People who don't enjoy (or hate) their jobs. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've had jobs I've hated. It's always been a culture/management issue. Tedious and hard work can be fun if you're with the right people.

Agree.

[Anonymous]

I teach a class of 2 year olds. After 15 years, I still love the kids, but I'm burnt out, and I long for a job without poop and snot. At this point, if I could make $40k anywhere else, I'd jump ship in a heartbeat...but it seems all the entry level jobs around here want someone to have 5+ years of experience and pay $12/hour. So I'm stuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had jobs I've hated. It's always been a culture/management issue. Tedious and hard work can be fun if you're with the right people.

Agree.

+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like my job because it doesn't challenge me or help me expand my work knowledge.

This (for my former job). I was a fed attorney and there just wasn't enough work to go around so we sat around with literally nothing to do much of the time. The tradeoff was I had great flexibility and no stress.

[Anonymous]

Not in DC area.

I make $71K a year with a masters degree and am still expected to be available 12 hours a day. My colleague makes 30% more than I do and has no degree at at all (two years more experience).

I only stay for the prestige of the company name.

[Anonymous]

DC area. The politics and inefficiencies here are killing me (not government). I stay for the golden handcuffs that my company is known for - good pay, work/life balance, good benefits.

[Anonymous]

Never liked any of my jobs. Decided I would get married, work at home here and there. I loved being home and was able to raise my kids, do all the things I love. Hours in the office seemed like I was wasting my life. Even before I had kids I knew I would be happier at home with the poodle, than co-workers or others who were unimportant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My job takes me away from time with my family and fun stuff. It doesn't have many benefits (no retirement, no health insurance) and it doesn't pay me a lot - $65k last year. I'd love to do better but this is where I am after 30 years in the workforce.

I like the work area (solar power). My lack of good compensation makes it a constant source of stress in my life and with my wife. It's tough to sit through a meeting this week about how we are a team and working on important stuff and all I can think about is whether to pay my health insurance on time or pile more onto the credit card. (I paid it with a credit card)

When I look at my life, my work is worst part of it - 90% because of the pay. Which is all on me. Been working in the DC area since 1988.

At least you like the work. Does your wife work? Can you live cheaper, cut the cable, buy smaller car etc. I'd try to make some changes if you both are stressed.

[Anonymous]

DC area, journalism. Lost my love for this a long time ago, and you really need a love for it in order to enjoy it. I have the same problem a PP mentioned though -- not sure what to do next. I just know my next job won't be in journalism.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for People. I hate my job because of the People, mainly.

I like to be alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've had jobs I've hated. It's always been a culture/management issue. Tedious and hard work can be fun if you're with the right people.

This a good culture and group of people can make it worthwhile. Right now in a bad culture and terrible manager. It has taken all of the pleasure out of working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC area, journalism. Lost my love for this a long time ago, and you really need a love for it in order to enjoy it. I have the same problem a PP mentioned though -- not sure what to do next. I just know my next job won't be in journalism.

Same here. Still love writing completely over all this "what we know now" and breaking news alert arm flailing. We are not all Woodward and Bernstein nor should we want to be.

[Anonymous]

DC area. I love my job, but DH dislikes his. His fortune / misfortune is that he can is good at programming and it pays well. But he doesn't care about it and secretly dislikes the work. There is no clear way for him to switch to what he does enjoy, without him taking the time / expense to retool and then move into a lower-paying field.

I like my job, and would like to give DH "way out." But neither of us is sure what the escape route would be ... and DH is willing to "bite the bullet."

[Anonymous]

Government contractor. I'd love a job that was deliverables based. If I can get my work done in 30hrs, let me go home. Don't make me sit here and fiddle around looking for things to do for another 10hrs/wk. I like my function, but am efficient and it's frustrating to have to sit just to bill the hours. There's other parts of my life that could use more time, including being with my kids, and I hate that I don't have that flexibility.

[Anonymous]

I love my job now in DC.

My last job, in VA, I hated because my boss was a big micro-manager and didn't respect the boundaries of the workday starting at 9 and ending at 5. She also didn't understand that when I was on vacation, I was on vacation and not willing to work. "Can't you log on and just do one little thing." No. Sorry, I didn't even bring my laptop. And it was never critical things that needed done, just things she couldn't figure out or felt needed done right then. When I didn't do something, she'd be very passive aggressive upon my return. It finally got to the point where I went to HR and told them that the next time she contacted me while I was taking PTO, I was going to expect another day in reimbursement. HR head was appalled at my boss' behavior and had a meeting with her to let her know it was actually illegal to try to force someone to work when they'd taken time off.