A job is more than its direct responsibilities; it also includes the relationships we build, the skills we develop, and the impact we have on the organization and the outside world. However, it’s difficult to learn these things without belonging to the “club.” Movies and TV shows aren’t reliable sources, and there are only so many careers we embark upon ourselves. So, let’s take a look at a Reddit discussion where people from different industries have been spilling tea about their professions.
#1
Woo, buddy, here’s my chance to vent. I am a climate scientist.
1) Uncertainty does not mean we don’t know what we’re talking about, or that we’re guessing. Any scientific estimate of any kind has an uncertainty. You’re just usually not told about it. We’re pretty transparent about our math, so you get to see the range of estimates. That doesn’t mean we don’t know the mechanism behind it, it just means that there are variables involved that can’t be predicted precisely.
2) We KNOW the sun goes through cycles. I promise that we’ve already considered whatever showstopping thing you found on the internet.
3) When we say “climate change” in this current context, we mean the human-caused part. You aren’t providing new information by saying that “the climate always changes.” We know that.
4) We know that it’s the carbon causing the temperature rise (and not the other way around) because we know exactly where the carbon came from. It’s not a coincidence that the CO2 concentration started rising at the same time we figured out combustion.
5) Some data sucks. That fact does not invalidate science.
Image source: dopplerdilemma, teksomolika
#2
No, I’m not bullying your child.
He just needs to learn that they are rules in a society and that the world doesn’t revolve around his a**e, which you seem to have omitted.
Edit: I was a teaching assistant, my partner was a teacher.
Image source: Kyumijang, RDNE Stock project
#3
I’m not making up the fact that your child hasn’t done the work and behaves badly in class. I don’t just have it in for your child for no reason. And no, I won’t change his grade because you’re harassing me.
Image source: Feltedskullpuppets, Getty Images
#4
Spay and neuter your f*****g pets
Also, cats shouldn’t drink milk.
Image source: PussyWrangler46, Werzk Luuuuuuu
#5
Child predators very rare look like criminals, and they rarely look like folks from the s*x offender registry. Those are mugshots taken on what is often the worst day in someone’s life.
They look like your youth pastor, your best friend from college, maybe even your brother.
The reason there is so much f*****g paperwork and huge wait to work with children is that it helps us identify those people.
Image source: SplendidTit, Ahmet Kurt
#6
I can’t “Enhance” your tiny f*****g low res jpeg into a beautiful 8×10 print.
Retoucher.
#7
Viral infections do not need antibiotics and vaccines do not cause autism.
Guess what profession
Edit: nobody expects the Spanish I*********n. Aha!
Image source: Binaural_Wave, Getty Images
#8
Electricity will k**l you.
A bad connection can burn down your house.
The YouTube video showing how easy it is to hook up your new hot tub does not understand your overloaded circuits.
#9
Programmers (generally) can’t fix computers. Or software they did not write. Sometimes not even the software they wrote.
Image source: hollycrapola, Wes Hicks
#10
A shocking amount of people seem to think that because I work in a library, I sit around and read all day. I do not. I wish that was what I was getting paid to do but nah.
Got a lot of ” So what do you do then”, so I’m copying a reply I made earlier, with a few more things I thought of along the way:
It’s a smaller library so I do a little of everything. I put materials away, I check materials in and out, I pursue our overdue fines, I help our patrons with things they may need or I make copies for them, I run our Facebook, I update our website, I write a monthly newsletter and an article for the weekly paper, and there is a lot of clerical work, billing, deposits, filing, supply ordering, etc. I create advertisments for our programs. I process and catalog new materials and weed old ones. I shush 12 year olds who confuse the place for a computer arcade. It’s possible to have a slow day where I probably could pull out a book and read but it’s not very professional looking so I don’t. Oh and I take the occasional reddit break. ;)
I do also want to say that I work in a library but I am not an accredited librarian. I am actually “library support staff” so my list is probably short in comparison to the director of library services in my building, who does have her library science degree.
