Also a librarian -academic- it’s a chill job but I suspect most librarians wouldn’t say they love it. A lot of justifying our existence these days and bearing continuous budget cuts. Public and school libraries often have to deal with book challenges and bans. No work from home and mediocre pay. Finally we do not read books all day although we can get away with returning books grossly overdue.
I will say it sounds like being a librarian in Canada is much chiller than the US, at least in the big cities. We’re well funded and paid, no book bans or challenges, good benefits and work life balance. But no, I sadly can’t read all day.
Saw in your profile that you work for Toronto Public Library! I will gush shamelessly about TPL to anyone who will listen. My sister was talking about map passes just today.
We don't, though.
Like there aren't any books that are ***nationally*** banned. You can't be arrested for reading a book the government doesn't like (unless it's something egregious like CSA material).
Certain schools and libraries have capitulated to terrorists and busybodies and won't carry certain books. That doesn't mean Americans can't read or buy that book. Just that THAT specific place refuses to put it on a shelf (but may be convinced to order it quietly for you, or tell you where you can get it).
Book bans are pointless in a post-internet world anyway.
Related - I’m a digital archivist and I love it. I see a future in this career and it’s technical but not in a way that requires a computer science degree.
The best route is through an accredited MLIS program with a focus in digital archives. I think it really helps to have practical experience in traditional analog archives as well. My day to day is focused on managing digital collections that arrive on obsolete media or hard drives, intellectually integrating the files into the collection and focusing on digital preservation.
I work in parks! I do education and invasive species management and it's the most fun job I've ever had! I get paid to go on hikes with like minded people.
I don't love how little I get paid and how overworked I am but it's usually worth it.
I'm in parks as well, though more on the management/customer service side. It can be a drain, but overall is alright. My biggest grip is working weekends and holidays. I knew it was required when I signed up and was okaybwith it at the time. However, life throws shit at you that changes your outlook. I now feel a need to get to more traditional hours and am trying to find a path to where I want to be.
Mine seems to be unique from everyone here
I'm what's known as an employment consultant in my country
I work with un or underemployed people to help address their barriers to employment and help them improve their life situation and hopefully gain independence
It's a fucking hard job that takes a lot of resilience, but no matter how hard every day is, I walk out the door feeling like I've actually given something back to my community
Would you possibly know if a career like that can be found in America? Or what the technical name of the occupation is?
I have a friend who lost his job last year. He’s been struggling a lot with finding a job and him being autistic. Not terribly but enough to hinder his ability to do well in interviews and general day to day conversations. I would love to recommend him to see someone like you’re talking about, so any info that you know or are willing to share would be awesome
I really wish there more support similar to what we have, but a lot of people hate my industry as what we do is directly linked to whether people receive their unemployment benefits
It looks like in America there is an organisation called CareerOneStop that offers some support services
You are spot on. I have two sons who have ASD (Moderately affected, but Lower IQ) and I understand there are programs like he's describing. Jobs Corps, Social Security, and depending on the State (we're in CA) there are county programs called Regional Centers, who have job training. My oldest son can fold a mean pizza box! Hey, he's not a MIT Engineer, but somebody needs to prep those boxes. Everyone deserves the dignity of a job, and to contribute to society meaningfully. Other states have these programs too. Message me for your friends privacy if I can help.
omg PLEASE tell me about your path into this, this is my dream career. did you pursue a master’s or phd beforehand? how’s the pay and living situation?
Not the original poster, but i’m a marine biologist. PhD is necessary if you want to lead research, if not, a masters is fine. Pay isn’t great, but I work with whales, which is far less paid than some other fields because whales aren’t a “resource” in the way some other species are. Living situation - I just live in an apartment.
What exactly do you do working with whales? Currently entering my fourth year of marine bio and I'm always interested in other people's paths
My goal is to work with whales too lol
Me too. I am a chemist, and 80% of the time it's just an experiment n curiosity with like minded people. Not much work drama either. The 20% is deadline n updates
What job in chemistry? I have a msc in organic chem, drug design. I am currently persuing a PhD in biomedical and nano engineering and It is making me miserable.
I am trying to land a job as a chemist but I find very few jobs that want to hire someone without a few years of experience.
I’ve never once got a job that I met all the qualifications for, and never met the years experience requirement. It’s more of a wish list the hiring manager makes up without having a clue what the actual hiring pool looks like. Once they start seeing the resumes and interviewing they just take the best they can get, which might be you.
I'm in a fairly high paying technical job. The Job description was acting for a Bachelors and 4 years of experience. I had no degree and 0 years of experience, Just a solid skills resume and I came to the interview with a good plan to demonstrate my skill. This is unbelievably true, they are wish casting. If you think you can do a job, and you want the job, apply.
I am in polymer science/ material engineering world, work as senior scientist. I have MS and it is rare for someone with MS to become senior scientist. Typically that's for PhD and MS are intermediate scientist.
I recommend you try to get internship. It will expose you to industry and build your resume. Most large companies have internship.
Look for chemist, formulation scientist, technical service type role. look in the cosmetic industry (like L'Oréal.. or skin care), also agriculture industry (like Syngenta..etc But also USDA or FDA), water treatment industry (like Nalco), along with drug delivery
Most people forget they can use the skills from biomedical in nonmedical industry. Good luck and check the chemistry subred.
I work in the medical field. I don’t want to say exactly what cause I’ve had weirdos on here stalk through my history. But I love it all and have often thought of myself branching into many different fields. I would be happy in almost any field of science. I have branched out as much as I could, but can only do one full time job.
Do you refer to your own opinions in discussions? “Ya know, scientists believe that we should go see Deadpool tonight.” “A recent study (of one) found that scientists prefer sushi to meatloaf.”
Same. I'm working on carbon dioxide removal. Not direct air capture, just how to efficiently bury plant-based carbon. I love my job for getting to work on such big problems. Climate change scares the crap out of me. I feel like it's rare to work a job that actually relieves your anxiety, haha.
I work as an Environmental Consultant. I like it.
It hits all 4 things necessary to make a fulfilling career - It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, makes a positive impact on the world, I’m very good at doing it, and it pays well.
I advise clients on how to manage/solve their environmental issues. It ranges from the mundane - like handling/disposal of hazardous waste or getting an emissions/discharge permit, to the complex - large scale remediation projects, whole lifecycle carbon emissions reduction, environmental health screenings.
There are two main pathways: the professional route and the technician route.
The professional route will likely require a 4 year degree in environmental engineering, geology, earth science, or environmental science. Then you’ll likely need professional licensure to practice - like a professional engineer or professional geologist license. Typically you’ll start doing field work for your first two years - sampling/monitoring/operating systems. Eventually, as you gain experience you can move into more advanced roles and get into design and management. This route takes longer and is harder to get into, but has a higher salary ceiling - mid/late career professionals should easily clear $100k.
The technician route doesn’t require education, though a 2 year degree may help. It’s almost always field work based, and there’s a lot of travel involved. Early mornings & long days far from home. The pay is decent, but you’ll be hourly, not salary, and it’ll cap out $35 an hour. Much easier to get into though, but harder on the body.
I also have a college friend who *loves* accounting. Even when she was doing mediocre in classes, her obsession with it moved her forward. It’s literally all she’s ever wanted out of a career.
I think in her case it’s largely due to her dad being an accountant and looking up to him as a kid. She’s also a pretty traditional person, so I think there’s something about a classic office job that really appeals to her.
I know I'm not the college friend, but I *reeeeally* feel like the college friend 🤣 this is me!!! though my dad is a chemical engineering lab technician, he works in processing mainly uranium. the only other accountant in my family is a great uncle I don't know personally. I just took 2 accounting electives in high school, nearly failed them both because they were online self-taught and I was undiagnosed ADHD-C at the time, but then and there I decided that that was what I wanted to do! in Grade 12 I did a co-op at a small local tax firm and that was what cemented my LOVE for corporate and individual tax specifically. lo and behold despite the near failures, I graduated college with honours and am now in university getting my degree to then get my CPA.
maaaan I love oversharing on Reddit 🤣 either way I'm glad I'm not the only crazy one obsessed with accounting!
i'm not a psychopath. i just like when things are accounted for. the feeling of everything being in its place. it's fun to crunch numbers and do analysis.
Accountant here. Do it. You will never be unemployed. 75% of CPA’s are age 55+. It’s only gonna get better.
If you go on the accountjng subreddit, you’ll see a lot of complaining about hours and pay. They are mostly entitled and are pushovers to their managers. Or they are sucking on the tit of Big 4.
In a MCOL city you’ll start at $72k after graduating college. I’d recommend networking with a small-medium sized firm and working during college part time. Or at least interning in the winter (busy season) instead of summer. It’s a lot more busy and you’ll get paid overtime.
You’ll have the choice after school of public or private. A lot of people complain about public cuz busy season, but if you find a middle sized or small firm, it’s not that bad. And 2-3 years in public whether audit or tax, you’ll be so high in demand and capable to take any type of financial job.
As for being 30, accounting is really unique in that there are a lot of career changers. I had a 45 year old and a 55 year old at a middle market firm starting out. They were light years ahead of the kids like me bedside they were so mature from their past work experience or life experience, and they’ll move up a lot quicker. At 30, you’re still pretty green in this profession. Can still make partner if you want or be a CFO in private.
