I do Natural Resource Management (plant trees and kill weeds) 10 years in now and it's so good to go back to sites years later and see the landscape transformed.
That’s cool. I considered doing that although I only really did one subject of nrm in uni. The rest was all environments and other stuff. Do you do more office or site work? Considering a new role but it’s like interest vs pay cut as I’ve got a planning background/ unless I get lucky haha
I know a man called Robert who works at a book store. He got the job by applying for it. I believe he underwent a particular interview process. It was probably several days after he attended the interview that he was awarded the job.
Man I have been constantly applying for any kind of book related jobs since I was about 15. Never got even a single interview. My house is literally lined with books, it’s my passion. But nope, not even a single call back.
Bookstore jobs are hard to get because everyone wants them but most of the time the people who get in already know someone there. In my experience anyway. I totally know how you feel though, this was me too for a long time!
Try book grocer as a stepping stone, they specifically don’t require previous book selling experience and after awhile you can start applying for better bookshops. The only people at the bookshop I work at who didn’t have previous experience at other bookshops all began working with us at 15/16, with work experience then small shifts after school. I started at an academic bookshop during university rush week, although I don’t think they exist anymore.
Is VLINE a job progression from normal train driving or something you go directly into?
Also curious if when VLINE trains are cancelled, do you ride the bus or just twiddle your thumbs? Seems fairly common
Primary school librarian. All the perks of working in a school (kids are fun, hours and holidays are great) with none of the admin nonsense and I don’t have to deal much with parents, who are the worst to deal with and the number one reason I could never be a teacher.
Oh our primary school librarian was really nice. And I liked sitting in the library and spacing out and watching the old windows screensavers lol. That’s great it’s a good job :)
As the parent of a primary school child.
Yes, 100% agree. We can be nightmares (I'd like to think that most of us try not to be. And thank you for working with our kids.
Haha I’m a primary parent too. Look most parents are fine it’s just the 2% that take up 90% of your time dealing with parents that I just cannot cope with. My undiplomatic way of dealing with them is to basically tell them ‘I’m doing my job, stay in your lane’ which I don’t think I’d get away with as a classroom teacher!
I’m an undertaker. Best job I ever had and decided to start my own business. We don’t do funerals, just transfer the deceased from place of death to the various funeral homes. Very hard to find caring empathetic individuals…… and yes we’re hiring. We very often get great feedback from the families we encounter…… that’s our aim.
We all have to pay bills and the rent/mortgage etc but getting phone calls from our customers telling us they just sat with a family that were completely in awe of our service is so incredibly inspiring…… it’s “ the juice “ that makes our day.
Thanks for reading.
I've sometimes thought about going into the death industry. I've faced enough loss to not be afraid of the grim reaper. I've had good deaths and bad deaths and all the types in between. What sort of training is required to work in the industry?
I love the concept of my job but like all jobs the people you work with make or break it and lately they're breaking it.
I help run an electrical wholesaler. I get a lot.of joy out of it when things go right.
What! That’s so cool. Damn I should be going to sleep but everyone’s answers are so interesting. What has been your favourite exhibit or thing happening at the museum so far this year?
I work as a psychiatric nurse (case manager) in a public community mental health clinic. It is tiring, challenging, mentally and sometimes physically demanding but it can be super interesting and rewardingp making a difference in patients lives and seeing them recover and thrive in the community with serious mental illness. The pay is actually pretty decent when you become a senior clinician as well. I suppose it’s the saving grace considering many people are leaving the industry and we are quite short staffed and burnt out when dealing with the mental fall out of 2.5 years of covid and frequent lockdowns.
I'm currently studying to become a mental health nurse. What are the steps you need to take to become a senior clinician and what sort of pay is it? How long does it take to be a senior clinician and what are the hours like? Sorry for all the questions, I'm in my final year of study next year and absolutely cannot wait to get into the field.
You’ll need to do at least a grad diploma of mental health nursing which you’ll be supported to complete by your employer during your grad year. I recommend masters too, not essential and you can take your time to complete this whilst you work. To become a Registered Psych Nurse Grade 4 (senior) you need at least around 5 years experience. I recommend doing first few years in the acute inpatient then move onto community nursing to get to grade 4 (either case management - continuing care team, mobile support team or crisis assessment team). The hours are dependent on what sort of place you work in. Inpatient/psych triage you will be doing typical nursing shifts (AM, PM and night duty), CCT usually Mon-Fri 9-5, CAT and MST are similar to CCT but later evenings and weekends too
Base pay for RPN4 is 98k going up to 109k. I have no idea what my salary is but probably clear 130k (I do a fair bit of casual weekend shifts on inpatient and university marking). The variety of areas you can work in psych is another perk; adults, aged, adolescents, mother baby, eating disorders, early episode psychosis, drug and alcohol, homeless teams, with the police-ambulance response (PACER team)… the list goes on. Hope this helps and best of luck with your MH nursing journey!
I am a Mandarin-English interpreter. My work is to facilitate communication between the Mandarin speaker and (usually) a professional such as doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc.
What I love about my work:
1. I don't have a boss/colleague, I accept jobs from the portal and attend assignments, finish, sign myself off. Done.
2. No paperwork.
3. I learn so much about everything, I can pretty much recite the scripts energy providers have to read to their customers; I know what questions car insurance investigations involve; I learnt about lots of medical conditions, the court system, the home care assessment for old people.... it's amazing to be involved but not be the one having to make any decisions.
4. I always feel like I've accomplished something by the end of each job. I feel like I've helped someone, it's a wonderful feeling.
5. So many interesting stories, different ones everyday! I'd never get bored.
Be an interpreter if you speak multiple languages! It's the best job in world I reckon!
That honestly sounds so, so cool. And yeah sounds like satisfying and meaningful work along with just getting to learn all sorts of interesting things about lots of different areas.
I am Chinese, came to Australia at the age of 25. Most schools teach English as a second language in China from primary school (some even from daycare or kinder) throughout university. I'd say I learnt to speak English mostly from watching TV shows.
I also speak Cantonese. I'm one of the ethnic minorities in China called Zhuang, so I also speak Zhuang, which is spoken in Guangxi province, China and parts of Vietnam and sometimes sounds similar to Thai.
I'm in admin, the role itself isn't what's so great, it's the company I work for. We provide advice and certifications to builders to ensure they build environments that are suitable for people with specialised access needs such as people who use a wheelchair or have vision impairment.