Image source: starshock990, Andrej Lišakov
#11
I work in an animal hospital. Our prices aren’t high because we want you to pay for our mortgages, cars, student loans, etc. Rarely do we actually make a profit and we ourselves don’t make much. We genuinely care about your pets and we take it personal when you question our training. Many of us are licensed DVMs and RVTs. We dedicate our lives to animals for the outcome not the income.
Image source: MayyJuneJulyy, Getty Images
#12
Just because you had some side effects from a medication does not mean you are allergic to it.
Also, please don’t f*****g eat or drink before surgery. I will cancel your surgery. It’s for your own safety, so don’t lie about it.
#13
Welding
People often think you need to protect only the eyes. And then get 2nd degree burns on their arms/neck when they realize the light from arc welding is like standing in front of a tanning bed on steroids.
Image source: anon, Getty Images
#14
Plumber here. If it isn’t turds, p**s, or toilet paper then it probably shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet. Specifically, tampons, baby wipes and paper towels.
Image source: isosceles1980, freepik
#15
Cake decorator.
1) Yes, tiered cakes can be expensive. But you aren’t just paying for my materials. You’re paying for my time. Your three tier fondant covered fifty million details on each tier cake will take me the time that I could crank out at least 15 simple sheet cakes. You gotta pay for that maam/sir. Also, if it was “just cake and icing”, you could do it on your own. Don’t come in with a Buddy or Ace of Cakes cake and expect to pay less than $400. Ace of Cakes MINIMUM is like $500 so…Yeah.
2) Birthdays are not Easter. The day does not move. So your emergency because you forgot to order isn’t an emergency for me and you are not more important than the people who properly ordered. What you consider “quick and simple” usually isn’t. You can’t just magically bake and decorate a cake in 15 minutes.
Image source: JaydotFay, EyeEm
#16
If the choice is between rushing to take your order at 4 a.m. in the drive thru or making sure our food is being held at temperatures that ensure it’s safe to eat so you don’t get fatally sick from a cheeseburger that was heated incorrectly, I’m not rushing to take your order.
You can tell the story however you want, but I’m not ignoring you (I actually will be with you as soon as I can, which is when I’m done ensuring food safety), and your story will not end with a trip to the ICU for severe food poisoning… you’re welcome.
Image source: anon, Jace Miller
#17
You don’t use quotation marks to add emphasis.
(I’m an English teacher.).
Image source: ragnar_deerslayer, Valeriia Miller
#18
I’m a Music teacher.
I hear from many parents and adults in general that have this notion that some kids are talented or gifted in some way, and some just aren’t. This is the farthest thing from the truth.
Literally everyone in the whole world is musical in many different ways, especially kids. There are predispositions to certain skills, but everyone has the potential to get much better. If you just encourage musical behavior and participation at home and school, kids are developing rhythmic and tonal understanding of music. If you’re in an environment that encourages mistakes, experimentation, and practice people will naturally become more musical performers.
This is also coming from a guy who’s mom told him he was tone deaf in 4th grade and quit chorus. Who’s tone deaf now mom?!
Image source: andythefisher798, A. C.
#19
Teachers aren’t babysitters. We’re here to educate your children.
Image source: blazecranium, Getty Images
#20
Getting a good photo doesn’t mean you’re necessarily able to be a professional photographer. Most people who enter the profession swiftly exit it again because of this. And those who stick around likely still learned it the hard way.
Image source: anon, li shanting
#21
I’m an interpreter.
It’s pretty obvious that you don’t translate word for word and that you CANT be replaced by Google Translate, lol.
Image source: jogndq, August de Richelieu
#22
Mechanical Engineers aren’t mechanics.
Everyone seems to think that I’m the guy to come to when their car is having problems. Like, yeah, I could figure out how to fix this and know what’s going on… But really, you should probably ask the guy who does this s**t *everyday*, he is the expert here. Also, you don’t want to pay an engineer to fix your car.
Image source: IlluminationRock, Andrea Piacquadio
#23
Printing industry here.
People see that InkJet printers are cheaper, but they don’t realize the consumables are more expensive and do not last long at all compared to alternative technology. Maybe a few hundred pages per color, and if one color is empty/missing, the d**n thing won’t print.
