Lessons from people who love their jobs

THERE are people out there who truly love their jobs. Passionate about their professions. Motivated by Monday mornings. Honestly. We have proof.

firefighters

IF you're reading this drowning in a sea of spreadsheets, batting away a sadistic boss and wondering why you're paid a pittance for the privilege, try suspending disbelief for a minute.

There are people out there who truly love their jobs. Passionate about their professions. Motivated by Monday mornings. Honestly. We have proof.

Reddit is an amazing place to get answers and inspiration from people's real life experiences. In this thread, Redditors post about why they love their chosen profession.

We scoured through the list, picked our favourites and divided our findings into five categories to make it easy to get inspired based on what you're looking for in a dream job. Here are our five categories: if you love working with people, if you love to travel, if you're looking for a medical alternative, if you like working with your hands or outdoors and if you'd like to find a desk job that doesn't bore you to tears.

Working With People

Sign language

Certified sign language interpreter. Decent salary, approx. £30,000 ($50,000) a year, work an average 30 hours a week. Work is varied and interesting, I go home and sleep well knowing I've spent my day helping others understand the world around them. I don't require much preparation, any equipment, and I don't create any waste. I show up, use my hands, email the invoice, get paid. It's nice... and I'll never be rich, but I've never lacked work.
- defacemock

I'm a therapist who works with children and teens in foster care. It's exhausting, the gratification definitely isn't instantaneous, and it doesn't pay well, but I still feel fortunate to be able to do it. I find the work fascinating and challenging; there's so much analysing and problem-solving involved, and every situation is unique. I'm constantly learning new things about people, relationships, emotions, mental illness, etc. I think I could be in this field for 50 years and still learn something new every day.

I have a master's in Counseling and got a job right after university, although I consider myself pretty lucky because funding for mental health is always low and the jobs are sparse and competitive.

To be a good therapist you have to really love being a therapist. Personality is also a huge factor: The job requires you to be both analytical and compassionate, and those traits have to work harmoniously together.
It's tough, but I can't see myself doing anything else.
- ba113r1na

I'm a speech language pathologist. It requires a master's degree to fully practice under most situations, but afterwards it can take you anywhere. You can work in a variety of settings, you can specialise in different aspects (stuttering, autism, brain injury, etc.) and you make a decent amount of money. It's also mostly women, and a vast majority of them are intelligent and attractive (C'mon guys, where are you?).
- XXchromosome

Physical therapy. There will always be a need for it, and even though it's a doctorate program for the full degree, getting the associate's along the way allows you to work in the field while going to school for your doctorate. In home health, you get to work with patients in their homes or you can work in a clinical setting, like a hospital or nursing home. Money is pretty good, but the real reward comes from watching someone take their first steps in months with your help. Truly amazing.
- fuegolatino

If You Love To Travel

If you like to visit foreign countries/travel, get a four-year degree (in any field) and then some sort of certification for Teaching English as a foreign language. You can get a job as an English teacher in countries where English is not the first language — which is most countries in the world. You will not get rich (unless you open your own school, maybe), but you get to live and travel around the world with relative ease.
- JapanNow

[Translation.] It's actually pretty sweet. It's hard when you get started to get paid what you should (for reference — if it took you three hours to write 4,000 words, it will take me roughly 3x that to translate it) but the hours are flexible and you can make a good living working on your computer anywhere in the world.

Most important thing for translators is to have a good understanding of the grammar of your source language (words you can always look up, grammar you need to know very well) and a fantabulous grasp of your own written language. Translators only work into their mother tongue.

You're working on your own 90% of the time and you may push yourself too hard (I did 7,000 words the other day and stayed up waaaay too late), but generally you can control what you do and when you do it (just do it before the deadline). And translators are a social bunch, so join a club and network a bit.

