What do you do? I'm a product manager for a software development company. Basically I organize software changes, features, and releases and communicate between the developers, marketing, and the customers to make sure that our software is doing the things it needs to and on time. Do you enjoy it? Most of the time. What is the best part about your job? My office is extremely relaxed, we dress down all the time. Also my whiteboard. I have a huge whiteboard and people come in and draw on it and leave me messages. It's an interoffice competition to change the sayings into something that isn't english. "Happy Valentines Day" got changed to "Harpy Vutenhines Dog". What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? Making custom features for customers / integrators or trying to explain to them that we can't make the feature that they are looking for for free.
Post by pantsparty on Feb 25, 2013 11:07:41 GMT -5
What do you do? Advertising sales Do you enjoy it? For the most part What is the best part about your job? The paycheck! LOL. I enjoy getting to better know my clients and a big sale always feels great. What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? Monthly quotas. High pressure sales environment.
Post by gnomesweetgnome on Feb 25, 2013 11:10:38 GMT -5
What do you do? : I work 20 hours a week as a graduate library assistant. I work at the reference desk answering questions, helping people find books and scholarly articles, and I also check out books to patrons. Do you enjoy it?: Most of the time I love it/ What is the best part about your job?: Helping people learn to navigate the modern library and all of the electronic resources we have access to. What is the worst or most stressful part of your job?: Patrons who just want you to do everything for them instead of actually learning how to do things for themselves (especially bad because I'm at an academic library and a lot of the students are lazy and/or entitled.)
I'm beginning to wonder if it is unrealistic to think going to work should be fufilling or enjoyable. It is WORK after all.
What do you do? Do you enjoy it? What is the best part about your job? What is the worst or most stressful part of your job?
1. I just started my new gig in November, it's related to what I did before but more in my specialty. 2. Love love love it. 3. It keeps me mentally stimulated, I work with good people, I can actually see change in people that I helped to do, I can create change in the system, our department is set up so we do 4-5 years in one area and then move to another to help prevent burnout. 4. Right now it's the threat of sequestration. Other than that - dealing with the chain of command can allegedly be difficult - I'm so new I haven't run into issues yet.
What do you do? municipal clerk Do you enjoy it? for the most part, yes What is the best part about your job? the paralegal and historical recordkeeping aspects What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? I also oversee HR stuff for the town and I hate that stuff
*side note complaint: I went from a job I loved that was fulfilling to a job I like that offered more money and security. It was the right move for me and my family but I miss my old job
I am a Director of Finance at a non profit. I love the flexibility of my job, making my own hours, not being micromanaged for the most part.
What I hate is my boss. She has MAJOR mood swings and she is either way far up your ass or MIA. when she is MIA and I have a question I hate to even contact her bc it opens a can of worms and reminds her I am alive.. then BOOM. UP MY ASS AGAIN.
That part sucks. Great work life balance and family comes first always. that is the best part
I am a Director of Finance at a non profit. I love the flexibility of my job, making my own hours, not being micromanaged for the most part.
What I hate is my boss. She has MAJOR mood swings and she is either way far up your ass or MIA. when she is MIA and I have a question I hate to even contact her bc it opens a can of worms and reminds her I am alive.. then BOOM. UP MY ASS AGAIN.
That part sucks. Great work life balance and family comes first always. that is the best part
I should give them props that when I told them I was on bedrest, they were like Okay no problem. What do we need to do to help YOU.
I have a laptop and I can get some work done here from home just to tie up some loose ends but they dont' even flinch when someone has to be out for something like this.
What do you do? drafter Do you enjoy it? yes What is the best part about your job? being creative What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? one particular person I work with... he will be the reason I quit when I find a new job
I'm beginning to wonder if it is unrealistic to think going to work should be fufilling or enjoyable. It is WORK after all.
What do you do? Do you enjoy it? What is the best part about your job? What is the worst or most stressful part of your job?
