Top 10 happiest jobs

Advice...pleas wrote:

I'm fresh out of undergrad, I work in financial services. It's terrible. Should I quit, or is this simply reality post 22 years old?

Whoa, same exact situation. Except I handed in my letter of resignation last week. I was absolutely miserable every second of every day. That said, try to make it a year if you can, especially if you have a salary.

Redneck Roy owns a Corvette wrote:

Imagine the wife being the bread winner, living in a sweet house, and watching Dan Ackroyd movies all damn day.

I'm imagining life with my balls cut off.

Took me a while wrote:

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.

Well, with a 180 day schedule saying "each day" is kind of a stretch don't you think?

c'mon now boys wrote:

Yeah, I'd say a teacher of any kind. I'd be ecstatic to have >4 months off per year, get out of work at 3 pm and collect a healthy paycheck, pension and benefits for life. Oh yeah, throw in absolutely no accountability for your work and tenure to boot! What a farce of a job.

I have to agree. I'm a teacher and I couldn't imagine being happier. I do, however, have a few points for you should you ever find yourself face to face with a teacher and feel the urge to express your beliefs.

">4 months off per year"

My summer vacation is approximately 2 months this year. I received one business week for christmas. I will spend 3 and a half weeks of my summer teaching, one and a half in professional development. I may take about a week of what you and I would consider "vacation." I assure you that my remaining "free time" will be spent preparing for the upcoming school year. The fact that someone willingly spends time at work in July and August doesn't give them moral superiority over someone. It just means you're out of the heat.

"get out of work at 3 pm"

I think working 7 to 3 is as many hours as 9 to 5. Not sure, I don't teach math. Track practice ends at 6. I eat my lunch over my only 25 minute break surrounded by 7th graders though! Oh and two nights a week I tutor for an hour and a half. Two hours on Sunday too, come to think of it.

"collect a healthy paycheck, pension, and benefits for life"

I suppose if you consider that my salary, which is payed out over 12 months, is technically for 10 months of work, then it's a lot of money relatively speaking. I mean sure, if I was paid 120% of my salary that would sure be healthy. As is often the case, however, I'm only paid 100% of my salary. Not many places hire people for July and August. It's too hot, nobody goes outside.

"throw in no accountability for your work"

I'm accountable to every one of my students. Academically, professionally, personally.

Since I teach an elective I have to validate my existence pretty regularly lest my course not be offered. I'd hate to have to go through what the core subject teachers have to go through though.

Oh I'm also observed directly the principal, who is in effect my boss. I guess it happens to most people when they're at work that their boss comes and silently watches them do their business for an hour and a half without comment.

"and tenure to boot!"

And tenure to boot indeed! I could be wrong, but I don't think you thoroughly understand what that word means in this context. Your homework is to find out exactly what it means for a teacher to have tenure.

I hope I have succeeded in broadening your perspective.

PS

"What a farce of a job."

I suppose there are more serious and dignified professions devoted to preserving and sharing the collective thoughts and achievements of mankind with young people, but if it wasn't such a farce it wouldn't be so much fun.

Be Advised wrote:

I heard that a marmalade salesman is the happiest job in the history of modern today,

And this, my friends, is why I come to LetsRun.

I'd be a happy camper if I could meet a $200,000/year Silicon Valley Software Engineer at the 2012 Payton Jordan meeting this Sunday.

I heard it was a guy who primped women for action...

Prostitute: you get paid to have sex.

"throw in no accountability for your work"

I'm accountable to every one of my students. Academically, professionally, personally.

Since I teach an elective I have to validate my existence pretty regularly lest my course not be offered. I'd hate to have to go through what the core subject teachers have to go through though.

Oh I'm also observed directly the principal, who is in effect my boss. I guess it happens to most people when they're at work that their boss comes and silently watches them do their business for an hour and a half without comment.

I'm interested in this paragraph about accountability. What kind of stuff do the core subject teachers have to go through to show accountability? Also exactly what do you show or feel accountable for? Looking back on my school days and my brothers it seems like the most important thing that was neglected were the bottom of the class students. The ones who drop out, fail, have no motivation. Do you feel accountable when one of your students fails or drops out of school? I wasn't one of these kids, i did fairly well, just very interested in the subject. Proving "accountability" in teaching just has to be extremely hard to show. This is why probably 90% of teachers think they are "good" teachers. They pick their own reasons why they think they are doing a good job, but it takes a different way for different students and I think that is a big part missing. Please tell me if/why i'm right or wrong, truly want to hear thoughts on this.

Lip Kitton wrote:

You realize most 'fluffing' action is guy on guy?

Maybe that is what works for him.

Love all the indignant teachers coming on here blasting "c'mon boys". He is on the money. My roomate, best friend from college, sister-in-law, and both women I coach with are teachers. It is not work.

Haven't seen my roomate do any work in this house. Not once .

Anyone can do it. I'd rather they had normal people come in and teach. I tell every one of my athletes to take their teachers with a grain of salt, they have never had a real job, have never been outside the cozy academia embrace, and have never needed to produce, succeed, or compete. All they know are the silly rules and stuffy air of "education"...and that is not the real world. The real world is work.

Coincidentally, my job is on that list. Yahoo for me.

Delivery driver with same local route day in and day out?

magister

The fact that you took the time and that you HAVE the time to write a 5 paragraph retort is a great example of why teaching is an easy job.

It's just not a job that attracts the "best & the brightest".

You are painting the picture of an model teacher. Most teachers are not like this.

You work 180 days a year. Most work 240+ days a year.

You work 7:30 - 3. You get paid to coach (I assume) so you can't add in the hours from 3-6 as 'work'. Most work 8-5.

In Ohio, the state pays 14% of your salary into retirement. My job pays 3% and that's pretty good. Health benefits are better and cheaper. Dental and vision is paid by the state.

Is there any other group quicker to throw themselves up on the cross as teachers? Seriously, other jobs that serve the public just do not seem to have the martyr complex that teachers do.

EZ10Miler wrote:

Is there any other group quicker to throw themselves up on the cross as teachers? Seriously, other jobs that serve the public just do not seem to have the martyr complex that teachers do.

This is true. I never see, say, police officers, nurses or sanitation workers coming on here to complain about their jobs and how people don't appreciate them enough.

thats because 90% of nurses are either fat as hell or big time smokers (meaning they are never on lets run to bitch. Being a nurse sucks....you do all of the doctors work and only get paid 25% of what they make. Ive been an er nurse for 8 years, i dont even need a doctor there. I could order all the tests needed and safe a patients life just as well as a doctor. Plumbers, brick layers, carpenters all make more money and they just build shit...I keep people alive and dont get paid jack for it.

nurses wrote:

thats because 90% of nurses are either fat as hell or big time smokers (meaning they are never on lets run to bitch. Being a nurse sucks....you do all of the doctors work and only get paid 25% of what they make. Ive been an er nurse for 8 years, i dont even need a doctor there. I could order all the tests needed and safe a patients life just as well as a doctor. Plumbers, brick layers, carpenters all make more money and they just build shit...I keep people alive and dont get paid jack for it.

It's like teachers dont know what they are getting into, but then are too scared to bail-so they complain constantly. Heck, of all the jobs out there teaching is one we all have SOME idea about because we all have at least been to school.

Mine. We had a scavenger hunt, pizza, cake, and ice cream lunch party today!