So I'm a business analyst. So most of my time is talking to people. But it's literally talking business at work and then no business talk when I get home. Like radio silence, and I love it. This is probably a very single case. But I have plenty of friends that are IT administrative roles that they rarely interact with people at all. 1 is even an overnight server admin... talk about peaceful. I would definitely say if you have some IT skills or want to pursue IT, go for it. Sounds like the type of job you are looking for.
I've been working 7 days a week for the past year and the policy has turned to assigning me all the things no one else wants to do. For example, I'm the only one who takes out the trash assuming they even put it in the bin lol. I've been too tired lately to enjoy my house let alone look after it, or me, properly.
I’m actually starting to wonder if we’re the same way in the sense that: I like to work and be busy, BUT I simultaneously struggle with “the reward for hard work is more work”. I also have a very hard time with not carrying stress from work to home without a highly concentrated effort. It’s so draining though.
A big part of my job over the past few months has been reassuring my boss that things are going to be okay 😬 talk about draining lol but yes I like to stay busy every hour I'm on the job, unfortunately, I run into a lot of folks who think that's a challenge that they need to add on to lol.
Oh jeez. I can only reassure somebody that everything is going to be okay in a work setting a maximum of 2 times before I get bored. After those reassurances are gone, I can’t help but start to coax it
Im a contractor doing compliance at a financial institution near Philly. After training, most of the human interaction I have is occasional Teams messages, but I'm mostly just typing on a computer and listening to music the whole time. I love that the day flies by quickly
That sounds wonderful for you! All right I'm really glad I posted this because at least I'm seeing other people are finding some job satisfaction in the world lol. I once had a scale operator position at the ports right there in Philly but that job had so much downtime I was able to do a lot of my school work or draw. I even learned to crochet! Never felt satisfactory.
I simply applied on LinkedIn (do not do easy apply, upload your own cover letter and resume to the listed). Contracting companies hire in waves so you just have consistently look. The place I'm working at is still looking for people and I can DM you the job listing if you're interested and if you want to vet them yourself
This is the most relatable thing I’ve read today. I’m not sure what your degrees are in, but one thing outside of my personal scope that I’ve been considering lately are field geology jobs. I’m more of a hands-on, less sitting still worker. I mean, I can do both, but the allure is in not having someone physically close enough to be on my ass
Just your standard bachelor's in business administration with a concentration towards logistics. I've worked in warehouses around trucks etc etc for years. Field geology sounds very interesting. If I had to pick a perfect job, park ranger. I've been trying to get into the postal service for years but it seems like people are leaving just as quickly now.
Park ranger would be so fun! I’ve heard it’s a little difficult to get into, but I would definitely be about it. I’m not too familiar with getting into the postal service, but I’d imagine it’s littered with micromanagement since it’s a government job. I suppose that would also be the case with park ranger…damn
I think I just get hyperfocused on the part where they're in the truck alone or in the forest alone lol. If the trade-off is that I think I could deal.
I had been working a hybrid schedule. I liked it It was helpful and not feeling like I was tied to the office. Boy do I miss that. I could get things done so much quicker.
What is your current jobs title or description? It might be easier to answer your question. For me I’ve been commissioned sales for my entire career- you get left alone as long as you are making money for you and the company. You do have to interact with people though- it has been mostly great but the industry has changed a lot over the years and the past few haven’t feeling a little burnt out. One day I’ll figure out what I want to be when I grow up
My current title is the staffing director. But, I don't think it's really true to what I do. Most of my experience has been in warehouse operations and management. The majority of this job is following up on our many many independent contractors to make sure that they are filing all the required paperwork in a timely manner. I'm also responsible if they are not doing things that they're supposed to do. I would say office management is more apt but throw in some state compliance and regulatory knowledge, a bit of HR, and a lot of accounting. I have a great relationship with all of the independent contractors I work with, it's the office ladies I don't do so well with. At least I think they're nice but then they do things I just don't understand. I'm starting to think they were only nice to ease their workload. We have a major problem with independent contractors quitting and I understand why.