I am a Director over a Learning, Org Development and Employee Engagement team AND I'm a part time college professor Yes, I love all of my jobs -- I've been at my FT one for 14 years and teaching college for over 20 years Best -- I get to work with every level from mail clerk to CEO Worst -- I do enterprise wide projects so they impact everyone and it can be hard to get 1100 people all thinking or moving the same way
Post by nightandday on Feb 25, 2013 11:47:56 GMT -5
What do you do? Elementary school teacher Do you enjoy it? I enjoy the actual teaching. Being here, dealing with paperwork/data/administration/parents not so much. Best part of job? When students tell me that I make math fun. It's so great to see kids enjoying what they are learning. Worst part of job: the endless hours of grading/analyzing data that admin thinks magically happens
Post by lintscreen on Feb 25, 2013 12:07:27 GMT -5
What do you do? Insurance Adjuster for Homeowner's Liability claims Do you enjoy it? Yes Best part of job? It is never the same, I handle such a wide variety of claims, some are so strange and interesting. I like how you never know what you will see next. I also enjoy really getting involved in some of the more complex litigation stuff. I am always learning new things. Worst part of job: Sometimes I have to deal with people who suck in a variety of ways. I also just got a new boss and I'm not exactly thrilled with his management style.
Post by anastasiabeaverhause on Feb 25, 2013 12:12:33 GMT -5
What do you do? Sales and Marketing manager for an IT company Do you enjoy it? Yes, very much! Best part of job? It is a nice carrer for me, I learn a lot regarding Technology and by selling I get to meet w/ different people and learn what they do in their business. Plus, I work for my in laws and it is nice to work with family. Worst part of job: again, I work with Family. My in laws own the company and I work w/ my husband. It gets hard sometimes but we make it work.
Post by litebright on Feb 25, 2013 12:14:41 GMT -5
I work part-time covering wireless network technology for a trade news site. I did it FT for a few years; they shut down as a print publication and are now online only, and instead of having an office everyone works from home.
I do enjoy it. I like the challenge of learning about very technical subjects without having an engineering or computer science degree, and understanding business trends and environments without having an MBA; I'm pretty good at it for a layperson. After being a SAHM for 4.5 years, getting adult interaction and feeling respected in my coverage area is a nice perk, along with getting a paycheck -- those are the best parts, along with the fact that my resume is no longer stagnant, I'm learning new skills like how to do webinars and webcasts, and this is a job I can keep no matter what happens with DH's employment.
I also get afternoons to spend with my kids and do fun things (a sitter comes in the mornings so I can work), and I love being able to both work and spend a large chunk of the day with them.
Worst part is deadlines, and trying to cram a ton of work into 20 hours a week without jeopardizing my afternoons and weeknights and weekends. It's way too easy to be unbalanced even though I'm only supposed to be working PT. This week I have a huge deadline and will probably be up until the wee hours at least one night working on a special report.
I also will likely get to do some travel, which is awesome.
What do you do? University study abroad administration
Do you enjoy it? 10 years ago this was my dream career, if I couldn't be Samantha Brown. Since returning from maternity leave 2yrs ago and a co-worker left, my work load skyrocketed. I'm burned out and feeling stuck, not sure how much is this field versus just my office.
What is the best part about your job? Seeing students return and being so much more confident and mature; getting deserving students scholarships
What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? I have a useless co-worker with seniority that makes a lot of office work more complicated and we walk on eggshells around them, and for some reason the boss lets it happen even though we all have the same issues; they're tenured/union so we're really stuck with them, but they would be so fired anywhere else with what they pull/get away with. The parents are also getting far too involved the past year or so (one asked us to help with travel arrangements so they could be near their child's dorms while they are on their program this coming summer, wtf). Hence the burn out....
