Does (Did) Anyone Have a Job They Love(d)?

[Libertea]

For those in this position, curious as to whether you stumbled into it by serendipity, or whether you knew ahead of time and planned it.  If it was the latter, how did you come to realize that this was the "right" job for you?

Interesting in hearing from fellow travelers like myself who have never loved any of their jobs as well.  I've worked at various jobs in multiple fields over the past couple of decades, and while I have certainly liked some jobs more than others, the thought has occurred to me that I may never have a job that I truly love.  Or maybe I just haven't found the right job yet.  I guess I won't know the answer until I either find a job I love or retire for good and the point becomes moot.  Heh.

[LadyStache in Baja]

Yes, I left everything to be an entrepreneur running a small farm. It was always a labor of love.  After 8 years, we built it up slowly and now it's a real business where I make money and do much less work.  However, now that we've made it, more than ever, I feel like it's just a job.

Here's a quote a friend posted on fb: "'Pilots who learn too much about their craft, Mark Twain writes in Life on the Mississippi, often undergo a regrettable transformation. As they become increasingly skilled at reading the language of the river, they seem to grow correspondingly less able to appreciate its beauty and poetry. Features of the river—a floating log, a slanting mark on the water, a patch of choppy waves—that once aroused feelings of wonder and awe become increasingly appreciated only instrumentally, in terms of the use they have for piloting'. . . .from The Great Equations by Robert P. Crease"

So I felt really great when I read that quote.  That describes perfectly this feeling of ....  I have the perfect job, but it's still a job.  So from the outside, what seemed like a job of poetry and beauty--farming--becomes just another job once we became skilled at reading the lay of the land.

[Simpli-Fi]

I've had a couple jobs I loved, sadly that is not the case now...however I've never lived to work.  I work hard to play hard.  I think once I am FI and can RE, that is when I'll truly love my job because it will be doing exactly whatever the f*ck I want to do, lol!

I do like the soul of my job, however there is too much corporate BS to wade through to really wake up in the morning and get excited about the horrible commute I'm about to embark on to go deal with it again.  As some other posted has mentioned...it not too much BS to turn the fire hose of cash off they are spraying at me.

[Sailor Sam]

For those in this position, curious as to whether you stumbled into it by serendipity, or whether you knew ahead of time and planned it.  If it was the latter, how did you come to realize that this was the "right" job for you?

Interesting in hearing from fellow travelers like myself who have never loved any of their jobs as well.  I've worked at various jobs in multiple fields over the past couple of decades, and while I have certainly liked some jobs more than others, the thought has occurred to me that I may never have a job that I truly love.  Or maybe I just haven't found the right job yet.  I guess I won't know the answer until I either find a job I love or retire for good and the point becomes moot.  Heh.

I enjoy my job, and get a lot of personal satisfaction from it. It provides me with friends, community, multi-million dollar infrastructure at my fingertips, and has made me a hero a couple times. I originally chose my profession because I love ships, but the responsibility aspects of the job have also been very good for me.

On the macro level, my job is perfect. On the micro level, sure, I've had some spectacularly shitty days at work. Then again, my personal time has never been 100% unicorns, either. I think that's too much to ask from anything in life.

[Metric Mouse]

Loved my job. FIRE is great, though. Just because you love something doesn't mean you won't ever do anything different.  I love motorcycle riding, for example; I don't plan to do it 8 hours every day for the rest of my life.

[davisgang90]

Similar to SailorSam, I've enjoyed my Navy career.  Certainly not every minute, deployments are tough, but getting paid to fly helicopters for most of my career was pretty cool.  I'm enjoying teaching for my last tour as well.

Overall, a very enjoyable job.

[KickingRocks]

I love my actual job, but despise all the red tape and regulations that grow exponentially every year.  At any given time I've got hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment and products at my finger tips along with billions in dollars of liability for the my employer, but then they want to treat everyone like a third grader that has to ask to use the bathroom.  We are forced to watch videos how to close a door and are reminded to always push in your chair when you get up to leave. 

[marty998]

I love my actual job, but despise all the red tape and regulations that grow exponentially every year.

That describes me too. There are periods of long hours, but also periods of achievement. One thing that doesn't end is red tape.

Can't fart without it being recorded as a Risk event.

[oldtoyota]

I had jobs I loved, but I never wanted to do them 40 hours a week + commuting time.

I am much happier now as my own boss because my business is nimble and I get to create most of the day.

[NV Teacher]

We are forced to watch videos how to close a door and are reminded to always push in your chair when you get up to leave.

I feel your pain.  Every year we have to watch about eight hours of required videos that cover a range of topics such as how kids are to enter and exit the bus, how to turn on/off the school alarm, blood born pathogens, no sex with students, and my personal favorite, the one that tells me that I can't squirt sleeping students in the face with a water bottle.  Here's the other kicker, there's no time to do it during the work day so those eight hours are on my own time.  And yet I love my job and can't wait for Monday to start year 27.

[KickingRocks]

We are forced to watch videos how to close a door and are reminded to always push in your chair when you get up to leave.