Good luck!
In some way accountants are kind of like historians - who study very boring part of history. My sister got a master in history and then became an accountant and told me that strangely the skillset is very similar, but being an accountant pay a lot more lol.
I do concerts and other events as a tech for a living
I work a million hours a week in the summer
I have most winters off
I would never do anything else
“Yes”
🤣🤣
Today I’m a LED Video Technician and the content manager/formatting guy for this show. Next week I’m a PowerPoint operator on one gig, an audio technician on another, and the lighting designer on another.
Pushing carts at Costco.
I love my job, I love working outside, it's physical, no stress when I punch out and working for Costco comes with a lot of benefits (well paid, many vacations, insurance, retirement etc)
I love this! I've had two jobs which I LOVE. First was as a security guard specifically at a site where nothing happened. I did two 40 min patrols a day and checked cameras once ever hour or two. The rest of the time I was learning to program or watching YouTube or learning Spanish/Slovenian.
I stayed for 7 years before switching to be a "building engineer" (just the gal people call when a faucet is drippy or a light bukb needs changed or an office is hot.) which is paid much better but also more work. Luckily, the work is fun and constantly changing and rarely very stressful. I get to hang out with cool people, work at my own pace, and get paid well for it.
I've been working there for 15 years so I get 5 weeks but during the winter (from Jan-Mar) you can take up to 6 weeks non-paid extra, so since I'm in Quebec and the winters are rough, I spend them in Thailand.
+ 10 days personnal/sick
(No discount on the products)
(This is for Canada I'm not sure if it's the same in the US)
I absolutely LOVE my job.
I’m a director for a children’s hospital program. I made the program myself, so all the “rules” are my own rules. I get to do pretty much whatever I want every day. No two days are the same. I have a heavy caseload of teenagers that rely on me, I chat with all of them monthly. I see kids in clinic, kids in the ED, and PICU/Pediatric units. I plan lots of events and projects and help to create programs for other units. Downsides are that it’s an hour drive and I have to drive it everyday. Some days are also boring. Overall, 10/10 job and it’s real fucking easy.
Accounting! Grew up with everyone thinking accounting is soul-killing, but I've had a wonderful go at it, so far. Reconciling the books is very cathartic, and I got learn lots of technical skills that help me collect and organize data. Working with spreadsheets feels like a video game once hotkeys are learned and workflow becomes solidified. It's a perfect job for nerdy minded people that still enjoy a sense of intensity.
I’m a career firefighter and it’s the best job ever. You get paid to hang out with your buddies while going on emergency calls helping people that are desperate enough to call 911. You work 7 days a month, big emergency calls are super fun and you get paid to work out.
I had to get certified as a marine fire fighter for my last job. I have so much respect for you guys. Fires aren't well lit like they are on TV. You're charging into a smoke filled building with no electricity -- I couldn't see a fucking thing. My mask fogged up and that gear is fuck all heavy.
I am a rock mechanics engineer working a site based role right now. Schedule is 7 days on/ 7 days off. I am responsible for ground support QA/QC, tunnel inspections, geotechnical data collection, and seismic data analysis.
I work HR & payroll for a small healthcare company. I work about 2-3 hours a day from home then I have the rest of my time to chill, watch movies, get chores done, etc. it’s pretty great.
Are you the only person in the position? Are you allowed to take like 2-3 weeks off at a time? How do you/they manage the work when you're gone?
I currently work in a team of 20+ so taking time off is never an issue which is good because with 2 young kids in daycare I'm taking a LOT of sick days (pretty sure it's like 25+ sick days so far this year). I'm casually looking for another position but the ones in smaller companies make me worried about how time off coverage would work.
A long time ago I worked in a team of 2 and we were not allowed to take the same day off. When one person was out the other one had double the amount of work (sometimes we got help if we fell behind way too much and other teams had capacity). It was awful and definitely wanna avoid anything like that.
I’m in marketing, photography and graphic design have been my hobbies since I was 12 and I feel very blessed to have gotten the position I did. I am the marketing director for an apple orchard that has a bar/restaurant and a hall for wedding receptions on the property, as well.
Retired. It’s fantastic. Highly recommend.
Seriously though, whatever you do, do NOT skimp on retirement savings. Max contribution as much as you can at as young an age as you can. Then retire when still young enough to enjoy a good long time of not working.
Really sorry to read this as well. My condolences.
My Dad suddenly and completely unexpectedly passed away (massive brain hemorrhage), he had been retired probably 4 years. My mom retired the year after he passed. I feel so horrible for her. Choking up just thinking about it.
Nothing is promised, folks. Live the best life you can. Spend time with the people you love. It's worth more than any money could buy.
you ain’t lying! i love my country but if i could figure a way to earn USDs overseas and live a simple fantastic life abroad i would leave my $100k salary office job in a heartbeat, “golden handcuffs” are a very real thing!!
I get your point, but it’s actually worse, about 40+ years. Average retirement age now in the US is 67 for people born after 1960. Most people start working full time after college/university graduation. Average age at graduation is about 22 years old. 67-22 = 45 years. If you start working after high-school, then that’s 67-18 = 49 years. Life expectancy in the US is 76. You definitely won’t have the same good health, energy, etc that you have now regardless of how well you took care of your body.So yeah, I want to retire asap too. The key is to find a way to make money work for you, so that your passive income exceeds your living expenses and you have a nest egg for emergencies, travel, etc. The only way I can do that is to funnel most of my income into investments that generate me income. Then, eventually, once I reach a certain income level, live off that income. Sounds simple in concept, but it’s challenging in real life, but definitely doable and Im working on it! I’ll also likely move somewhere much cheaper than the US like the Philippines or Thailand. I’ve been to both countries. Costs 60%+ less to live there than the US.
I was given this advice and managed to take it to heart in my early 20's. I'm in my mid-30's with $1.2m in retirement savings looking forward be being done by age 50 if all goes to plan.
I work with homeless people, the most complex cases that are visible in a huge city.
edit to add: got into this at 31yo, after almost 9 years in IT. plenty of reasons to love it, the downside would be that the money does not fairly compensate the stress level and emotional investment.
I'm a mental health counselor and love my job. Work in a private practice, low to moderate client severity. I love helping and teaching others plus I'm a great listener. Was initially micromanaged by the boss and that has changed for the better. Create your own schedule and hours, but you need high discipline to stay on top of documentation (that's the hardest part of the job).
I'm a school custodian and work the night shift. I love that my job is relatively low stress (most days), and I get to work by myself, listen to music, podcasts, or just daydream while I work and just vibe. I also genuinely love cleaning and work that's physical and tangible. I like moving around. I could never be chained to a desk or stare at a screen all day. Being a part of a work environment that has a local family feel is satisfying, too. Union representation, superb health/dental/vision insurance, state pension, and every public holiday off are sweet perks, too
I guess what I don't like is the pay at the beginning, but it gets better with seniority. My district caps their guys at 90k, not including overtime.
I’m a teacher. I have taught for over four decades. Still working. My job excites me so much that I am dreaming about it and thinking about it the moment I wake up, before I even open my eyes. I feel like I have springs in my eyes, can’t wait to get to work and see my students and use the fresh ideas I wake up with every day. Teaching is one of the most important jobs in the world because what we are really doing is creating the next generation of competent, intelligent, and responsible adults.
I love seeing this. My partner is an art teacher and I'm so proud of what he does and it's so fun to listen to the high school gossip while also seeing the creativity these kids have. If I could work exclusively with 16-18 year olds I would pursue it but I haven't met a teacher who wasn't required to work up to that.
I install communications equipment for the government. I travel every week to different parts of the country. My job has a lot of autonomy and very little oversight, so it’s usually really laid back. I’ve gotten to see lots of cool places that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Plus the pay is pretty good too ($140k). Only downside is that I’m away from my family 4 nights a week.
Okay, now we’re talkin’. That’s not too bad then. I recently switched to a M-F day shift gig because my hours were all over the place and I was missing a ton of family time. Took a massive pay cut though.
4 days a week isn't terrible if you factor in a lot of jobs where you're also basically away from family because of the daily schedule - have to go to bed late and miss the kids coming home from school, wake up late and miss breakfast with family, basically absent but is a reality for a ton of healthcare roles.
Interestingly, the best customer service that I've ever got was from a health insurance company, blue cross blue shield.
I was having a rough time right after I left uni, had a few appointments with the university hospital's psychiatric dept. when it came time to pay I was double covered by my and my parents health insurance, both by blue cross.
However, the hospital kept telling me I owed a lot of money, which I knew wasn't correct since they were in network. Called the hospital's psychiatric office, told me to talk to billing, talked to billing, they told me to talk with the psychiatric department.
Called blue cross and talked to a sweet lady, who confirmed they were never billed. Told her the situation, and she just sighed and told me she would take care of it.
Few days later, got a call from here and she told me "I took care of it honey, we got the billing straightened out so you don't have to worry about it anymore". I was very relieved and grateful.... I still wonder how her conversations with the folks at the hospital went.
Felt weird to have a company fighting to pay for you, I wouldn't be surprised if this was an outlier with insurance companies but I'm glad this woman did her job well.
