Those of you who love what you do...what is your work?

[Anonymous]

I LOVE my job and I'm an infant nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Professor-love, love my job. Minuses: relatively low pay, a difficult job (tenure track) to obtain, and requires geographic flexibility--but on the plus side: incredible flexibility, great work environment, amazing benefits, lots of good conversations, intelligent, quirky colleagues, great books, intellectual independence, etc.

I'm a professor too, and I absolutely love it. Changes all the time (different students with different needs and thoughts so every week is something new, even if I am teaching a topic I have taught before); smart colleagues; very flexible hours; projects I work on are entirely up to me; great mental stimulation. Of course downsides are that it never stops (I'm tenured but I still feel the "publish or perish" pressure to go up for promotion, win another grant, advance to full professor, etc), administrative duties take time away from research and teaching, and pay is very low for my level of education/expertise (I'm at a private institution so no need for the school to publish salaries). Overall, though, I can't see doing anything else!

It's great to see that you professors love your jobs. I have been considering a return to college to earn a Ph.D. in Special Education with the long term goal of working as a professor/college level instructor. My goal is to find a low stress, high reward, portable job.

I'm also a professor but haven't posted in this thread. Special ed is a good field to aspire to, as there are actually jobs in that field that go unfilled. However, don't kid yourself that it's a low stress job to be a professor, and don't imagine that the portability will necessarily take you to places you would actually want to live! In many fields, tenure-tracks jobs are VERY competitive (this is less true in special ed) and in my experience, the six years you spend earning tenure is a high-stress time that doesn't leave a lot of room for work-family balance. And don't be shocked to learn that many special ed teachers in good school systems earn more than special ed professors. (This is a dirty little secret of the academic world that applies in most fields, I think.) It's a great path to pursue, but make sure you set out upon it with your eyes wide open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any happy teachers out there?

No.

[Anonymous]

I'm a nanny with a specialty in special needs kids and I love my work.

[Anonymous]

I am lawyer, who is now a preschool teacher and ABSOLUTELY love it!

[Anonymous]

I love my job working from home as a full-time, in-house lawyer negotiating very large contracts to sell telecom equipment and related services. It's creative and challenging to draft language that meets the needs of both companies, and the issues can be complex. I'm paid pretty well, and I don't have to travel or waste time doing unnecessary work.

I work mostly from my dining room table (or sometimes from my study, where I can close the door when I need to) with my bluetooth/blackberry combo for conference calls, my laptop with broadband wireless remote, and my little printer/copier. I get to see my kids when they get home from school, and I work mostly barefoot in bluejeans and t-shirts, helping myself to freshly made cups of coffee and tea and all my favorite foods from the kitchen in the next room.

It's wonderful to not have to commute - that stress is gone. I did not like working in the government or in law firms, but I do like the corporate environment and expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any happy teachers out there?

No.

Oh, that's really depressing. Really? What's so bad about it?

[Anonymous]

Okay, now I'm jealous of the lawyer who works at her dining room table in jeans.
Any paralegals out there who love their jobs?

[Anonymous]

I'm a publicist and event planner. Love, love, love my job. And I love that the nannies on here love their jobs--hopefully one of 'em is mine!

[Anonymous]

Hey Paralegal! I'm the lawyer working from her dining room table. I work daily with three paralegals (their title is "Contract Manager"), and two of them telecommute exclusively. One loves her job and the other complains about it. It's all in your attitude. They work on the contracts with me. The larger legal group I work in is pretty much a "virtual" organization, but we work well together and we have all developed our unique little online work personalities.

[Anonymous]

Pediatrician here. work 3 days a week and love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any happy teachers out there?

No.

Oh, that's really depressing. Really? What's so bad about it?

I have similar stress as a teacher that I do as a mother. I never feel like I can give enough, be patient enough, "be a good role model" enough. It's hard to get other people's kids to learn and be decent humans. It's hard to plan for 5 hours of beneficial instruction for 20 children every day.
I usually feel like a half-ass teacher, half-ass mom. I'm hoping I'll love it someday, because I bet I'll be the same high-strung guilt-ridden employee somewhere else as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any happy teachers out there?

No.

Oh, that's really depressing. Really? What's so bad about it?

I have similar stress as a teacher that I do as a mother. I never feel like I can give enough, be patient enough, "be a good role model" enough. It's hard to get other people's kids to learn and be decent humans. It's hard to plan for 5 hours of beneficial instruction for 20 children every day.
I usually feel like a half-ass teacher, half-ass mom. I'm hoping I'll love it someday, because I bet I'll be the same high-strung guilt-ridden employee somewhere else as well.

What she said, especially the bold text.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any happy teachers out there?

No.

Oh, that's really depressing. Really? What's so bad about it?

I have similar stress as a teacher that I do as a mother. I never feel like I can give enough, be patient enough, "be a good role model" enough. It's hard to get other people's kids to learn and be decent humans. It's hard to plan for 5 hours of beneficial instruction for 20 children every day.
I usually feel like a half-ass teacher, half-ass mom. I'm hoping I'll love it someday, because I bet I'll be the same high-strung guilt-ridden employee somewhere else as well.

What she said, especially the bold text.

Right on.

[Anonymous]

I was a high school teacher in what seems like a previous life (before grad school/phD, SAHMhood). I loved it. It was such a hard job. Let me say that again. It was such a hard job. But I felt so alive and so purposeful. I laughed out loud and cried every day.

I think what made it great was that it brought out the best in me.

I miss that.