I feel your pain.  Every year we have to watch about eight hours of required videos that cover a range of topics such as how kids are to enter and exit the bus, how to turn on/off the school alarm, blood born pathogens, no sex with students, and my personal favorite, the one that tells me that I can't squirt sleeping students in the face with a water bottle.  Here's the other kicker, there's no time to do it during the work day so those eight hours are on my own time.  And yet I love my job and can't wait for Monday to start year 27.

GOOD LUCK!  You're almost to that pension!

[Libertea]

I love my actual job, but despise all the red tape and regulations that grow exponentially every year.  At any given time I've got hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment and products at my finger tips along with billions in dollars of liability for the my employer, but then they want to treat everyone like a third grader that has to ask to use the bathroom.  We are forced to watch videos how to close a door and are reminded to always push in your chair when you get up to leave. 

I have come to realize that I don't really like my current job even without all the red tape and other bureaucratic BS.  It's not really a people issue either.  I just don't like the general work environment for this job in general, and I don't think that's going to change, which is why I'm going to be changing careers.  In fact, I am counting down the days until I officially resign (unofficially, I have already let my boss know that I'll be leaving in the spring).  I guess it's good that I'm taking steps to get out of this job and into doing something else even though I'm kind of gritting my teeth to push myself to get through the next seven months (mainly for financial reasons).  But I was just laughing to myself about how hope constantly springs eternal with me when it comes to jobs (meaning that I've always wanted to have a job that I "loved.")  Even after two decades of this, there is still a part of me thinking well, hey, maybe this time really will be different. :-D

I was also thinking about the jobs I've had that I've liked, and I realized several things.  First, I like having flexibility to set my own schedule.  While my current job isn't 9-5, there is still enough scheduling foolery that goes on to make that a source of misery.  Second, I don't like managing other people any more than I like other people managing me.  I didn't realize this fact initially when I started working, because I obviously started out as a managee, not as a manager.  But as I've moved into more of a leadership role over time, I find myself resisting it.  I never really thought of myself as a misanthrope until I reached the point of having to deal with other people at work so much.  Third, making more money does not entirely compensate for either of the other two issues.  Not that I expected it would.  But I'm struggling mightily at the moment in large part because money is currently my biggest motivation for going in to work every day, and it's not a very effective motivator even though achieving FI is such an important goal to me.

[former player]

I loved my job, which suited my abilities and gave me opportunities to do good and interesting work.  I was more successful at it, by outside measures, than anything else.  The Mark Twain quote is a good one - for most of my career I managed to move on to learning new things every 3 or 4 years, but in the end the same things started to come around again.  Also, the bureaucracy around the main functions was increasing to silly levels.  I left at a good time.

[AK]

My last job was good because it was fulfilling, flexible, good pay, and had a great culture. Was there for years but then things became complacent and unchallenging so I started my own business 2 weeks ago and love it so far. Working from home on my own schedule is amazing, especially when I get to spend more time with my wife and baby girl.

That quote sums up my experiences with my career. After a while I get bored, for various reasons, and move on to something else.

[market timer]

I enjoy learning new things, and think every job becomes boring after a while. I've had the good fortune to enjoy most of my working career in several fields. The one exception was when I was earning too much money in finance to leave and try something different, which is when I started thinking about FIRE. Found another career after reaching FI that is the best I've had.

Most of my job transitions look like the following: pick a subject that sounds interesting, start to learn more on my own, find a mentor to teach me, get hired either by that mentor or referred to someone else. Only once have I intentionally sought a high-paying job.

[startingsmall]

Here's a quote a friend posted on fb: "'Pilots who learn too much about their craft, Mark Twain writes in Life on the Mississippi, often undergo a regrettable transformation. As they become increasingly skilled at reading the language of the river, they seem to grow correspondingly less able to appreciate its beauty and poetry. Features of the river—a floating log, a slanting mark on the water, a patch of choppy waves—that once aroused feelings of wonder and awe become increasingly appreciated only instrumentally, in terms of the use they have for piloting'. . . .from The Great Equations by Robert P. Crease"

Wow. Love that quote. Veterinary medicine was interesting in the beginning, but became very boring after about 3-5 years... and I suspect that any career would be that way. This quote sums it up perfectly.

Favorite job ever? Teaching GRE prep courses for the Princeton Review. Loved the flexible schedule, the fact that each group of students challenged me with new questions that actually required me to think and use my brain, the laid-back atmosphere, being able to work in jeans and sneakers, developing relationships with my students (all of whom actually WANTED to be there and learn), and knowing that  I was making a big impact in the future course of these folks' lives. LOVED IT.

I loved that job SO much. My current schedule is too inconsistent for me to make a commitment like that right now, but I definitely plan on returning to some sort of teaching (either test prep, community college, or something similar) in the future. Would I want to do it full-time? I don't know... I worked for the Princeton Review for 4.5 years, working 5-15 hrs/wk, so maybe that limited schedule is what made it so enjoyable.