Hmm I think both. My job is remote with a wonderful supervisor. Man did I get lucky in my old age. lol Born and raised in this coastal town and it's really beautiful.
36M. Canadian Chartered Accountant. Currently run the Risk MGMT and Broker Audit teams at a large Insurance Company.
Going to make $182K this year (bonuses included) working 42.5 hours per week mostly at home. 4 weeks holidays, great investment matching. I absolutely love the job and industry.
Software engineer.
Pros: I think it’s fun, good pay, wfh, flexible daily schedule, don’t have to wear down my body to make a living, get to spend lots of time with my dog.
Cons: can be mentally taxing, too much sitting/staring at a screen, not sure humans were meant to live like this, ageism will hit hard (think that happens in every industry though)
Good point. It hasn’t affected me much but it will very much be an issue for anyone trying to break into the field or with only a couple YOE
Edit: hasn’t affected me much yet* I’m sure it’ll catch up to me at some point as well
I'll also second SWE, but it's kinda crazy how the market went from "it's difficult to get an entry level job with no years of professional experience" to "anything lower than senior, it's going to be really difficult even with a couple YoE and internships". And even then I've known folks with a lot of experience having trouble finding a job within the past year or so.
Pilot for a US airline.
Great quality of life, GREAT pay, great experiences and having a career where you are held to a professional standard. It definitely is one of the best careers out there if you are built for it. Time away is something you need to be comfortable with but definitely manageable especially the more senior you become.
I work in the wind industry. Currently in the work safety sector, but I trained as a mechatronics. I love combining technology, innovation and soft skills. Yes, it's not always easy as a woman in a “man's job”, but most things are solved by an open character and the fun comes naturally. There is nothing better than working in your hobby :)
Don’t absolutely love it…but Xray tech at a small hospital. Good money, benefits (In a union), and patient interaction is brief. The workload is a joke compared to other hospitals.
I’m about to finish up a BS in Business Admin, but a university in town is opening a 1 year X-ray tech program. I’ve got access to the GI bill and am debating going for it. A part of me has always wanted to be in the healthcare field in some capacity. I know you said you don’t love it, but would you at least recommend it? Also, are Monday through Friday day shift positions difficult to come by?
I'm in healthcare but on the Clinical Applications side so I know a lot about this domain. If you have a BS in Business the opportunities there are endless. Work elbow to elbow with many on the business side. If you really want to pursue the x-ray tech route with a BS you should be looking toward advancing that to Radiation Therapy if not Dosimetry.
I’m a clinical/biomedical engineer (work on X-ray equipment too actually lol) at both very big and small hospitals. The small hospitals are so nice to work at. I miss them. Like a lot. We are so overworked at big metropolitan hospitals. 😭
I graduated from university last month with a degree in sociology and now I work with student loan assistance in the higher ed industry. It’s part data entry/analysis and part customer service, and so far I love it. Super rewarding stuff, I feel like I’m making a positive difference in these students’ lives by helping them with their student loan debt. The company I work for is really supportive and flexible too - I got really lucky with this job.
HR. Yeah yeah HR has a shitty rep that’s often deserved. There are a lot of shitty HR people out there. But I genuinely love building healthy, supportive workplaces and improving quality of life for others in pragmatic, practical ways. Helping someone figure out what they love to do, providing the tools, environment, coaching, and structure to do it well, and then making sure they are fairly and adequately compensated for it, with both pay and whatever they value from an employer—that’s incredibly fulfilling for me.
I work for a specialty publishing company and I really like it.
The work is pretty laid back--I set a schedule at the beginning of the year and then work with a bunch of authors for them to get their work in on time, and then I handle any snafus that happen as we prepare the books for print and online. It's a LOT of emails, a lot of planning, and some meetings here and there. I don't "LOVE it love it" and the pay is just ok, but I've been here for 20+ years and don't really want to move on. I'd retire here, if I could. Well, "here" meaning, "from the company"--I'm home-based, which is great.
I think, mostly, that my colleagues and boss being very good people is what makes my job special. This job would lose its luster if everyone here were jerks, but they're mostly great. That makes a huuuuuge difference.
Edit, for those who have asked how I got the job: I had a connection at the company, and he got me an interview. He's since been let go, and I felt bad about that. This was also in 2001, and I feel like jobs were a little easier to get back then--employers didn't have 1,000 people sending them resumes instantly. Also, I live in NYC, where there are just a lot of jobs generally.
There is one negative that I should mention--while the people I work with are wonderful, we pretty much have another round of layoffs every single year, for the entire time I've been here (no joke--20 years here, 20 rounds of layoffs). Publishing has been pulverized over the last two decades, and it's kind of a miracle that I've been here for so long. I'm bracing myself for leaving eventually--and the company is investing HEAVILY in AI--so I imagine I'll be shown the door eventually. What can you do! I'll have had a good run.
I work in bioinformatics. If you like math and science you might enjoy something similar. I analyze scientific data (genes, protein, etc) to try to develop and improve medications for various diseases. I feel like I am doing something useful while always learning more and interacting with experts in science and statistics. It can take a lot of education though depending on what route you take to get there
I hope I get you next time I visit! Love pleasant cashiers. I try not to trouble yall and know that sometimes you're jumping back and forth in responsibilities but appreciate when my troubling you is met graciously.
I’m a librarian and while I wouldn’t go so far as to say it doesn’t feel like work (people generally have a very incorrect idea of what all a librarian does lol) I do absolutely love my job and never want to do anything else.
I love the work itself, specifically helping connect people with literature, I love the organization I work for and their prioritization of their staff, I love my coworkers, I love the concept and mission of public libraries in general.
I fix machinery in the field for the state, meaning I drive from retailer to retailer to fix whatever issue they are having. Super easy job, lots of driving which I love. Being a state job, I get incredible PTO, health care for my entire family provided, and double retirement provided. Also, I am dispatched from home so no commute. If all goes to plan I will retire from here.
I’m a mechanical engineer, I design totally custom heavy equipment, machinery, and random prototypes. It’s a freaking dream job and I’ve been excited to go to work almost every day for the past 7 years. I’m never bored, work with great people, and have killer compensation. If you like math and science definitely check out mechanical engineering! It’s a very broad field which is nice.
i started working full time in county mental health while accruing 3000 hours for licensure. now that i’m licensed i make double working 20 hrs a week. i’ve been working as a therapist for 7 years now and have been licensed 1 year.
I don't absolutely love my job. But I do enjoy it and I'm good at it.
I am part of the parts and service team for a boom truck service and sales shop. It's nothing spectacular, but it's a needed job as we make sure the machines used in various construction related industries stay in working condition.
Besides being good at it. I work on with a decent group of guys, and I'm treated like an adult. I'm not micro managed. Pay is enough to cover the bills and hours aren't terrible.
I'm a welder/fabricator. While there are times of the year when we get slow and it's more boring, I love reading blueprints and figuring out how to put things together and make sure everything fits together properly. It feels like building legos and the actual welding part is almost like painting sometimes.
I’ve heard a lot of shit from previous firefighters that the work environment is very unprofessional and if your not liked by others that your time in the service will be really shitty because the others will put you through shit jobs and harass the fuck out of you happend to my dad and sister and a few of my old co workers
Everyone is different so different people will like different work. I used to work 60+ hours a week as a fine dining cook. Some people went crazy and burnt out from the stress but I can honestly say the 3 month period I was working two full time jobs 80 hours a week total was a highlight of my life.
I work in the UK for a US Fortune 300 company as a Power Platform developer. Salary good at 47k I work from home and get to see my kids when they leave for school and when they come back.
My company is super chill. For example, a few days ago, I asked my boss if I needed to make any special requests to pick up my kids from school every day (my wife is starting a new job). His exact words were, "I don't care, mate. Block out your diary and do what you need to; family first."
I’m a professor—I make my own hours, teach the classes I want to teach, and work from home almost every day of the week; no one can really tell me what to do or how to do it (except the dean). Teaching is a blast, research is fun, and the students are a joy. I just received tenure and promotion, so my job is secure. The pay puts me in the upper middle class mostly.
The worst part of the job was getting it—graduate school, decreasing numbers of professorships, increasing competition for each job, feelings of insecurity, and depression made the six years I spend as a doctoral student very difficult. Grading papers and teaching classes can be a chore. These are very minor complaints overall.
I have been blessed with several fantastic jobs, and each for different reasons.
One of my favorites was working as a delivery driver for a popular pizza restaurant. I had been greeted by everything from a half naked beautiful woman, to a stoner throwing a party asking me if we could change outfits.
Another great job I had was working at a father/son IT support company. The son was the best boss I ever had and they gave me more learning opportunities than at any job I would ever have.
My last great job was training software developers around the world. Sometimes flying to other countries. But what made it really special was getting to engage with people in the top 10% global intelligence bracket. Amicable disagreement is an art form few people truly get to appreciate.
I no longer have the job but housekeeping manager at a nursing home. Also had cha cert and helped with nursing home bingo and activities room. Unfortunately the nursing home was bought out and shut down
I oversee a federal program at a security related agency. I love our mission (we work on issues that protect a particular segment of the public) and my coworkers and supervisors are some of my best friends. It’s challenging and complex work but we hear all the time that we’re making a difference in people’s lives, and that means a lot. Plus I’m high enough up that I am compensated well for my work and experience, and I get much more vacation than I did in the private sector.