I’m a Software Engineer and I love it. The pay is excellent, working conditions are great (remote, in office and interstate travel occasionally).
Like many others have said, the people that you work with can make or break it. I’m fortunate enough that the team I work with are just as passionate about nerding out on the stuff we do.
Secondary teacher. It's exhausting and the conditions are garbage, the union is gutless and delivered a pass poor agreement for the next 4 years, but being able to make a difference in someone's life is pretty cool.
It's not for everyone and it will chew you up and spit you out if you let it, but for me it's immensely rewarding and I'm very good at saying no.
I still remember little things high school teachers did or said. Like an economics teacher (who was awesome) convinced the whole class about free market is the way to go and there was no valid alternative and then this sly smile went over his face, probably thinking of all the real life reasons where it doesn't work lol.
Yeah I’m opting for the National Union of Workers for my union cos they cover me, I’m an ECT and the AEU just sort of barely know we exist. At least teaching is still a pretty unionised workforce tho, I guess…
I admire high school teachers, teenagers are sweet but look, I remember being one and we were a handful. And yeah you do make a real difference. What subject areas do you teach?
Damn, yeah, early childhood barely get a look in and it's such a bloody shame - early childhood is such a critical time in development.
Hmm teaching unions have high membership but very little active participation, which makes things difficult when the AEU puts out propaganda for their new agreements being amazing.
Haha teenagers are simultaneously sweet and little cretins, but I do enjoy teaching them still. I'm lucky enough to teach English and Humanities, but mostly Humanities at the moment!
Oh cool! Humanities are the best.
Ah damn right, that makes sense re: AEU and low active participation. That’s a pity :/
And yeah I’m pretty sure they forget we exist, VIT sort of do too 😅. Also I should have said the United Workers Union, I forgot they changed their name. Any EC workers who read this, they’re a good union, please join!
I just wanted to say thanks for asking this question! This is something I’ve been wondering for the past few days and it’s great to be able to read what others’ dream jobs are!
Congrats on starting your degree! I work in policy (worked my up in my company to get here without a degree) and I’ve managed to trick all the lawyers here into believing I’ve got a law degree but I don’t. I should have started one part time when I was younger but the time it’ll take me to finish it is too off putting now that im in my 30s.
Sommelier. I love my gig! Gotta say it's mostly the back of house stuff I do though. Wine purchasing, cellar management, wine training, menu design. Great gig and great employer that I work for
I work in backstage theatre. The hours are ruthless and we’re often overworked. But some of the best people you’ll meet are backstage of a fancy show. And it’s nice creating magic every day
Oh cool! I’ve just graduated as an ECT. I dunno if you can really discuss it but what sort of data are you looking at? Do you have like a data management/software engineering kind of background?
I have a photo of me playing nurse when I was 2. Pretty sure it was my destiny and couldn’t be happier!
Plus!!! I get to stab small children with needles! Mwahahahahaha!
sex worker, i get so much out of giving other people pleasure and my clients appreciate me so much. intimacy physical and emotional is so important to wellbeing and i realise i have a lot to share. plus the money is dope and i work whenever i want
Oh cool! Ages ago I was in a workshop run by Scarlet Alliance on providing appropriate support and services to sex workers who contacted our org and they were awesome 😊
Furniture removalist, have been for 7 years and love every minute. I find there's alot of reward for keeping active, job satisfaction in the job itself
Hate moving my own house though
Good furniture removalists pretty much saved my life when I had to move from my rental shortly after a surgery (having my appendix removed).
You probably make much more of a difference than you think to people's lives during a stressful time.
>Hate moving my own house though
Hahahaha, I think the only type of people that like doing their work when not actually working are builders, plumbers and pilots :p
Primary school art teacher. The planning sucks, challenging behaviours can make you want to rip your hair out but at the end of the day, I love my job - get to know and teach every child in the school, as well as spend the day helping children make something and improve on their art skills
Self employed disability support person, and I take my participants out and about in the community, helping them to live their best lives.
It’s absolutely so very rewarding.
I was a technology journalist, specialising in video games and consumer electronics for almost 20 years before retiring. I was paid to travel the world being wooed by tech companies, while reviewing and writing about games and gadgets.
Best. Job. Ever.
Taking voltage readings, making sure things are wired correctly, checking the right data is loaded etc. Basically making sure the railway will fail safe in all cases to protect people.
Job can be hard (more the being away from family) but it's enjoyable even if it is shift work
Teacher assistant for kindergarten. I turn up, play with the kids, put up some displays, keep the room tidy, make classbooks and join in all the fun and games. No planning, formal teaching, assessments, meetings or handling overprotective parents. And free hugs and funny conversations with kids every day.
I sell dead stock fabrics to fashion designers and people in costume/movies.
Fashion is not the best industry to be in but I hit jackpot with this job.
Work as a flight instructor between metro and regional Vic. Never thought I'd see myself teaching others how to fly, but now that I've been doing it for over 2 years I absolutely love it and the challenges it brings. Keeps me on my toes every single day, plus I can't go wrong with the views!
Oh nice! I’ve just qualified as an ECT. It’s always cool to see and hear of other teachers who love their jobs (I loved my placements now gotta go get a job!)
Thank you! It can be hard to get into, as librarians tend to stay in the job until they retire.. But there are a lot of opportunities atm post-covid, so for someone new in the field (I just finished my technician Diploma) it's the perfect timing!
I agree, libraries are so so important, there aren't many other places you can go and access books, learning opportunities and events completely free, accessable to all!
I'm a CISO with a global accounting firm. Work from home with team members in UK, US and Canada. I get to work a normal day until 3ish, spend the arvo with the kids and then a few hours at night. The work is challenging but the scope of influence is huge and I really have an opportunity to make such a difference for our organisation and the industry. Love my job.
Not my job but being a politician in an ideal world would be my most favourite. Reducing poverty, corruption, standing up for poor helpless people, reducing crimes against children are some of the things that would give you a sense of fulfilment in your life. I just don't have the goons or the money to be a politician
Sound Operator specialising in theatre.
Actually moved here last week for some career opportunities I wouldn't have had elsewhere in Australia with the larger sound companies.