A close runner-up is the freelance medical writing work that I've been doing for the last year. It's almost like school.... I learn new things and then write about them. As someone who can imagine nothing better than being a professional student, the fact that I get paid to research and write is pretty sweet. I love the fact that I can work at home, on my own schedule. After ten years of working in a veterinary clinic (an environment where your hours are set for you with little flexibility, you're often too busy to even do something simple like go pee, and you're subject to rules like "no cell phone use on the clock"), the sense of freedom that comes with working 100% independently at home, on my own schedule, is mind-blowing. When I have a day off from my soul-sucking corporate veterinary job and spend 8-10 hrs writing, it still feels like a day off because I can do things like call to schedule a doctor's appointment, meet my husband for lunch, etc. It doesn't feel like work. That said, my goal is to either A) find a FT work-from-home medical writing job (though I've never had a FT remote job before.... will I still have the sense of freedom??) or B) get enough steady freelance work and savings that I can drop to just 1-2 days/wk at the soul-sucking vet job. We'll see which happens first!!

[Mtngrl]

I very early in my career figured out that I didn't have the personality to work for a big corporation so I focused all my efforts on getting to where I could support myself doing what I really wanted to do -- writing. I started out freelancing for newspapers and magazines and transitioned to online work. Now I write fiction full time. I love it and am thankful every day that I get to do this.

DH loved the work he did -- commercial HVAC -- but not always the company he worked for, so he struck out on his own about 10 years ago. Was wildly successful and FIREd two years ago. He tells me he loved it right up to the end, but was happy to retire. He keeps his hand in with occasional consulting.

Work consumes so many hours of the day and so much of our lives that I can't see staying where you are miserable if it is possible to take another path.

[arebelspy]

For those in this position, curious as to whether you stumbled into it by serendipity, or whether you knew ahead of time and planned it.

I was a teacher, and loved it.  I miss it, and may go back someday (there's just other stuff I want to do for now).

I stumbled on it, signed up for Teach For America out of college, an AmeriCorps program to place high performing college students in low-income classrooms with the hope of 1) Closing the achievement gap, 2) Getting those people, even after they stop teaching (it's a two year commitment, and many don't stay), to be lifelong advocates for education and the disadvantaged (whether they become a doctor, lawyer, politician, etc.).

I was planning on just doing the two years, then moving on to other things (law school or business school, most likely).  Many who knew me were disappointed when I decided to stay and "just" be a teacher ("wasting potential" in their eyes).  But I loved it.

how did you come to realize that this was the "right" job for you?

One day pretty early on I was sick.  I called into the system for a sub, and then went by my school early to write sub plans for the day and prepare the materials they'd need.  Once I got there, I started getting excited for the day's lessons, and went "I'm not THAT sick... I can stay" because I just wanted to be there.  I had a paid professional coming in to take over for the day, plenty of sick days, and was actually sick, yet I wanted to be at my job.

I, of course, forced myself to go home so I wouldn't get anyone else sick, but that was when I knew I should keep teaching.

[pachnik]

how did you come to realize that this was the "right" job for you?

One day pretty early on I was sick.  I called into the system for a sub, and then went by my school early to write sub plans for the day and prepare the materials they'd need.  Once I got there, I started getting excited for the day's lessons, and went "I'm not THAT sick... I can stay" because I just wanted to be there.  I had a paid professional coming in to take over for the day, plenty of sick days, and was actually sick, yet I wanted to be at my job.

I, of course, forced myself to go home so I wouldn't get anyone else sick, but that was when I knew I should keep teaching.

I love this!  That's so great. 

I can't say that I love my job, but I do like it a lot.  Interesting work, just enough new stuff to keep it so and very kind bosses.  My co-worker is great too.  I just got lucky at this place. 

It is a small office and I do a bit of everything:  open the office, water the garden outside the building, be a barrista as needed, some basic bookkeeping, various types of legal work: foreclosure, litigation, corporate and some wills and estates. 

I am happy working there.  It is also a low-stress environment which is good for me.

[Abe]

I'm training to be a surgeon, and like the job a lot. I know that because I haven't quit despite the grueling training. Based on comments here, we deal with a lot less beauracratic nonsense than most people. If any occurs, it's usually the insurance companies trying to BS their way out of paying for something they agreed to pay for in their contract with the patient. That's not my job to deal with, thankfully. This career path was carefully planned.

[VladTheImpaler]

I have a sales/marketing job where I don't have to be stuck in the office all day.
I work from home and drive around visiting my accounts.
I love the freedom!
I was hit especially hard in the 2008 recession, so I'm especially mindful of how great it is.
I take nothing for granted.

[Classical_Liberal]

The Mark Twain quote is amazing and describes me very well.  I have had three very different careers already and I truly enjoyed each of them... In the beginning.  Maybe the general 80/20 rule comes into play. Initially I absorb new skills and knowledge quickly, then once I'm competent and new learning is slowed, I focus more on the negatives I didn't notice prior.

Someone made a comment about money.  I've found that even large pay increases are not motivating for the long.  Usually it takes about 6mos to a year until that just doesn't matter anymore.

One thing that I believe is very true. A job that brings even low to average satisfaction can be much more enjoyable if the people I have regular interaction with are enjoyable. On the flip side, a job that is rather enjoyable at its core can suck if the people are asses to deal with.

[littlelykke]

Too soon for me to say that I love my job. But it's definitely growing on me!

