What Do You Actually Do for Work?

activ8newbs on 10/09/2019 - 16:39
Last edited 10/09/2019 - 17:42

Hello all,

Currently finding myself in a position for where I feel "stuck" in the corporate world.

Purpose of this post is to find out what other roles are out there, and just spark dialogue RE: different professions.

Without the fluff, and without trying to sell your job, knowing this is an anonymous forum and you've no pride to protect, what really is your job…what does it require you to do? And if you're comfortable disclosing, roughly what do you earn?

I feel like when I ask my colleagues/friends/network, they're all always hyping up their role in an attempt to "sell" how happy they are.

I'll kick us off - I work as an Auditor at a B4 firm. My job requires me to go on-site to where my clients are located, to "test" their financial statements. i.e. The annual report that they release each year, and the numbers within it…their integrity is the responsibility of my team.

It involves a lot of reperforming, and recalculating what the client has calculated. i.e. if they say they have a couple hundred mil in a bank account, we call their bank/s and double check that the balance is indeed correct.

It's a pretty boring job because it's pretty repetitive. Plenty of menial/robot-like work.

What about you?

Edit: me, $60-$70k approx

Thanks

Education & Work

Comments

  • RiskyBusiness on 13/09/2019 - 11:34

    You are in a good position, learn as much as you can in 3 years —> 3 years out of Big 4 and you should be able to apply for Senior/Manager roles for 100-120k. Thats what I did.

  • aboogee on 13/09/2019 - 11:47
    +2

    Started off as an electrical engineer, working in various roles inc design, operation planning, project management.
    3 years into it and felt exactly the same way you did. Wasnt getting alot of satisfaction as I wasnt learning alot.
    Not sure if people were holding back and not sharing knowledge, or they genuinely dont know…..

    So followed my passion and went back to uni and did finance/accounting.
    Shortly after that I moved to Group Treasury and have been in Group Treasury since.
    Still pretty mundane I reckon but much better than my electrical engineer job. Maybe much better if we're doing deals/transactions every now and then but in Group Treasury you only issue debt / execute hedging.

    Only drawback was the hours - was 8-5, 9days-fortnight job. Now 8am-10pm and no more roster day off.
    Pay wise, still roughly the same despite changing fields @~140k.

    Takeaway: all jobs / companies have their own problem(s) and there would be a few to annoy you regardless of where you go, but follow your passion and I reckon it wont go wrong…

  • Duc88 on 13/09/2019 - 11:48
    +1

    Cloud Engineer - 100K+

  • od810 on 13/09/2019 - 11:53

    Some Data Engineer stuff, earning close to the top bracket but not make it there yet :). I just want to be forever "individual contributor", but i'm not sure i can break the top bracket if i stay being a minion.

  • BanannaMan on 13/09/2019 - 12:50

    Project manager for tech company, corporate job, 122k
    Qualifications - Ranges to what industry you would like to stay in

  • Ding22 on 13/09/2019 - 14:10
    +2

    Financial Accountant - 110k

    Started in public practice but quickly moved into a commercial role where I finished my CA.

    Hours are less and pay is higher. Also, not having to log time sheets!

    Finish your time at B4, get your CA and move onto something else. Unless you aspire to a partner.

  • loadingpast on 13/09/2019 - 14:16
    +5

    Car salesman for a little over 10 years. Graduated from Computer science as an international student. Fell in love with cars during my time in Aus.
    A friend of mine recommended a job at the local Toyota dealership. I was earning around $60k in my first year. Turned out I'm pretty good at what I do. Earned my highest last year at $185k.

    • Tech and cars on 13/09/2019 - 14:22
      +1

      This is really interesting ! Well done

    • Hamlet on 13/09/2019 - 19:22
      +1

      Wow, were you one of the top salesman at your dealership?

      • loadingpast on 14/09/2019 - 15:20

        I was until a couple of years ago. I'm with the Italian now.