Machine translation is fairly shit if you want something that's publishable, and globalisation means demand is going up and up and up... so that's something to think about.
- himit

Food microbiology and/or food science. I work for a large food manufacturing company and we are having serious trouble filling positions for people with education and experience in food safety and quality assurance. And the entry-level market isn't full, either. Sure, you might start out working off-shifts, but that's the foundation for understanding how stuff works. Within a few short years, you can work your way up to greater responsibility and experience. Within seven years of graduating with a BS, I was working in a corporate food-safety role which allows me to work with 25 food manufacturing plants in eight different countries.

I'm now 13 years out from my BS and have spent the past five years traveling the world, working in a technical science field that I love, meeting people and seeing other cultures, and making large-scale business decisions that help provide safe, healthy and quality food for most countries in the world. I've led people for all 13 years of that, and do more leadership today than I ever expected possible. I've had great people mentor me, show me the possibilities for my career and help me succeed. I make a very good salary and my husband and I spend our free time traveling the world. I work hard and I play hard. It's pretty freakin' awesome.

And like I said... plenty of openings and opportunity, all the way through new grads to the very experienced.
- rav44me

I actually love being a pilot. Yeah, you don't make a lot in the beginning, but after a while you can make a great living. The job is fun, you get to travel for free, and you can have a lot of time off. (I've only been at an airline two years, but I had 18 days off last month).

Plus, it's completely reasonable that I will be at a higher-paying job soon, with mass mandatory retirements coming at all the major U.S. carriers. And if that doesn't pan out, in a few years I can make a comfortable six figures where I'm at.

I know a lot of people hate the job, but you can make it be great for you if you want.
- glacierfreeze

Medical Alternatives

Female dentist

Dentistry! It's not perfect, but no job is perfect. Dental school is rough and expensive, but there are incentive packages to help you pay for it. No mandatory multiple years of residency like medicine. No real emergencies, just call in a prescription to your local pharmacy. It's also the perfect combination of art and science. Malpractice rates are more manageable compared to other areas of medicine.

Dentistry is also very gratifying. You can treat toddlers to old grannies, each with their own unique needs. I've had grannies bake me pies and knit me blankets after I made them dentures and little kids happy that the tooth fairy will visit them later because I wiggled out a loose tooth for them.
- wildest_moments

I was hoping to become a doctor because I'm fascinated with healthcare, but turns out i'm f*cking awful at chemistry, so I became a clinical IT analyst instead. I get involved in clinical workflows and work with doctors and nurses every day, and I don't have to be a super genius or super rich to afford to go to med school. Plus, there are plenty of job opportunities and the pay is great; I'm in my early 20s and I'll probably be making six figures before I'm 30.
- laurahrahrah

Went to college to be pre-med physical therapy (exercise science). Grades didn't cut it. Got kicked out of college, and spent a semester fighting my way back in. Got back in, finished my last year instead as a Health Promotion focus with a Kinesiology major, and now I'm moving halfway across the U.S. (Florida) to work with a fitness center [to] jump-start a new health promotion program along with personal/fitness training due to my extensive exercise science background. Won't get paid that much, but enough to be comfortable. Health jobs are out there, PT is still a very lucrative field to get in and if my career path doesn't work out, I plan on going back with a new state of mind to get the master's in PT.
- Twins_Basil_Twins

Research. I can't believe they actually pay me do do this. I am a lowly technician who works for a government agency you have heard of, but I cannot say which one. I graduated with my BS in Microbiology in 2004, and began working at a university doing basic virology research. My first job was what allowed me to be successful in my field; my supervisor was extremely tolerant of the constant mistakes I made, and gave me more responsibility as I improved. This allowed me to obtain a diverse skill set, while not pursuing an advanced degree, which I was not able to do because of my crazy wife (now-ex).

Two jobs later, I am conducting the exact type of research I had wanted to at the beginning of my career. If I had to give one piece of advice to people starting out in this field, it would be to take more-difficult classes than are required, and to do well in those classes. They will be laborious, but will set you up to succeed in your career. Additionally, if you do not have a passion for science, you will not excel in research. You will be able to keep your job, but will never gain the respect of your colleagues, who have often been publishing since before you were born.

