It’s National Don’t Go to Work Unless it’s Fun Day on April 3, and you have to ask yourself, how fun is your job? Even if you like your job well enough, there’s a good chance there are some parts of it that aren’t exactly fun. So, what would make you see your job differently?
Sometimes it comes down to perspective. If you’ve had a bad day at work, you had “no fun,” and the clock seemed to be moving backward, you can go home in a rather sour mood. But it’s all about perspective, which means what you consider a bad day at work may not be what others consider a bad day.
In honor of National Don’t Go To Work Unless It’s Fun Day, here’s a look at ten jobs that are notoriously no fun, but being aware of them can help you see the good and benefits yours offers.
Truck Driver
People often think the job of a truck driver could be cool. You aren’t “stuck in an office,” your manager isn’t hanging over your shoulder, and you have no co-workers to deal with. While those factors may be true – to a certain degree – it doesn’t mean it’s an easy job.
Truck drivers often experience a lot of stress as they are under very tight deadlines. The amount of traffic on the roads today can make on-time deliveries next to impossible. They also have to deal with dangerous road conditions, may have to work long shifts, or may need to drive a night shift, and it’s not always a good-paying job.
Retail Sales Associate
Retail sales associates can attest to some rather appalling customer treatment. Anyone who has spent even a short time in the industry knows how rude customers can be and that the sales associates take the brunt of the complaints and anger.
Things like pricing, product defects, and inventory are out of the hands of retail sales associates, but that doesn’t stop customers from wrongly blaming a salesperson.
Preschool Teacher
Working with young children may sound sweet and cute, and it has its positives, but a career as a preschool teacher can be nothing short of exhausting. What people don’t always realize is how physically demanding the job can be.
At this age, kids are very active. They don’t sit still for long, they don’t always follow instructions well, and you’ll need to help them with tasks and projects constantly. Then there’s the fact that at any given time, at least a handful of the children come to the preschool with common germs, so your immune system will take a beating.
Waiter or Waitress
What are some of the useful skills a waiter or waitress may need to possess? They need to be friendly and outgoing, have a great memory, be organized, have good observational skills, and be willing to help the customer. Meanwhile, customers don’t always give credit to the hardworking waiters and waitresses and instead can take out their anger and frustration on them.
Flight Attendant
A career as a flight attendant is often seen as exotic and exciting. You get to fly to different destinations all the time and see the world without having to spend a fortune. However, that’s not an accurate picture of what it’s like to be a flight attendant.
What isn’t talked about is the long shifts they may work, the fact that they have to work on weekends and holidays, and the fact that they don’t get much time to explore destinations because then it’s time for their next flight. Not every flight attendant will be working on international flights. Flight attendants also have to deal with their fair share of unruly passengers.
Hairstylist
Like so many other customer-facing jobs, hairstylists have to navigate the world of keeping customers happy no matter what. Clients don’t always have realistic requests and expectations, so a hairstylist must do their best to get the results as close as possible. That may not be enough for every client, so they may leave angry, vowing not to return and to tell their friends about the “poor results.”
As a hairstylist, you must be professional throughout, no matter the outcome.
Roofer
Roofing is a tough industry. If you live in a climate where winters are cold, roofers only have so many months per year to fit all the jobs in. This results in long shifts and the need to work on weekends. Then there are the elements, such as wind and extreme heat, that they need to work through. You also need to have an iron stomach, so you don’t have a fear of heights.
In terms of the work itself, this is a very labor-heavy job, so it’s physically exhausting.
Housecleaner
Housecleaning is very backbreaking work. Homeowners are paying for their houses to look spotless, so it’s not like the basic cleaning you’re used to doing. Housecleaners are on the clock, meaning they must work fast and smart and ensure nothing is overlooked. They also have to deal with houses that are left in an absolute mess, homeowners who may be home and critiquing their every move, animals that may not be friendly, and much more.
Customer Service Advisor
Another way that people may describe a customer service advisor is a complaints department because that’s often what it feels like. Chances are you don’t call a customer service advisor unless you have a problem or a complaint regarding the product or service. You don’t call customer service to offer compliments.
Not only does a customer service advisor have to stay friendly and cheerful with every customer, but they need to find ways to make the customer feel heard and resolve their problem.
Telemarketer
How often has a telemarketer called your house or cellphone, only for you to hang up almost instantly? People have no patience for telemarketers; they can often be rude to them and even raise their voices. Now imagine being the person on the other end of the phone, making the same calls all day long and being greeted by hang-ups and irritated people.
It’s an incredibly tough job, where the hours can feel like they are ticking by at a snail’s pace.