  • congo on 13/09/2019 - 14:26
    +3

    I check Ozbargain at work. Everyday…

    • CalmLemons on 14/09/2019 - 23:52
      +3

      I've made it a part of my standard operating procedure.

  • poporange630 on 13/09/2019 - 14:40

    Currently am moving from an IT helpdesk job to social media / content creation. Lots of challenges but lots of fun too.

  • megaalc on 13/09/2019 - 16:01
    +1

    Cloud Engineer/Consultant - Azure (contractor atm) - $950 a day

  • [Deactivated] on 13/09/2019 - 16:43

    I'm a doctor. At this moment I'm browsing ozbargain so I guess that's what I do at work. Currently for 2020 I'm unemployed. Perhaps there's a connection there.

  • Soluble on 13/09/2019 - 18:26
    +1

    Well, as always little to no retail comments. 11months ago was a store manager in retail, 87k Inc super + bonuses(30% maximum usually 10-20%). Now have my own business. Profit/salary unknown currently.

  • Dave90 on 13/09/2019 - 18:51

    I work as Human Resource Advisor for a retailer, pays 90k+ Super.

    Completed my degree in Business and Commerce- Human Resource(Industrial Relations) two and half years ago and started on 55k in recruitment and worked my way up.

    • [Deactivated] on 14/09/2019 - 18:07
      -1

      Just for a job interview wow.

  • Hamlet on 13/09/2019 - 19:19
    +3

    I work as a school teacher teaching both primary and secondary-aged students (a private P-12 school). For the most part, I work three 8-5pm and two 8-4pm days, although how late I work also depends on the time of the term — reporting deadlines, parent teaching interviews, co-curricular activities I run with the students, staff/parent meetings etc. When it gets busy during the term, it's not uncommon for me to work a few hours on the weekends. My school has a Saturday sports program so I'm also required to coach/supervise for around 3 hours every Saturday.

    The majority of my actual work day is taken up by normal classroom teaching although I also get an average 1.5 hours per day to plan lessons, mark assessments, attend staff meetings and liaise with parents. For me, some of the pros of the job are: good job stability, holidays (of course), people-oriented work, and maybe the autonomy to manage your own lessons and students. The cons are: low salary ceiling, relative lack of promotional opportunities, managing challenging students, meeting the demands of some parents, repetitive work at times, expensive flights during holidays, and having to bring work home.

    OP, if I were to give you some logical advice given to me by a wise man, it'd be to ask yourself whether you want to be there at your workplace on a good day. Everybody has bad days, and on bad days, even I want to quit my job. However, if you still want to quit your job on a good day, then it's a sign that you need to move on. If you just don't get good days at all, then it's clear you need to get yourself out. I myself have thought about changing careers many times but these thoughts usually happen on challenging days; on rewarding days, I don't have these thoughts. Good luck!

  • Sbah22 on 13/09/2019 - 20:01
    +1

    Work in structured finance. We take financial institutions to market to borrow
    Love what I do - everyday is different
    Either the market conditions are different, regulations or legislation is changing, investors are different….so intellectually satisfying….long hours…..and travel…..hardest part is staying away from two very young kids who are at their most enjoyable stage…
    Pros Pays well….
    Cons non existent family life. Always on…including holidays

    Got a letter from childcare for Father’s Day……my daughter told the educator daddy’s favourite thing is going to work

    • pingualien on 14/09/2019 - 00:24

      does it make you feel sad that you don't get to see your family often

      • Sbah22 on 15/09/2019 - 21:04

        I feel bad when I can’t do activities like take them for a swim after work
        Or have to FaceTime them from a hotel,somewhere
        In saying that, I really enjoy what I do…..and without moving to Sydney, not many options for similar work in Melbourne
        And definitely don’t want to move to Sydney

    • gavt on 15/09/2019 - 15:28

      This is heart breaking man…

      • Sbah22 on 15/09/2019 - 21:06

        Thank you
        Guess it is a conscious choice
        I once switched to a job that was slower and more strategic in nature….in 3 months realised wasn’t for me
        I like what I do…..I work with some of the brightest minds in my space and the industry…..