I recommend Laser Printers, the brand Brother in particular is very reliable. Higher upfront cost, but the toner cartridge lasts much, much longer (thousands of pages) and is the tech is foolproof. If you get bad prints, just change the cartridge. Not always so simple with an InkJet printer. Black&White Laser machines are very affordable, and some Color Laser machines are becoming affordable nowadays.
I wish more people knew this so InkJets would disappear from the market.
Image source: red_sweater_bandit, Mahrous Houses
#24
As a social worker many people think that if the child is removed from the house that the child will never return when in reality we’re taught that reunification is the number one thing we can do and will do everything possible before putting the child in the system.
Image source: Mangobunny98, Bonnie Kittle
#25
Geologist/Geophysicist. Here’s some. 1) Hot, red lava is pretty safe. You know where it’s coming from, and where it’s going. It’s the cool, explosive eruptions that are more dangerous. A 100 mph cloud of 800 -1000C hot, poisonous gas will take out far more people than movie-friendly lava will. Also, there’s no good prediction mechanism for volcanic eruptions. In the movies, they always use microquakes as an indicator, but the earth shakes around volcanoes for years before and after eruptions. Or sometimes it just shakes.
2) What we know about the interior of the earth is either from pieces that have been brought up to the surface, or from guessing based on proxy data and lab observations. There’s no way to see underground. We mark the bottom of the crust by a weird change in seismic velocity called the Mohorovicic Discontinuity. We do have some rocks called ophiolites that probably come from the crust-mantle transition, and that match the theorized changes in physics at that depth. Things get wacky under those levels of heat and pressure. Stuff changes chemically almost instantly when a certain heat/pressure is met, and it never leaves solid state.
3) Gravity is not constant from point to point on the Earth’s surface. In fact, you can use the inconsistency of gravity as one of many geophysical imaging tools. Ditto on the Earth’s magnetic field. The most common imaging technique (that fills your car’s tank) is seismic imaging, which is basically like shouting really loudly at the earth and looking at the echoes that come back from inside of it.
Image source: fade_is_timothy_holt, Carl Tronders
#26
I test video games. Most people just equate it to “Grandma’s Boy” and think we smoke weed and goof off and eat junk food and have fun all day. In reality, it’s incredibly tedious, you spend a LOT of time waiting around for new builds of the game to be delivered, and are technically doing the same things over and over. Not a bad way to make a living, sure, but it can be pretty g*****n mind-numbing at times.
Image source: anon, Oleg Ivanov
#27
If you stop paying your mortgage, you’re no longer entitled to keeping your house.
I know it sounds callous but…Jesus, the amount of times I’ve seen people not pay for 3+ years and still raise unholy hell when they are denied for a modification. Bad things happen to good people, absolutely, and we would rather work with you than just take the house, but if you’re not paying, not eligible for any sort of workout, and refuse to gracefully exit…we’re coming for the house.
EDIT: I should have been more clear. We start foreclosure after 4 months of missed payments, but the foreclosure process can take years depending on the state and a number of factors.
Image source: aw5027, Kindel Media
#28
I used to work in insurance and the number of people who think that the value of their car is the only factor which should be taken into account in calculating their premium is too d**n high.
If you cause a big accident on a highway then unless you’re driving a vintage Bugatti the price of the car is a mere bagatelle compared with medical bills, lost earnings, paying for repairs to bridges etc.
Image source: FuckCazadors, Antoni Shkraba
#29
Not everyone in the Air Force is a pilot.
Image source: cjt11203, Carlos Navas
#30
Stop motion animation actually doesn’t take that long. Building the puppets and setting up the scene takes a while, but you can animate a lot in a very short amount of time compared to 2D animation, and even 3D if you take rendering into account.
It’s also the cheapest between 2D and 3D, even though most people think it’s the most expensive. All of Laika’s films have been $60 million so far, on par with Illumination’s films which are considered low budget for 3D.
Image source: anon, Alexander Dummer
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