Dream Jobs

[Savonarola]

I saw this article in the BBC:

The workers leaving their dream jobs

I'm curious if anyone had a cool job that they left (or has a cool job); and if their experience was like the one in the article.  I'm also curious if anyone does have a "Dream job."

I haven't had a cool job (although radio engineer for the railroad has been a lot of fun, I don't think that quite counts a "Cool".)  I don't have a dream job; I have a lot of hobbies, but I wouldn't want to do any of them professionally.

[Grey Fox]

I worked in the game industry for a hot minute. I learned that working in that industry was not for me and in time would make me hate games.

[Barrister]

Not really a stereotypical "dream job", but I really wanted to be a bigshot corporate lawyer.

I got a job at that kind of firm, realized that not only was the work incredibly long hours to start, but that you'd work incredibly long hours for the rest of your career.  And that just because a business deal might be worth nine-figures, it really wasn't sexy to be the lawyers papering the deal.

So now I work for the government.  Very fair salary but if I stayed with the big-firm corporate law (no guarantee there) I'd be making more, but I work much closer to 8-4 hours.

[Josquius]

I worked in the game industry for a hot minute. I learned that working in that industry was not for me and in time would make me hate games.

I've come close to it but so much of what I have heard and the low salaries have put me off.
And yes. Coming to hate games is a concern

[The Brain]

I've had what I consider cool jobs, but dream job is a kind of alien concept to me. I don't know what my dream job would look like.

[Iormlund]

I did some amateur beta-test for a couple MMORPGs. Was eventually offered a position in one of the companies. But, much like GF said, the experience made me realize working in gaming would probably be a bad idea.


I do love some parts of my job (mostly theory-crafting solutions to technical problems). But even the fun bits can be frustrating in the right (wrong) circumstances.
And it's not like it has to be engineering either. I would probably enjoy many other fields that allowed me to learn cool stuff and develop new ideas.

[Tamas]

Yeah gaming industry as well. I still miss the people I worked with, and I didn't mind working there specifically, but I was worried getting stuck in the industry because of what I have seen of it I have had zero desire to work elsewhere in it.

But also yes, it does feel like I have gotten my gsmokg hobby back by leaving. Its not like I played less but the boundaries between work and fun blurred and it was kind of weird.

My current job is better paid, if anything is more stressful, plus often soul crushing like all corporste gigs.

But, having zero passiob for it also means it is much easier to keep an emotional distance from it, and compartelise it away from tbe rest of my life.

[mongers]

Probably as a geologist prospecting for oil and gas in remote places across the world; don't know why I didn't do a degree etc in it, as I loved geology.

That or being an astronaut. 

[grumbler]

When I left the Navy, I had a cool job running wargames for the Navy.  That got a lot less fun when the Cold War ended and modeling shifted from smiting the forces of tyranny and aggression wherever they raised their heads above the sea to supporting a bunch of programmatic pleading.  So I got another degree and switched careers.

It was cool, though.  There was more to black programs back then than just keeping Congress from finding out how bad the cost overruns are.

[Admiral Yi]

Porn talent scout

[viper37]

I saw this article in the BBC:

The workers leaving their dream jobs

I'm curious if anyone had a cool job that they left (or has a cool job); and if their experience was like the one in the article.  I'm also curious if anyone does have a "Dream job."

My dad always thought I should seek a job in the public sector like my uncles.  I have one.  I discovered that I hate it.  Bureaucracy ain't for me.  I've been searching for something else for a little while now.

[crazy canuck]

When I left the Navy, I had a cool job running wargames for the Navy.  That got a lot less fun when the Cold War ended and modeling shifted from smiting the forces of tyranny and aggression wherever they raised their heads above the sea to supporting a bunch of programmatic pleading.  So I got another degree and switched careers.

It was cool, though.  There was more to black programs back then than just keeping Congress from finding out how bad the cost overruns are.

That is very cool!

Maybe there is a chance that job might open up again (China and Russia) 

[Maladict]

But, having zero passiob for it also means it is much easier to keep an emotional distance from it, and compartelise it away from tbe rest of my life.

I've definitely come to value this. Especially when you're getting older and shit happens in your private life more often. When I walk out of the office the job doesn't exist anymore until I walk back in.

It's important to not hate your job and resent having to go there in the morning. But I can't even fake being passionate about it either.

A dream 'job' would be winning the lottery and setting up a foundation to fund cool research projects. As I'm not participating in lotteries this seems a rather remote possibility.

[The Larch]

I think I saw some Youtube videos on the Navy's wargaming department, it looked absurdly cool. I'll look them up to share them here. 

Edit: Here they are!