  • DiscoJango on 13/09/2019 - 21:09

    Account manager for a software firm. Regular office hours 8:30-5 however i am out and about almost every day visiting clients, which is interesting seeing all the different types of business and facilities out there. Pay is $115k-$150k depending on targets met.

  • CatGrandma on 13/09/2019 - 21:45

    Application support. Basically I help customers if they are having problems with our software. Some of it is helping with technical issues and some is just answering general how to questions. A decent portion is just me googling things, or giving a link to our help documentation. I have a degree in computer science, but you really don't need it. Anyone who is decently tech savvy, learns quickly and has good communication skills can do this. Base salary is $58000 but it's shift work and I get paid loading for some shifts. It's around $64000 when you take that into account.

    • [Deactivated] on 14/09/2019 - 18:06

      Should have that degree paid of by now given how useful it was just for the job interview and the interview alone.

      Good one you keep doing you.

  • skywards on 13/09/2019 - 23:29
    +1

    Whatever it takes

  • Bozman on 13/09/2019 - 23:36
    +1

    Started out in Big 4 financial audit, then moved into technical advisory specialising in treasury. Spent 11 years there. Loved working with the people, but unfortunately my boss (partner) was a complete (profanity). Worked on average for 35 clients a year, was always busy but could be very rewarding, especially problem solving for clients. Finally left when I caught my boss out lying about my career advancement.

    Now working in Treasury / Corporate Finance at a University on the business side (ie not lecturing). Very varied role which is great, basically run the treasury for the organisation (raise debt, manage cash, manage financial risks) and also get involved in any deals with significant finance component which is often interesting. Working in education (or maybe it’s more a non-profit thing) is hard though. I work harder now than I did in Big 4, but fewer hours. Surprisingly for an educational institution the quality of a lot of staff is pretty poor, and there is very little accountability which can be demoralising. Still, my boss is excellent, our team is fun and I’m paid well so I shouldn’t complain.

    Also love how progressive the Uni is on social issues. A very inclusive space where all backgrounds are openly welcomed. Got into a lift the other day with a guy who feels more comfortable wearing a dress and I think it’s fantastic he’s encouraged to do that, if that’s what he wants. I’m a middle class heterosexual white guy, so I have never experienced discrimination but am very proud to work for a place that is leading the charge for diversity and inclusiveness.

    I never realised though how good the people I worked with previously were, and you formed a very close bond under high work pressure. Miss that.

  • majuks on 14/09/2019 - 01:35
    +1

    GP:

    I like to think I help people, but in actual fact,its more like trying to be a mom to reluctant kids and clean up the mess they made in the toilets. Also needed to pick them up and try to steer them away from repeatedly running into walls and catch them before they poop all over the said wall whilst avoiding the same poop getting fling back to me.

    Bonus: free coffee and occasional drug rep lunches.

  • Dont Care on 14/09/2019 - 10:04

    Clueless. An annual report is not a financial statement. Jog on.

  • VictoriousBboy on 14/09/2019 - 14:04

    Not me, but the finance guy at my work with is on ~90k and manages finances for entire division within a health network. So business case costing, staff establishments, activity based data analysis etc. Seems pretty interesting to someone from a family of finance people who chose to do a glorified arts degree. This is government also. If you can get a government job, I’d go with that. As long as you can handle it being like Utopia every day.

  • [Deactivated] on 14/09/2019 - 18:04

    I collect 10 cent cans, it's good you can use it to by stuff I never really need, well it was the bottles I bought.

  • paul11 on 14/09/2019 - 18:13

    I used to work full time at a Uni as a "Software Developer", annual salary was $105K + super

    Recently switched, to become an IT contractor, still developing software, but now I get roughly $1000/day.

  • berrycrush on 14/09/2019 - 19:26

    Risk & compliance manager. I think if you asked me five years ago, I would have laughed at my job title. There's definitely aspects I enjoy and others I simply accept.

