If you look back at your professional career, which jobs were the ones you liked or hated the most?

Question

For those who haven't started their professional career yet, there's a similar question about your academic career and the subjects you like or hate.

OneViewpoint · Accepted Answer

LOL, any of the jobs I had as a high school and college student. But LOL, we all know those are throw away jobs. They give kids some pocket money and keep us off the streets. For me it was retail and a laundry service cleaning rich people's clothes.

In my professional career I've always been lucky but also willing to take risks and aggressive about raising my hand for the stuff no one else wanted to take responsibility for. I'm on my 4th career and literally never had a job that wasn't a learning experience that moved me forward.

Straight out of school I had a commitment to the US Army. And in my Junior year, while at OBC (officer basic course) at Fort Bragg, NC I was offered the chance to go straight to Airborne training after OBC. I took it. While in Airborne training a group of us were offered the chance to go straight to Ranger School from our Airborne training. The Army cleared it with our schools so we could return to fall semester late. That led to 15 years as an officer in an elite sorta quirky role. That pushed me to my limits all the time all over the planet.

From there, I was recruited by Fortune 100 companies, notably Raytheon, GE, GTE, and Stanley Tools and I was able to finally put my Finance and Accounting degrees to some use at a corporate level. That gave me a huge leap forward in my understanding of how corporations look at and use financial analysis.

From there I jumped to a CFO role in a heavy industrial greenfield startup. We took $250 million and went from muddy ground to an operational million square foot facility in 12 months. In the following 12 months we sold out 70,000 tons of production capacity.

From there I got an offer from some former Fortune 100 colleagues to come join a private equity firm in New York City with about $10 billion in assets under management and roughly 24 companies in their portfolio at any given moment. So I learned about buying and selling all sorts of companies. We also had a hedge fund and wealth management platform.

I left private equity after 10 years and started consulting for investment banks, hedge funds, private equity, and a few manufacturing clients.

I've had a blast. I've had a lakefront home in NH. I've had a place in the Caribbean for 4 years where I lived as an expat. And I've met all sorts of interesting people who taught me all sorts of stuff. I've slept on the ground and eaten out of a plastic bag. And I've flown in private jets and slept in 5 star resorts. No complaints.

exitseven · Accepted Answer

I am on my third career. Before I got married I had a crappy sales job selling equipment and uniforms to police and fire departments. It was hard work and i did not get much time off. I suppose I learned a lot about how the world worked and it is probably why I am so cynical today.

While I did that I went to college at night and majored in Computer Science and I got into the IT field. I worked for a hospital and a K-12 School system. i also worked for a large High Tech company and then worked at a college as an IT manager. I learned a lot about IT and liked working at the hospital the best.

While I was at the college I was given the opportunity to teach a couple of classes in the evening. I really likde it and i always told people that If I had it to do all over again I would come back as a college professor.

I saw a job opening at another college for a Computer Science professor. I interviewed for the position but did not expect to get it. i was surprised when I was hired. I worked there for a year until we had covid and i was laid off. I planned on collecting unemployment until it ran out and then retire but Joe Biden was elected president and prices skyrocketed overnight and my retirement account lost about 20 %. so I looked for a new job. I got hired to be the network administrator for a medical supply company. I worked there for 3 years before retiring. I still teach part time.

I think that teaching is my favorite job. I have taken this semester off becuse I had surgery but I am looking forward to going back in the fall.

Tiffany_Taylor_Made · Accepted Answer

I have been working in the medical field for several years thus far as my career, which I really enjoy. However, regarding jobs, I recall the times I worked in fast food, namely McDonalds as a teenager, as perhaps the worst job of my life. Working with a ton of unruly customers during the busy days is a high-stress job that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. When I was in college, I worked in a warehouse as an order picker, which I surprisingly enjoyed at the time. It was a very laid-back and easy job, which was a far cry from fast food.

CupcakeTheDestroyer · Accepted Answer

The job I hated the most was being stuck at a call center. It was non-stop calls, all day, it was awful. The best job (so far) was pizza delivery. A very chill job where I just got to listen to my playlist while dropping off food to relatively happy customers.

Advisor Smith · Accepted Answer

I’ve coached hundreds of people through this reflection, and I use it myself regularly.

The jobs I liked most:
- Clear impact on others (students, clients, team).
- Autonomy to design solutions, not just execute tasks.
- Continuous learning and smart colleagues.
- A manager who gave feedback and trusted me.

The ones I disliked:
- Vague expectations and shifting priorities.
- Micromanagement and no say in decisions.
- Work misaligned with my values (e. g., “sell at any cost”).

Use this to reflect: impact, autonomy, growth, people, and values.

Telekinetic-Potato · Answer

Jobs I hated the most were ones where I did bullshit work for people who had no idea what they were doing. I felt like I was not only wasting my time but I was blemishing my integrity by working somewhere that didn't uphold my standards.

My favorite jobs were the ones where I got to be part of a team and we were the best at what we did. It didn't matter if it was a server at a restaurant, managing mechanic shops or production work for marketing. I like being around competent people.

petitedollbabee · Answer

I hated working in customer service, most people lack common sense. I enjoyed escorting/sex work though. You meet some interesting people, find good opportunities and the pay rate is nothing to sneeze at.

emeraldsaphire · Answer

The job I liked the most was being an art director, my least favorite job is a bit harder. I really didn't like working at a 711. Guys hit on me all the time, people would just grunt at me. I hated being a pool life guard... I quit that job in a week. No one would listen to me. I hated being a house keeper. Mostly because they guy who was hiring me was a huge perv.

BCRanger10 · Answer

My favorite job, at least to a point, was probably when I was a warehouse worker for a TV provider. Either that or when I worked on a production line for my current employer.

I hated the materials coordinator job I had about 10 years ago, even though I was only there for a few weeks.

RedInnocent69 · Answer

The work has always been similar. Enjoy the interaction with people/helping clients and colleagues, but the office politics is what distinguishes (kills) the vibe of a particular workplace for me

najekim · Answer

Dislike the most: Working at a foundry in-between my real career jobs. Liked the most: at a company that engineered and designed custom, one-of-a-kind specialty machinery.

NathanDavis · Answer

I didn't really have an interest on careers... I went into business-making instead

LiamJHayden · Answer

My professional career consist of my legal service. I dislike that I often help the wrong side win, but I love the money the business generates.

Honeyateleven · Answer

I like neurologist, professor careers I don't like food/agriculture related jobs

Hunter-40m · Answer

The one I am doing now is the best the first one I did was the worst it was killing my feet

Jennz6 · Answer

The jobs that I didn’t get paid for

If you look back at your professional career, which jobs were the ones you liked or hated the most?

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Name a job that you had, that you hated with all your heart? Did you end up quitting?

If you look back at your professional career, which jobs were the ones you liked or hated the most?

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Name a job that you had, that you hated with all your heart? Did you end up quitting?

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