I started my study to become a teacher, just because of the job possibilities it offered (with a Art History Major there is just... almost nothing you can work in). So I started studying to become a teacher. Just for financial reasons. Never particularly loved kids, wanted to 'do something with youth/education/kids' like many want to when they start their teaching studies.
But at my first internship, I was already hooked. These kids (I teach high school) are so funny. I particularly love the conversations with them outside the regular lessons. They want to be so grown up all the time, yet they are so insecure and looking for role models. So they are (sometimes) really interested in your opinion on things. For example I had a fantastic conversation with them on American elections (mostly Trump) (I live and teach at a highschool in the Netherlands, by the way). It was really fun to see the differences. Some kids knew a lot about it, others hardly anything. I heard a lot of great opinions and theories that they. And some kids surprised me so much, by what they said (because until then, they weren't that enthusiastic). However every single kid was listening and participating in the discussion, when we talked about him. Even though it doesn't have anything to do with the subject I teach.

At those times. I love my job. But as a teacher who has just started, my job is also quite hard at times. When a class is being very difficult and you just can't come through. On the other hand, the fact that not a single day is the same, is also what I really like about it. I never know what they are gonna say, what occupies them at that very moment, etc.
Luckily I still learn a lot everyday, and I'm confident that my struggles at this moment, will eventually disappear or become much less present. I hope that I then, unconditionally love my job. I already think I made a great choice, by choosing for this career. Something I didn't think 3-4 years ago.

[pudding]

I like what I do, not 100% of the time but I'd say more than 80% of the time.

I have a renovation/handyman business and it's just me, no employees.  I earn good money, I love working with my hands and working with tools.

I can leave to go on holiday almost whenever I want and stay away as long as I want, also I can work as much as I want to most the time.

Doesn't always quite work out like that as it can be demanding and sometimes exhausting, but generally speaking it works well with the kind of person I am. I'd go nuts in a 9 to 5 job.

[KickingRocks]

I think if I ever got fired or had to change fields I'd get into sales.  I know call me crazy, but I've always been able to match people with a product and have a way of convincing them they need it lol. No joke I have a couple buddies who own business' and for fun they will bring me out to low margin jobs to up sale people.  Just the other day I went to lunch with my buddy then we went by one of his customers house he was doing work on.  In a matter of 10 minutes I doubled his work and put over $1,500 of profit in his pocket.

Two years ago on a whim I started selling insurance.  I was so successful at it, it scared the living day lights out of me.  I made over 10k in commission in 2 months putting in zero effort.  I quit doing it because I didn't want to chose between that and my current job.  My current gig is safe ie: awesome health insurance, vacation, pension, retirement, great pay and the other I'd be out in the cold all by self.  I know I'd succeed at it, but with a wife that doesn't work and two young babies it's hard to throw caution to the wind sometimes.

[waltworks]

I build custom bikes, which is awesome, but pretty boring to talk about unless you're a bike dork.

But I was having a conversation with my wife yesterday as we rode home from the grocery store, and she was talking about the longest/crappiest commutes (which really weren't that bad) she had to do when working as a high school student in Houston, and we realized that, even setting aside the last 15 years of walking out to the garage to go to work, *I have never had a job where I had to go more than a couple of miles*. I've driven a car to go to a job many times, but only for some weird reason (serious injury, transporting some huge object for a coworker, heading out directly after work on Friday to go on a road trip, etc).

Makes me feel pretty damn lucky. Nice way to cheer yourself up: calculate out how much of your life you *didn't* spend sitting in a car to go to work...

Oh, and for the OP: I basically stumbled into what I do now, but there was plenty of blood/sweat/tears once I realized what I wanted to do and had to figure out how to actually pull it off.

-W

[SoccerLounge]

I love my job, and this is how I got it:

1. Go to college for what I thought I wanted (while knowing there was a reasonable chance it wouldn't actually turn out to be optimal). Made sure that what I did at college was in the ballpark of what I liked, but was general enough to give me some flexibility.

2. Got first job out of college.

3. Noted what I liked and disliked over a couple years.

4. Based on data from step 3, got next job.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until I could honestly say I loved / very much liked / etc. my job.

Of course, there are some catches here. You have to understand how your job preferences might translate into other jobs out there that more closely match them, which requires a pretty broad study of the job marketplace, often outside whatever your current (sub)field is. And you have to be prepared to apply for, and take, new jobs every so many years until you get to the Good One. Finally, only so many iterations of this cycle are possible, lest one becomes a resume-killing job hopper. (For me, fortunately, it only took two or three.)

The rewards are pretty great, though: I'm excited for work every work day and, after a few years in the same industry and roughly similar position, like my job so much that I'd be very hesitant to accept the next promotion without some pretty strong quality-of-life guarantees.

[RedmondStash]

I enjoy my job very much. There are things I love about it, though not everything.

The work is satisfying and stimulating, the people are great, I feel valued and appreciated, and I'm exempt from the deadline pressures that plague the rest of the company because my position is new and doesn't relate directly to shipping a product. I'm quite autonomous, which really suits me; I hate being micromanaged, and I like the freedom to plan and execute on my priorities at my own pace and in my own way.

I switched careers a few years ago, and it took me several tries to find a gig that I felt this good about; some of the others sucked beyond belief. But this one is good enough that if I can manage to squeeze in everything else I want to do around it, I might keep it even after I'm FI. We'll see.

To answer your question, I came by this job partly through planning (the career switch) and partly through blind luck. The biggest piece for me was finding a manager who was a good fit. You can never tell in an interview, when everyone is on their best behavior, but I ended up in a great group with a manager who really looks out for his people.