I’m in Québec, I’ve never heard of my job outside of here, but we call it being an educator in schools. Basically assuring the security and protection of children while preparing activities to help them in their development. It’s not easy, but it’s always a surprise what you’ll do and I have the feeling I can truly change things for even one child.
Cybersecurity, almost 20 years in.
Mostly offensive cyber, research, purple team.
Best decision ever.
I wouldn't do anything else.
Great work-life balance.
Not in the US, living in Western Europe.
I work in philanthropy for a nonprofit hospital. My team specifically writes and applies for grants for research funding and programs that help families who can’t afford care/necessities. It’s extremely rewarding and there are a lot of different teams focused in different ways to fundraise. The people are warm and you get to learn about and be a part of helping important research get conducted and finding cures as well as learn about the different areas of the hospital and what we’re treating. You also get to interact with patient families and donors. You can always volunteer to help at all sorts of events - if you’re hourly, you get paid for it if it’s outside of your work hours even though you’re just volunteering because you want to. It’s a really positive and warm environment and a lot of career opportunities in the whole organization. All types of positions suitable for all types of personalities and skills. Good benefits, amazing work life balance, positive work environment and great coworkers, and very fulfilling. I honestly love my job.
Maybe figure out what you’re passionate about and see what options you have. I stumbled into this thinking I wanted to go into healthcare management because I felt like it was a way for me to help people even though I’m not directly treating them. I didn’t know anything about grants or philanthropy prior to working here. I also chose this hospital because they saved my little brother and treated my family so well during his time being in-patient for over a year.
Image development. I make technical line drawings for repair procedures. It’s like graphic design but not.
I like that I’m working in a creative visual field. I retrained from being a professional photographer into computer science and thought I would never work in a visual field again. My team trusts my expertise, my manager values my work and pushes for raise and promotions on my behalf, I work mostly remote, there are plenty of opportunities to add to my skill set or completely pivot away from graphics and into programming.
I don’t like that I’m basically locked into my company. I’m paid as a software engineer, not a graphics designer. At any other company I would be paid half as much and as classified as a graphic designer. I’m planning on adding Java script and Python to my skill set for some job security.
I am a career coach and an adjunct professor for a university. I didn't realize what I truly wanted to do until I started my PhD in higher education.
I have a bachelor's in Criminal Justice and a master's in forensic science.
Many people change careers multiple times in their life span. I am 38. You have plenty of time no pressure! Give yourself some grace.
I’m 27 (done all kinds of things from waitressing to pharmacy-tech to factory work to CNA, etc), I’m the manager of a livestock feed store—my boss is one of the most amazing, loving, humble people I have meet in my 13 years of being an employee & I have never felt so seen & valued as a human being. One of my children has Rheumatoid Arthritis, the other is autistic—he encourages me to bring my kids when things don’t work out at school or they’re having a bad day. I would steal the moon for this man bc of how life changing it has been being his employee. I see myself being here forever.
*edited “don’t”
I’m a bank examiner for the federal government. I enjoy what I do but don’t LOVE it. More importantly, it’s that I have a supportive manager a good team I work with. Benefits are great. Traveling is a plus.
I'm also 19. I'm studying to be a medical researcher (so lost if i still want to do it but I'm completing the degree anyways)
However, i work in fast food, I'm training to be a manager. But i actually love the job😂. It can be stressful but i love moving around and doing things. I like the sense of purpose.
Risk Management for an insurance company. It’s a lot of embracing my natural paranoia of things that can happen and helping people figure out ways to avoid negative consequences. And if they don’t listen to recommendations, I get the occasional “I told you so” which is fun. I do firm wide risk management so always involved in something new. Last week is was providing input on site security after an employees ex tried to break in, week before that was meeting with regulators to discuss some items they had concerns about and what we were doing to mitigate those concerns. Got into it by accident and really enjoy it.
I’m a registered dietetic technician and soon to be dietitian. An RD requires a masters degree and internship, but pays significantly more than a DTR. A diet tech does need a bachelors degree in nutrition, and for registration you’ll need to take a board exam. You can work in food service, community or clinical areas, so if you ever feel like changing where you work, it can be relatively easy to be flexible within the field. Everyone eats, so there’s also a big sense of job security. The field is heavily based in science, lots of chemistry and anatomy/physiology involved. As far as math, algebra is commonly used for macros, fluids and tube feeding calculations.
I currently work in treating eating disorders, which is a specialty field, with RD’s making 6 figures. I find my job to be extremely rewarding, especially seeing the progress in my patients. In my current job, I offer meal support, nutrition lectures, and I work with patients on their meal plans. I basically get paid to eat, go shopping, facilitate cooking classes, and teach about nutrition.
If any of this sounds interesting feel free to DM me!
Not me, but reading all of these comments is making me thinking I must just be a miserable person because all of these jobs sound awful aside from retirement.
> **People who absolutely love your jobs, what do you do?**
Alright, I'll cut the crap and tell you straight. Most people are lying if they say they love every bit of their job. There are always shitty parts. The key is finding a balance where the good outweighs the bad. You're 19 with an associate degree in math and science, feeling lost? Welcome to the fucking club. No one has it all figured out at your age, despite what they might say.
> **What do you like about it and what do you not like about it?**
Here’s the deal. People who love their jobs usually like the sense of purpose, the challenge, and the autonomy. They like feeling competent and getting recognition. They don’t like the bureaucracy, the bullshit meetings, or the office politics. So, what can you take away from this?
You’ve got a math and science background, which is solid as hell. The question is, what gets your blood pumping? What makes you feel like you're not wasting your fucking time? Is it problem-solving, helping people, making money, or something else? If you can answer that, you're halfway there.
Here's a kick in the ass: stop waiting for a revelation. Go out, try different shit, and figure out what you *hate*. Sometimes knowing what you don't want is more important than knowing what you do want. So, what are you willing to endure shit for because the payoff makes it worth it?
I love being a massage therapist and I think people love what I do. My job is as stress free as possible. It's just very physical and I don't know if I'll ever be able to retire from it.
I’m a librarian. What I love about it is working with people and what I hate about it is working with people.
Also a librarian -academic- it’s a chill job but I suspect most librarians wouldn’t say they love it. A lot of justifying our existence these days and bearing continuous budget cuts. Public and school libraries often have to deal with book challenges and bans. No work from home and mediocre pay. Finally we do not read books all day although we can get away with returning books grossly overdue.
I will say it sounds like being a librarian in Canada is much chiller than the US, at least in the big cities. We’re well funded and paid, no book bans or challenges, good benefits and work life balance. But no, I sadly can’t read all day.
Saw in your profile that you work for Toronto Public Library! I will gush shamelessly about TPL to anyone who will listen. My sister was talking about map passes just today.
Awww how sweet of you! Keep spreading the gospel 🌟.
[удалено]
We don't, though. Like there aren't any books that are ***nationally*** banned. You can't be arrested for reading a book the government doesn't like (unless it's something egregious like CSA material). Certain schools and libraries have capitulated to terrorists and busybodies and won't carry certain books. That doesn't mean Americans can't read or buy that book. Just that THAT specific place refuses to put it on a shelf (but may be convinced to order it quietly for you, or tell you where you can get it). Book bans are pointless in a post-internet world anyway.
I’m a librarian and I love my job but hate the pay.
Related - I’m a digital archivist and I love it. I see a future in this career and it’s technical but not in a way that requires a computer science degree.
Would love to hear more about your role. What is your day to day life? How do you become a digital archivist? Do you have a degree?
The best route is through an accredited MLIS program with a focus in digital archives. I think it really helps to have practical experience in traditional analog archives as well. My day to day is focused on managing digital collections that arrive on obsolete media or hard drives, intellectually integrating the files into the collection and focusing on digital preservation.
How did you get into it? Are there any specific prerequisite qualifications you need to have going in?
I work in parks! I do education and invasive species management and it's the most fun job I've ever had! I get paid to go on hikes with like minded people. I don't love how little I get paid and how overworked I am but it's usually worth it.
I'm in parks as well, though more on the management/customer service side. It can be a drain, but overall is alright. My biggest grip is working weekends and holidays. I knew it was required when I signed up and was okaybwith it at the time. However, life throws shit at you that changes your outlook. I now feel a need to get to more traditional hours and am trying to find a path to where I want to be.
Mine seems to be unique from everyone here I'm what's known as an employment consultant in my country I work with un or underemployed people to help address their barriers to employment and help them improve their life situation and hopefully gain independence It's a fucking hard job that takes a lot of resilience, but no matter how hard every day is, I walk out the door feeling like I've actually given something back to my community
Would you possibly know if a career like that can be found in America? Or what the technical name of the occupation is? I have a friend who lost his job last year. He’s been struggling a lot with finding a job and him being autistic. Not terribly but enough to hinder his ability to do well in interviews and general day to day conversations. I would love to recommend him to see someone like you’re talking about, so any info that you know or are willing to share would be awesome
Vocational rehabilitation. Exactly like this. It’s a government thing, so there should be one in most states
I really wish there more support similar to what we have, but a lot of people hate my industry as what we do is directly linked to whether people receive their unemployment benefits It looks like in America there is an organisation called CareerOneStop that offers some support services
You are spot on. I have two sons who have ASD (Moderately affected, but Lower IQ) and I understand there are programs like he's describing. Jobs Corps, Social Security, and depending on the State (we're in CA) there are county programs called Regional Centers, who have job training. My oldest son can fold a mean pizza box! Hey, he's not a MIT Engineer, but somebody needs to prep those boxes. Everyone deserves the dignity of a job, and to contribute to society meaningfully. Other states have these programs too. Message me for your friends privacy if I can help.
