You know how you always wonder what people really do for a living, but no one really talks about it because they don’t want to blog about work? Ok, maybe that’s just what I wonder. But whatever, today I’m going to tell you about my job. I know, be still your beating hearts.
I’m a lawyer for a Fortune 500 company. The company operates in an industry that is highly regulated by the federal government. So my job is to know the laws and rules and advise the investment people what they can invest in, review marketing stuff and tell marketing people what they are required to say and what they are prohibited from saying, work with the Board of Directors, and write tons of reports and file them with the federal government.
I love my job. It’s interesting. The people I work with respect me and trust my decisions/recommendations. My bosses speak highly of me to others and give me credit for the work I do. I work from 7:30 to 4:30, at my request. From May through September, everyone gets every other Friday off. My manager offered me some flexibiility for when I come back from maternity leave, so I asked to work from home on the Fridays I don’t have off, and he said no problem.
There are frustrations. Sometimes the work is boring. Like any office, there are sometimes office politics to deal with. My manager likes things done months in advance, while I’m a procrastinator.
But overall, I’m happy. Having a job I really like has made the rest of my life so much easier. When I left my old job and started this job about a year and a half ago, I can’t even tell you how many people told me that could see a difference in me, that I seemed like a happier, more light-hearted person.
What do you do? (Yes, that question includes stay-at-home moms.)
I am a librarian at a university
I’m in sales/client management, also for a Fortune 500 company. Been here for years and mostly like my job.
On another note, I have two kids – a three year old and a four month old, and when the four month old arrived, the tantrums were merciless. We tried a new discipline tactic which worked really well – basically a massive dialing back of punitive responses – and I was tempted to email you and tell you about it, but didn’t because who wants unsolicited advice, especially from a mostly lurker? Anyway, if you’re interested let me know! And if you’re not, that’s cool too.
I never mind advice!
It’s great that you have a job you love. I worked in HR, then account management and then management for a HR company. I ever thought I’d be a person to leave an office job. I liked the ritual of it…getting dressed in work clothes, my office, my clients…but my career wasn’t ‘taking off’ as I’d wanted. So when B came along, I decided to stay home. I now do social media (blog, FB, giveaways) for my husband’s company. I do it from home and whatever hours I can. It is different and an adjustment, but it gives me the benefits if staying home, but also the benefits if working. Plus, I like that B sees me work and knows I work. Why can’t I go back and edit this comment? iPad or the form or something won’t let me. The errors I see are killing me…ugh.
I feel like I also changed when I switched jobs a year ago. I am so much happier all around now that I’m not banging my head against the wall for 40 hours a week.
I am a program administrator at a large university. I work on a research/advocacy project that mostly works on family planning (ie, contraception) issues in developing countries. My position was newly created when I was hired, so I got to shape it a little bit and that has been awesome. I maintain our website and facebook page, created and maintain our e-filing system (that sounds so boring, but I actually love it — it was an organizer’s dream come true), and coordinate visits from our partner organizations. I always have a hard time explaining what exactly I do, because it’s a little bit of everything. It’s so much more interesting than my old job (which I could explain in about 2 sentences), but also everyone here is just so much more competent. Even when I’m having a shitty day, I love this place.
I always do wonder what people do for a living!
I love this post!
I’m the Controller for a privately-owned company. We do pretty much everything imaginable related to health, wellness and preventive medicine.
I report directly to the president, and I do pretty much everything accounting-related, insurance-related, and even legal-related (contracts and leases). I’m not very interested in my WORK, but I do like my job because I’m really interested in the industry, and because I have a lot of independence and control in my role. I also rarely have to work more than 40 hours per week.
Before this, I worked for a Big 4 public accounting firm, and I hated it so much it affected everything in my life. I will never love accounting, but I’m so much happier now.
I’m a medical writer for a medical communications firm that contracts with large pharmaceutical companies. I mostly write and edit scientific articles about clinical drug trials that end up in scholarly journals, but I also work on regulatory documents for submission to the FDA.
I work about 50ish hours a week, but I am learning like crazy, and it’s always challenging.
