The pointlessness of my job is getting me down!

[Yuja]

I have an averagely decent job - business services role in a magic circle law firm. For what it is it is quite well paid, I get good benefits. But honestly, the futility of it is getting me down! The whole point of the team is to make our super wealthy partners even wealthier, and everything is about profit and money. If the job was pulled tomorrow it wouldn’t matter - the company would carry on and probably do just as well. Arguably my whole department isn’t needed. For some reason it’s just getting me down - literally no point in what I do every day. I don’t know if it’s the job, my age (almost 40!) or what.
i know someone will come along and say get a new job or retrain but it’s not so easy. I’m already a qualified teacher but I don’t want to go back to that for various reasons. I just think maybe this is work and I need to suck it up and get over it!

I think you have two options. Find fulfilment outside of work or change job.
What about trying different forms of teaching? Adult Ed, prison etc.

I agree, you need to be getting some satisfaction from performing well, gaining promotion, earning a raise, developing staff, learning skills - anything that fits with your values and makes you tick
Or you need a side hustle that this wage helps you do

40s are definitely a time of reevaluating though, so make sure any changes are well thought through, because it might pass.

@Lookinginthelibrary thank you I think this is a good point. Perhaps I’m at a re-evaluation point - satisfaction isn’t there but I feel like I don’t really want promotion etc
unfortunately any type of teaching is out for me - I lost a lot of my hearing due to damage from a car accident a few years back and it’s really hard for me to teach. I think I need to stay in something at least partly office based but I do need to find something that means more

Could you offer work place training?

I used to work in a profit making company and I felt miserable and unfulfilled.
I earned a good salary but something inside me wanted more.
I took redundancy and moved into a public sector role helping children and families.
I am still there 20 years later.
Financially this was a lot less money however 20 years on I now manage a team and I feel such a sense of satisfaction everyday seeing what myself and my team contribute to. It’s extremely fulfilling on a personal level.
Do what makes you feel good about yourself.