Anyone working at a job you don't like? Or a job you truly love?

Hey all,

I'm curious to see how many people here on ATS are working at a job, maybe it's their career, and they really don't enjoy it...

My question is, why are you working there? What gets (motivates) you through the days, weeks, months? Maybe it's the money, maybe it's because it allows you to support your family, or make your parents proud...

And if you are lucky enough to work at a job you truly enjoy and love, how did you manage to get that job? Did you simply follow your dreams and ignore everyone (parents included) who told you it wouldn't workout? Or did you get lucky?

I ask because I'm currently a 21yr old college students about to be going into my senior year and I am spending my summer as an intern doing tasks that I hate. Now don't get me wrong, I am blessed to have been given such a good internship at such a prestigious company but I feel that sitting at a desk looking at spreadsheets for the rest of my life will kill me. The only problem is, I have no idea what I want to do with my life and this job makes me good money and makes my father proud but I'm afraid they will offer me a full time position after the internship is over...If they do this, I wouldn't know whether to take it and continue being miserable but make a good amount of money or turn it down and look for something that I would enjoy with the risk of not finding anything and letting my father down.

So to those on ATS working a job they don't enjoy...What keeps you there?
And to those on ATS lucky enough to be working a job they enjoy...How did you get there?


Thank you

a reply to: Honestabe28

Be handed a phone and asked to do tech support when you have to build and repair computers... At a company that has vendors calling you and barely know how to use a computer. Train new staff because they keep leaving. Also being the only one that knows how to use a computer! --> = one very angry person. --> I actually had to pause before hitting the enter key. I'm having a bad day. I don't even know how to end this post.....

originally posted by: Honestabe28


And if you are lucky enough to work at a job you truly enjoy and love, how did you manage to get that job? Did you simply follow your dreams and ignore everyone (parents included) who told you it wouldn't workout? Or did you get lucky?





Thank you

Actor/filmmaker......union SAG/AFTRA and so incredibly blessed and lucky I sometimes can't believe it myself.

But not without a lot of ambition, hardwork [3yrs of workshops and acting classes], taking every low paying and free gigs on stage or screen I could get and that includes being an extra/background in over 100 films; big productions, TV and indy. And most importantly, networking with experienced professionals in the industry.

If you can't make a total commitment to your dream; keep your day job and do the best you can.

I was often told that my dreams were unrealistic and foolish, that I didn't have the looks or talent to make it in the bigger productions; I just didn't listen and applied myself even harder and thanks to a supportive casting agent, it happened, but not without many disappointments.

Now I can take the roles that appeal to me and still work on my own projects of screenplays, features, festival shorts and commercials.

I was in the right place at the right time as well.
articles.latimes.com...

I'm a psychiatric nurse and I hate it; always have.

But at least in the old days (qualified 22 years) it was pretty easy - now there's loads of paper work which I constantly struggle with.

There are regular updates and assignments with deadlines that have to be achieved on pain of disciplinary action.

It's only a matter of time before I'm squeezed out.

And then what?

I'm 53. No other strings to my bow.

What keeps me there?

Money. Duh.

Great Thread, S+F!

With 16 I transferred to another school and was basically educated in Graphik & Design. After 3 of those 5 years, I realized this is nothing for me, working all day on a computer is just not my thing.

Here in Austria, as a male, you have to choose between going 6 months to the "Bundesheer" (Military) or the "Zivildienst" (Civil service). I took the civil service, which has a bride rang from working in a hospital, kindergarden, retirement place to emergency management (which is pretty unnecessary here ). I ended up in a kindergarden/home for kids which were taken out of bad families.

For those kids, they have animals which are used for therapy. Basically half of my day I took care of this animals, including feeding, cleaning after them and so on. After a few months working there, I realized working and taking care of animals is what I wanna do for a living, the final goal of course working in a zoo. I love working with animals, working outside, use (and feel) my body. Never in my life I felt so confident about my future and I am happy my parents are supporting me like they do.