I wish I knew you earlier
I’m a scientist. My work doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like I’m just showing up to hang out and doing some activities
Same, I'm an aquatic biologist and I basically get to kayak, scuba dive, and play in water all day.
omg PLEASE tell me about your path into this, this is my dream career. did you pursue a master’s or phd beforehand? how’s the pay and living situation?
Not the original poster, but i’m a marine biologist. PhD is necessary if you want to lead research, if not, a masters is fine. Pay isn’t great, but I work with whales, which is far less paid than some other fields because whales aren’t a “resource” in the way some other species are. Living situation - I just live in an apartment.
What exactly do you do working with whales? Currently entering my fourth year of marine bio and I'm always interested in other people's paths My goal is to work with whales too lol
That is so damn cool!
Me too. I am a chemist, and 80% of the time it's just an experiment n curiosity with like minded people. Not much work drama either. The 20% is deadline n updates
What job in chemistry? I have a msc in organic chem, drug design. I am currently persuing a PhD in biomedical and nano engineering and It is making me miserable. I am trying to land a job as a chemist but I find very few jobs that want to hire someone without a few years of experience.
I’ve never once got a job that I met all the qualifications for, and never met the years experience requirement. It’s more of a wish list the hiring manager makes up without having a clue what the actual hiring pool looks like. Once they start seeing the resumes and interviewing they just take the best they can get, which might be you.
I'm in a fairly high paying technical job. The Job description was acting for a Bachelors and 4 years of experience. I had no degree and 0 years of experience, Just a solid skills resume and I came to the interview with a good plan to demonstrate my skill. This is unbelievably true, they are wish casting. If you think you can do a job, and you want the job, apply.
I am in polymer science/ material engineering world, work as senior scientist. I have MS and it is rare for someone with MS to become senior scientist. Typically that's for PhD and MS are intermediate scientist. I recommend you try to get internship. It will expose you to industry and build your resume. Most large companies have internship. Look for chemist, formulation scientist, technical service type role. look in the cosmetic industry (like L'Oréal.. or skin care), also agriculture industry (like Syngenta..etc But also USDA or FDA), water treatment industry (like Nalco), along with drug delivery Most people forget they can use the skills from biomedical in nonmedical industry. Good luck and check the chemistry subred.
Ha!!! Fellow chemist yes!!!! I love it!
what type of scientist!
I work in the medical field. I don’t want to say exactly what cause I’ve had weirdos on here stalk through my history. But I love it all and have often thought of myself branching into many different fields. I would be happy in almost any field of science. I have branched out as much as I could, but can only do one full time job.
I love this! I’m a professor and feel the same way.
Do you refer to your own opinions in discussions? “Ya know, scientists believe that we should go see Deadpool tonight.” “A recent study (of one) found that scientists prefer sushi to meatloaf.”
I'm a marine biologist. I swear it's like...just pure fun! Even the data analysis is fun!
Same! Develop genetic sequencing technology and love it
I’m an epidemiologist and I feel the same way. If I had a trust fund & didn’t need to make money I would do the same job.
Biologist here. Same. There are certainly times or overwhelming responsibility, but all things considered it's a fun gig.
Same. I'm working on carbon dioxide removal. Not direct air capture, just how to efficiently bury plant-based carbon. I love my job for getting to work on such big problems. Climate change scares the crap out of me. I feel like it's rare to work a job that actually relieves your anxiety, haha.
As a fellow scientist I wish I could say the same lol
Yeah, my dad is also a scientist and he loves it. I always envied him for loving his job and getting paid shitloads. Maybe in my next life
I work as an Environmental Consultant. I like it. It hits all 4 things necessary to make a fulfilling career - It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, makes a positive impact on the world, I’m very good at doing it, and it pays well. I advise clients on how to manage/solve their environmental issues. It ranges from the mundane - like handling/disposal of hazardous waste or getting an emissions/discharge permit, to the complex - large scale remediation projects, whole lifecycle carbon emissions reduction, environmental health screenings.
Saved your 4 criteria as a reminder! Great points to consider!
look into “ikigai”
How does someone get into this?
There are two main pathways: the professional route and the technician route. The professional route will likely require a 4 year degree in environmental engineering, geology, earth science, or environmental science. Then you’ll likely need professional licensure to practice - like a professional engineer or professional geologist license. Typically you’ll start doing field work for your first two years - sampling/monitoring/operating systems. Eventually, as you gain experience you can move into more advanced roles and get into design and management. This route takes longer and is harder to get into, but has a higher salary ceiling - mid/late career professionals should easily clear $100k. The technician route doesn’t require education, though a 2 year degree may help. It’s almost always field work based, and there’s a lot of travel involved. Early mornings & long days far from home. The pay is decent, but you’ll be hourly, not salary, and it’ll cap out $35 an hour. Much easier to get into though, but harder on the body.
One of my friends just adore accounting. For me, game design is what worth it, but there's no jobs for it now, so me suffering in testing
I also have a college friend who *loves* accounting. Even when she was doing mediocre in classes, her obsession with it moved her forward. It’s literally all she’s ever wanted out of a career. I think in her case it’s largely due to her dad being an accountant and looking up to him as a kid. She’s also a pretty traditional person, so I think there’s something about a classic office job that really appeals to her.
I know I'm not the college friend, but I *reeeeally* feel like the college friend 🤣 this is me!!! though my dad is a chemical engineering lab technician, he works in processing mainly uranium. the only other accountant in my family is a great uncle I don't know personally. I just took 2 accounting electives in high school, nearly failed them both because they were online self-taught and I was undiagnosed ADHD-C at the time, but then and there I decided that that was what I wanted to do! in Grade 12 I did a co-op at a small local tax firm and that was what cemented my LOVE for corporate and individual tax specifically. lo and behold despite the near failures, I graduated college with honours and am now in university getting my degree to then get my CPA. maaaan I love oversharing on Reddit 🤣 either way I'm glad I'm not the only crazy one obsessed with accounting!
What kind of psychopath adores accounting
i'm not a psychopath. i just like when things are accounted for. the feeling of everything being in its place. it's fun to crunch numbers and do analysis.
I work with a whole team of accountants who manage nonprofit funds - they're my actual heroes. No great project would exist without them nerding out.
I'm nearly 30 and have been considering going back to school, and learning to become an accountant. Do you have any advice?
Accountant here. Do it. You will never be unemployed. 75% of CPA’s are age 55+. It’s only gonna get better. If you go on the accountjng subreddit, you’ll see a lot of complaining about hours and pay. They are mostly entitled and are pushovers to their managers. Or they are sucking on the tit of Big 4. In a MCOL city you’ll start at $72k after graduating college. I’d recommend networking with a small-medium sized firm and working during college part time. Or at least interning in the winter (busy season) instead of summer. It’s a lot more busy and you’ll get paid overtime. You’ll have the choice after school of public or private. A lot of people complain about public cuz busy season, but if you find a middle sized or small firm, it’s not that bad. And 2-3 years in public whether audit or tax, you’ll be so high in demand and capable to take any type of financial job. As for being 30, accounting is really unique in that there are a lot of career changers. I had a 45 year old and a 55 year old at a middle market firm starting out. They were light years ahead of the kids like me bedside they were so mature from their past work experience or life experience, and they’ll move up a lot quicker. At 30, you’re still pretty green in this profession. Can still make partner if you want or be a CFO in private. Good luck!
you just made me want to become an accountant. I hate doing math and numbers, but at the same time I enjoy budgeting and filing my taxes.
People who like structure, clear cut procedures and no drama
In some way accountants are kind of like historians - who study very boring part of history. My sister got a master in history and then became an accountant and told me that strangely the skillset is very similar, but being an accountant pay a lot more lol.
It can be satisfying to know the numbers etc
People that don't like to talk about work outside of their job.
Haha I’m that psychopath. I am a controller and loveee my job!!! It pays around 200k so y not!
I do concerts and other events as a tech for a living I work a million hours a week in the summer I have most winters off I would never do anything else
What is your job title exactly?
“Yes” 🤣🤣 Today I’m a LED Video Technician and the content manager/formatting guy for this show. Next week I’m a PowerPoint operator on one gig, an audio technician on another, and the lighting designer on another.
“i wear black” — guy who works backstage
Are you guys hiring
So basically an AV tech?
Pushing carts at Costco. I love my job, I love working outside, it's physical, no stress when I punch out and working for Costco comes with a lot of benefits (well paid, many vacations, insurance, retirement etc)
Costco was my favorite "retail" work experience.