    Day to day I manage a small team (training, finding and prioritising work, mentoring etc), work closely with IT to develop/maintain/test our risk system, process map to find root causes to issues, run workshops, implement reg change and provide risk/compliance advice. Personally I enjoy helping others, playing with data and figuring out the why behind things - which my job thankfully allows me to do. If it didn't, I'd just try find ways to incorporate what I enjoy into my job (eg. Data analysis is not necessarily an essential skillset but I find ways to make it relevant because I enjoy it)

    I earn 150-180ish and worked at big4 when I first started in corporate as well. I think it's great you're asking questions and trying to hone in on what you might enjoy. Maybe do some introspection and ask yourself what exactly you enjoy about your role and build on that?

  • thriftybunny on 15/09/2019 - 13:08

    Gender balance, diversity and headcount in a large organisation, $150k.

  • PcisT on 15/09/2019 - 13:49

    The grass is always greener on the other side.

    I have worked both in healthcare and Big 4. They both have their pros and cons. The trick is keeping yourself challenged and motivated no matter what you do.

  • Choc0 on 15/09/2019 - 15:44

    Product owner. Software delivery. 170k (much more on offer if you go contracting).

  • bakerboo on 15/09/2019 - 19:04

    Recently graduated Civil Engineering student. Was lucky enough to secure a full time position from the cadetship I was completing and now a graduate (site) engineer. Doing a lot of quality work, verifying completed works and learning how to deal with and manage issues.

  • cryptos on 16/09/2019 - 01:19

    Watch a classic movie Office Space 1999

  • anastasiastarz on 20/09/2019 - 02:26

    Am super curious about "content creators".

  • Asydney1990 on 23/09/2019 - 18:12

    I came from finance and im 29 years old, i took a massive pay cut from what i was earning around (95k base), and the best decision i have ever made was leave the stale finance world and work in TECH!

    Very exciting industry that will never die, the amount of connections you'll meet is amazing, i took a massive pay cut but i have companies from all over hitting me up and i have only been here for 9 months and i'm already ready to take the next step (network security for the main competitor to Cisco)

    i moved into tech by chance, i was over finance i felt young and felt like i had a lot to offer then becoming stale in finance.. i'm currently working for a company that helps IT Managers with projects, so i get to see the industry from a hardware and software point of view.

    Also you get to go to heaps of events in the city and get loads of free goods, and the scene is very much into drinking and travelling for work.

    hope that helps.

    • h20co2 on 04/02/2021 - 13:50

      What is the field in IT you are are working in?

  • Calcifer on 31/01/2021 - 01:36

    Redacted

  • blueyez on 02/02/2021 - 23:23

    I work in superannuation, are you asleep yet XD

    Looking to get out and career change into something more IT related that is way more interesting. I like to analyse things and break systems.

    Fascinating thread =)

  • FrugalFranky on 11/02/2021 - 13:58

    I'll play

    Manager in Manufacturing. Engineering background. 10-15 years experience, 150-200k salary.

    It's a decent gig, I make good pay and am responsible in making strategic decisions that can affect the overall direction of the facility. We operate 24/7 and our main metric is number of products out the door. That's the name of the game.

    I like what I do, and enjoy a great work/life balance. My team is awesome and all get along fairly well.
    Some days I barely get anything done because I'm dealing with people problems (the HR side of management). Other days I'm deep into technical details of machinery to troubleshoot issues.

    Overall I like it, looking back on my career, I like the route I've gone to get where I'm at. Pursuing further education to increase my future opportunities and growth.

  • jv on 11/02/2021 - 14:00

    What Do You Actually Do for Work?

    I boldly comment.

  • Blokeinhisundies on 11/02/2021 - 18:15

    Light rail. Full time average where I am is ~$85K. No skills required other than a Class C licence lol.

    Pretty good job but it is shift work and we work most weekends. It makes a big difference to your pay packet but for some people its not great.

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