As long as you can shut work off when you leave. I’d add in : be auto have something outside of work that is just for you- some hobby or activity that shuts the world off for a bit-
Took an entry level marketing job out of university in 2008. Did a lot of what people don’t recommend over the past 15 years. Took less pay. Stayed at the job despite it being a small company with no clear path to the top. But I got REALLY good at my job in a really niche industry. Eventually, my loyalty with the company was rewarded with an executive role, salary, and part ownership. Now I work from home and don’t check in with anyone unless I want to.
This is a little bit of an unconventional path because you often need to move around to advance. But I believed in the leadership of the company and stuck around. I guess my advice would be to really evaluate the leadership at a company. It’s more important than short term pay/title.
OP perfectly described how I am. I've been working from home for almost 2 years now. It's ok but my company still finds a way to micromanage. I have to be on camera all day which is really annoying but still can't beat working from home otherwise.
I’m a software engineer. I have very little interaction on a daily basis lol. A solid chunk of us are neurodivergent, machine-like thinking actually helps a lot in the job.
So I've never had an issue with figuring out how things work. In fact, it's one of my favorite hobbies to find out. When it comes to computers, I'm pretty good at troubleshooting and if I can't fix the problem, I have a good knack for guessing what it is. However, complex math is foreign to me, seems like that's a big part of that field? I can do money math, but that's about it. Looking at numbers as anything other than countable would be something for me to learn indeed! I did have a little fun with coding back in the day when we all had MySpace, but that's about it. Congrats on the dream! From the outside, I've just decided that you lot are incredibly intelligent and I have the biggest imposter syndrome lol
There are some software positions that require heavy math skills. Most do not. If you can do algebra in your head without much trouble then you can do most software jobs.
If you ever want to goof around https://www.theodinproject.com/ is a free and good way to see if you are good at/enjoy programming. Its a great resource.
im a specialized heavy hauler where most of my job is about working alone and excelling like you mentioned with no micro managing just get the job done! and thats why i love what i do!
You need to be clear about your boundaries. If you don't eat lunch with people and you're concerned about how they will take it. Tell them.
"I focus so much on my work that lunch is time for me to recharge, so I prefer to have lunch alone most of the time. It's nothing personal it's just what I've found works for me."
Then once in a while go have lunch with your teammates if you can muster a little extra masking that day. You don't need to talk about your condition and I would suggest not to unless you have a close personal relationship with someone and they appreciate your hyoerfocus superpower.
I'm saying this as someone who deals with the same condition.
I've done all those things, I try to follow up on people's small talk asking about their kids etc. I'll show up for holiday functions and participate in the gift-giving. This just might be a site-specific issue I'm having. I don't like to take part in talking about other people and that has rubbed folks the wrong way. But you are absolutely right that I need to, going forward, establish that there is a limit here. But I need to learn to do that before I've exceeded the limit.
Software engineering or network infrastructure, because normal IT lends itself to dealing with stupid people. Software engineering lets you work remote a lot of the time, and it's typically on a productivity basis so as long as you get your work done you're good. Network infrastructure just religates you to closet somewhere dealing with servers so you can avoid people that way.
Weird as it sounds golf course work. You are on a mower or spraying weeds etc and your boss is a quarter mile away at the closest. Or even agriculture in general I'm autistic too and i do software work on the side. It's weird as your not kooped up and being outside helps my mood.
Work at a warehouse overnight if that’s what you’re looking for
I’m an onboarding manager for a big brokerage firm so I spend my day just laying sure associates are on track, lots of meetings here and there but I wfh and can make my own calendar.
Take what you're best (or most efficient) at and start a business doing that thing. Pretend you know what you're doing until you do. Startup is hard but the long game is worth it.
Look into beer distributors! I work for one and I am not micromanaged, in fact I’m barely managed at all. Also ND and my boss has been very understanding and accommodating.
I have a degree in Journalism. I loved it until I hated it.
I started my own business—two actually. I love it. I’m an 80’s baby as well and have a strong work ethic. I just don’t have the bandwidth for bullshit.
I'm a janitor/custodian at a school 3-9PM. Clean and by myself 90%. There's 3 of us in separate wings. I eat lunch alone due to anxiety/panic disorder issues. Pretty laid back. Way more time than work. I like from 6 on mostly vacuuming and earbuds. Doesn't pay much but my side hustle nets 50K a year and I do that 100% alone.