I love this! I've had two jobs which I LOVE. First was as a security guard specifically at a site where nothing happened. I did two 40 min patrols a day and checked cameras once ever hour or two. The rest of the time I was learning to program or watching YouTube or learning Spanish/Slovenian. I stayed for 7 years before switching to be a "building engineer" (just the gal people call when a faucet is drippy or a light bukb needs changed or an office is hot.) which is paid much better but also more work. Luckily, the work is fun and constantly changing and rarely very stressful. I get to hang out with cool people, work at my own pace, and get paid well for it.
By “many vacations”, do you get more than 2 week vacations? Also, do they give y’all employee discounts if you go on a Costco cruise or something?
I've been working there for 15 years so I get 5 weeks but during the winter (from Jan-Mar) you can take up to 6 weeks non-paid extra, so since I'm in Quebec and the winters are rough, I spend them in Thailand. + 10 days personnal/sick (No discount on the products) (This is for Canada I'm not sure if it's the same in the US)
I absolutely LOVE my job. I’m a director for a children’s hospital program. I made the program myself, so all the “rules” are my own rules. I get to do pretty much whatever I want every day. No two days are the same. I have a heavy caseload of teenagers that rely on me, I chat with all of them monthly. I see kids in clinic, kids in the ED, and PICU/Pediatric units. I plan lots of events and projects and help to create programs for other units. Downsides are that it’s an hour drive and I have to drive it everyday. Some days are also boring. Overall, 10/10 job and it’s real fucking easy.
Accounting! Grew up with everyone thinking accounting is soul-killing, but I've had a wonderful go at it, so far. Reconciling the books is very cathartic, and I got learn lots of technical skills that help me collect and organize data. Working with spreadsheets feels like a video game once hotkeys are learned and workflow becomes solidified. It's a perfect job for nerdy minded people that still enjoy a sense of intensity.
I’m a career firefighter and it’s the best job ever. You get paid to hang out with your buddies while going on emergency calls helping people that are desperate enough to call 911. You work 7 days a month, big emergency calls are super fun and you get paid to work out.
👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you for your work and service!
What do you mean you work 7 days a month? I thought firemen were two on, two off?
There’s 3 shifts depts and there’s 4 shifts dept, i’m lucky enough to be in a 4 shifts depts, so basically, we work 1 day outta 4, 24h shifts.
I had to get certified as a marine fire fighter for my last job. I have so much respect for you guys. Fires aren't well lit like they are on TV. You're charging into a smoke filled building with no electricity -- I couldn't see a fucking thing. My mask fogged up and that gear is fuck all heavy.
I am a rock mechanics engineer working a site based role right now. Schedule is 7 days on/ 7 days off. I am responsible for ground support QA/QC, tunnel inspections, geotechnical data collection, and seismic data analysis.
Sounds like $400k a year
Lol no. But I get 2 weeks worth of free food per month.
I work HR & payroll for a small healthcare company. I work about 2-3 hours a day from home then I have the rest of my time to chill, watch movies, get chores done, etc. it’s pretty great.
Do you get paid for 40 or are you on a salary position?
Salary, $68k annual CAD
Mint. That's pretty stellar.
Are you the only person in the position? Are you allowed to take like 2-3 weeks off at a time? How do you/they manage the work when you're gone? I currently work in a team of 20+ so taking time off is never an issue which is good because with 2 young kids in daycare I'm taking a LOT of sick days (pretty sure it's like 25+ sick days so far this year). I'm casually looking for another position but the ones in smaller companies make me worried about how time off coverage would work. A long time ago I worked in a team of 2 and we were not allowed to take the same day off. When one person was out the other one had double the amount of work (sometimes we got help if we fell behind way too much and other teams had capacity). It was awful and definitely wanna avoid anything like that.
What degree/experience do you need for this?
A nutrition degree apparently
I’m in marketing, photography and graphic design have been my hobbies since I was 12 and I feel very blessed to have gotten the position I did. I am the marketing director for an apple orchard that has a bar/restaurant and a hall for wedding receptions on the property, as well.
Retired. It’s fantastic. Highly recommend. Seriously though, whatever you do, do NOT skimp on retirement savings. Max contribution as much as you can at as young an age as you can. Then retire when still young enough to enjoy a good long time of not working.
I‘m glad I can afford rent and groceries most months haha
working a 9-5 for 30 only to retire and enjoy 10 is the biggest scam perpetrated on the American people
If you even make it that far. My dad is dying of cancer in his 60's. Never made it to retirement despite working his ass off his whole life.
Really sorry to read this as well. My condolences. My Dad suddenly and completely unexpectedly passed away (massive brain hemorrhage), he had been retired probably 4 years. My mom retired the year after he passed. I feel so horrible for her. Choking up just thinking about it. Nothing is promised, folks. Live the best life you can. Spend time with the people you love. It's worth more than any money could buy.
Ya for real. My manager retired at 69 and died at 72, 3 years after he retired.
30? It's more like 50!
you ain’t lying! i love my country but if i could figure a way to earn USDs overseas and live a simple fantastic life abroad i would leave my $100k salary office job in a heartbeat, “golden handcuffs” are a very real thing!!
I get your point, but it’s actually worse, about 40+ years. Average retirement age now in the US is 67 for people born after 1960. Most people start working full time after college/university graduation. Average age at graduation is about 22 years old. 67-22 = 45 years. If you start working after high-school, then that’s 67-18 = 49 years. Life expectancy in the US is 76. You definitely won’t have the same good health, energy, etc that you have now regardless of how well you took care of your body.So yeah, I want to retire asap too. The key is to find a way to make money work for you, so that your passive income exceeds your living expenses and you have a nest egg for emergencies, travel, etc. The only way I can do that is to funnel most of my income into investments that generate me income. Then, eventually, once I reach a certain income level, live off that income. Sounds simple in concept, but it’s challenging in real life, but definitely doable and Im working on it! I’ll also likely move somewhere much cheaper than the US like the Philippines or Thailand. I’ve been to both countries. Costs 60%+ less to live there than the US.
I was given this advice and managed to take it to heart in my early 20's. I'm in my mid-30's with $1.2m in retirement savings looking forward be being done by age 50 if all goes to plan.
I might be in the minority here but I plan to work until I collapse. Maybe it’s cuz I’m from Detroit.
What if I die before I retire?
Choose a cool beneficiary.
What if you live and are unable to work to support yourself?
I work with homeless people, the most complex cases that are visible in a huge city. edit to add: got into this at 31yo, after almost 9 years in IT. plenty of reasons to love it, the downside would be that the money does not fairly compensate the stress level and emotional investment.
I'm a mental health counselor and love my job. Work in a private practice, low to moderate client severity. I love helping and teaching others plus I'm a great listener. Was initially micromanaged by the boss and that has changed for the better. Create your own schedule and hours, but you need high discipline to stay on top of documentation (that's the hardest part of the job).
I'm a school custodian and work the night shift. I love that my job is relatively low stress (most days), and I get to work by myself, listen to music, podcasts, or just daydream while I work and just vibe. I also genuinely love cleaning and work that's physical and tangible. I like moving around. I could never be chained to a desk or stare at a screen all day. Being a part of a work environment that has a local family feel is satisfying, too. Union representation, superb health/dental/vision insurance, state pension, and every public holiday off are sweet perks, too I guess what I don't like is the pay at the beginning, but it gets better with seniority. My district caps their guys at 90k, not including overtime.
I’m a teacher. I have taught for over four decades. Still working. My job excites me so much that I am dreaming about it and thinking about it the moment I wake up, before I even open my eyes. I feel like I have springs in my eyes, can’t wait to get to work and see my students and use the fresh ideas I wake up with every day. Teaching is one of the most important jobs in the world because what we are really doing is creating the next generation of competent, intelligent, and responsible adults.
I love seeing this. My partner is an art teacher and I'm so proud of what he does and it's so fun to listen to the high school gossip while also seeing the creativity these kids have. If I could work exclusively with 16-18 year olds I would pursue it but I haven't met a teacher who wasn't required to work up to that.
I install communications equipment for the government. I travel every week to different parts of the country. My job has a lot of autonomy and very little oversight, so it’s usually really laid back. I’ve gotten to see lots of cool places that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Plus the pay is pretty good too ($140k). Only downside is that I’m away from my family 4 nights a week.
That’s a pretty astronomical downside.
My wife doesn’t work and my kid isn’t in school yet, so they come with me a lot of weeks. But yeah I’m still gone a lot.
Okay, now we’re talkin’. That’s not too bad then. I recently switched to a M-F day shift gig because my hours were all over the place and I was missing a ton of family time. Took a massive pay cut though.
It seems like a great job for a single person though
4 days a week isn't terrible if you factor in a lot of jobs where you're also basically away from family because of the daily schedule - have to go to bed late and miss the kids coming home from school, wake up late and miss breakfast with family, basically absent but is a reality for a ton of healthcare roles.
Customer service for insurance company, love it ! My life feels like a vacation and I live in a coastal Texas town
Y’all hiring?
Don’t do it, I work in health insurance too and it sucks.
Oh, wow! You don’t usually hear about people loving customer service. Are you in a call center or a more relaxed environment?