[aetherie]

I love my job, and this is how I got it:

1. Go to college for what I thought I wanted (while knowing there was a reasonable chance it wouldn't actually turn out to be optimal). Made sure that what I did at college was in the ballpark of what I liked, but was general enough to give me some flexibility.

2. Got first job out of college.

3. Noted what I liked and disliked over a couple years.

4. Based on data from step 3, got next job.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until I could honestly say I loved / very much liked / etc. my job.

Of course, there are some catches here. You have to understand how your job preferences might translate into other jobs out there that more closely match them, which requires a pretty broad study of the job marketplace, often outside whatever your current (sub)field is. And you have to be prepared to apply for, and take, new jobs every so many years until you get to the Good One. Finally, only so many iterations of this cycle are possible, lest one becomes a resume-killing job hopper. (For me, fortunately, it only took two or three.)

The rewards are pretty great, though: I'm excited for work every work day and, after a few years in the same industry and roughly similar position, like my job so much that I'd be very hesitant to accept the next promotion without some pretty strong quality-of-life guarantees.

Awesome write-up. Thanks for sharing your approach - it makes so much sense, but I've never seen it spelled out like this before. (I suppose I'm on step 3.)

As for the OP's question, I had a part-time job in high school that I loved and would go back to in a heartbeat if it paid more than $9/hr: I worked in a fancy chocolate shop. It was so much fun.

[10dollarsatatime]

For the most part, I absolutely love my job.  It has a couple of issues... one being a coworker, and the other is dealing with city politics.

However... I'm a Technical Director for a rental theater venue.  I still sit behind my console some days and can't believe that I get paid to do this crap.  I usually run shows as the lighting designer/show caller.  I love doing it enough that I'll freelance doing the same thing when I'm able.  The freelance bit has taken me all over the country.

I don't think I'd ever be able to handle a regular 9-5 job.  The closest I've ever come was a 6 week stint at a BigLots, which I basically just used to furnish a new apartment cheap.  (There employee discounts were awesome, as I remember.) 

As it is, my schedule is different every week.  I rarely have to work with the same client more than one week at a time, and usually it's just one or two days.  I went in for a theater degree in college and always thought that it was the best since you're on to a new production every two or three months.  Now I'm not sure I could last that long.  I have production ADD.

It's certainly not for everybody.  The stress can be monumental if you don't know how to handle it.  I've watched more than one person burn out doing stuff like this.  However, I love the challenge.  And I love getting in a show complicated enough to give me butterflies.  Those are the fun ones.

I tell people that most of what's happened with my career has been an accident.  My industry is all about who you know.  I went to college because my high school theater teacher told the department chair that I was a stage manager.  He gave me a scholarship, and then I was one.  I worked at a professional theater for a year because a teacher pushed me to apply.  I worked at another theater because I knew a guy.  I moved to my current theater because I knew a guy.  I worked at the corporate tech place because I knew a guy. (I even argued with him about all the reasons he shouldn't hire me.)  I went on this tour or that because I knew a guy.  I think the only job I ever had to seriously apply for was the professional theater.  The other applications were just formalities. :)

As far as being the right job... even when it was at its lowest (details can be found in my journal somewhere) and I was applying for a couple of other positions and considering freelancing, I was still happy to go to work every day.  I still wanted to do my thing, and work with my clients.  I was not all that disappointed when I didn't get hired elsewhere.  And even now, when I have written proof that I'm not being paid the same as my male coworker while doing the same, if not more work, I'm still not seriously considering leaving.  Though I'll admit to making a point of letting those in charge know that I can leave whenever I want and be just fine (between freelancing and my Amazon thing).

[SaskyStache]

Love might be a bit strong, but I've had some jobs that have been very good to me.

The best one was an outdoor maintenance job (mostly mowing lawns and trimming...) I had for a couple of summers. The main reason it was so great was that the immediate crew I worked with were amazing, and our bosses and other coworkers were pretty great as well (everyone got along). We had a set of sites that we had to look after and visit each week, but they gave us complete autonomy on how we went about this. If all the work was getting done and there were no complaints they really left us to our own devices and didn't care if we took extended breaks/lunches.

I also worked during fall/winter as a cleaner for them during university. Not quite as good since I mostly cleaned by my lonesome and was working inside, but they let me choose my own hours and left me to my own devices. I also could borrow equipment like carpet shampooers if I wanted, which I did use a few times. Just a good company.

Great thread. Interesting to hear about the jobs people love and their past experiences. Also I think it was kind of good for me reflect back on my past jobs, as my current one has been a little bit up and down.

[SoccerLounge]

I love my job, and this is how I got it:

1. Go to college for what I thought I wanted (while knowing there was a reasonable chance it wouldn't actually turn out to be optimal). Made sure that what I did at college was in the ballpark of what I liked, but was general enough to give me some flexibility.

2. Got first job out of college.

3. Noted what I liked and disliked over a couple years.

4. Based on data from step 3, got next job.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until I could honestly say I loved / very much liked / etc. my job.