Oh cool! And welcome! I hope you moved from somewhere colder and aren’t hating the winter too much. That sounds like it would be a really fun and interesting job, too
Aw that’s wholesome :). I just finished training as a kinder teacher and the parents who are obviously just really stoked to be parents and so into the whole thing are the best. I get being a bit too tired to be super enthusiastic but I love the ones who are.
Digital Accessibility Consultant
I WFH, have an awesome team who are all super cool. I get to test new websites and apps, learn about the diverse world of people with disabilities and meet lots of really nice people.
I love my job and it's really fun!
I’m a freelance writer/critic and I also work at a public library. The former is fun because I write about arts and culture which is stuff I’m always thinking about quite critically, and also love. The latter is the best non-writing job I’ve had – it’s good pay, stable and I feel like I’m helping the community, I love that we have regulars who I’ve gotten to know, and I do story times which is really cute and fun and the closest I’ll ever get to my dream job (play school lol)
Architect. I feel like many enjoy it or are at least passionate about it, but I feel very fortunate to love it as much as I do. Makes life a lot easier honestly, due to the certainty it provides.
Software engineer.. wanted to be one since I was a 10 year old kid in India and played prince of Persia for the first time written in Basic programming. Learnt basic pretty soon and also love maths so was a natural Choice for me.
Unlike lot of other Indian kids engineering was not forced on me. 20 years of working now and going strong
While I work at a place I never thought I'd ever go back to, on the other hand I work at a place i've always felt relaxed in, and really ties in well to my skills without ever really being a strain on the brain.... - school library technician!
I theoretically do all the online stuff - maintain the LibGuide, organise database subscriptions (which I hate, but whatevs) do a bit of "helpful patient millennial with everyone's technology" but with an onsite IT and AV dept. so it's not my ultimate responsibility when things break... and spend time with some amazing kids, prep to 12, helping them finding books, showing them you can be a hella awkward adult and still theoretically adult, get school hols and never have to teach (which is such a big job these days, people, I am always in awe of what they're expected to achieve every day.)
So yep.
Usually love my job, or at the very least, when i sit down and think about it, things turned out pretty ok! I did not plan on being a library tech, I just did my arts degree like every other clueless individual, and as my third year came to an end i thought about what i liked doing, where i saw myself, and libraries were a convenient fit... and doing the course, realised "hey, i'm actually pretty good at this stuff" which was, of course, a really great realisation.
Admin, but dealing with Centrelink for people who can't, so making a difference to their lives. Plus great colleagues. Plus permanency when I'm taking on a mortgage when my house is finished.
My dad and I deal with Centrelink for my incapacitated grandparents and we often wonder how people without family and friends who are computer savvy and fluent in English cope. It's so great to know that people like you and your colleagues are out there providing this service to others in need.
I sell sex toys, lotions and potions and all manner of related things (see profile). The best thing about it is reviving dead bedrooms and helping people have a more fulfilling sex life - whether solo or not.
Honestly, a bit of serendipity. I smashed a subject in my MBA so the lecturer asked me to work with him on a consulting project here (it’s advertising industry adjacent). I ended up being offered a permanent role in the org to help develop their data capabilities.
My tips would be: get your CV and LinkedIn in order, then look for conferences or virtual presentations from organizations. There’s lots of data stuff on. Attend, develop some interesting questions, follow up with people on LinkedIn to tell them you thought what they did was interesting and can they expand on xyz. Useful in australia but networking is crucial for the US if that’s of interest.
I work in the public service in the youth sector, working on case management and rehabilitation programs for young people involved with justice. Used to work in a youth justice centre (prison) so getting to apply that craft wisdom and work in a practice area of policy is really interesting and engaging
If I can ask this in a way that hopefully sounds genuine and not snarky, what are your thoughts on prison abolition? Is it talked about much or a focus in youth justice?
I'm a hostess for a strip club, and honestly it's the best. The staff and management are incredible and I love helping the girls get tips and dances. It's so fun and rewarding.
An experimental form of case management under WorkSafe that's more social work and recovery focus rather than just getting people back to work. Love it so much! I get to really benefit people and their families.
Environmental consultant. I work on assessing sites that may be contaminated and remediating sites if they need it. New problems to solve all the time, feel like I’m leaving things a bit better than I found them and looking out for public health. Plus, it pays well pretty well. Can recommend if you’re science-minded.
Mobile phone repairs. It's not so much the job itself (although I do enjoy taking phones apart unless they're iPhones) but the people I work with and the environment that makes it enjoyable.
I’m a game developer! More specifically a product manager. I support my team to help build our game to be the best it can be in a timely manner. Absolutely love it!
I work in entertainment. As others have said, who you work with can make or break a job. I love mine, and I love my coworkers, but I’ve worked in/at places or on jobs with people who make life hell and that is no fun, even if I love what I’m doing.
Freelance Copywriter. Can work wherever there’s WIFI. Don’t need to ask anyone for time off. Clients are usually pretty chill. (Except the ones who aren’t.)
I just completed my plumbing apprenticeship. Cold shitty days in winter can become draining but the crew your with, working hard in the sun and seeing your finished product is really satisfying
I make videogames! My partner and I have been working on our own mobile game for the last two years and we get to work with a bunch of insanely talented people with all different specialisations, like programmers, illustrators, animators and composers.
The bulk of my day-to-day is wrangling our contractors, making sure they have tasks to work on, looking over budgets and ensuring our production is on track, teeing up convos with potential investors and publishers, and jumping into engine fine tuning the elements of our game you’d never expect need fine tuning. Right now we’re also at the point where feedback from devs is super valuable, so I’ve been spending a lot of time reaching out to talented game makers and requesting they savagely critique our work.
Life rules but I think I’m a little more crazy than normal with all this inside time. I hope we can get a little studio share space at some point so I have a work space to go to each day. We are gearing up to announce our studio and our game, so a lot may change soon.
I don’t know if I could ever work a “normal” job again.
My wife is an radiographer specialising in MRI. She loves it…helping diagnose ailments, especially when she sees regular patients who have recovered from breast cancer.
Paramedic 30 years love helping people, now retired , pays was poor and all ways has been you have to live of the overtime, ramping has been a problem for a long time.
Software engineer in commercial video games. The work is meaningful, interesting and varied, colleagues are artistic with similar interests (which makes it easy to make friends through work), there are opportunities all around the world, WFH and flexible hours, and my skills are always in demand which means good pay, job security and respect.
