# Do you have a "happy" job? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 9, 2019, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549 "2019-10-09T20:18:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/1 "2019-10-09T20:18:11Z")
I don’t. I get well paid and all, and no heavy lifting, but 100% of my job involves dealing with people claiming disability benefits. Even when I’m helping deserving people, it makes for a long a day to hear never-ending tales of people who fail to succeed in this system. Job pays well, and supports a comfortable lifestyle, but can be awfully draining. But I’m not here to complain and am not looking for sympathy or anything. I gotta imagine SOMEONE out there has a “happy” job - however you describe it. After the day I just had, I’d love to hear about such jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/2 "2019-10-09T20:44:26Z")
I’m an Artist. I actually sell some mixed media things. I do sign lettering. Which I love. I did a couple of large floor logos of the school mascot. Hard on the knees. Got paid well. Done a few murals. Hard work that. Mostly I’m having fun. And am happy. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/3 "2019-10-09T21:09:22Z")
I do not have a happy job. However, once upon a time I spent several months working an ice cream cart selling [Dove bars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove_Bar). That was the happiest job ever. No matter how hot, cold, or bored I got, everyone came to the ice cream cart with happy anticipation, and everyone left even happier. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/4 "2019-10-09T21:44:15Z")
I wouldn’t say I have a happy job. It’s not emotionally satisfying, intellectually stimulating or even interesting. It’s tedious, repetitive factory work. Bags come down a conveyor belt, ten bags go in a box, box is closed and put on the outgoing belt - repeat for 12 hours a day. The people are great though. We have fun with each other, play good tunes and for the most part, the day flies by. When we’re not having fun as a team, I’m alone with my thoughts. Frankly, this is a delight. Hours can go by where I don’t have to hear about anyone else’s crap. Considering the nature of the job and my physical limitations, the pay is very good and I have great benefits - my coworkers are a nice fringe benefit. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/5 "2019-10-09T21:49:46Z")
I teach. It can be frustrating at times, of course, but the good moments, when I see the “a-ha moments”, easily make up for that. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/6 "2019-10-09T23:45:16Z")
I’ve got a happy job. Overall everyone gets along well with everyone else and we all work well together, even between the front office and operations. Most of us are genuinely friends and often do things with and for each other. My job, of course, involves lots of heavy lifting and carrying. I like it though. I discovered long ago when I was just barely taller than youngun that office work was very easy and very boring and very frustrating sometimes and that I don’t have the patience for it and if I can’t go outside and see the sky for way too much time for a fully indoors job, I get depressed and angry and bitter and evil. So yeah, I got a happy job and we like each other very much. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/7 "2019-10-09T23:51:25Z")
No. I have a job I don’t mind doing, but right now I don’t have enough work to keep me interested. My new director doesn’t seem to understand what I do, and although she’s happy with my output, I used to be much more involved. However, it pays okay, I work from home 4 days a week, and I’m saving and looking forward to retirement in another 6-7 years. My father use to say he loved every day on the job, even the frustrating ones. I’ve never had that. I exchange my labor, knowledge and skill for money. That’s all there is to it. StG ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Morrison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Marion\_Morrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Morrison)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/8 "2019-10-10T00:15:35Z")
I’m happy with my job. It’s not a “get rich” one, but you can make make an American living at it. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/9 "2019-10-10T00:46:03Z")
Ummm, these days, not so much. **Eva Luna,** Immigration Paralegal P.S. It’s not all bad - just yesterday, I found out that I managed to convince USCIS that the President and Executive Director of a global IT company that you have all heard of, with revenues in the hundreds of millions, qualifies as a manager for immigration purposes! P.P.S. At least I’m not doing asylum cases these days. However, I’m also not seeing so many cute photos of clients’ babies, either. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/10 "2019-10-10T00:54:35Z")
I do, now that I’m retired.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/11 "2019-10-10T01:15:23Z")
My job doesn’t make me miserable, which is its own form of happiness in a way. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/12 "2019-10-10T01:37:26Z")
I was unemployed back in 2013. I delivered flowers on Valentine’s Day. That was still my favorite day of any job. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/13 "2019-10-10T01:38:59Z")