I was working as a writer and editor for a business publication firm, but I got laid off 1 1/2 years ago. Since then, I’ve been picking up freelance writing jobs here and there, and have mostly been writing for companies that farm out articles, like Demand Media. We don’t feel like it would do any good for me to get another job outside the home, as most jobs in our area for my skill set don’t pay enough for us to afford quality child care. It has been nice though, being home with our son (now 3). Being a WAHM isn’t a path I would have chosen for myself, but I ended up liking it a lot.
Great post!
Well, you know I’m a stay at home mom in school, but before this I was a quality manager at an automotive plant, and before that job I was a supervisor at an automotive plant. Back when I worked and went to college, I thought I would pursue my degree in Business Management but since working in that field I was in and hating that part….I realized I loved the HR part so now I will finish my degree in BA but specialized in HR. Ultimately though, I want to get my master’s in higher education and hopefully work with college students on some level.
Right now though? I might take a job at the local McDonald’s just to GET A BREAK. HA!
I work in the Marketing department for a commercial janitorial company. (My parent company is based out of Twin Cities, so it amuses me that the interwebs always send me MN advertisements because that is how I get my internet access even though I am in Milwaukee) It is my job to make things sound pretty (not easy with toilet cleaning) and to brand things in our corporate image (website, bid responses, newsletters, etc). Also I am the executive asst for 5 senior VPs so I complain about them a lot. I started answering the phones here part time in college and never left as they kept creating new positions for me. That’s okay, I majored in early childhood education and have found working in an office is pretty darn similar.
High school history teacher… fancy, shmancy!
I’m the head of Information Services for a company that designs theme park and museum attractions. In addition to being the librarian, I’m the lead researcher, responsible for records management and document control, and I maintain our website and social media presence.
All of my friends want my job. I don’t blame them…we make fun for a living, and there’s nothing better than that.
Oooh! Talking about work without *really* talking about work! I love it! I work in the Economic Development department for what amounts to the school district for all the state and public universities in my state. I love it. It’s challenging and I have a lot of governmental red tape to deal with, but I love what I do.
Excellent post!
xox
I teach childbirth classes at a fairly big clinic in Bigger Town. The classes are 5 weeks long (1 night per week), and we teach anything and everything about child birth, including giving tours at the hospital. We also teach a breastfeeding class, a “sibling” class (for kids), a car seat safety class, a refresher class (for those on a 2nd, 3rd pregnancy).
I also am a doula. When I work as a doula, I contract privately with my clients. The clinic I teach childbirth classes for supports the fact that we are doulas (and even pays for advertising for us), but the doula work itself is private (it’s best for our clients this way, TRUST). Once I contract with a client (usually early in the 3rd trimester, but it can be anytime during pregnancy), I’m on call for them until they deliver. I meet them at the hospital and stay with them until a few hours after baby is born.
The rest of the time, I’m running around at home with my kids, and growing kid #4.
Your job sounds pretty great! It’s so true — anyone who says their job is just a paycheck to them is lying. You have to at least somewhat enjoy what you do 40 hours a week, or else you’ll be a miserable person.
I’m a writer/editor for a website about home maintenance, and I also do a lot of freelance writing on the side. I like the freedom, but I don’t have a lot of stability or benefits, which is starting to weigh on me.
I’m an attorney who is JEALOUS of your job situation and thinking of scrapping it all and becoming a teacher. Currently I work in a civil defense firm where I bill, bill, bill. I do like the majority of the things I actually have to do though: drafting motions, taking depositions, and appearances.
I need something a little more flexible, a little more personable, and a little less likely to make me slam my head on the desk one day and cause real damage.
I’m a Student Affairs Administrator at a small Liberal Arts College. I plan fun events for the students
It seems like a lot of your responders are in the education field. Yay for us!
I’m a patent attorney in a patent law firm. We do almost all prosecution with a tiny bit of litigation support, licensing, etc. I love every second of my job and I don’t know how I’m going to reduce these 60 hour weeks to raise a family someday.