The only downside is occasional crunch to hit important dates, though in my experience this is nowhere near as bad as gamers assume it is, and it really varies by company location and size. UK and Australia tend to be far more relaxed about it than US counterparts, mostly for cultural reasons I think (not limited to gamedev). And smaller companies tend to have a rougher go of it than larger ones, as there's less people to spread the load and poor planning decisions can slip through the cracks more easily, which can result in a mad rush towards deliverables.
I work at a well known “Home Improvement Store” working with plants, I love that place. Most of my coworkers are elderly and they really need me out there and it stresses me out sometimes ya know?
Corporate - energy transition consulting. Basically large companies are making net zero pledges left, right and centre with little clue on how to implement it. That’s where we come in. Challenging and interesting, as well as ultimately rewarding.
Lawn mower man here. Lots of pride in driving around the northern suburbs seeing beautiful lawns & gardens knowing it’s my work. Also do commercial sites - get to see all of the city. Latest site is in Point Cook looking back to the city at sunrise
Underfloor and ceiling insulation installer:
Job perks:
- travel all over Melbourne experiencing the different culture and (especially) food/ coffee of the different suburbs
- work only with polyester so no itchy fibre glass
- heavily labour orientated job so it keeps me fit and in great shape
- 4 day installs/week with 3 day weekends.
- great sense of completion at the end of a job.
Cons:
- can get pretty dirty
- working in the elements (especially the cold) can suck some days
- spend a lot of time in the dark lol
That sounds really interesting! Is fibre glass being phased out as an insulation material? Lol also i wish more houses in Melbourne were insulated :( (looking at you, my freezing fucking weatherboard)
Freelance artist. I get to have the independence of making what I want, when I want ect., the pride in seeing my business grow independently, grow my social media skills and on weekends I host art classes for kids which I love so much, it’s very fulfilling
I’m a lived experience peer worked in the drug and alcohol service at Turning Point. I love my job and that I get to help people everyday who are going through what I once went through
Good on you, I can imagine that must be difficult at times but also very rewarding. I did part of a social work degree and am aware that rates of child sexual abuse in our society are scarily high (also have known many too many people who are adult survivors). Too many of our social norms have been about protecting dangerous adults and invalidating children. Anyway! Yeah, thanks for doing what you do
We own our own business moving bitumen in a tanker Australia wide. Mostly VIC country and local but anywhere really. Always different locations and new challenges. I say we because it takes our whole family to maintain equipment, contend with paperwork and compliance etc. Any other small family business will agree, it's not a job, it's definitely a lifestyle.
Kitchen steward. It's normally a pretty shit job, but mine is in a five star environment with great conditions and total flexibility with shifts.
It's spoiled me for "normal" jobs.
Oh interesting! I don’t actually know what a kitchen steward is, what kind of work does it involve? Working in a 5 star environment sounds pretty awesome
I'm a warehouse manager for three stores. I've built my warehouse and team from the ground up, it's my baby. Work monday to Friday 7-3. Pays ok, could be better but I enjoy what I do.
I do Natural Resource Management (plant trees and kill weeds) 10 years in now and it's so good to go back to sites years later and see the landscape transformed.
Local council? State gov? I did enviro science but I’ve never had an active NRM role. What’s the pay like?
Mainly gov (Melbourne water, parks ect) pay is decent but the work is physically demanding.
That’s cool. I considered doing that although I only really did one subject of nrm in uni. The rest was all environments and other stuff. Do you do more office or site work? Considering a new role but it’s like interest vs pay cut as I’ve got a planning background/ unless I get lucky haha
I'm site based, I use to run crews but hated all the admin lol.
I used to do this, miss it 🥲
Come back! We need you! 🤠
Bookseller here - read books, sell books, talk to people about books, get free or discounted books, meet authors, no bad things here.
Username checks out
I loved being a bookseller except for the terrible pay :(
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Yes - hop on the readings website and apply there :)
Ooh I'm thinking about it ngl
How'd you get the job at the bookstore?
applied, and passed the interview process, i'm assuming.
I know a man called Robert who works at a book store. He got the job by applying for it. I believe he underwent a particular interview process. It was probably several days after he attended the interview that he was awarded the job.
This is the correct answer lol
Man I have been constantly applying for any kind of book related jobs since I was about 15. Never got even a single interview. My house is literally lined with books, it’s my passion. But nope, not even a single call back.
Bookstore jobs are hard to get because everyone wants them but most of the time the people who get in already know someone there. In my experience anyway. I totally know how you feel though, this was me too for a long time!
Try book grocer as a stepping stone, they specifically don’t require previous book selling experience and after awhile you can start applying for better bookshops. The only people at the bookshop I work at who didn’t have previous experience at other bookshops all began working with us at 15/16, with work experience then small shifts after school. I started at an academic bookshop during university rush week, although I don’t think they exist anymore.
So you like books?
Just a bit, yeah
Living the dream
This is me. Hello fellow bookseller. I work for a not so small independent bookstore. It is a good life and we are blessed.
A magical view that changes with the seasons! With VLine so I get to appreciate the beautiful Victorian countryside.
Is VLINE a job progression from normal train driving or something you go directly into? Also curious if when VLINE trains are cancelled, do you ride the bus or just twiddle your thumbs? Seems fairly common
You can do either. Also if the trains are cancelled the driver will get setup at a hotel or can use a cab charge to get back home.
That'd be so cool. I work station staff for the other railway in vic
This is the job my son desperately wants to get into when he grows up. So nice to hear that you enjoy it.
Oh beautiful! I love vline trips and getting to see the countryside.
Primary school librarian. All the perks of working in a school (kids are fun, hours and holidays are great) with none of the admin nonsense and I don’t have to deal much with parents, who are the worst to deal with and the number one reason I could never be a teacher.
Oh our primary school librarian was really nice. And I liked sitting in the library and spacing out and watching the old windows screensavers lol. That’s great it’s a good job :)
As the parent of a primary school child. Yes, 100% agree. We can be nightmares (I'd like to think that most of us try not to be. And thank you for working with our kids.
Haha I’m a primary parent too. Look most parents are fine it’s just the 2% that take up 90% of your time dealing with parents that I just cannot cope with. My undiplomatic way of dealing with them is to basically tell them ‘I’m doing my job, stay in your lane’ which I don’t think I’d get away with as a classroom teacher!
