What are, in your view, the most prestigious careers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Veterinarian

Pediatrician

Judge

Funny, but knowing people in all these jobs, they're all pretty bottom of the barrel. None are particularly happy. Exception for appeals court or above judges; those have prestige.

[Anonymous]

Billionaire?

[Anonymous]

Doctor
Therapist
Anyone who can help another live or live a bit better.

[Anonymous]

Any job that excites someone, puts them on a forward trajectory in life and make some contribution in this world is precious. Prestigious or lucrative doesn't really matter.

None of us know who invented or helped with making microwave, insta pot, cell phones, MRI machines etc accessible for common people. We all know Beyonce's husband is upset her prestige is 0.1 less than what they want it to be or Prince Harry doesn't get everything he demands ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doctor
Therapist
Anyone who can help another live or live a bit better.

What are phlebotomists or pharmacy techs? Cat food? Aren't they doing the same?

[Anonymous]

Doctor
Lawyer
Indian Chief

[Anonymous]

Why Astronaut is important but not the guy who fixes spacesuits to work precisely or girl who tunes shuttle's engine? Aren't they doing their part?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:an architect is not prestigious, I work with many architects and there is no prestige within that profession unless you are the top of the top and are the senior designer for a major build (and that’s rare).

Most are “desk jockeys”.

Exactly. Architecture and law have a log normal, or skewed distribution. So unlike engineering or medicine, which have a more normal distribution of prestige and salary, architects and lawyers are statistically likely to end up in drudgery. And then there are a few rock stars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why Astronaut is important but not the guy who fixes spacesuits to work precisely or girl who tunes shuttle's engine? Aren't they doing their part?

Welp. If you can't tell the difference I'm not sure anyone can help you.

Why is Beyonce prestigious, but nobody knows the name of her sound guy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is prestige?

Power, access, exclusivity and glamour. These are fields that only the privileged and the elite can enter.

When I think of prestige I think:

- high level government officials: heads of states; senators; congressmen; House of Lords; Ambassadors; CIA Director; UN representatives, people like Zibignew Brezinski, Charlie Wilson, Madeline Albright etc

- professionals that are at the top of their fields: CEOs, Non profit executives; tech entrepreneurs; Surgeon General; Justices of the Supreme Court

- The talented and the famous: Taylor Swift, Roger Federer, J.K. Rowling, Salman Rushdie, Michael Jackson etc

Many ambassadors are career ambassadors and those that make it often sacrifice a TON of their family and their lives to make that level. Those operating just below the ambassadorial level are typically those who didn't make their families go through hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd say the following:

- Diplomat
- Senior level Sate appointment
- Any high-level White House appointment
- USAID
- CIA

None of those are prestigious in the slightest, and their measly pay shows that. A diplomat (I assume you meant state department) or a fed employee in general are nothing social. They are a dime a dozen, make meh pay (and even then you could argue are overpaid given how little work they do) and have fairly low hiring requirements.

In my book the prestigious careers (outside of unique ones like Hollywood actor) are big law, investment banking, big tech, and to a lesser extent, management consulting.

Wow - so you equate pay with worth only? Terrible.

[Anonymous]

Taylor Swift’s boyfriends

[Anonymous]

Surgery. Qualities required: many years of study, intellect, ability to live on limited or disrupted sleep. Selflessness. A scientific, pragmatic mind.
Surgeons are my superheros and so so hot to me. I am marrying one in my next life and I am being one too

[Anonymous]

President
Billionaire
Astronaut

[Anonymous]

Prestige correlates with perceived accomplishment and merit, in any field. Some professions reasonably imply that those in them are very intelligent and highly educated, which can lead to some or many in those occupations being seen as in prestigious careers. In other cases, people at the pinnacle of some roles enjoy prestige while the vast majority of others similarly occupied do not, i.e., internationally famous best-selling musician versus musicians playing for tips or for free on the street or in local dive venues. Both are musicians, but one may be seen as prestigious while the other would not be.