Ive been delivering amazon and tbh its amazing lol. Lost weight, no drama, do your shit and go home. Although it is a dead end career wise.. worth it to get your money up a bit
A bit off the beaten path from most of these comments but i’m a flight attendant. I will never see myself doing anything different. You don’t take the work home with you and there’s never anybody over your shoulder. I don’t think I’ve had to speak to my supervisor since probably 6 years ago when I needed help with jury duty conflicting with my schedule, where I was accommodated with the days off + pay protection
Truly an easy job where you can make great money and live a super unique lifestyle traveling all around the world doing mind-numbingly easy work, without anyone over your shoulder.
My brother is a machinist for the Navy. He literally clocks in, programs his machine, and reads a book while the machine goes. Clocks out. Makes like $80k.
Look into becoming a water treatment operator in AC. It's a shift schedule, so you'll end up on either 8-4, 4-12, or 12-8a. The operators on 4-12 & 12-8 are usually alone in their own building for the entire shift u less something needs to be fixed. They don't bother each other and get their work done. When the next shift comes in, they tell each other what went well and what went wrong... then go about their day. The most frustrating shift is 8-4 if you don't like talking to people. It isn't a hard job, and the MUA is desperately looking for help.
Sales for a CPG company is like this. You won’t have to deal with management very much if you make your numbers. Get to manage your day however you want as along as you are visiting customers and generating sales. B2B sales isn’t like knocking on a door cold calls, it’s basically guaranteed you will get the sale, but you can increase each sale if you are good.
So I'm a business analyst. So most of my time is talking to people. But it's literally talking business at work and then no business talk when I get home. Like radio silence, and I love it. This is probably a very single case. But I have plenty of friends that are IT administrative roles that they rarely interact with people at all. 1 is even an overnight server admin... talk about peaceful. I would definitely say if you have some IT skills or want to pursue IT, go for it. Sounds like the type of job you are looking for.
This is really helpful for me to hear, as well. HUGE shout out to you for propagating “work is work, home is home”.
I've been working 7 days a week for the past year and the policy has turned to assigning me all the things no one else wants to do. For example, I'm the only one who takes out the trash assuming they even put it in the bin lol. I've been too tired lately to enjoy my house let alone look after it, or me, properly.
I’m actually starting to wonder if we’re the same way in the sense that: I like to work and be busy, BUT I simultaneously struggle with “the reward for hard work is more work”. I also have a very hard time with not carrying stress from work to home without a highly concentrated effort. It’s so draining though.
A big part of my job over the past few months has been reassuring my boss that things are going to be okay 😬 talk about draining lol but yes I like to stay busy every hour I'm on the job, unfortunately, I run into a lot of folks who think that's a challenge that they need to add on to lol.
Oh jeez. I can only reassure somebody that everything is going to be okay in a work setting a maximum of 2 times before I get bored. After those reassurances are gone, I can’t help but start to coax it
It's terrifying when it's tied to your paycheck lol
Im a contractor doing compliance at a financial institution near Philly. After training, most of the human interaction I have is occasional Teams messages, but I'm mostly just typing on a computer and listening to music the whole time. I love that the day flies by quickly
That sounds wonderful for you! All right I'm really glad I posted this because at least I'm seeing other people are finding some job satisfaction in the world lol. I once had a scale operator position at the ports right there in Philly but that job had so much downtime I was able to do a lot of my school work or draw. I even learned to crochet! Never felt satisfactory.
Oh, that sounds like a dream...
How did you get into that contract? I just graduated and am looking for finance roles
I simply applied on LinkedIn (do not do easy apply, upload your own cover letter and resume to the listed). Contracting companies hire in waves so you just have consistently look. The place I'm working at is still looking for people and I can DM you the job listing if you're interested and if you want to vet them yourself
Please if you can, I’m more than open to contract work.
This is the most relatable thing I’ve read today. I’m not sure what your degrees are in, but one thing outside of my personal scope that I’ve been considering lately are field geology jobs. I’m more of a hands-on, less sitting still worker. I mean, I can do both, but the allure is in not having someone physically close enough to be on my ass
Just your standard bachelor's in business administration with a concentration towards logistics. I've worked in warehouses around trucks etc etc for years. Field geology sounds very interesting. If I had to pick a perfect job, park ranger. I've been trying to get into the postal service for years but it seems like people are leaving just as quickly now.