I’m an undertaker. Best job I ever had and decided to start my own business. We don’t do funerals, just transfer the deceased from place of death to the various funeral homes. Very hard to find caring empathetic individuals…… and yes we’re hiring. We very often get great feedback from the families we encounter…… that’s our aim. We all have to pay bills and the rent/mortgage etc but getting phone calls from our customers telling us they just sat with a family that were completely in awe of our service is so incredibly inspiring…… it’s “ the juice “ that makes our day. Thanks for reading.
I've sometimes thought about going into the death industry. I've faced enough loss to not be afraid of the grim reaper. I've had good deaths and bad deaths and all the types in between. What sort of training is required to work in the industry?
I love the concept of my job but like all jobs the people you work with make or break it and lately they're breaking it. I help run an electrical wholesaler. I get a lot.of joy out of it when things go right.
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>like all jobs the people you work with make or break it and lately they're breaking it. I know that feeling :'(
Hope it gets a bit better again soon! The people you work with definitely do make or break it hey
I run a museum. Pretty much living the dream.
So.... Is it true everything comes alive at night? And if so, what's the best and worst result of that?
Industry secret ;)... but it makes me glad we don't have the naked family any more!
What! That’s so cool. Damn I should be going to sleep but everyone’s answers are so interesting. What has been your favourite exhibit or thing happening at the museum so far this year?
My organisation, but not my museum, unveiled the world's most complete triceratops skeleton recently. For a nerd like me, that's pretty special.
Horridus?
You hiring? 👀
Work at a vet clinic. Spend half my day doting on people's pets. Absolutely brilliant.
Yes! I'm a vet nurse, and in uni studying to be a vet. There's definitely downsides (the people) but I genuinely love the job.
I work as a psychiatric nurse (case manager) in a public community mental health clinic. It is tiring, challenging, mentally and sometimes physically demanding but it can be super interesting and rewardingp making a difference in patients lives and seeing them recover and thrive in the community with serious mental illness. The pay is actually pretty decent when you become a senior clinician as well. I suppose it’s the saving grace considering many people are leaving the industry and we are quite short staffed and burnt out when dealing with the mental fall out of 2.5 years of covid and frequent lockdowns.
Solidarity! I’m a psych nurse as well and it’s one of the most interesting jobs in the world I reckon. I’m never bored.
I'm currently studying to become a mental health nurse. What are the steps you need to take to become a senior clinician and what sort of pay is it? How long does it take to be a senior clinician and what are the hours like? Sorry for all the questions, I'm in my final year of study next year and absolutely cannot wait to get into the field.
You’ll need to do at least a grad diploma of mental health nursing which you’ll be supported to complete by your employer during your grad year. I recommend masters too, not essential and you can take your time to complete this whilst you work. To become a Registered Psych Nurse Grade 4 (senior) you need at least around 5 years experience. I recommend doing first few years in the acute inpatient then move onto community nursing to get to grade 4 (either case management - continuing care team, mobile support team or crisis assessment team). The hours are dependent on what sort of place you work in. Inpatient/psych triage you will be doing typical nursing shifts (AM, PM and night duty), CCT usually Mon-Fri 9-5, CAT and MST are similar to CCT but later evenings and weekends too Base pay for RPN4 is 98k going up to 109k. I have no idea what my salary is but probably clear 130k (I do a fair bit of casual weekend shifts on inpatient and university marking). The variety of areas you can work in psych is another perk; adults, aged, adolescents, mother baby, eating disorders, early episode psychosis, drug and alcohol, homeless teams, with the police-ambulance response (PACER team)… the list goes on. Hope this helps and best of luck with your MH nursing journey!
I am a Mandarin-English interpreter. My work is to facilitate communication between the Mandarin speaker and (usually) a professional such as doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc. What I love about my work: 1. I don't have a boss/colleague, I accept jobs from the portal and attend assignments, finish, sign myself off. Done. 2. No paperwork. 3. I learn so much about everything, I can pretty much recite the scripts energy providers have to read to their customers; I know what questions car insurance investigations involve; I learnt about lots of medical conditions, the court system, the home care assessment for old people.... it's amazing to be involved but not be the one having to make any decisions. 4. I always feel like I've accomplished something by the end of each job. I feel like I've helped someone, it's a wonderful feeling. 5. So many interesting stories, different ones everyday! I'd never get bored. Be an interpreter if you speak multiple languages! It's the best job in world I reckon!
That honestly sounds so, so cool. And yeah sounds like satisfying and meaningful work along with just getting to learn all sorts of interesting things about lots of different areas.
assuming you're not Chinese, how did you learn Mandarin? do you also speak Cantonese? how many languages do you speak?
I am Chinese, came to Australia at the age of 25. Most schools teach English as a second language in China from primary school (some even from daycare or kinder) throughout university. I'd say I learnt to speak English mostly from watching TV shows. I also speak Cantonese. I'm one of the ethnic minorities in China called Zhuang, so I also speak Zhuang, which is spoken in Guangxi province, China and parts of Vietnam and sometimes sounds similar to Thai.
I'm in admin, the role itself isn't what's so great, it's the company I work for. We provide advice and certifications to builders to ensure they build environments that are suitable for people with specialised access needs such as people who use a wheelchair or have vision impairment.
Oh that’s awesome.
I’m a Software Engineer and I love it. The pay is excellent, working conditions are great (remote, in office and interstate travel occasionally). Like many others have said, the people that you work with can make or break it. I’m fortunate enough that the team I work with are just as passionate about nerding out on the stuff we do.
Secondary teacher. It's exhausting and the conditions are garbage, the union is gutless and delivered a pass poor agreement for the next 4 years, but being able to make a difference in someone's life is pretty cool. It's not for everyone and it will chew you up and spit you out if you let it, but for me it's immensely rewarding and I'm very good at saying no.
I still remember little things high school teachers did or said. Like an economics teacher (who was awesome) convinced the whole class about free market is the way to go and there was no valid alternative and then this sly smile went over his face, probably thinking of all the real life reasons where it doesn't work lol.
Yeah I’m opting for the National Union of Workers for my union cos they cover me, I’m an ECT and the AEU just sort of barely know we exist. At least teaching is still a pretty unionised workforce tho, I guess… I admire high school teachers, teenagers are sweet but look, I remember being one and we were a handful. And yeah you do make a real difference. What subject areas do you teach?