Of course, there are some catches here. You have to understand how your job preferences might translate into other jobs out there that more closely match them, which requires a pretty broad study of the job marketplace, often outside whatever your current (sub)field is. And you have to be prepared to apply for, and take, new jobs every so many years until you get to the Good One. Finally, only so many iterations of this cycle are possible, lest one becomes a resume-killing job hopper. (For me, fortunately, it only took two or three.)

The rewards are pretty great, though: I'm excited for work every work day and, after a few years in the same industry and roughly similar position, like my job so much that I'd be very hesitant to accept the next promotion without some pretty strong quality-of-life guarantees.

Oh, and a clarification: 'the next job' doesn't always have to be external. Sometimes, it might either be the next promotion up the ladder, or a lateral transfer. But having an open mind about switching at least employers, if not locations, is pretty important. The more external constraints that are added, the less likely finding a job-you-really-like becomes. Happy career juggling!

[Northwestie]

We are forced to watch videos how to close a door and are reminded to always push in your chair when you get up to leave.

I feel your pain.  Every year we have to watch about eight hours of required videos that cover a range of topics such as how kids are to enter and exit the bus, how to turn on/off the school alarm, blood born pathogens, no sex with students, and my personal favorite, the one that tells me that I can't squirt sleeping students in the face with a water bottle.  Here's the other kicker, there's no time to do it during the work day so those eight hours are on my own time.  And yet I love my job and can't wait for Monday to start year 27.

GOOD LUCK!  You're almost to that pension!

Tip of the hat to you - 27 yrs.   My partner is a teacher - second career following field science.  She says when she switched jobs to teaching her hours doubled and her pay was cut in half.  But she absolutely loves teaching Science - it's exhausting and all-consuming.  Seems very hard for those just starting.  She'll ratchet back in a couple years, making it to 20 yrs in this second career.

Me - I've always loved my job as an ecologist.  Started out in pure field positions not making much money but building the resume and now I lead a group of 12.  I don't get out in the field as much as I used to -- the younger folks are cheaper - but I still manage field work.  Have worked in AK, MT, WA, ID, OR, CA with a 6 yr stint back east.  Landscape-scale restoration, dam removal projects, helicopter drop-offs in the wilderness, shrub-steppe bird surveys, elk surveys, reptile and amphibian surveys, float-plane access, camping for two weeks, on a fishing boat for 3 months,  work in the western Pacific Islands (fruit bat surveys!!) and recently mid-Atlantic Islands -- hard to complain.

But - as reflected in many comments here.  There comes a time when you just want to switch your life focus.  So a couple more years of full time work and then to 25 hrs a week to keep benefits - then we'll see how it goes.

[Schaefer Light]

I was also thinking about the jobs I've had that I've liked, and I realized several things.  First, I like having flexibility to set my own schedule.  While my current job isn't 9-5, there is still enough scheduling foolery that goes on to make that a source of misery.  Second, I don't like managing other people any more than I like other people managing me.  I didn't realize this fact initially when I started working, because I obviously started out as a managee, not as a manager.  But as I've moved into more of a leadership role over time, I find myself resisting it.  I never really thought of myself as a misanthrope until I reached the point of having to deal with other people at work so much.  Third, making more money does not entirely compensate for either of the other two issues.  Not that I expected it would.  But I'm struggling mightily at the moment in large part because money is currently my biggest motivation for going in to work every day, and it's not a very effective motivator even though achieving FI is such an important goal to me.

I could have written this same paragraph.  Especially the bolded part.

[mtn]

I've come to the conclusion that for someone like me, if I want to make the living I want to make, I have a few options for the "love what you do": 

• Work jobs that are tolerable, like right now (job is ok-good, people I work with make it great) for my whole career; career will be 20-40 years (starting year 5 now)--but I don't really love this job
• Work same job as above, then change to teaching at about year 15-20. Ideally would eventually tone that down to a part time teacher (would love to teach Calculus, Trig, and/or geometry in High School). I'd start this now, but with the politics of the state I'm in I'm not comfortable with that right now. Lit
• Become an entrenpenuer and start my own business--I just have no clue what that would be

[li]
[/li][/list]

There are a lot of unknowns in our life that make it hard to plan on the early retirement that most folks here do. I think the dream though is eventually moving somewhere where we can work part time from ages 40(ish) until 65.

[Libertea]

The Mark Twain quote is amazing and describes me very well.  I have had three very different careers already and I truly enjoyed each of them... In the beginning.  Maybe the general 80/20 rule comes into play. Initially I absorb new skills and knowledge quickly, then once I'm competent and new learning is slowed, I focus more on the negatives I didn't notice prior.

Someone made a comment about money.  I've found that even large pay increases are not motivating for the long.  Usually it takes about 6mos to a year until that just doesn't matter anymore.

One thing that I believe is very true. A job that brings even low to average satisfaction can be much more enjoyable if the people I have regular interaction with are enjoyable. On the flip side, a job that is rather enjoyable at its core can suck if the people are asses to deal with.

I agree with all of this, CL.  Maybe that is one of the biggest ironies of my job, which most people on the outside would never call "boring": *I* now find it boring much of the time.  Or more accurately, it's not especially intellectually interesting, all while being high-stress, performed on a schedule that is often brutal, involves dealing with coworkers I don't especially gel with, and requires living in a city I don't especially like.  (Though to be fair, I think it's less the city than the combo of the rest of it.  The city is nothing special, but the bigger issue is that I want to live near where I work, and where I work is definitely not the part of the city I'd choose to live in if minimizing my commute weren't such a major motivating factor.)

