Hands up all those who never really enjoyed working!

My first job was in a bank and I hated it. My mother's boss had 'had a word' with a Rotary colleague (or some such) and that was that. Terribly bullying and snobbish environment back then and I walked out after 4 months. I was 16. My next job was as an office clerk but after 2 weeks was asked to do an aptitude test for the new-fangled computer system. I became a key punch operator and loved it. Did some voluntary work when we lived abroad then back into the computer arena. Demanding work at times but speed and accuracy were well rewarded back then and I met some great people. Redundant 3 times though and my last job was just a 9-5 to put a roof over my head and food on my table. When my DGC was born and DIL needed to go back to work I was glad of a reason to retire. Now don't know how I ever had time to go to work

The jobs I loved included working in a GP surgery and also hospitals both of which I enjoyed, however it was sometimes unbearable because of bad management. I was happy to leave and look after my DGC. I won't get my pension until I'm 66 having just missed out but as a lot of us know that's a whole different rantstory!

I worked in an office when I left school and really enjoyed it. Then I had my children and stayed at home to they were school age my husband worked in those days we gave up our jobs to raise the children. I was offered a job in the school where they went as a meal supervisor and a TA which was lovely at first when my children went onto secondary school I could have left and gone back to work in an office but I stayed. Do wish I had left because along came ofsted and Mr Blair with his education education and is wasn't so nice it was too stressful. Was glad when I could retire.

Hi old goose, I too did market research gorgeous around 10 years, it started off as a brilliant job but as you said targets and varied work patterns became more arduous, I changed career and ended up teaching in college working with students with behavioural issues (among other things). I loved it but now having finished work am beginning to get a bit bored....wondering if I should go back, I don't want to make a commitment time wise to voluntary work as we want to travel but miss my colleagues so much. Trying to work out ways of meeting new people.....

I always wanted to work with animals but my mother forced me to leave school at 15 without taking my gce's and to work in a shop that didnt last long and i had a succession of jobs none of them with animals now 65 and retired i have been working for a few years as a volunteer with the dogs trust this has been so rewarding and i wish i had all those years ago stood up to my mother and found a job with animals i am sure my life would of been so much happier,

@oldgoose So happy for you. I, too, can't wait to retire and do what I like (within reason, renting & not much pension but enough to live on). Paid off my last vet bill in April (took 2 years), started drawing my state pension in August & paying off a credit card bill till CMas. Planned to retire then. But now my dog possibly has same thing as before - not sure if I can extend my working to pay that one off so a bit of a worry. I love the job (copy editing) just hate the material I'm working on - and don't have the confidence to freelance & work on something I enjoy. Ah well. Loads worse off than me. I still might retire at the end of the year, just won't have any savings/funeral fund.
Been counting down to retirement for about 20 years now. Tell all the young people I work with to find a way out of the 9-5, or at least, find a job they enjoy. Much harder now than when I was a gal tho

I love my job but feel that by the time I can retire due to government pension changes I will have lost the enthusiasm and love I feel now sad really as unlike those who were able to retire at a reasonable age I don't think I will look back at my job with the same thoughts.

When I was young I hated being at home, I loved being with my children but I felt bored and I wasn't using my brain. Now I love being retired with time to go to art galleries, theatres, meet friends, paint and provide childcare for GC. Going back to work when our children started school meant that our standard of living drastically improved and I was pleased that I could contribute and ease the burden on my husband. I also liked being independent and having my own money, as I do now. Perhaps perceptions of work v home are coloured by what jobs we had open to us?

Let's not forget that the 'stay at home' option has largely disappeared and most young women count themselves lucky if they can afford to take a year's maternity leave. It's not a question of wanting too many consumer goods or foreign holidays, simply the need to pay the mortgage and feed the family.

I've had two jobs I really enjoyed over the years, but other than that it's just been a slog, especially once I had children as I just wanted to be with them. My current job is my best ever really. I work part-time for a tiny local charity, and to save the charity money I work from home. I have the best employers, one of whom is a close friend, and mainly I just get on with the administration, which I enjoy. Last week I had a stressful time because of an ex service user, but the trustees helped me with that. Then one day a week I have youngest DGS for the day and another day I have the two eldest DGSs before and after school. I'm very lucky.

Oh how I could say what I feel in my appraisal. My appraiser know me well and giggles when Its finished and I whisper you know I've just talked a load of utter bollocks rubbish don't you. She nods and smiles and says yes and so do I in mine. Somtimes she tells me what to say. It really is a waste of time. It doesn't really give the company any insight because when we fill in the confidential survey the results are in direct contradiction of what we've all said in our appraisals.

I was so pleased to be made redundant from my teaching job. I loved teaching but hated the crap which went along with it and often stopped us doing what we could do best. When National curriculum reared its ugly head I found that I was then forced to teach my weaknesses not to my strengths. And as for the appraisals which Indinana mentioned I am in complete agreement about them being a waste of time. When it came to me saying what my aims were for the future I was never allowed to say 'retire sane and in good health'. Due to the redundancy my wish came true !
My neighbour commented the other day that the difference between working and retirement is that when 'working' you got paid and now you work and don't get paid !

I worked in social care for six years after I was made redundant in an Age Concern day centre. Having come from private industry, I could not beleive the inefficiency and wasted money, they couldn't organise the proverbial PU in a brewery. In the end they ran out of money and closed the branch. I am now very cautious of the charities I donate to as so many just waste it.