Yes. Not in a “bubbling over with rainbows every day” sort of thing, but it’s intellectually satisfying and I feel I’m doing some good things. Part of the job satisfaction is that there’s a lot of variety in the type of cases I deal with. Never boring, often stressful. But putting together a well-crafted argument, writing it out, and then standing up in court to make the case - lot’s-o-fun! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/14 "2019-10-10T01:48:04Z")
My job consisted of listening to the employees complain about the prisoners and the prisoners complain about the employees with occasional breaks of having employees complain about other employees and prisoners complain about other prisoners. Which was the good part of my job because I could tell employees and prisoners to shut up and just do what I said. The bad part of my job was dealing with the bad ideas from the people above me and trying to persuade them not to do something dumb. The boring part of my job was doing all of the above while keeping everything running on a day-to-day basis. And the interesting parts of my job were the worst because anything interesting that happens in a prison is usually terrible. So, no, happy’s not the word I would use. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/15 "2019-10-10T03:04:55Z")
I got laid off 3 weeks ago from a major financial services firm. It’s ok, I was miserable there. So, I’m searching for the happy job or at least one which doesn’t drive me to drink. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/16 "2019-10-10T12:07:20Z")
My eldest dtr has a happy job. She is a youth librarian. Sure, she occasionally complains about a patron or some mgmt BS, but the majority of her job enjoys sharing her love for books, music, and learning w/ young people. Of course, she gets paid dirt…:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/17 "2019-10-10T12:50:50Z")
I’m a mechanical drafter for the portion of our company that designs and builds flight trainers and maintenance trainers for various military organizations. I don’t know that I’d call it a happy job, but I enjoy the work and my coworkers, and it’s kinda cool when I wander out on the shop floor and recognize things that I’ve drawn. I think I will be sad when I retire at the end of the year, at least briefly sad… ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/18 "2019-10-10T13:24:03Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > I wouldn’t say I have a happy job. It’s not emotionally satisfying, intellectually stimulating or even interesting. It’s tedious, repetitive factory work. Bags come down a conveyor belt, ten bags go in a box, box is closed and put on the outgoing belt - repeat for 12 hours a day. The people are great though. We have fun with each other, play good tunes and for the most part, the day flies by. When we’re not having fun as a team, I’m alone with my thoughts. Frankly, this is a delight. Hours can go by where I don’t have to hear about anyone else’s crap. > > Considering the nature of the job and my physical limitations, the pay is very good and I have great benefits - my coworkers are a nice fringe benefit. When I was a kid, I read Roald Dahl’s _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_. Charlie’s father, Mr. Bucket, works in a factory screwing the tops onto tubes of toothpaste. When I read that, I thought, “Oh, that sounds good”, which is probably not the reaction Mr. Dahl was going for. I see now I was right all along. 🙂 > [@Dinsdale](#): > > My eldest dtr has a happy job. She is a youth librarian. Sure, she occasionally complains about a patron or some mgmt BS, but the majority of her job enjoys sharing her love for books, music, and learning w/ young people. Of course, she gets paid dirt…:rolleyes: My daughter is a librarian too! I wish I could be as cool as her when I grow up. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/19 "2019-10-10T13:57:43Z")
More neutral than anything; while my immediate IT department co-workers and I joke, laugh, etc… a big component of the job is dealing with internal business clients for their IT needs, and that’s frequently contentious, as the predecessors in my department didn’t do a great job of managing their expectations, nor of managing their involvement, etc… So we get a lot of scope change and missed requirements because they don’t take it seriously on the front end, which makes it contentious when we get to the latter stages of the project and say “No, you can’t have that feature; you didn’t ask for it back in May, and we didn’t budget for it.” The overall attitude here is upbeat though, even with the contention, and I do have to say that even though contentious, it doesn’t ever become angry or impolite. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549/20 "2019-10-10T14:57:01Z")
I’m not sure if this counts, my actual work isn’t “happy”, it’s just kind of “there”. But it is very kush and I make a lot of money, so I’m happy when I clock off at least. I am grateful to have it and hope the gig lasts forever, though I know it won’t. Software engineering, working from home. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-happy-job/841549.md?page=2)