Top 10 happiest jobs

I'd add:

Local-oriented, small-scale farmer.

Baker.

Beekeeper

jobbers wrote:

From a list I just read (in order):

Clergy

Firefighter

Physical therapist

Author

Special education teacher

Teacher

Artist

Psychologist

Financial services sales agent

Operating engineer

Special education teacher? Stressed out and emotionally worn after each day is not my definition of happy.

Financial services sales agent? Awkwardly calling your college "friends", pretending you care how they're doing for 30 seconds, then trying to get them to meet to discuss finances doesn't appeal to me.

Maybe it gets better once you're older and have an established client base, but those first few years must suck.

Snake charmer

Pizza Delivery Person

Pizza maker

Time Keeper

Crocodile hunter

Army General

asdfe wrote:

Financial services sales agent? Awkwardly calling your college "friends", pretending you care how they're doing for 30 seconds, then trying to get them to meet to discuss finances doesn't appeal to me.

Maybe it gets better once you're older and have an established client base, but those first few years must suck.

Too true. I did a summer internship with one of these companies. Every time you see a friend or family member, it becomes a sales call. I hated my life for those 4 months. Finally just ended up showing up and playing Texas Hold 'em 8 hrs a day so I could get the credit with my college.

Clergy? Wow, I guess ignorance really IS bliss.

I loled wrote:

Clergy? Wow, I guess ignorance really IS bliss.

sure is. imagine floating around with a "holier than thou" attitude?

jobbers wrote:

From a list I just read (in order):

Clergy

Firefighter

Physical therapist

Author

Special education teacher

Teacher

Artist

Psychologist

Financial services sales agent

Operating engineer

Strange. At least three of the entries on that list are often associated with depression, alcoholism & drug abuse issues, psychological issues and high turnover due to stress, discouragement and burnout.

ignant wrote:

I loled wrote:

Clergy? Wow, I guess ignorance really IS bliss.

sure is. imagine floating around with a "holier than thou" attitude?

Why the "?" It may be holier than thou, but at least I can base my ideas on logic and rationality instead fallacious platitudes about my imaginary friends and convincing other people to do the same. That, and I can use proper punctuation.

asdfe wrote:

Financial services sales agent? Awkwardly calling your college "friends", pretending you care how they're doing for 30 seconds, then trying to get them to meet to discuss finances doesn't appeal to me.

Maybe it gets better once you're older and have an established client base, but those first few years must suck.

it is tough to get established, but after/if you hit critical mass, it is all good. Then the referrals roll in and your marketing career is over. You spend the day researching and calling clients and telling them how they are doing.

In the good times like now, that is a fun call. In 2008...not so fun.

Where did that list come from? Clergy are some of the most miserable people I have ever met.

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Where did that list come from? Clergy are some of the most miserable people I have ever met.

Hoe many do you know?

wicker wrote:

asdfe wrote:

Financial services sales agent? Awkwardly calling your college "friends", pretending you care how they're doing for 30 seconds, then trying to get them to meet to discuss finances doesn't appeal to me.

Maybe it gets better once you're older and have an established client base, but those first few years must suck.

it is tough to get established, but after/if you hit critical mass, it is all good. Then the referrals roll in and your marketing career is over. You spend the day researching and calling clients and telling them how they are doing.

In the good times like now, that is a fun call. In 2008...not so fun.

I would have a hard time, despite my good intentions, not feeling bad if the market really hit the proverbial outhouse and people I cared about lost livelihood threatening amounts of money. It would be a bit like being a doctor, it seems: if your prognosis goes great, you're a hero. If it doesn't, you're a quack.

ignant wrote:

I loled wrote:

Clergy? Wow, I guess ignorance really IS bliss.

sure is. imagine floating around with a "holier than thou" attitude?

That's a misperception. If you get to know some clergy, most are very compassionate, caring people otherwise they wouldn't be doing that or else there congregations would get rid of them. Clergy are often stereotyped in the media as being fire and brimstone preachers or money-grubbing con-artists.

'It would be a bit like being a doctor, it seems: if your prognosis goes great, you're a hero. If it doesn't, you're a quack.'

A bit like being an unqualified doctor

M16 wrote:

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Where did that list come from? Clergy are some of the most miserable people I have ever met.

Hoe many do you know?

A few hundred. They are not all miserable (of course) but a substantial portion of them are. As a group the ex-clergy members I know (there are ~a dozen of those) are much happier.

Job creator should be on that list. They are the people doing god's work.

A few hundred? What are you, the dean of a seminary?