It sounds as if everyone who was involved in social care was caught by the massive cuts and often impossible government time scales to meet.

We were supposed to make decisions about whether to refer social service enquiries within one working day which in many cases was impossible, you cannot always speak to the people you really need to, they have jobs as well.

In real life we were dealing with constant phone calls and priotising the really obvious, but with no proper time to really collect enough information on the less obvious but concerning referrals.

Before these impractical time schedules we could often sort out some enquiries satisfactorily in a couple of days. At the end we were being used as a call centre.

By then we had an idiot manager. He kept popping out of his office asking "whats happening about "jimmy" I did eventually tell him that if he did got keep asking what was going on I could actually sort it out.

That and some total management machinations by him to myself and a colleague who were nearing retirement finished me off.

I did get my own back in my exit interview about all these underhand doings and an apology that should not have happened. I did enjoy that.

My first job at 16 was awful. The office had a history of bullying and I came in for my fair share. However I battled through it and left after 18th months and found a lovely job with lots of people my own age, I was 18 by then.

When I left work at 23 to have our first baby it seemed an amazing luxury to be at home all day. I went on to have two more children and as they grew older I had a variety of jobs, did a degree and went on to be a tutor for adults.

Now I'm retired and a widow I belong to lots of groups and do volunteer work. The best thing about being retired is not worrying about work if I am unwell.

I too have had loads of jobs from dental nurse to working in school kitchens and civil servant. When the children came along I did part time jobs - I can't say I hated any of them BUT at 68 I am happy to be retired. I've always noticed that some people live their life being 'driven' to achieve more and more. Better jobs, more qualifications etc which is great I suppose but I have never been like that. Now I am happy to live a simple life - I enjoy reading (the newspaper, magazines, books), watching tv, walking, talking and, of course, going on gransnet!

I loved my last job and was heartbroken when I had to retire at 69 I know I had more in me I so miss the routine, something to get up for, all the general public I met, and the feeling I was doing something to help I still work part time in a volutary situation
It's probably because I have no interest in myself really So although I like my hobbies and shopping theatre cinema etc they are not the same as making a difference to others I don't mean that to sound sanctimonious it's just as it is I m not that interested in my things

I've had lots of jobs. Most have had their good and bad points. If I'm honest I never really loved going to work. If money hadn't been an issue I'd have been happy to stay at home. Why does it feel almost shameful to admit that? Yet here I am past retirement still working. I too have always suffered that Sunday evening dread of 'work' tomorrow. My sister is the same even though she worked hard for a good degree had a well paid job with fabulous benefits she still hated it and has only worked intermittently and at 40 never worked again. It doesn't run in the family because the other three siblings profess to love their work. My husband doesn't mind his stress free job but is starting to find the hours tiring. The targets, appraisals, and constant changes around commissioning make my current job very stressful although the job itself is still rewarding. I do wonder how long I can keep it up. The stress can be almost heart stopping.

I have been very lucky as I gave up work when I got married and did DH'S admin which has never been that arduous. This enabled me to be there for the children and the wider family and to do voluntary work which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The downside is that I won't actually ever retire!

I hate my job with a passion. I always wanted to do some kind of social work. I think I might have been quite good at it despite being described as a "bleeding heart" ! I think I have a lot of compassion. Who knows? I blew it. By becoming pregnant at 17 and have been an unpaid/unrecognized/unthanked social worker ever since .

I have had two jobs which I loved. My first( In another lifetimes) was as a Veterinary Nurse, and the second many years later was with an Antiquarian Book Dealer. Both very interesting jobs, and both had lovely People to work with. I have moved around the Country a fair bit, so had alot of jobs in between, all of which I hated.

I should be retired now, but still doing a job I hate, although I do work from home. This has advantages and disadvantages too. I have to be stern to give myself some time off.

If I had my wish though I would have been very happy being a " Housewife", sorry hate that word but I expect you all know what I mean. If we had been wealthy enough for me to never work I would have been delighted looking after the home and Garden, Kids and Animals. In my sixties now and still waiting for a bit of peace.

I worked in the same place for thirty years. I loved it in the early years, it was a happy, carefree place to work and everyone was friendly. We never seemed to have any bitchiness or back-biting. But it all went pear-shaped about 10 years before I retired, with targets, KPI's, departmental wrangling and so on. Oh and the appraisals . God save me from appraisals, such a complete and utter waste of everyone's time, where everyone just said what they knew their line manager wanted to hear, anything to get the damn thing over with.
The stress was unbearable and I couldn't wait to retire. Just thinking about it now as I type has, I'm sure, raised my BP several notches

I was born to retire!

Loved my job last few years became very stressful and all about targets glad to get away in end ?

Enjoyed nearly all my working life, of course there were bad times but mostly it was great. I worked with people with a learning disability and helping them become as independent as possible was worth every extra minute and hour of work. Unfortunately so called care in the community saw vulnerable people at risk and was not something I wanted to be part of. Politics overtook caring as I'm sure others who worked for local government will know.

I loved my job as an engineer, and in IT up until the last couple of years when the constant stress got to me, and I had a breakdown. I was delighted to be made redundant at 57 (My boss, the financial director, knew he was doing me a favour, he knew the financial details and that I would be OK).