Thankless/underrated jobs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got my letter from DCPS telling me that I got fired despite the high praise I received from my principal this year. It came as a complete shock. It was my first year, and though I didn't perform as well as I'd hoped, I can't say that I've ever given more of my time and energy to any job. We've been out for almost a month. I've spent all that time reading and preparing for this upcoming school year. It hurts a lot.

I thank you for posting about the teacher that you know.

Sorry. I got fired after two years. In a district much like DC.

Not to dismiss what you're going through, but it was one of the better things that has happened in my life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just got my letter from DCPS telling me that I got fired despite the high praise I received from my principal this year. It came as a complete shock. It was my first year, and though I didn't perform as well as I'd hoped, I can't say that I've ever given more of my time and energy to any job. We've been out for almost a month. I've spent all that time reading and preparing for this upcoming school year. It hurts a lot.

I thank you for posting about the teacher that you know.

Sorry. I got fired after two years. In a district much like DC.

Not to dismiss what you're going through, but it was one of the better things that has happened in my life.

Np- Any insight as to why you were let go? Is this just about budgets and seniority?

[doodlebug]

I was a nursing assistant for a few years out of high school. Thought I wanted to go to nursing school. I worked at 3 different places, and cared for hospice people dying of cancer (and other things), alzheimer patients, people in a persistent vegetative state who were kept alive due to tube feedings, short term patients who had just had surgery and needed a bit of therapy before heading home, head trauma patients (almost exclusively young men) etc. It is EXHAUSTING, even for a young person. Very few people notice how hard you work but absolutely notice when you've fallen short in some way.

You could easily have 8-12 patients (8 being a light load) of which half had to be bathed every day (everyone was bathed every other day except Sunday.) Everyone needed their vital signs. You had to track who ate what and when, mood, who pooped and peed and how much etc.

It was a big job with lots of heavy lifting, no benefits (heaven help you if you injure your back and can't afford to see a doctor. You could suffer the rest of your life.) Everyone things their mom/dad is the most important patient and deserves the majority of your time. They don't realize that once you account for all of the above, plus take time to wolf down some lunch at some point, change the sheets of everyone who had a shower etc you really only had about 10 min a day for each patient. If one family ties you up for 30 min, everyone else suffers. Unlike nurses, CNA's aren't allowed to stay late because they don't want to pay overtime, so you better figure out a way to get it all done.

That's definitely the most thankless job I've had.

[Anonymous]

All work is important in society. It's a shame we don't see it this way and tolerate huge income inequality.

[Anonymous]

I was a waitress and bartender for years. People treated me with such blatant disrespect and rudeness, and I was approached with such outright sexual harassment it was truly traumatizing. Of course, I had to be polite and could not stand up for myself in the name of customer service, but I do not understand why people think this is okay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a nurse. It is intense and more challenging than most people realize.

Agreed....I visited someone in the hospital recently and the nurses came in a few times. It is amazing how far technology has come, since a rolling cart with a computer on it was the way to keep track of the patients.

[MikeL]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trash collectors. They show up and take away the mess. To me they are some of the most important people around.

I did this one summer while in college. It was hard work but predictable. Everyday started at 6:00 AM, but we spent the first hour, until 7:00 when we actually started work, at local diner having breakfast, which was just a cup of coffee and cereal. One of the customs for this job back then.

Manager teamed the college kids with the trucks that did not have felons. The ex-felons where on a bunch of trucks but we never interacted with them other than driving past each other in morning and at dumps. Did not really understand the reason for the grouping until later in life. Owner eventually retired to florida.

But for short term, it was fun hanging on the back of a truck and going through neighborhoods. I learned the distinctive smell of maggots. Usually from business trash sites. Also there was one customer that would let the garbage collectors use his home pool during the rounds. We would stop for about 30 minutes. He told stories about labor union leaders from the 30's. This was in the 70's when I did this. Very kind old man back then.

I could not do it forever, it is very physically exhausting work to do every day.

When I was a kid, this looked like the coolest job because of this + wear whatever you want to work.
I've since wised up that it was not a great career path

[Anonymous]

ER doctor

[Anonymous]

SAHM mom with 4 kids and workaholic, travelling DH

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just got my letter from DCPS telling me that I got fired despite the high praise I received from my principal this year. It came as a complete shock. It was my first year, and though I didn't perform as well as I'd hoped, I can't say that I've ever given more of my time and energy to any job. We've been out for almost a month. I've spent all that time reading and preparing for this upcoming school year. It hurts a lot.

I thank you for posting about the teacher that you know.

Sorry. I got fired after two years. In a district much like DC.

Not to dismiss what you're going through, but it was one of the better things that has happened in my life.

Np- Any insight as to why you were let go? Is this just about budgets and seniority?

Was it from a charter school?

[Anonymous]

SAHM mom with 4 kids and workaholic, travelling DH

Nope, try again.

[Anonymous]

I work two jobs as a single mom to put my kid through college. One is administrative, one is retail. I would say most people (staff and customers) are appreciative of the work I do in both jobs.

[Anonymous]

Director of the development of a small nonprofit. Have to raise money for everyone to stay employed. Very stressful. Executive Director always wants more. Pay is low and it's hard to ask for more because you have to raise the money to give yourself that raise. The board always wants more but they don't step up to help. Very exhausting and stressful.

[Anonymous]

I appreciate that nurses do have difficult jobs with grueling schedules, but they are well compensated for their work. And they leave their work at work. Plus, my friends who are nurses get plenty of personal time due to their swing shift schedule (4 days on and then 6 days off). The job has a ton of flexibility and they absolutely love their jobs. Maybe they will sing a different tune in their 50s after 30 years on the job.

Under-appreciated and often attacked or disparaged by customers/parents/politicians:
Garbage collectors
Home health aides (soooooooo underpaid and literally clean up shit)
Emergency plumbers
Teachers
Postal handlers - the guys who work in the USPS warehouses and sorting facilities, utterly BACKBREAKING work.
Illegal immigrants who work as sub-contractors on construction sites
Those in the fields harvesting produce

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

SAHM mom with 4 kids and workaholic, travelling DH

Nope, try again.

Haha, proved my point! I was a teacher -- it was easy. teachers reuse their material from year to year and most just scan over the homework.
But SAHM: up at 6AM, childcare, cooking, cleaning, repairing house, car maintenance, insurance, bills, landscape, more cooking, the grocery store, driving, more childcare, bathing, feeding, entertaining, listening to the endless drama, dinner, after school activities, more driving, doctor's appointments, ER visits, school paperwork, homework, more cleaning ...more laundry, dishes, more cooking and down at 11:30PM for that last load ...
And all this time people think you are just chillin'