Post by hokiegirl82 on Feb 25, 2013 12:29:02 GMT -5
What do you do? Legal asstitant at a mid-sized IP law firm Do you enjoy it? Yes, I can say I actually like my job and feel fulfilled by the work I do What is the best part about your job? The 2 attorneys I support - I have been working with the partner for over 3 years, and the senior associate for 2 and a half years, and they are awesome people and treat me so well. I've worked for attorneys who have no respect for their admins, and the 2 attorneys I work for have shown me time after time that they respect me and appreciate the work I do. It is amazing how changing who you work for but working at the same job can make such a difference - I was miserable when I worked for other people, but I've pretty much enjoyed my job for the past few years working for these 2 guys. What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? Dealing with incompetent and lazy people - the same people make the same mistakes over and over and I get tired of having to fix their mistakes at a later point in the life of a patent application.
What do you do? Project Assistant @ a large law firm. I work for a partner in tax law.
Do you enjoy it? Yes. Great hours (no overtime/late nights/weekends), good boss, supportive environment, my work is interesting and challenging.
What is the best part about your job? All the perks. My firm frequently throws parties for everything (Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, they had a LGBT party and a float in the LGBT parade in our city, Christmas party, etc.), free breakfast every Friday, they celebrate things like "Librarian Appreciation Week" for our librarians with goodies, "Staff Appreciation Week" for the rest of us, etc.
What is the worst or most stressful part of your job?
I would say the uncertainty of a career path. I'm in a pseudo position they created for me for my boss. I do a ton of paralegal work, but I also do additional things outside of that scope (not secretary work, my boss has an actual secretary for those types of things). I'm not like an accountant-- I can't be a Senior Accountant, then up again to Manager.
My boss loves me and I know he would support me in moving up in some way eventually. I am afraid they'll try to push me into an actual paralegal role, when I would be more interested in coordinating projects or getting into management. My annual review was excellent last year, so we'll see what happens this May when my review comes up again, I'm hoping to talk to my technical manager and clarify what my options are.
What do you do? University professor/PhD student Do you enjoy it? I adore it What is the best part about your job? So much, lol. It varies all the time, depending on which component of my task I am working on (research, teaching or community service). I have no real boss, as in the head of my department has very little say on what I do, as long as I am doing good work, I plan my own schedule, it is stimulating intellectual work, I can work part time from home, part time from work as I please, the students are amazing sometimes. What is the worst or most stressful part of your job?The pay is ok, but not what I would make as a CPA in industry. You have to get a PhD to do it, so right now graduating is my biggest stress. The students sometimes suck. Getting funding for research.
Post by discogranny on Feb 25, 2013 12:53:51 GMT -5
What do you do? Commercial building permit/development expediter. Do you enjoy it? Yes, I actually left the industry for two years because of burn out at my old firm. I missed it so much I came back. What is the best part about your job? Atmosphere of my firm, the pay, the sense of putting together a puzzle for each project and being so pleased when it is completed. My part in the process of helping franchisees and "normal" people get to achieve dreams of owning a business. What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? Dealing with municipalities and all of their quirks, impossible to please planning/zoning commissions/city councils, etc. Dealing with newbie developers and franchisees who don't understand the architecture/development process.
I'm a nursery nurse. I LOVE it! Rocking babies until they fall asleep Going to deliveries. And what I mean by that, I mean dropping what I'm doing and going to L&D as the baby nurse because they're pushing and I need to be there and hoping the baby starts breathing right away. It's frustrating when I have other babies I have to take care of and I'm essentially asking my fellow nurses to cover for me. But I cover for them when they go to deliveries so it all evens out.
I'm beginning to wonder if it is unrealistic to think going to work should be fufilling or enjoyable. It is WORK after all.
What do you do? I am a "Director of Public Engagement" at a museum. Fancy title means that I am in charge of Visitor Services, Ticket Sales, Volunteers, and Public Programming Do you enjoy it? Immensely What is the best part about your job? The authority I have to make decisions and the environment/culture. What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? The worst part is the pay. My salary is laughably low.
Post by sherbanator on Feb 25, 2013 15:38:24 GMT -5
Air traffic controller
Yes
Being in control, it's fun especially since I get paid a lot of money to do what a lot of people pretend to do for fun. The adrenaline rush of a busy push. You feel on top of the world when you leave for the day. It is an unexplainable feeling.
