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Is a 9-5 job actually enjoyable or miserable like everyone says

I got myself an apprenticeship which is with a well known business in finance. I really wanted this however everyone who knows me knows I love adventure and travelling and having fun. I’ve heard countless stories and comments from people saying a 9-5 job sucks the life out of you. I don’t want to live my life like that dreading the week and only living for the weekend. I want to enjoy everyday. A lot of my friends are in the same city as me who are going to university so I’ll still have friends. I’m not worried about missing out on living out and all that stuff, I’m more worried that I’ll feel trapped in a 9-5 rather than being young and still a teenager in some way. DOes anyone work 9-5 and actually enjoy their job or how do you create fulfilment? Because that’s all I want, to feel fulfilled in life.
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Avatar for morc13
morc13
16
Which hours would you prefer to work than 9-5? At least you can get consistent sleep... I had a job where I had to wake up at 4am on weekends, that was miserable.
It depends on your investment into the job. I've had a few 9-5 office based admin jobs that I found to be absolute hell, purely because I had no interest in the business area and it was just a means to an end. With that being said, If I could find a music related job that didn't require anti social hours of work then i'd be happy with 9-5.

It has it's perks, like mentioned above- consistent sleep as well as giving you the freedom to plan a head of time because you have a set working pattern. There's many studies that have highlighted the importance of a regulated sleeping pattern in relation to life quality and illness, so there's definitely perks to that sort of routine. However as mentioned, I think it all depends on your own personal investment.
Depends on your motivation for doing the apprenticeship.

If solely £££ then you'll regret it.
Basically, you've questions you need to evaluate for yourself before getting in there:

1. Does this job offer experience and responsibilities that I care about?
Literally, if you are going to be doing things that you are not invested in, no number of friendly colleagues or good managers will lighten that weight for you. Really think about what you will be doing and whether that suits your interests. Would you be working at a desk and often in solitary conditions? Would that make you happy? Would you be working closely with colleagues and customers? Would that make you happy? Think about it.

2. Is the environment right for me?
Similar to above, where do you want to be working? Are you happy to work alone, behind a desk and often in only your own company? Are you happy to work in the hustle and bustle, to be running around, honing in on your teamwork skills and involving yourself with customers and so on? Should you be aiming to involve yourself in something busier or quieter? This is really important because the better the environment is for you, the lower your overall stress levels.

Once you start, then you need to think:

3. Are my managers and colleagues good people to work with?
You need to ensure you are surrounded by personable individuals who lend themselves to the company and as team members. You don't want to be surrounded by any of the following people: lazy, incompetent, bullyish, disengaged, selfish... and so on. Any working environment is easier with good colleagues, but it is essential to have great managers. As an apprentice you are going to be relying on a good manager to teach you the ways of the workplace, so you don't want them to be feeding you useless experience. Not only that but having great managers can bind any team together and promote a far healthier environment to all.

4. Have I got the wrong attitude or does the role not lend itself to be cared about?
Once you are inside, if you begin to find yourself bored or miserable, you need to think about whether your heart and expectations are in the right place. If you are a hard worker and you understand you can't just slack off in the real world, then you need to wonder whether the business is failing to give you reasons to invest in it. If the latter is the problem, it is time for you to get out of there. You can't expect yourself to love your work if your company is not giving you reasons to love it.

I have experienced both sides to the 9 to 5 world. I worked 9 to 5 and endured an environment that was simply not good for me. The owners were a cluster****, in terms of running the business, and my co-workers were difficult to get on with... had a habit of looking down their noses at me because I was younger... you get the idea! I still enjoyed many elements of it though. I now work elsewhere, just as bar staff at a chain restaurant, and I love it! Honestly, the concept of packing it in to go to university one day really bums me out... but it is an example of someone loving their 9 to 5. The staff are great, the managers are great, the work is right up my alleyway, the customers are... bearable! Honestly, it is possible to love your job. I think a lot of people are just put out by having to pull their weight to do tedious tasks like getting elbow deep into a steam cleaner to scrape off the grime at closing time, but with the right attitude it can be fulfilling. Of course, the pay is a bonus, but I genuinely go in for twelve hour shifts just because I enjoy it.

Don’t worry too much about things if you are relaying how people talk about 9 to 5 work. I love it, my parents loved it before they got into their careers, my friend loved it… my mum actually wants to go back to doing some 9 to 5 work because she misses it. Good luck with your apprenticeship though! I hope this helped somewhat.
(edited 5 years ago)
Well did you ever wonder why people don't enjoy working 9-5 jobs? The answer is simply because its not what we are meant to do.For two hundred thousand years we were hunter gatherers.All we did was explore and hunt and move.All the time we were moving from place to place.Even 400 generations later we're still essentially the same people.Our technology has changed but our minds and bodies are the same.Now we sit and stare at computer screens for hours in an office.Thats not what we are meant to do which is why the rates of heart disease and other illnesses increase.We are simply not meant to lead such sedentary lives.There is just something in our DNA that resists being chained to a desk 8 hours a day.
The job got to be the right one for you and then your put up with hours you work. I would prefer 9-5 or 08:30 - 16:30 Monday to Friday over my current hours which is a mix of 08:30 - 16:30 and 11:00 - 19:00 where I work one weekend in three.

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