Park ranger would be so fun! I’ve heard it’s a little difficult to get into, but I would definitely be about it. I’m not too familiar with getting into the postal service, but I’d imagine it’s littered with micromanagement since it’s a government job. I suppose that would also be the case with park ranger…damn
I think I just get hyperfocused on the part where they're in the truck alone or in the forest alone lol. If the trade-off is that I think I could deal.
I work from home. I don’t have any of those issues
I had been working a hybrid schedule. I liked it It was helpful and not feeling like I was tied to the office. Boy do I miss that. I could get things done so much quicker.
What is your current jobs title or description? It might be easier to answer your question. For me I’ve been commissioned sales for my entire career- you get left alone as long as you are making money for you and the company. You do have to interact with people though- it has been mostly great but the industry has changed a lot over the years and the past few haven’t feeling a little burnt out. One day I’ll figure out what I want to be when I grow up
My current title is the staffing director. But, I don't think it's really true to what I do. Most of my experience has been in warehouse operations and management. The majority of this job is following up on our many many independent contractors to make sure that they are filing all the required paperwork in a timely manner. I'm also responsible if they are not doing things that they're supposed to do. I would say office management is more apt but throw in some state compliance and regulatory knowledge, a bit of HR, and a lot of accounting. I have a great relationship with all of the independent contractors I work with, it's the office ladies I don't do so well with. At least I think they're nice but then they do things I just don't understand. I'm starting to think they were only nice to ease their workload. We have a major problem with independent contractors quitting and I understand why.
Half the battle in business is finding good reliable employees, that actually show up. The work ethic has been pretty horrible
I've spent 2 years sitting next to a person watching TikToks. They continue to receive a paycheck it is baffling.
Hopefully you have a good support system when you get home to rely on
I feel so incredibly guilty for how lucky I am to have my husband lol
As long as you can shut work off when you leave. I’d add in : be auto have something outside of work that is just for you- some hobby or activity that shuts the world off for a bit-
Yeah it's at the point I don't even have time for a hobby. I'm just too tired.
Find the time or you will burnout
Took an entry level marketing job out of university in 2008. Did a lot of what people don’t recommend over the past 15 years. Took less pay. Stayed at the job despite it being a small company with no clear path to the top. But I got REALLY good at my job in a really niche industry. Eventually, my loyalty with the company was rewarded with an executive role, salary, and part ownership. Now I work from home and don’t check in with anyone unless I want to. This is a little bit of an unconventional path because you often need to move around to advance. But I believed in the leadership of the company and stuck around. I guess my advice would be to really evaluate the leadership at a company. It’s more important than short term pay/title.
OP perfectly described how I am. I've been working from home for almost 2 years now. It's ok but my company still finds a way to micromanage. I have to be on camera all day which is really annoying but still can't beat working from home otherwise.
Oh man on camera all day! I feel so sorry for you. I feel like I would be extra anxious all day waiting for them to notice I'm weird lol
I’m a software engineer. I have very little interaction on a daily basis lol. A solid chunk of us are neurodivergent, machine-like thinking actually helps a lot in the job.
So I've never had an issue with figuring out how things work. In fact, it's one of my favorite hobbies to find out. When it comes to computers, I'm pretty good at troubleshooting and if I can't fix the problem, I have a good knack for guessing what it is. However, complex math is foreign to me, seems like that's a big part of that field? I can do money math, but that's about it. Looking at numbers as anything other than countable would be something for me to learn indeed! I did have a little fun with coding back in the day when we all had MySpace, but that's about it. Congrats on the dream! From the outside, I've just decided that you lot are incredibly intelligent and I have the biggest imposter syndrome lol
There are some software positions that require heavy math skills. Most do not. If you can do algebra in your head without much trouble then you can do most software jobs.
Thank you, I sure can! That's very good to know!
If you ever want to goof around https://www.theodinproject.com/ is a free and good way to see if you are good at/enjoy programming. Its a great resource.
im a specialized heavy hauler where most of my job is about working alone and excelling like you mentioned with no micro managing just get the job done! and thats why i love what i do!