[VladTheImpaler]

This thread has gotten beyond annoying because everyone keeps posting really vague crap without actually listing a job title, company, salary, location or anything factual.
Mustachians (including myself) are a paranoid bunch.
Lol rant over. Carry on.

[Sailor Sam]

The OP did ask for specific jobs, they asked for philosophical reasoning. That's what I interpreted, anyway.

Perhaps you'd like a thread about =http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/what's-your-job-title-and-how-much-do-you-earn/450/job titles and salaries?

[nancyjnelson]

I'm retired from a job I held for 25 years - Foreign Service Officer.  I became interested in diplomacy during high school, remained so in college, then spent seven years trying to get in (written exam, day-long oral exam, medical clearance and security clearance).  I knew it was for me because I would get to travel and study languages for free!  (My back-up, with which I probably would have been content, was import/export.)  While there is a LOT of BS in any hierarchical government organization, the beauty of the Foreign Service is that if you loathe your co-worker or your supervisor, you can be confident that either he/she or you will be transferred within the next couple of years.  If you find yourself working on issues you find boring and uninspiring, you can choose a different set of issues for your onward assignment.  It's almost like having a new job - without the risk - every few years.

On the down side I wasn't able to be there for important events like birthdays, weddings, funerals, etc. Even with advances in technology, it makes a difference in how others see you if you don't show up in person.

I retired because it was my turn to do a tour at an unaccompanied post (think Iraq or Afghanistan), and I had no one with whom to leave my high schooler (she was not the type of kid who would have done well in boarding school).  She will, however, be heading off to college in the next couple of weeks, so I'll be looking to start yet another chapter in my life.  Being mustachian and not buying a lot of sh*t opens up a lot of opportunities.
   

[ketchup]

I'm not quite there, but my girlfriend loves her job and can't think of anything she'd rather do for a living (except for maybe cheesecake sampler, or blueberry sampler, or blueberry cheesecake sampler).

She's a self-employed traveling showdog photographer.  Almost nobody does what she does, so she's in high demand.  She's good at it, she loves it, and people love her work.

She can work as much as she wants, and be as flexible with timing as she lets herself be.  Sometimes she'll work editing photos 14 hours a day all week; sometimes she'll take two weeks 100% off to recharge.

Downsides are sometimes she has nutty travel schedules (like leaving for a 6am photoshoot at 1:30am, or dealing with a cancelled flight out of a lowish-traffic airport), but she rolls with the punches.  Also sometimes clients can be shitty about paying in a timely manner, but she's tightening her policies about that now.

[Libertea]

This thread has gotten beyond annoying because everyone keeps posting really vague crap without actually listing a job title, company, salary, location or anything factual.
Mustachians (including myself) are a paranoid bunch.
Lol rant over. Carry on.

The OP did ask for specific jobs, they asked for philosophical reasoning. That's what I interpreted, anyway.

Perhaps you'd like a thread about =http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/what's-your-job-title-and-how-much-do-you-earn/450/job titles and salaries?

I'm good with both.  Whatever people feel like sharing (philosophy or specifics) is fair game.  Speaking for myself, I don't think it's appropriate to post the specific details of my current job since I specifically want to hear about jobs that people DO love, and I don't love mine.  Plus I also have PMed with a few of the "vague" responders and already know what they do for a living.  Soccer's job in particular does sound pretty awesome, but I'm not eligible to do it. :-)

I'm not quite there, but my girlfriend loves her job and can't think of anything she'd rather do for a living (except for maybe cheesecake sampler, or blueberry sampler, or blueberry cheesecake sampler).

She's a self-employed traveling showdog photographer.  Almost nobody does what she does, so she's in high demand.  She's good at it, she loves it, and people love her work.

She can work as much as she wants, and be as flexible with timing as she lets herself be.  Sometimes she'll work editing photos 14 hours a day all week; sometimes she'll take two weeks 100% off to recharge.

Hahaha, I would love "chocolate dessert sampler" to be my next job description. :-D  But yeah, her job does sound pretty awesome.

[VladTheImpaler]

The OP did ask for specific jobs, they asked for philosophical reasoning. That's what I interpreted, anyway.

Perhaps you'd like a thread about =http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/what's-your-job-title-and-how-much-do-you-earn/450/job titles and salaries?

Good point,
Thanks for the link Sailor.

[MoneyCat]

I used to work summers as a tour guide at a historical fort in upstate New York. We created the entire tour from scratch and had all kinds of fun skits with lots of jokes and costumes and silliness while teaching people about the actual military history of the site. It was loads of fun and we made the site very successful. Some people came back multiple times during their vacation because they had so much fun. I haven't had as enjoyable of a job since.

[slackmax]

Worked as computer programmer for 16 years. Sometimes loved it, usually it was just OK, sometimes hated it. Depended on people I worked with,  and the assignments. 

To answer the OP's question: I absolutely loved this job about 20% of the time I was in it. That was when I was a one man band, project leader and I was the only worker bee. I had CONTROL of the f***ing thing, myself. I had a  manager who let me do my own thing, sort of, as long as I did the job right (and I did).  Also I had a couple good friends at work to go to lunch with.