I don't make a ton of money, but I am certainly comfortable. It's really not about that, anyway.
- FlavaFlavivirus

Nurse here; I'd recommend it to anyone that can handle the schooling (it isn't for everyone). It is so versatile and there are countless settings to work in. There's graduate programs you can pursue to become a nurse practitioner (pediatric, family health, psych, geriatric), certified registered nurse anesthetist, or certified nurse midwife for more specialisation, pay and autonomy. It's usually rated as one of the most worthwhile associate's degrees offered.
- spider_RN

I'm a vet tech. Besides getting to care for animals all day, the best part of my job is probably the excitement of it. I'm doing different things all day, and it never really feels monotonous. It uses my mental capacity and keeps me on my feet as well. In some ways, it's like having many jobs in one, because I get to be a nurse, physical therapist, dental hygienist, radiologist, anesthesiologist, lab tech, and surgical assistant. Plus, I get to work with really fun people and feel like I make a difference every day.

A word of warning though: This job isn't just for people who love animals. Loving animals helps, but you also have to be willing to deal with feces, urine, vomit, blood, etc. and have an interest in medicine. Also, don't do this if you want to make a lot of money. Thankfully, however, it's relatively easy to find a job in this field with the right degree and certification.
- moondog55

Working With Your Hands And/Or Outdoors

firefighters

Firefighter! I was at a career crossroads at 27. I had studied, held some menial customer service jobs and was in a bit of a rut. A friend of mine mentioned that he was applying for our state's fire service and I decided to give it a crack. Ten thousand applicants applied for 140 jobs and I was lucky enough to be one of them. The pay is good but not great. The shift work is where it's at. I work two 10-hour days, followed by two 14-hour nights and then have 4 days off. We also get about 6 weeks of annual leave a year.

Additionally, if I want 12 days off, I can get other firefighters to work my shifts and then pay them back later. The job itself is awesome. You learn some great life skills. People are always genuinely happy to see you and every job is different. It can be quite dangerous, but probably not as dangerous as most people think. Personal safety is paramount and we're extremely conscious of protecting ourselves and each other. Very few people quit the service. When you join, you join for life and it's that choice to stay a firefighter for life that reflects the awesomeness of this great career.
- pweekes

Anything in the skilled trades. Possibly the most under-rated career out there today.

Here in Canada, I've watched many of my friends graduate with a university degree, and barely even be competitive for a part-time retail position. Yet, here in Ontario, and especially Toronto, we are facing an ever-growing shortage of skilled workers, and a projected increase in work, (especially with serious, necessary infrastructure upgrades in Toronto).

Why? Because we beat into our high-school students that they need to get a university degree to be anything of value, or to be successful in life, and everyone views the skilled trades as a last resort, the kind of job for the kids who dropped out of high school.

Well, I know a number of licensed electricians, plumbers, HVAC workers, sheet-metal workers, elevator constructors, ironworkers, etc. etc. etc. who dropped out of high school and pull in over $70,000 a year. The ones who stayed in high school? The ones with ambition, drive, and pride in their work? Those tend to become foremen, supervisors and inspectors etc., pulling in over $100,000 a year. (Much more common than you think.)

If you can get in a construction union, for example, IBEW for electricians (my chosen trade), you now also enjoy full benefits and one of the most secure pension plans in the country.

Other benefits of the skilled trades? (Here in Canada at least): Start working right after high school. By doing an apprenticeship over a college or university education, you start working and making money right away, rather then going into debt, or spending tens of thousands on education before you even have a job. I'll have enough saved for a down payment on a house by the time I'm 24. (Which in Toronto is a big deal; houses ain't cheap.) My friends in university can't even comprehend that idea.