The most important thing for me as happiness, I'd kill myself if I had a job which would do the opposite and although I'm never going to earn that much money - it's still my dreamjob



And for you

[...]but I feel that sitting at a desk looking at spreadsheets for the rest of my life will kill me[...]

I know this thought, had the same in school. Only advice or tip I could give is to try as many jobs as possible (I did a few since I moved out with 17) and maybe you'll find the job which is going to make you happy

Wish you the best luck in finding it!

originally posted by: Honestabe28
The only problem is, I have no idea what I want to do with my life

Once your done school how bout dropping work and going travelling for awhile to get some perspective?

Im in the midst of a career change and travelling is what led me to it.

a reply to: Honestabe28

Others may disagree, but my personal advice to you is to figure out what you would like to do and do it. Don't plan your future solely around money. Money is nice to have and all, but it will amount to nothing if you are constantly miserable.

I spent many years trying to figure it out. I was always artistic as a kid, but I knew artists are rarely able to make ends meet (be it musicians or painters or whatever). Eventually I realized I needed to figure out a way to work in a job where I could be creative, but make a living doing it. I combined my love of creativity and video games, and decided I wanted to work as a video game developer.

I worked meaningless jobs for years, but always with the goal of transitioning into game development at the forefront of my mind. I didn't know how the hell I was going to do it, I just knew I was going to make it happen somehow. I started out in graphics shops (glorified sign shops really), doing decals and sign making, and I always considered it nothing more than a paycheck and a stepping stone to my real goals.

Eventually I met someone that was starting up their own independent game development company (and actually had the money to do it as they had been in the industry for years) and they decided to train me as they liked my passion. Through that experience, I eventually found myself working under contract for a AAA game development studio and contributed a significant amount of work to a well known title.

Eventually that chapter in my life closed, and I returned to school to update my skills and seek a broader range of expertise in the industry. The reason I did that (instead of choosing a different career path) is because I truly enjoyed the work. I looked forward to work, and when I was there I would often get into "the zone" and the hours would just fly by because I was enjoying what I was doing so much. It's a remarkable feeling to get paid to do something you love, and no amount of money could convince me to do something I hate for a living (I've been there and done that too).

Find out what you find fulfilling. Find out what sort of work or industry would make you happy. Think about the kind of job you would need to have to wake up every morning and not dread the sound of your alarm clock, but rather look forward to going into work, where every day is enjoyable. Once you figure out what that is, lock onto it mentally, and go for it with everything you have. DON'T GIVE UP. Make it happen.

You will be a much happier person in the long run with a bit less cash but a more fulfilling life. Even if you stick it out with your current career choice just for the money, keep searching within yourself for the career choice that would make you happy, and put some of that money away so you can make the switch one day.

a reply to: Honestabe28

The best advice I can give to a young person like you is. Don't nail your future to only one dream.

At my age, I've lived many dreams, some very rewarding. Give yourself room to dream.

After retirement, I found myself bored, looking for extra income. Instead of looking to hire on with someone else, I started my own little home based business, in the personal skin care industry.

I couldn't have done this without all my previous experience in other fields. Stick with your internship to it's conclusion, but don't let it be the deciding factor of doing what would make you feel satisfied in what you do for work.

View it as a valuable ingredient you are storing away in the spice cabinet of your life. The more spices you collect, the more dreams you can build with them.

Good Luck!

Des

Prior to being chronically ill, I worked in a few different jobs.
I didn't like any of them. I did them because I had to in order to earn money.
What I LIKED doing was the volunteer work.
I volunteered in the schools and at the church.
But as for 'liking work'??? Nope. Just did it to get the paycheck.

Im 25 and still have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life, and honestly Im not in any rush either. Pushing papers isn't me. Sitting behind a desk...nah...I'm a free bird and because of my wonderful fiancé who's 22 and graduating with her BA in 2 weeks, Im not being pushed in a direction that I will hate. She has her life planned out to the T. after this she will be attending law school..and Im still over here like...can i get another beer...