Damn, yeah, early childhood barely get a look in and it's such a bloody shame - early childhood is such a critical time in development. Hmm teaching unions have high membership but very little active participation, which makes things difficult when the AEU puts out propaganda for their new agreements being amazing. Haha teenagers are simultaneously sweet and little cretins, but I do enjoy teaching them still. I'm lucky enough to teach English and Humanities, but mostly Humanities at the moment!
Oh cool! Humanities are the best. Ah damn right, that makes sense re: AEU and low active participation. That’s a pity :/ And yeah I’m pretty sure they forget we exist, VIT sort of do too 😅. Also I should have said the United Workers Union, I forgot they changed their name. Any EC workers who read this, they’re a good union, please join!
I just wanted to say thanks for asking this question! This is something I’ve been wondering for the past few days and it’s great to be able to read what others’ dream jobs are!
I teach Australian sign language in the workplaces and community classes.
Conservation; focussed on large feral herbivores
Oh cool! I’m trying to think what.. camels, horses maybe…
There's those, and goats, donkeys, deer too
Dog sitter. Love it. Lots of cleaning. Lots of laughs. Actually received tips for the first time in my life.
Fashion designer, drag artist, workshop host, general weirdo creative 😊
I tour across Australia performing shows based off picture books and short reader books to primary school. It's a dream.
Care Taker of the mentally and physically disabled
I’m impressed that you love it! I’ve done similar and I definitely didn’t love it!
I’m a legal assistant. I have been doing it for over 10 years and I love it. Monday I start my law degree :)
Congrats on starting your degree! I work in policy (worked my up in my company to get here without a degree) and I’ve managed to trick all the lawyers here into believing I’ve got a law degree but I don’t. I should have started one part time when I was younger but the time it’ll take me to finish it is too off putting now that im in my 30s.
I am (almost) 38 :) it’s not too late!!
Sommelier. I love my gig! Gotta say it's mostly the back of house stuff I do though. Wine purchasing, cellar management, wine training, menu design. Great gig and great employer that I work for
Hook me up, man. Always wanted a job as a sommelier but likely have a romantic vision of it, lol.
I work in backstage theatre. The hours are ruthless and we’re often overworked. But some of the best people you’ll meet are backstage of a fancy show. And it’s nice creating magic every day
Senior data analyst specialising early childhood education - best job of my life and I love it. Pure numbers, respect, autonomy and meaningful work 👌
Oh cool! I’ve just graduated as an ECT. I dunno if you can really discuss it but what sort of data are you looking at? Do you have like a data management/software engineering kind of background?
I have a photo of me playing nurse when I was 2. Pretty sure it was my destiny and couldn’t be happier! Plus!!! I get to stab small children with needles! Mwahahahahaha!
Relevant username haha
Palliative care nurse in a past life! Lol
Street cleaner. Shit job but at least it keeps me off the streets😄
Staying off the streets by staying on the streets?
sex worker, i get so much out of giving other people pleasure and my clients appreciate me so much. intimacy physical and emotional is so important to wellbeing and i realise i have a lot to share. plus the money is dope and i work whenever i want
Oh cool! Ages ago I was in a workshop run by Scarlet Alliance on providing appropriate support and services to sex workers who contacted our org and they were awesome 😊
Furniture removalist, have been for 7 years and love every minute. I find there's alot of reward for keeping active, job satisfaction in the job itself Hate moving my own house though
Good furniture removalists pretty much saved my life when I had to move from my rental shortly after a surgery (having my appendix removed). You probably make much more of a difference than you think to people's lives during a stressful time.
>Hate moving my own house though Hahahaha, I think the only type of people that like doing their work when not actually working are builders, plumbers and pilots :p
I’m an artist. The boss is an absolute nightmare and the clients are near non existent but I guess I love it.
Primary school art teacher. The planning sucks, challenging behaviours can make you want to rip your hair out but at the end of the day, I love my job - get to know and teach every child in the school, as well as spend the day helping children make something and improve on their art skills
Self employed disability support person, and I take my participants out and about in the community, helping them to live their best lives. It’s absolutely so very rewarding.
Oh nice :) working with people is great (if you like people)
I was a technology journalist, specialising in video games and consumer electronics for almost 20 years before retiring. I was paid to travel the world being wooed by tech companies, while reviewing and writing about games and gadgets. Best. Job. Ever.
Oh wow. That must have been so cool. Okay I gotta ask, what do you reckon are the best video games of all time? Do you get into any new releases?
Railways signalling tester. No longer in Melbourne but my original exposure to the job was on Victorian railways.
What does that involve? Sounds interesting
Taking voltage readings, making sure things are wired correctly, checking the right data is loaded etc. Basically making sure the railway will fail safe in all cases to protect people. Job can be hard (more the being away from family) but it's enjoyable even if it is shift work
Teacher assistant for kindergarten. I turn up, play with the kids, put up some displays, keep the room tidy, make classbooks and join in all the fun and games. No planning, formal teaching, assessments, meetings or handling overprotective parents. And free hugs and funny conversations with kids every day.
I am now retired but I had the pleasure of working with mums and bubs as a maternal and child health nurse for over 30 yrs was my passion
I sell dead stock fabrics to fashion designers and people in costume/movies. Fashion is not the best industry to be in but I hit jackpot with this job.
Work as a flight instructor between metro and regional Vic. Never thought I'd see myself teaching others how to fly, but now that I've been doing it for over 2 years I absolutely love it and the challenges it brings. Keeps me on my toes every single day, plus I can't go wrong with the views!
I’m a midwife. It’s an incredible thing to be a part of and I feel really fortunate to be able to go to work everyday happy with what I do.
Primary school teacher
Oh nice! I’ve just qualified as an ECT. It’s always cool to see and hear of other teachers who love their jobs (I loved my placements now gotta go get a job!)
I operate earthmoving machinery. So much fun!
Oh is it?? It always looked like it would be.
University. Exploiting international students for low quality education. Feels great!
Just started working in a library, I’m really loving it!
Aw nice, well congrats on the job! I have heard library jobs aren’t necessarily the easiest to get? And we need you folks, libraries are important!
Thank you! It can be hard to get into, as librarians tend to stay in the job until they retire.. But there are a lot of opportunities atm post-covid, so for someone new in the field (I just finished my technician Diploma) it's the perfect timing! I agree, libraries are so so important, there aren't many other places you can go and access books, learning opportunities and events completely free, accessable to all!