Job security. Less and less new workers, more and more work. Very rarely is a competent tradesman in a good trade or union out of work. Options for career advancement. I don't have to bust my ass for my paycheque for the rest of my life. Once I have 8 to 10 years' experience in a specific trade, better, "cushier" options present themselves. Like inspector, supervisor, foreman — even opening my own company if I so choose. Option to start your own company. The great thing about starting a company that revolves around a skilled trade? You are the biggest asset. Your knowledge and experience in your chosen trade are the most important piece. Low initial cash investment, just some additional licenses and paperwork, and scale up as you get more work. Starting almost any other kind of company or business usually requires a much larger initial investment, and doesn't have nearly as high a success rate, at least that I'm aware of.

Yes it's hard work. But you get used to it, and with a little ambition, drive, and intelligence, it doesn't have to be hard work forever. I'm an electrical apprentice at a good company, and I could not be happier with the career path I have chosen.
- livewithit

Working in the ski/snowboard industry. I took a job at a resort straight out of college because I was having trouble finding a job related to what I studied in college, totally expecting to just do it for one season and then walk away. Three years later I've been promoted twice and now run my own ski shop. It's a lot of fun, I meet new people constantly, and I haven't put on a tie since.
The turnover rate for these sorts of jobs is high because most people just get into it to bum a free season pass for a season or two, but if you show that you're dedicated to the job for more than that and network with everyone you meet, you can have some amazing opportunities present themselves to you. I know people who have gotten offers to go teach snowboarding in New Zealand and South America, or got jobs at companies like Burton and Elan designing ski equipment.

Plus, you can get out skiing and/or snowboarding, like, constantly. I had 70 days on-mountain this past season.
- ChromaticFades

Desk Jobs

app shopping

Business analyst checking in! Helping people use technology to make them more productive and more efficient at work is fun! One day I'll be helping a factory manager understand how well their machines are performing, the next day I'll be helping the marketing team understand how to best use Twitter!

There are boring bits (testing...), and difficult bits (a few of the people...) but if you love technology and love helping people... it's a pretty good life!
- JeffSergeant

Programming plus luck. I made a smartphone app that's doing really well and I suppose that's my job now.

The good:
- I work from home two to three hours a day.
- ~£50k($90,000)/year
- I get to work on whatever I feel like working on.
- Toys are business expenses.
- No office rules (like having to wear pants or not being allowed to browse Reddit).
- Complete flexibility. If it's sunny outside, I just grab a blanket, go to the park and do some work later. If I feel like going on vacation, I can just pack my bag, head to airport in the afternoon and pick a destination, as long as there's an internet connection.
- Fully stocked fridge (with beer) a few feet from my desk.
- I get to make myself employee of the month 12 times a year.

The bad:
- Working from home and not having any coworkers is pretty isolating.
- Lack of job security.
- I'm also the doing the email support.
- My schedule may be flexible, but I'm alone in that, so whatever I'm doing while everyone else is at work, I'll be doing solo.

Still... best job ever.
- toodles2

Petroleum geologist. The schooling is fun (yay rocks!), and once you get in, the job isn't too bad. It's a desk job, yes, so it can be kind of boring at times, but the hours are regular, and it's hard to argue with a six-figure salary.
- marythecatlady

I'm a software developer. I leave the term broad because there is such a wide array of possibilities. Want to make mobile apps? You can do that.
Want to develop desktop software? You can do that too. Websites? Sure.
Want to make video games? You will have arguably the most important job involved in making games. Do you want the flexibility to work in literally any industry? Everyone needs software, everyone needs developers.
Do you want to be able to completely change industries without taking a pay cut? You can do that.

Got a degree from somewhere that turned out to be useless? You can still be a developer. Anecdotally, I've met more developers here without related degrees than with them (here in the Midwest of the States, anyway). Bad at math? Programming computers is more akin classical logic than math (field-dependent, of course). Fancy yourself good at grammar? The vast majority of programming is understanding and correcting grammar (which may explain some of the interesting tendencies encountered on Reddit/the internet, lol). Hate school? Self-teaching programming is not hard, and there are legions of websites and books dedicated to developing skills.
We are at an early point in the maturity of the software development field that predates extreme specialisation. You can literally learn one popular programming language and have a hugely transferable skill to pretty much anywhere.
- elmassivo

This article was originally published in AskMen.