Oh, neat! I really like knowing what you do! I’m at home with kids, and I write a column for an online parenting site, and I write a baby name advice blog, and I fret about what I should do when the kids are all in school, because my over-a-decade-old B.A. in business qualifies me only for entry-level jobs.
You sound like a 40 Act attorney. My husband is a 40 Act attorney.
I was an insurance defense attorney for about three seconds, then I taught legal writing for a few years. I’ve been home with the kids for almost three years and am ready to go back to work….but I don’t know what to do. There’s a dearth of law schools in my area with a reasonable commute (there’s 13 law schools in the greater NYC area, but most of them would involve a 1.5 hour+ commute for me). Plus I haven’t published The Great American Law Review Article and thus am limited to visitor positions. Alternatively….I would love to do something in the design world….but have no training; I just like shopping and putting pretty stuff together. So! Career path uncertain.
I’m an accountant for a school district. I do not love my job but I’m good at it, it helps pay the bills, and I have good insurance. I wish I could go back to my college-age self and pick something else though. As it is now, I’ve got my CPA and a steady job and it seems kind of impossible/irresponsible to start over with a new career right now. Maybe when the kids are done with college in 20 years?
If you have the time and inclination, I’d love a followup post or comment about how you got your job and your career path before ending up there (I know it involved biglaw). I’d like to go in-house one of these days, and your job sounds similar to what I’d be interested in.
People here have really interesting jobs!
I’m a corporate attorney at a large law firm in Boston. I do lots of work with technology startup companies in the software, healthcare, and energy industries, helping them incorporate, raise funds, and take care of other corporate matters like holding board meetings, issuing stock, and bringing on new high-level employees. I also do a fair amount of mergers and acquisitions work for larger clients, which is not my favorite but is educational, and some work advising nonprofits which includes pro bono work helping new nonprofits get IRS recognition of their tax-exempt status. I’m currently on maternity leave, but used to work long and unpredictable hours. I enjoy my job and like the firm a lot but don’t think the schedule is sustainable.
Judicial law clerk. Best job in the world, one year at a time. Fortunately, I am set for next year.
I’m in government communications, currently assigned to produce and host a weekly radio show/podcast.
I’m the office manager at a small engineering firm.
I feel like the odd one! I’m an Episcopal priest, in a medium-sized parish and working as the associate rector. I lead worship services, write sermons, hang out with the youth group, teach Sunday school, visit people in the hospital, and lead a LOT of committee meetings.
This is a great topic so I am de-lurking to participate. I am a marketing director in the software industry. I love what I do because it combines creativity with analytics to measure results. The downside is the perception that marketing is a fluff job and anyone can do it (you get a LOT of advice from every department in the organization even though they have no expertise) so we constantly have to market our value internally.
This is kind of like when people show photos of their homes or offices…peeping without really peeping. Love it!
I’m a trust administrator for a small, independent corporate trust company in a Big City. Basically, I administer wills, trusts, estates, investments, etc. on behalf of our clients and their attorneys. I fell into this job out of college and have kind of made it my career. I’ve started to specialize in tax law (oh dear, who PICKS that?) and elder law from the trust administration side.
It’s challenging and very client-facing which I love. The pay, well, that part could use some improvement.
I’m a stay at home mom, but before that I taught middle school, and before that I worked in non-profit special events fund raising.
I’m finishing up my second year of law school at a fancy-schmancy law school on the East Coast. Pre-law school, I worked as a paralegal at two different legal service nonprofits.
Simply, I’m an event planner at a univerisity. More comprehensively though, my work is directly related to fundraising efforts.
While I like events, there is little glamour, so what I really like is being involved in the annual plan for strategy and budgeting – seeing where events would be of help and where they are frivolous. I like the project planning, organization, and partnership with fundraisers and faculty.
Some weeks are busier than others and I work over 80hrs from time to time, with my promotion last fall I’ve been able to negotiate shorter work weeks when I’m not as busy and that has helped a lot.
I’m an IT manager at a (now) mid-sized company. I started as an analyst when they had a total of about 13 people working there 6 years ago. Now we’re in the 70′s with offices across the country and I love my job! It’s been amazing watching this company grow and being (even if it’s a little bit) a contributor to the growth.