Really though, Im into computer science, film, photography, writing, journalism and airplanes. But which one do I want to choose to do for the rest of my life? Not making that big of a decision yet even if my life is 1/4 over.

Me and my Girl have this pact. If you don't love what you do, then don't do it. She was making 500$ a night at a place called Tilted Kilt (its an irish Hooters pretty much) but she hated it...hated dressing like a whore, hated management, even the other girls. But it was paying the bills and some. after hearing her crying in the shower one day we talked about it and turns out this high paying job was NOT worth the stress...so we made a pact.

You have one life to live. Don't fill it with things that make you unhappy. After she is done with school were doing what i want to do and that is Backpacking the world until I make up my mind on a career.

My 2 cents sir!! hope you figure out what you love. and don't be in a rush to do it either.

You mentioned that you are in an internship that makes your father proud. That reminded me of an article I read about people at the end of their lives expressing their regrets to this nurse who wrote the article. One of those regrets was not living for themselves, rather living to please someone else. Now, there are times when you should be living for others - your spouse, your children - but you make that life decision and you follow through accordingly. But the thing that consumes much of your time - your work - should be done to please no one but you.

Basically what I am saying is 'never mind your dad, do you what makes you happy'.

I absolutely love my job. I meet an amazing amount of people every day. I have seen children grow to be adults, made wonderful friends, helped (I hope) many people make their futures be a little less bleak and spent endless hours laughing and getting to know the people it has been my privilege to teach. I know the saying that goes `those that can do, those that can't teach' however I wouldn't change my job for anything.
Thanks OP for the opportunity to inversely vent my spleen.

I am the lead Unified Communications Engineer getting paid very well doing a job I love at a hospital I love to work for.
In year 18 of a career that has been focused on PBX's and voice.

I got to the point I am at now by a combination of skill + hard work + luck. Luck in getting my very first IT job sort of out of no where when I fixed a phone jack for a small business at a young age. From there it has been a series of long nights, on call during holidays , trips to do installations at remote sites, long drives and tense situations .. all the normal things that I folks have to deal with. There are times when I feel like their is no escape as I have 3 different smart phones.

I wouldn't trade any of it. My first hobby when I was younger was taking a part the phone and jacks at my family house then having to fix everything I did before my parents got home. I am established enough now so that those long nights are handled by other techs and I get to focus on engineering new buildings and infrastructure.

It is about as much fun as I think I could have professionally.

a reply to: Honestabe28

i love my job. i have had some fairly unique opportunities and experiences related to the way the community is (we export most of our most talented people), so i became a big fish in a little pond.

While i have a job title, it means nothing relative to what i do, as i only spend about an hour a day fulfilling that job duty. I get unlimited freedom to do whatever I want to do. Spend whatever I want to spend, on what I want to spend it on. I am held accountable to results. To what I produce. And the expectation of that production is well below what I actually do produce.

It is easy to love what you are good at. If you want to love your work, become proficient at it. This will allow you to earn trust, and give you room to move. To spread your wings and soar (if you can indulge some smarminess).

I an currently working at being a priest
i used to be a raging alcoholic
but i do not believe in god which is a bit of a dilemma

originally posted by: douglas5
I an currently working at being a priest

i used to be a raging alcoholic
but i do not believe in god which is a bit of a dilemma

Wow, how does that work??? Becoming a priest to teach people to doubt God?

I'd say that is very ironic.

a reply to: Honestabe28

To be blunt, perhaps you're too young to know what you want to do.

As for being in the right job?

Yes. I love my job. It only took 20+ years of hard work to get it.

Ask father ted for advice my son
a reply to: douglas5

originally posted by: beezzer
a reply to: Honestabe28


Yes. I love my job. It only took 20+ years of hard work to get it.

and then there's that.

as a young lad, this was something i didn't like having to consider.

originally posted by: tinker9917

originally posted by: douglas5
I an currently working at being a priest

i used to be a raging alcoholic
but i do not believe in god which is a bit of a dilemma

Wow, how does that work??? Becoming a priest to teach people to doubt God?

I'd say that is very ironic.