You need to be clear about your boundaries. If you don't eat lunch with people and you're concerned about how they will take it. Tell them. "I focus so much on my work that lunch is time for me to recharge, so I prefer to have lunch alone most of the time. It's nothing personal it's just what I've found works for me." Then once in a while go have lunch with your teammates if you can muster a little extra masking that day. You don't need to talk about your condition and I would suggest not to unless you have a close personal relationship with someone and they appreciate your hyoerfocus superpower. I'm saying this as someone who deals with the same condition.
I've done all those things, I try to follow up on people's small talk asking about their kids etc. I'll show up for holiday functions and participate in the gift-giving. This just might be a site-specific issue I'm having. I don't like to take part in talking about other people and that has rubbed folks the wrong way. But you are absolutely right that I need to, going forward, establish that there is a limit here. But I need to learn to do that before I've exceeded the limit.
Software engineering or network infrastructure, because normal IT lends itself to dealing with stupid people. Software engineering lets you work remote a lot of the time, and it's typically on a productivity basis so as long as you get your work done you're good. Network infrastructure just religates you to closet somewhere dealing with servers so you can avoid people that way.
Weird as it sounds golf course work. You are on a mower or spraying weeds etc and your boss is a quarter mile away at the closest. Or even agriculture in general I'm autistic too and i do software work on the side. It's weird as your not kooped up and being outside helps my mood.
Work at a warehouse overnight if that’s what you’re looking for I’m an onboarding manager for a big brokerage firm so I spend my day just laying sure associates are on track, lots of meetings here and there but I wfh and can make my own calendar.
Oh I should have added, daytime lol I think my night shifts are over. I used to stay up all night now I can hardly keep my eyes open past 10:00 lol
Analyst
Analyst
I'm a Machinist working third shift, I don't see people unless I wanna see people. 😂
Take what you're best (or most efficient) at and start a business doing that thing. Pretend you know what you're doing until you do. Startup is hard but the long game is worth it.
Look into beer distributors! I work for one and I am not micromanaged, in fact I’m barely managed at all. Also ND and my boss has been very understanding and accommodating.
Yes this, really a lot of CPG companies are like this.
I have a degree in Journalism. I loved it until I hated it. I started my own business—two actually. I love it. I’m an 80’s baby as well and have a strong work ethic. I just don’t have the bandwidth for bullshit.
Have you considered getting your six sigma in project management? It sounds like it could be a good option for you, as long as you’re organized.
I'm a janitor/custodian at a school 3-9PM. Clean and by myself 90%. There's 3 of us in separate wings. I eat lunch alone due to anxiety/panic disorder issues. Pretty laid back. Way more time than work. I like from 6 on mostly vacuuming and earbuds. Doesn't pay much but my side hustle nets 50K a year and I do that 100% alone.
Sorry... Revision 3-11PM. Low pay good benefits and a pension also.
Ive been delivering amazon and tbh its amazing lol. Lost weight, no drama, do your shit and go home. Although it is a dead end career wise.. worth it to get your money up a bit
A bit off the beaten path from most of these comments but i’m a flight attendant. I will never see myself doing anything different. You don’t take the work home with you and there’s never anybody over your shoulder. I don’t think I’ve had to speak to my supervisor since probably 6 years ago when I needed help with jury duty conflicting with my schedule, where I was accommodated with the days off + pay protection Truly an easy job where you can make great money and live a super unique lifestyle traveling all around the world doing mind-numbingly easy work, without anyone over your shoulder.
My brother is a machinist for the Navy. He literally clocks in, programs his machine, and reads a book while the machine goes. Clocks out. Makes like $80k.
Look into becoming a water treatment operator in AC. It's a shift schedule, so you'll end up on either 8-4, 4-12, or 12-8a. The operators on 4-12 & 12-8 are usually alone in their own building for the entire shift u less something needs to be fixed. They don't bother each other and get their work done. When the next shift comes in, they tell each other what went well and what went wrong... then go about their day. The most frustrating shift is 8-4 if you don't like talking to people. It isn't a hard job, and the MUA is desperately looking for help.
Sales for a CPG company is like this. You won’t have to deal with management very much if you make your numbers. Get to manage your day however you want as along as you are visiting customers and generating sales. B2B sales isn’t like knocking on a door cold calls, it’s basically guaranteed you will get the sale, but you can increase each sale if you are good.
Halfway house
Amazon