The worst is never being able to have a bad day. The risk that if you give a bad heading or an incorrect read back can literally kill hundreds of people. The whole system is ran on people making the right decision every time which is an impossible task. One bad decision can complete undo the millions of perfect decisions you have made.
I'm beginning to wonder if it is unrealistic to think going to work should be fufilling or enjoyable. It is WORK after all.
What do you do? Veterinary Technician Do you enjoy it? yes What is the best part about your job? I get to work with all sorts of animals. everything from dogs and cats to snakes, hawks, and fish. I am always learning something new.
What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? Seeing animals that have been neglected or abused. Also, this job is not what I really wanf to be doing. I love it for now, but I am still working towards my dream job. I could never do a job that I didn't find enjoyable.
What do you do? Program Support Coordinator at a higher ed department Do you enjoy it? Parts of it. Some of it I hate What is the best part about your job? I like knowing I'm helping courses and events run smoothly, and am proud with how easily I am able to juggle 500 different demands every day What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? It's a thankless job. My boss is not a good supervisor and micromanages every single thing I do. Everything. It's exhausting. Most of my gripes are with how the department is run and the communication between the deans and the cogs in the machine.
I'm beginning to wonder if it is unrealistic to think going to work should be fufilling or enjoyable. It is WORK after all.
What do you do? Adjunct art & architecture history instructor Do you enjoy it? HELL yeah! What is the best part about your job? I get to talk about art an architecture to a captive audience. Lol What is the worst or most stressful part of your job?grading and the uncertainty every semester- will I get enough classes? Will my schedule suck?etc
I'm beginning to wonder if it is unrealistic to think going to work should be fufilling or enjoyable. It is WORK after all.
What do you do? Do you enjoy it? What is the best part about your job? What is the worst or most stressful part of your job?
I'm a microbiologist in academia (I was a biochemist in cancer research for 8 years, and I hated it).
I love it.
The best part is the discovery. Every new hypothesis I test, everything I do, it adds to a base of knowledge that will far outlast me. It makes me feel as though I'm contributing something valuable to the world.
The most stressful part is worrying about funding.
I'm beginning to wonder if it is unrealistic to think going to work should be fufilling or enjoyable. It is WORK after all.
What do you do? Do you enjoy it? What is the best part about your job? What is the worst or most stressful part of your job?
I am a Spec Ed Consultant in the area of autism. I support educators, families, and community members like soccer coaches, etc.
I love it when I step outside of my day and look at it as a whole, but some days/weeks are frustrating.
Best part is meeting some pretty great kids/teens and the adults in their lives (those adults can be the worst part too). There is a ton of variety in my day. Might do to a daycare in morning, school at lunch, family hone in afternoon, or give workshops. I enjoy it much more than spending my days in the classroom.
As I hinted at above, some adults are the most stressful part of job. The things some teachers have said to me about the students with ASD...heartbreaking. Also, my caseload gas skyrocketed this year and not enough tine to see the kids and stay on top of reports so I do a mediocre job at both (IMO).
I'm a speech therapist in an elementary school. I work with kids who have lisps and "little" things like that... As well as kids who have significant language processing delays/disorders. I really do enjoy it and feel fulfilled by it. I enjoy working with the kids. Communication is such a basic, basic need that it's awesome to be able to help kids get better at it and see their progress. I like that I get to see the kids in small groups of less than 5 and really get to know them. The worst part is definitely all of the paperwork and special Ed regulations that sometimes get in the way of what's best for the kids. But for the most part speech is a really fulfilling and neat field.
What do you do? 7th grade language arts teacher Do you enjoy it? Some days it is annoying, but overall I love it. What is the best part about your job? People always give me a horrified look when I say I teach middle schoolers, but they are hilarious and fun most of the time. Plus, it is nice to work with people that you don't give a crap if they think you're a nerd or not. What is the worst or most stressful part of your job? Parents can be annoying, some of the administrative red tape bull shit (pressure to pass kids, teacher blaming, etc)