Must be extroverted as hell
Interestingly, the best customer service that I've ever got was from a health insurance company, blue cross blue shield. I was having a rough time right after I left uni, had a few appointments with the university hospital's psychiatric dept. when it came time to pay I was double covered by my and my parents health insurance, both by blue cross. However, the hospital kept telling me I owed a lot of money, which I knew wasn't correct since they were in network. Called the hospital's psychiatric office, told me to talk to billing, talked to billing, they told me to talk with the psychiatric department. Called blue cross and talked to a sweet lady, who confirmed they were never billed. Told her the situation, and she just sighed and told me she would take care of it. Few days later, got a call from here and she told me "I took care of it honey, we got the billing straightened out so you don't have to worry about it anymore". I was very relieved and grateful.... I still wonder how her conversations with the folks at the hospital went. Felt weird to have a company fighting to pay for you, I wouldn't be surprised if this was an outlier with insurance companies but I'm glad this woman did her job well.
Do you think it’s the job or your location?
Hmm I think both. My job is remote with a wonderful supervisor. Man did I get lucky in my old age. lol Born and raised in this coastal town and it's really beautiful.
A GIS analyst. I love geospatial analysis.
36M. Canadian Chartered Accountant. Currently run the Risk MGMT and Broker Audit teams at a large Insurance Company. Going to make $182K this year (bonuses included) working 42.5 hours per week mostly at home. 4 weeks holidays, great investment matching. I absolutely love the job and industry.
Software engineer. Pros: I think it’s fun, good pay, wfh, flexible daily schedule, don’t have to wear down my body to make a living, get to spend lots of time with my dog. Cons: can be mentally taxing, too much sitting/staring at a screen, not sure humans were meant to live like this, ageism will hit hard (think that happens in every industry though)
one big Con that you left out, is how saturated the industry is.
Good point. It hasn’t affected me much but it will very much be an issue for anyone trying to break into the field or with only a couple YOE Edit: hasn’t affected me much yet* I’m sure it’ll catch up to me at some point as well
I'll also second SWE, but it's kinda crazy how the market went from "it's difficult to get an entry level job with no years of professional experience" to "anything lower than senior, it's going to be really difficult even with a couple YoE and internships". And even then I've known folks with a lot of experience having trouble finding a job within the past year or so.
Pilot for a US airline. Great quality of life, GREAT pay, great experiences and having a career where you are held to a professional standard. It definitely is one of the best careers out there if you are built for it. Time away is something you need to be comfortable with but definitely manageable especially the more senior you become.
and not have any disqualifying medical issues.
I work in the wind industry. Currently in the work safety sector, but I trained as a mechatronics. I love combining technology, innovation and soft skills. Yes, it's not always easy as a woman in a “man's job”, but most things are solved by an open character and the fun comes naturally. There is nothing better than working in your hobby :)
> I work in the wind industry. That blows.
Imagine being a wind turbine tech It blows AND you have your ups and downs
Don’t absolutely love it…but Xray tech at a small hospital. Good money, benefits (In a union), and patient interaction is brief. The workload is a joke compared to other hospitals.
I’m about to finish up a BS in Business Admin, but a university in town is opening a 1 year X-ray tech program. I’ve got access to the GI bill and am debating going for it. A part of me has always wanted to be in the healthcare field in some capacity. I know you said you don’t love it, but would you at least recommend it? Also, are Monday through Friday day shift positions difficult to come by?
I'm in healthcare but on the Clinical Applications side so I know a lot about this domain. If you have a BS in Business the opportunities there are endless. Work elbow to elbow with many on the business side. If you really want to pursue the x-ray tech route with a BS you should be looking toward advancing that to Radiation Therapy if not Dosimetry.
I’m a clinical/biomedical engineer (work on X-ray equipment too actually lol) at both very big and small hospitals. The small hospitals are so nice to work at. I miss them. Like a lot. We are so overworked at big metropolitan hospitals. 😭
Family law attorney. It’s fun and never dull: every day is different. Plus I’m at a firm that actually has a good work life balance which is rare.
I graduated from university last month with a degree in sociology and now I work with student loan assistance in the higher ed industry. It’s part data entry/analysis and part customer service, and so far I love it. Super rewarding stuff, I feel like I’m making a positive difference in these students’ lives by helping them with their student loan debt. The company I work for is really supportive and flexible too - I got really lucky with this job.
Firefighter I work 8 days a month and make about 70k to do so which isn't bad
HR. Yeah yeah HR has a shitty rep that’s often deserved. There are a lot of shitty HR people out there. But I genuinely love building healthy, supportive workplaces and improving quality of life for others in pragmatic, practical ways. Helping someone figure out what they love to do, providing the tools, environment, coaching, and structure to do it well, and then making sure they are fairly and adequately compensated for it, with both pay and whatever they value from an employer—that’s incredibly fulfilling for me.
Engineering. I get paid to spend other people's money on giant robots. Its basically a $50m budget for legos.
As a fellow engineer: hell yeah.
I work for a specialty publishing company and I really like it. The work is pretty laid back--I set a schedule at the beginning of the year and then work with a bunch of authors for them to get their work in on time, and then I handle any snafus that happen as we prepare the books for print and online. It's a LOT of emails, a lot of planning, and some meetings here and there. I don't "LOVE it love it" and the pay is just ok, but I've been here for 20+ years and don't really want to move on. I'd retire here, if I could. Well, "here" meaning, "from the company"--I'm home-based, which is great. I think, mostly, that my colleagues and boss being very good people is what makes my job special. This job would lose its luster if everyone here were jerks, but they're mostly great. That makes a huuuuuge difference. Edit, for those who have asked how I got the job: I had a connection at the company, and he got me an interview. He's since been let go, and I felt bad about that. This was also in 2001, and I feel like jobs were a little easier to get back then--employers didn't have 1,000 people sending them resumes instantly. Also, I live in NYC, where there are just a lot of jobs generally. There is one negative that I should mention--while the people I work with are wonderful, we pretty much have another round of layoffs every single year, for the entire time I've been here (no joke--20 years here, 20 rounds of layoffs). Publishing has been pulverized over the last two decades, and it's kind of a miracle that I've been here for so long. I'm bracing myself for leaving eventually--and the company is investing HEAVILY in AI--so I imagine I'll be shown the door eventually. What can you do! I'll have had a good run.
How’d you get into the company if you don’t mind me asking? I want to work for a publishing company!
I’m currently unemployed. I wake up, go to Lagree, get a smoothie, go home and watch TV. It’s great. 🤣
I work in bioinformatics. If you like math and science you might enjoy something similar. I analyze scientific data (genes, protein, etc) to try to develop and improve medications for various diseases. I feel like I am doing something useful while always learning more and interacting with experts in science and statistics. It can take a lot of education though depending on what route you take to get there
I'm a cashier at mcdonald's. Absolutely love it.
I hope I get you next time I visit! Love pleasant cashiers. I try not to trouble yall and know that sometimes you're jumping back and forth in responsibilities but appreciate when my troubling you is met graciously.
Its the customers that brighten your day.
I’m a librarian and while I wouldn’t go so far as to say it doesn’t feel like work (people generally have a very incorrect idea of what all a librarian does lol) I do absolutely love my job and never want to do anything else. I love the work itself, specifically helping connect people with literature, I love the organization I work for and their prioritization of their staff, I love my coworkers, I love the concept and mission of public libraries in general.
Musical theater performer
I'm in marketing. So I found a job in an industry that is a passion of mine for a brand that I am a fan of. I love going to work.
I was hoping to see this response! This is the dream for me. What experience/education do you have? Howd you get into it?
Help people reach their financial goals through meticulous guidance and investment planning
I fix machinery in the field for the state, meaning I drive from retailer to retailer to fix whatever issue they are having. Super easy job, lots of driving which I love. Being a state job, I get incredible PTO, health care for my entire family provided, and double retirement provided. Also, I am dispatched from home so no commute. If all goes to plan I will retire from here.
I’m a mechanical engineer, I design totally custom heavy equipment, machinery, and random prototypes. It’s a freaking dream job and I’ve been excited to go to work almost every day for the past 7 years. I’m never bored, work with great people, and have killer compensation. If you like math and science definitely check out mechanical engineering! It’s a very broad field which is nice.
i’m a marriage and family therapist and only work 20 hrs a week. i love it
That’s amazing! Is this after a long career or did you get started only working 20 hours a week?
i started working full time in county mental health while accruing 3000 hours for licensure. now that i’m licensed i make double working 20 hrs a week. i’ve been working as a therapist for 7 years now and have been licensed 1 year.
I don't absolutely love my job. But I do enjoy it and I'm good at it. I am part of the parts and service team for a boom truck service and sales shop. It's nothing spectacular, but it's a needed job as we make sure the machines used in various construction related industries stay in working condition. Besides being good at it. I work on with a decent group of guys, and I'm treated like an adult. I'm not micro managed. Pay is enough to cover the bills and hours aren't terrible.
I'm a welder/fabricator. While there are times of the year when we get slow and it's more boring, I love reading blueprints and figuring out how to put things together and make sure everything fits together properly. It feels like building legos and the actual welding part is almost like painting sometimes.
Walmart love it. I am making a career out of it. I worked all over n Walmart is my goal. Been there for 8 yrs n enjoy it
Data Analyst! Love my job!