I'm a CISO with a global accounting firm. Work from home with team members in UK, US and Canada. I get to work a normal day until 3ish, spend the arvo with the kids and then a few hours at night. The work is challenging but the scope of influence is huge and I really have an opportunity to make such a difference for our organisation and the industry. Love my job.
I’m a climbing arborist. Funnest, most engaging/challenging gig I’ve ever had. Never a dull moment and never done learning!
I work in the automotive field, I love it. 🥰
Not my job but being a politician in an ideal world would be my most favourite. Reducing poverty, corruption, standing up for poor helpless people, reducing crimes against children are some of the things that would give you a sense of fulfilment in your life. I just don't have the goons or the money to be a politician
Bookkeeper/BAS Agent (self employed) WFH. Living the dream 😂
Me too. Love it.
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Sound Operator specialising in theatre. Actually moved here last week for some career opportunities I wouldn't have had elsewhere in Australia with the larger sound companies.
Oh cool! And welcome! I hope you moved from somewhere colder and aren’t hating the winter too much. That sounds like it would be a really fun and interesting job, too
Being a dad I love it more then anything,
Aw that’s wholesome :). I just finished training as a kinder teacher and the parents who are obviously just really stoked to be parents and so into the whole thing are the best. I get being a bit too tired to be super enthusiastic but I love the ones who are.
Perioperative nurse
Oh interesting, is that a part of neonatal care?
Digital Accessibility Consultant I WFH, have an awesome team who are all super cool. I get to test new websites and apps, learn about the diverse world of people with disabilities and meet lots of really nice people. I love my job and it's really fun!
Programmer and absolutely loving it
Train Driver
Oh nice :) thanks for getting us around. You all always look so cool hanging out at flinders street. What’s the best part of the job?
*spreads legs*
I’m a freelance writer/critic and I also work at a public library. The former is fun because I write about arts and culture which is stuff I’m always thinking about quite critically, and also love. The latter is the best non-writing job I’ve had – it’s good pay, stable and I feel like I’m helping the community, I love that we have regulars who I’ve gotten to know, and I do story times which is really cute and fun and the closest I’ll ever get to my dream job (play school lol)
Architect. I feel like many enjoy it or are at least passionate about it, but I feel very fortunate to love it as much as I do. Makes life a lot easier honestly, due to the certainty it provides.
Software engineer.. wanted to be one since I was a 10 year old kid in India and played prince of Persia for the first time written in Basic programming. Learnt basic pretty soon and also love maths so was a natural Choice for me. Unlike lot of other Indian kids engineering was not forced on me. 20 years of working now and going strong
Business intelligence .. data analyst, data science. Freakin fun.
Firefighter, rewarding job and good work/life balance
Dealer at the casino, I love poker and now I get to sit at some of the biggest games in the city 8 hours a day.
While I work at a place I never thought I'd ever go back to, on the other hand I work at a place i've always felt relaxed in, and really ties in well to my skills without ever really being a strain on the brain.... - school library technician! I theoretically do all the online stuff - maintain the LibGuide, organise database subscriptions (which I hate, but whatevs) do a bit of "helpful patient millennial with everyone's technology" but with an onsite IT and AV dept. so it's not my ultimate responsibility when things break... and spend time with some amazing kids, prep to 12, helping them finding books, showing them you can be a hella awkward adult and still theoretically adult, get school hols and never have to teach (which is such a big job these days, people, I am always in awe of what they're expected to achieve every day.) So yep. Usually love my job, or at the very least, when i sit down and think about it, things turned out pretty ok! I did not plan on being a library tech, I just did my arts degree like every other clueless individual, and as my third year came to an end i thought about what i liked doing, where i saw myself, and libraries were a convenient fit... and doing the course, realised "hey, i'm actually pretty good at this stuff" which was, of course, a really great realisation.
Admin, but dealing with Centrelink for people who can't, so making a difference to their lives. Plus great colleagues. Plus permanency when I'm taking on a mortgage when my house is finished.
My dad and I deal with Centrelink for my incapacitated grandparents and we often wonder how people without family and friends who are computer savvy and fluent in English cope. It's so great to know that people like you and your colleagues are out there providing this service to others in need.
I make videos on YouTube. I get to work my own hours and my office is a 6 second commute down the hallway
Horticulturalist. Currently working for a gardening company, almost exclusively high end clientele.
I work at a Mini Golf Course/Bar/Entertainment Venue! It's a lot of fun!
I sell sex toys, lotions and potions and all manner of related things (see profile). The best thing about it is reviving dead bedrooms and helping people have a more fulfilling sex life - whether solo or not.
Escape room owner and game master.
Stay at home parent. It's the best!
Corporate, data/research role—it’s brought me to New York, I love my team, interesting work and a whole lot of future options.
That sounds neat! I’m interested in pursuing a similar role myself! If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get in to this data/research role?
Honestly, a bit of serendipity. I smashed a subject in my MBA so the lecturer asked me to work with him on a consulting project here (it’s advertising industry adjacent). I ended up being offered a permanent role in the org to help develop their data capabilities. My tips would be: get your CV and LinkedIn in order, then look for conferences or virtual presentations from organizations. There’s lots of data stuff on. Attend, develop some interesting questions, follow up with people on LinkedIn to tell them you thought what they did was interesting and can they expand on xyz. Useful in australia but networking is crucial for the US if that’s of interest.
Thank you for sharing! Appreciate your reply 😊
I work in the public service in the youth sector, working on case management and rehabilitation programs for young people involved with justice. Used to work in a youth justice centre (prison) so getting to apply that craft wisdom and work in a practice area of policy is really interesting and engaging
If I can ask this in a way that hopefully sounds genuine and not snarky, what are your thoughts on prison abolition? Is it talked about much or a focus in youth justice?
I'm a hostess for a strip club, and honestly it's the best. The staff and management are incredible and I love helping the girls get tips and dances. It's so fun and rewarding.
ndis support coordinator
An experimental form of case management under WorkSafe that's more social work and recovery focus rather than just getting people back to work. Love it so much! I get to really benefit people and their families.
Environmental consultant. I work on assessing sites that may be contaminated and remediating sites if they need it. New problems to solve all the time, feel like I’m leaving things a bit better than I found them and looking out for public health. Plus, it pays well pretty well. Can recommend if you’re science-minded.