All depends on the circumstances.


I had a long haul  tractor trailer truck driving job and that was a blast. Big adventure from the state-paid training class, to the interview, to the actual job. Ruined by nut cases in management. Got fired, then retired. 

[JCfire]

For those in this position, curious as to whether you stumbled into it by serendipity, or whether you knew ahead of time and planned it.  If it was the latter, how did you come to realize that this was the "right" job for you?

Interesting in hearing from fellow travelers like myself who have never loved any of their jobs as well.  I've worked at various jobs in multiple fields over the past couple of decades, and while I have certainly liked some jobs more than others, the thought has occurred to me that I may never have a job that I truly love.  Or maybe I just haven't found the right job yet.  I guess I won't know the answer until I either find a job I love or retire for good and the point becomes moot.  Heh.

Really love my current job.  Smart people doing very challenging work.  I hopped around a bit within a firm until I found the right fit, and I'm in a very competitive field, and those things both help.  As a result, I plan to do a couple of years of earn-to-give after I am FI.  I think that's a more effective way to make a positive impact on the world, for reasons I explain on my website (see signature).

My prior roles were superficially quite similar to my current one, but never really loved those.  In my experience, peers and managers make a world of difference.  I hope my current situation lasts until I am ready to retire.

[Cwadda]

I like my job a lot. I work for a start up with 2 employees so there's a lot of entrepreneurial spirit.

[Northwestie]

I'm not quite there, but my girlfriend loves her job and can't think of anything she'd rather do for a living (except for maybe cheesecake sampler, or blueberry sampler, or blueberry cheesecake sampler).

She's a self-employed traveling showdog photographer.  Almost nobody does what she does, so she's in high demand.  She's good at it, she loves it, and people love her work.

She can work as much as she wants, and be as flexible with timing as she lets herself be.  Sometimes she'll work editing photos 14 hours a day all week; sometimes she'll take two weeks 100% off to recharge.

Downsides are sometimes she has nutty travel schedules (like leaving for a 6am photoshoot at 1:30am, or dealing with a cancelled flight out of a lowish-traffic airport), but she rolls with the punches.  Also sometimes clients can be shitty about paying in a timely manner, but she's tightening her policies about that now.

See - there's ANOTHER job I didn't know existed - I mean, who did?  Very entertaining thread.

[snshijuptr]

I love my job. I work as Customer Success for a startup. My bosses are awesome; I'm good at my job; and most of my clients are nice people. I get to spend all day finding solutions not only in the product, but acting as a consultant for my clients on best practices.

My journey was go to college and graduate school convinced I was going to be a Professor. Realized a year into my PhD that I hate writing scholarly articles. Finished my PhD because I wanted to and knew I would regret not doing it. Graduated into unemployment but wanted to work as a UX Researcher for a software company. Worked for a consultant company for 6 months and despised it because they made me write (seriously I told them explicitly that I hate writing!). Thankfully spouse is in my same field. He begins consulting as a side job for this startup. I begin looking over his shoulder and tell him I want to do that. He introduces me, and I begin consulting. I get fired from the job I hate and convince the startup to hire me. I work my butt off to become essential and get my fingers into every pot. I then carve out a fairly unique hybrid role for myself that keeps me from ever getting bored.

Our FIRE journey is less about leaving our jobs, which we both love, but to ensure that we have security no matter what happens. The Great Recession taught us that no job is ever secure, and your job can become shitty very quickly. If all else fails, we are a couple years away from being able to never save again for retirement and still retire by 65.

[goalphish2002]

I love my job. I work as Customer Success for a startup. My bosses are awesome; I'm good at my job; and most of my clients are nice people. I get to spend all day finding solutions not only in the product, but acting as a consultant for my clients on best practices.

My journey was go to college and graduate school convinced I was going to be a Professor. Realized a year into my PhD that I hate writing scholarly articles. Finished my PhD because I wanted to and knew I would regret not doing it. Graduated into unemployment but wanted to work as a UX Researcher for a software company. Worked for a consultant company for 6 months and despised it because they made me write (seriously I told them explicitly that I hate writing!). Thankfully spouse is in my same field. He begins consulting as a side job for this startup. I begin looking over his shoulder and tell him I want to do that. He introduces me, and I begin consulting. I get fired from the job I hate and convince the startup to hire me. I work my butt off to become essential and get my fingers into every pot. I then carve out a fairly unique hybrid role for myself that keeps me from ever getting bored.

Our FIRE journey is less about leaving our jobs, which we both love, but to ensure that we have security no matter what happens. The Great Recession taught us that no job is ever secure, and your job can become shitty very quickly. If all else fails, we are a couple years away from being able to never save again for retirement and still retire by 65.

I am similar in that I don't know how long I will stay in my field, but I am finishing my education (M.S in Acct) this semester. 
A) I feel the need to finish what I've started
B) Regardless of the type of job- it shows a person can finish what they began

[clarkfan1979]

Yes. Professor at a college. Grad school wasn't fun. But now I get to use my degree for about 35-40 years. I never plan on retiring. I work 30 hours a week M-Th, about 34 weeks out of the year.