern Sweden. Love my job/lifestyle

Spend a couple of months during winter in Scotland and do the paperwork for my dad's landscaping business, love that job a bit less but enjoy seeing family.

I run the finance dept for a group of 7 companies. 4 employees including the owner, lots of variable work and flexible wfh.

My Job Title is [ accounts clerk / credit controller/ office manager/ purchase ledger manager/ management accountant/ financial controller / head of finance ] depending on which particular job im doing at that moment and which supplier/ client / spammy sales call I'm speaking with.

Self employed upholsterer. I earn very little

@ElsaLion if you’re still about, would love to hear more about day to day

Senior SW

@Moier that sounds like an amazing job. I had no idea roles like this existed.

Was a teacher. Now a development manager. I work term time

I run 2 coffee and icecream kiosks in parks , one is right next to the river and I love my job.

I work in a drug and alcohol service in a women's prison.

I’m a medical secretary in a hospital. Been a med sec for 21 years exactly tomorrow! I can wfh and have flexi time. I also buy an extra two weeks annual leave per year to cover school hols. I generally love my job but getting verbally abused by patients sucks. Esp when a lot of what they complain about is completely out of my control and usually are the outcomes of poor decisions made by managers much further up the hierarchy than I am. I try and empathise but it’s difficult when being verbally bashed.

Legal secretary. On a good salary at moment as offshore. Hybrid and great team and not that stressful. Last job was horrific.