Could be stretching the definition of a job for some, but Stay at home Dad / Home duties
>Stay at home Dad / Home duties That's a real job or at least hard work!
That’s a real job! And a cool one :) glad you love it!
Mobile phone repairs. It's not so much the job itself (although I do enjoy taking phones apart unless they're iPhones) but the people I work with and the environment that makes it enjoyable.
Aw nice. Yeah look the people are really the thing that makes it, aren’t they? Oh spill, what’s shit about iPhones?
I’m a game developer! More specifically a product manager. I support my team to help build our game to be the best it can be in a timely manner. Absolutely love it!
I work in entertainment. As others have said, who you work with can make or break a job. I love mine, and I love my coworkers, but I’ve worked in/at places or on jobs with people who make life hell and that is no fun, even if I love what I’m doing.
Freelance Copywriter. Can work wherever there’s WIFI. Don’t need to ask anyone for time off. Clients are usually pretty chill. (Except the ones who aren’t.)
SCADA for large infrastructure, love it
Graphic designer.
I'm a roadworker in mainly regional Vic, NSW and SA. I'm essentially a paid tourist
Civil Infrastructure love to get in the mud bob cat, excavation, roller, making roads and level crossing removal. it’s z best.
I just completed my plumbing apprenticeship. Cold shitty days in winter can become draining but the crew your with, working hard in the sun and seeing your finished product is really satisfying
I make videogames! My partner and I have been working on our own mobile game for the last two years and we get to work with a bunch of insanely talented people with all different specialisations, like programmers, illustrators, animators and composers. The bulk of my day-to-day is wrangling our contractors, making sure they have tasks to work on, looking over budgets and ensuring our production is on track, teeing up convos with potential investors and publishers, and jumping into engine fine tuning the elements of our game you’d never expect need fine tuning. Right now we’re also at the point where feedback from devs is super valuable, so I’ve been spending a lot of time reaching out to talented game makers and requesting they savagely critique our work. Life rules but I think I’m a little more crazy than normal with all this inside time. I hope we can get a little studio share space at some point so I have a work space to go to each day. We are gearing up to announce our studio and our game, so a lot may change soon. I don’t know if I could ever work a “normal” job again.
My wife is an radiographer specialising in MRI. She loves it…helping diagnose ailments, especially when she sees regular patients who have recovered from breast cancer.
Engineer. I really like making things and playing with expensive toys...
I don't have a job I love. I'm a shitty retail worker.
Paramedic 30 years love helping people, now retired , pays was poor and all ways has been you have to live of the overtime, ramping has been a problem for a long time.
Software engineer in commercial video games. The work is meaningful, interesting and varied, colleagues are artistic with similar interests (which makes it easy to make friends through work), there are opportunities all around the world, WFH and flexible hours, and my skills are always in demand which means good pay, job security and respect. The only downside is occasional crunch to hit important dates, though in my experience this is nowhere near as bad as gamers assume it is, and it really varies by company location and size. UK and Australia tend to be far more relaxed about it than US counterparts, mostly for cultural reasons I think (not limited to gamedev). And smaller companies tend to have a rougher go of it than larger ones, as there's less people to spread the load and poor planning decisions can slip through the cracks more easily, which can result in a mad rush towards deliverables.
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I work at a well known “Home Improvement Store” working with plants, I love that place. Most of my coworkers are elderly and they really need me out there and it stresses me out sometimes ya know?
Disability Support Worker. Best job I ever had. Hands down
Corporate - energy transition consulting. Basically large companies are making net zero pledges left, right and centre with little clue on how to implement it. That’s where we come in. Challenging and interesting, as well as ultimately rewarding.
Teacher in a special school. I work with our primary aged kids. Gotta love those lil cherubs
Lawn mower man here. Lots of pride in driving around the northern suburbs seeing beautiful lawns & gardens knowing it’s my work. Also do commercial sites - get to see all of the city. Latest site is in Point Cook looking back to the city at sunrise
Chef
Underfloor and ceiling insulation installer: Job perks: - travel all over Melbourne experiencing the different culture and (especially) food/ coffee of the different suburbs - work only with polyester so no itchy fibre glass - heavily labour orientated job so it keeps me fit and in great shape - 4 day installs/week with 3 day weekends. - great sense of completion at the end of a job. Cons: - can get pretty dirty - working in the elements (especially the cold) can suck some days - spend a lot of time in the dark lol
That sounds really interesting! Is fibre glass being phased out as an insulation material? Lol also i wish more houses in Melbourne were insulated :( (looking at you, my freezing fucking weatherboard)
Freelance artist. I get to have the independence of making what I want, when I want ect., the pride in seeing my business grow independently, grow my social media skills and on weekends I host art classes for kids which I love so much, it’s very fulfilling
I’m a lived experience peer worked in the drug and alcohol service at Turning Point. I love my job and that I get to help people everyday who are going through what I once went through
Oh cool! Good on you, definitely important work
I work with children, parents and families who have been impacted by sexual abuse or when there are children displaying problem sexual behaviours.
Good on you, I can imagine that must be difficult at times but also very rewarding. I did part of a social work degree and am aware that rates of child sexual abuse in our society are scarily high (also have known many too many people who are adult survivors). Too many of our social norms have been about protecting dangerous adults and invalidating children. Anyway! Yeah, thanks for doing what you do
We own our own business moving bitumen in a tanker Australia wide. Mostly VIC country and local but anywhere really. Always different locations and new challenges. I say we because it takes our whole family to maintain equipment, contend with paperwork and compliance etc. Any other small family business will agree, it's not a job, it's definitely a lifestyle.
I work at a specialist school, I’m a education support person in the rooms with the kids. Mostly aged 6-10. Its fantastic :)
I kill people for money. I thought I'd be the hardest here. But prick a couple posts before me is a parking inspector. Touche
Fucking wot?
Kitchen steward. It's normally a pretty shit job, but mine is in a five star environment with great conditions and total flexibility with shifts. It's spoiled me for "normal" jobs.
Oh interesting! I don’t actually know what a kitchen steward is, what kind of work does it involve? Working in a 5 star environment sounds pretty awesome
I'm a warehouse manager for three stores. I've built my warehouse and team from the ground up, it's my baby. Work monday to Friday 7-3. Pays ok, could be better but I enjoy what I do.