Job you love | Imamother

amother

Violet

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 2:25 pm

amother wrote:

Wow, nice to meet a fellow frum female neurologist! My hours are also long - though nothing compared to residency - but I leave the house and come home every day with a smile, because I LOVE what I do and wouldn't trade it for anything!

I did know that I wanted to go pre-med, so no literature for me. I went college, med school, residency, then 2+ years specialty fellowship. I've been working as a full-time doctor for more than 10 years and continue to love it more and more!

I'm so jealous! I always wanted to go to medical school, but I was scared of the bajillion people in my yeshivish world who told me no one would ever marry me.

But all that being said, I love what I do. I did medical research for ten years, and what I do now is pretty distinctive so I don't want to say. But I do love it. And I'm going to say, that my lifestyle probably couldn't have handled the long hours. My kids really need help.

mandr

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 2:27 pm

Bachelors in human development but not at all the field I work in, as it turned out!

I’m a product photographer for the last 12 years and I work from 9am to 12am most days! Bh the work is always posing a different challenge which makes things exciting and I get to keep almost everything I photograph which is a nice perk!

amother

Brunette

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 3:49 pm

Although I posted above and I do love my job, this post made me think of what my all-time favorite job was. I loved the year I spent teaching GED and lower adult students in a large city. I don’t think I would enjoy teaching kids so much, but the adult students are so passionate and motivated and every achievement felt huge! There were students who came to me not knowing how to add/substract or read above an elementary level. I also had a large group of adults who had never heard of the Holocaust before and it was a unique experience explaining it to someone in their 20s/30s/even older. Sadly those kind of jobs were part-time and not sustainable financially for me, but the benefits were huge.

amother

Smokey

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 6:00 pm

This is a great thread. It's nice to hear from so many accomplished mommies who prioritize family and career and love what they do.

I work full time as a marketing writer in a high tech company, and I love it. The right blend of creative and analytical thinking and business.
BA in Politics and English Lit., MA in Creative Writing.
I would love a few less hours though. Full time is a lot and I miss out on school vacations and stuff.

amother

Vermilion

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 6:47 pm

I have a bachelor's and Masters in social work and I work in child protective services. Some families are really hard to handle and sometimes I can't stop thinking about the kids who get abused , but I wanted to work in this field since I'm a kid and I'm happy I can help a few children.

debsey

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 6:57 pm

I'm an attorney but I work in healthcare compliance. Mostly I consult for large systems and make sure that all their policies, procedures, staff training etc. are compliant with various state, local, and federal regulations.

I do a lot of staff training which I like, and I like working as an independent consultant, not in-house. That way I can customize my workload to my schedule (sometimes) work from home (a lot) and provide a service that I consider valuable.

I know it sounds boring, but it's really not. (although some state regulations make me feel like we're enacting 1984.....no matter what you do is wrong.)

The funniest thing? No one who knows me knows I'm an attorney. They know I have a professional job, but because I don't litigate or hang a shingle, people just don't know. 25 years ago, I didn't say because I didn't want to do the whole "how did a bais yaakov girl go to law school?" conversation. Now, it's just not a "thing", it's more common, but it just never comes up.

Last edited by debsey on Mon, Mar 11 2019, 6:59 pm; edited 1 time in total

Metukah

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 6:58 pm

amother wrote:

I have a Bachelor and Master of Social Work and I truly love my job organizing programs to benefit low income, homeless, or disabled people.

Very similar job, different degree (financial). Love my job!

amother

Cerise

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 7:40 pm

I am an elementary school teacher. I teach adorable, impressionable young girls all general studies subjects. I am very passionate about my subject matter.

I have a random BA, which I never thought would help me, until I got this teaching job where they needed a minimum of a BA.

It doesn't pay amazingly, but I love what I do! Smile

amother

Forestgreen

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 8:28 pm

I'm an ABA therapist. I work with 2 adorable students with Autism in a great ABA center. I love the kids that I work with and I love learning so much from the other therapists around me. Hours are great as well.
Schooling for me was a BA in psychology from Touro, Masters in Special Education, and hopefully going for BCBA degree soon.

amother

Papaya

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 9:02 pm

amother wrote:

Nicu nurse... Love my job! The hours are demanding but the work is incredibly gratifying. Make a difference to a child, family today and for their entire future.

Another NICU nurse here. I love my job and I get an incredible amount of satisfaction from the work that I do.

amother

Aubergine

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 9:17 pm

I'm an editor.

I love it when I'm working for people who hire me directly - I.e., they recognize they need an editor and want to be edited and give me broad discretion.

When I work for publications, the people who submit are often finicky one-time (or occasional) writers who sent their article to all their friends and family who told them how amazing it is...it can be a little sticker. They are often resistant to any edits, even though it's improving their work.

amother

Ecru

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 9:56 pm

I work in a home for people who have mental and physical disabilities. I love the work I do. I think there is nothing more satisfying than making the lives of my residents happier and healthier. The hugs and smiles I get when I walk in the door coming to work in the morning cant compare with anything more satisfying in the world! After the days of my lifetime are over Hasem will ask me what did you do to make this world a better place? I can truly say maybe I wasn't always the best person and maybe I didn't do things perfectly but I worked so so. hard to make things better for the residents I worked for they were loving taken care of. They felt protected and loved each and every day!!!! I dont make tons of money but Love love coming to work every day!

amother

Bronze

Mon, Mar 11 2019, 9:59 pm

amother wrote:

Hey burnt-out attorney!
Hugs to you. I burnt out early. My advice: go against the grain. (That's good advice for anyone looking to love their job, IMHO.)

I was out of the workforce and my legal background was originally an afterthought when I started with a non profit. Later, it became an integral part of my job.

Research the fields that appeal to you. Are you looking to be in-house counsel, do legal aid type work or transition to a different role entirely? Is it possible to start a pro bono relationship with an agency in your target field?

More importantly, can your life sustain an 80% pay cut? Many not for profits would love to benefit from your expertise/ professionalism, but the pay is beans if you're used to a big firm salary, and benefits are not comparable.

Thank you for posting this thread, OP. I l'd like to read about the different types of careers other imamothers pursue. I enjoy very much that we're an eclectic bunch.

Thank you amother so much for this encouragement. You raise important points. And you're right about the pay. When it comes down to it. It's hard to make a decision to take such a huge pay cut. Some things to think about I guess.