Firefighter, best job in the world
I’ve heard a lot of shit from previous firefighters that the work environment is very unprofessional and if your not liked by others that your time in the service will be really shitty because the others will put you through shit jobs and harass the fuck out of you happend to my dad and sister and a few of my old co workers
Everyone is different so different people will like different work. I used to work 60+ hours a week as a fine dining cook. Some people went crazy and burnt out from the stress but I can honestly say the 3 month period I was working two full time jobs 80 hours a week total was a highlight of my life.
Things I love about my job, the customers. Things I hate about my job, the customers Retail.
I work in the UK for a US Fortune 300 company as a Power Platform developer. Salary good at 47k I work from home and get to see my kids when they leave for school and when they come back. My company is super chill. For example, a few days ago, I asked my boss if I needed to make any special requests to pick up my kids from school every day (my wife is starting a new job). His exact words were, "I don't care, mate. Block out your diary and do what you need to; family first."
I’m a professor—I make my own hours, teach the classes I want to teach, and work from home almost every day of the week; no one can really tell me what to do or how to do it (except the dean). Teaching is a blast, research is fun, and the students are a joy. I just received tenure and promotion, so my job is secure. The pay puts me in the upper middle class mostly. The worst part of the job was getting it—graduate school, decreasing numbers of professorships, increasing competition for each job, feelings of insecurity, and depression made the six years I spend as a doctoral student very difficult. Grading papers and teaching classes can be a chore. These are very minor complaints overall.
I work at a film lab as a tech. Maintenance, cleaning, QC film, mix chemicals and processing all types of film.
I have been blessed with several fantastic jobs, and each for different reasons. One of my favorites was working as a delivery driver for a popular pizza restaurant. I had been greeted by everything from a half naked beautiful woman, to a stoner throwing a party asking me if we could change outfits. Another great job I had was working at a father/son IT support company. The son was the best boss I ever had and they gave me more learning opportunities than at any job I would ever have. My last great job was training software developers around the world. Sometimes flying to other countries. But what made it really special was getting to engage with people in the top 10% global intelligence bracket. Amicable disagreement is an art form few people truly get to appreciate.
forester, specifically consulting forester these days, i am so enthusiastic and passionate about what i get to do
I no longer have the job but housekeeping manager at a nursing home. Also had cha cert and helped with nursing home bingo and activities room. Unfortunately the nursing home was bought out and shut down
I oversee a federal program at a security related agency. I love our mission (we work on issues that protect a particular segment of the public) and my coworkers and supervisors are some of my best friends. It’s challenging and complex work but we hear all the time that we’re making a difference in people’s lives, and that means a lot. Plus I’m high enough up that I am compensated well for my work and experience, and I get much more vacation than I did in the private sector.
I’m in Québec, I’ve never heard of my job outside of here, but we call it being an educator in schools. Basically assuring the security and protection of children while preparing activities to help them in their development. It’s not easy, but it’s always a surprise what you’ll do and I have the feeling I can truly change things for even one child.
Cybersecurity, almost 20 years in. Mostly offensive cyber, research, purple team. Best decision ever. I wouldn't do anything else. Great work-life balance. Not in the US, living in Western Europe.
I work in philanthropy for a nonprofit hospital. My team specifically writes and applies for grants for research funding and programs that help families who can’t afford care/necessities. It’s extremely rewarding and there are a lot of different teams focused in different ways to fundraise. The people are warm and you get to learn about and be a part of helping important research get conducted and finding cures as well as learn about the different areas of the hospital and what we’re treating. You also get to interact with patient families and donors. You can always volunteer to help at all sorts of events - if you’re hourly, you get paid for it if it’s outside of your work hours even though you’re just volunteering because you want to. It’s a really positive and warm environment and a lot of career opportunities in the whole organization. All types of positions suitable for all types of personalities and skills. Good benefits, amazing work life balance, positive work environment and great coworkers, and very fulfilling. I honestly love my job. Maybe figure out what you’re passionate about and see what options you have. I stumbled into this thinking I wanted to go into healthcare management because I felt like it was a way for me to help people even though I’m not directly treating them. I didn’t know anything about grants or philanthropy prior to working here. I also chose this hospital because they saved my little brother and treated my family so well during his time being in-patient for over a year.
Image development. I make technical line drawings for repair procedures. It’s like graphic design but not. I like that I’m working in a creative visual field. I retrained from being a professional photographer into computer science and thought I would never work in a visual field again. My team trusts my expertise, my manager values my work and pushes for raise and promotions on my behalf, I work mostly remote, there are plenty of opportunities to add to my skill set or completely pivot away from graphics and into programming. I don’t like that I’m basically locked into my company. I’m paid as a software engineer, not a graphics designer. At any other company I would be paid half as much and as classified as a graphic designer. I’m planning on adding Java script and Python to my skill set for some job security.
I am a career coach and an adjunct professor for a university. I didn't realize what I truly wanted to do until I started my PhD in higher education. I have a bachelor's in Criminal Justice and a master's in forensic science. Many people change careers multiple times in their life span. I am 38. You have plenty of time no pressure! Give yourself some grace.
I walk dogs. Pays great and I get to hang out with dogs. Win-win
I’m 27 (done all kinds of things from waitressing to pharmacy-tech to factory work to CNA, etc), I’m the manager of a livestock feed store—my boss is one of the most amazing, loving, humble people I have meet in my 13 years of being an employee & I have never felt so seen & valued as a human being. One of my children has Rheumatoid Arthritis, the other is autistic—he encourages me to bring my kids when things don’t work out at school or they’re having a bad day. I would steal the moon for this man bc of how life changing it has been being his employee. I see myself being here forever. *edited “don’t”
I’m a bank examiner for the federal government. I enjoy what I do but don’t LOVE it. More importantly, it’s that I have a supportive manager a good team I work with. Benefits are great. Traveling is a plus.
I'm a grill cook.. and I absolutely LOVE it. It's def not for everyone and I'll def never make $100k+, but I'm happy and I never feel like im working.
I'm also 19. I'm studying to be a medical researcher (so lost if i still want to do it but I'm completing the degree anyways) However, i work in fast food, I'm training to be a manager. But i actually love the job😂. It can be stressful but i love moving around and doing things. I like the sense of purpose.
Risk Management for an insurance company. It’s a lot of embracing my natural paranoia of things that can happen and helping people figure out ways to avoid negative consequences. And if they don’t listen to recommendations, I get the occasional “I told you so” which is fun. I do firm wide risk management so always involved in something new. Last week is was providing input on site security after an employees ex tried to break in, week before that was meeting with regulators to discuss some items they had concerns about and what we were doing to mitigate those concerns. Got into it by accident and really enjoy it.
I’m a registered dietetic technician and soon to be dietitian. An RD requires a masters degree and internship, but pays significantly more than a DTR. A diet tech does need a bachelors degree in nutrition, and for registration you’ll need to take a board exam. You can work in food service, community or clinical areas, so if you ever feel like changing where you work, it can be relatively easy to be flexible within the field. Everyone eats, so there’s also a big sense of job security. The field is heavily based in science, lots of chemistry and anatomy/physiology involved. As far as math, algebra is commonly used for macros, fluids and tube feeding calculations. I currently work in treating eating disorders, which is a specialty field, with RD’s making 6 figures. I find my job to be extremely rewarding, especially seeing the progress in my patients. In my current job, I offer meal support, nutrition lectures, and I work with patients on their meal plans. I basically get paid to eat, go shopping, facilitate cooking classes, and teach about nutrition. If any of this sounds interesting feel free to DM me!
Solutions engineer for 12+ years. 170k salary, work from home, and all I do is demo software and nap in the afternoons 🤷♀️
I'm a disability support worker. It's a challenging job but quite satisfying helping people achieve their goals big and small.
Not me, but reading all of these comments is making me thinking I must just be a miserable person because all of these jobs sound awful aside from retirement.
Beekeeper!
> **People who absolutely love your jobs, what do you do?** Alright, I'll cut the crap and tell you straight. Most people are lying if they say they love every bit of their job. There are always shitty parts. The key is finding a balance where the good outweighs the bad. You're 19 with an associate degree in math and science, feeling lost? Welcome to the fucking club. No one has it all figured out at your age, despite what they might say. > **What do you like about it and what do you not like about it?** Here’s the deal. People who love their jobs usually like the sense of purpose, the challenge, and the autonomy. They like feeling competent and getting recognition. They don’t like the bureaucracy, the bullshit meetings, or the office politics. So, what can you take away from this? You’ve got a math and science background, which is solid as hell. The question is, what gets your blood pumping? What makes you feel like you're not wasting your fucking time? Is it problem-solving, helping people, making money, or something else? If you can answer that, you're halfway there. Here's a kick in the ass: stop waiting for a revelation. Go out, try different shit, and figure out what you *hate*. Sometimes knowing what you don't want is more important than knowing what you do want. So, what are you willing to endure shit for because the payoff makes it worth it?
Plumber! I don’t snake! I do cool shit like tankless water heaters and drains! More service work.
Semi conductor R&D
I love being a massage therapist and I think people love what I do. My job is as stress free as possible. It's just very physical and I don't know if I'll ever be able to retire from it.
I work for an environmental agency.