Tell me something about your job which surprises you

[NoEffingWay]

I work in mental health. Most people seem to think it's a bit 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' when in reality 90% of my work is helping lovely people who have an illness get better or cope better with their symptoms. I really love going to work, and despite staffing being a nightmare it's usually a happy place to be.

What assumptions do people make about what you do that is completely wrong.

I'm a junior academic (postdoctoral fellow). People assume I'm securely employed and earn an awful lot of money/certainly much, much more than teachers at school. Sadly not.

The other common misconception is when I say I'm writing a book, they either think it's hugely ambitious and impressive (it is just part of my job; very few people will read it!), or they ask sceptically if I think it will get published (they do; again, it's just part of the job and I wouldn't write it without a publisher).

That I am some sort of uber patient earth mother type... I work with children and young people with severe autism and learning disabilities who have some very challenging behaviours.

I'm neither... but I am pragmatic and generally optimistic and have a good sense of humour... which is essential! People also often tell me my job 'must be so rewarding' Well yesterday I came home with poo in my hair (told you a sense of humour was essential!) and this evening I have been carefully disinfecting a nasty bite wound after a particularly tricky day. Not sure these things are rewarding, but the children are always interesting and sometimes incredible

I'm a delivery driver.

House numbers generally don't make sense or follow logic.

Especially on new build estates.

You'd think that as we evolved these things would get more obvious, not less.

I'm a speech and language therapist - most people think I help children with their talking and work in schools but I've never done anything like that. I only assess people's ability to swallow and regularly put tubes and cameras down the nose and throat, put people NBM, discussing dying from lack of nutrition, support loosing the ability to swallow and help diagnose complex conditions based on what I see. Most people have NO idea a speech therapist even does this!

I work for a Local Authority. Lots of people assume I've got some sort of final salary gold-plated pension lined up and a retirement date of 60. Nope, my pension will be career average and a retirement age of 67.

I'm a computer programmer and my job is languages. I know over 20 computer languages and have doing this for almost two decades.

I'm dyslexic and cant spell for toffee and many other programmers are dyslexic

I'm in mental health also and work in secure settings (currently with kids but previously with adults). I think the thing that surprises people is that it is possible to build a warm relationship with people who have previously committed serious crimes like murder.

I’m a manager of a fast food restaurant. People think the job is easy and doesn’t require any skills; that’s simply not true.

It’s extremely hard work and you have to have the right skill set to work there or you just won’t cut it.

It’s not “flipping burgers” and “do you want fries with that”. Not everyone can do it.

I work in pharmaceuticals. People think it's very secure as "we will always need medicine". Far, far from it. You are extremely disposable

I am a teacher and I love teaching, as do my colleagues. We laugh all the time and we look forward to our day and to seeing pupils.

Everyone assumes we are all fed up and moan a lot.

@coronafiona that's odd you think that...I'm in pharma and I feel very secure. I have never had the impression from my employer that I am disposable...they have paid for all of my education after my degree and provide amazing benefits.

@treefallingdown I had no idea of that - that sounds fascinating!

@EmmaGrundyForPM

I work for a Local Authority. Lots of people assume I've got some sort of final salary gold-plated pension lined up and a retirement date of 60. Nope, my pension will be career average and a retirement age of 67.

You surely realise that career average pension is exceptionally good???

I'm a home care worker. People seem to assume that I "wipe arses" for a living.
I really don't.
I'm exceptionally good at working with vulnerable, elderly people - and, a huge part of my role is in helping my clients to work through the old age process, and to support them with dignity as they face the inevitable.
It's not easy. In fact, it's pretty hard - but, as a society, we're not very good at facing the end of life process. A massive part of my job is to face death, and to find ways of approaching that which is bespoke to every family.
By and large, I adore my job. There's no greater job satisfaction in any other role I can think of.

I’m an academic. In three years, I’ve never once actually met, or had a conversation with, my line manager.

I’ve also never had an induction in any job I’ve ever done.

You surely realise that career average pension is exceptionally good???

^ this with bells on!

@JockTamsonsBairns - you sound brilliant at your job. It's not something most of us could do. to you.

I don't want to say what I do as it might be outing but I do spend a lot of time quietly thinking 'I get paid to do this?' I love it so much, if I won the lottery I'd carry on unpaid.

I'm an academic too. I earned more in my previous job as nurse, despite now working many, many more hours with arguably a good deal more stress. If you don't go into nursing for the money, you certainly don't go into academia for it!

@namechange84. Sounds about right. I have, however, once been asked to provide feedback on the quality of the induction I never had.

I also never had a performance review for the longest-lasting job I was in, and no one ever audited or even asked to see student feedback for any of my lecturing/teaching.

I've never had any idea how many days leave I have and I've never booked them or justified when I took them.

i'm a female building/hardware manager and yes, i do know my stuff. but sexism is alive and well and STILL my customers look around for 'someone who knows about drills/cement/lightbulbs'.......i'm asked this on a daily basis or the customers ask the male colleague i'm with if they 'know which size drill bit they need'

fabulous!!

@SarahAndQuack everything you say is very relatable.

People hear that I teach at a university and think I’m on £70k a year when in reality I’m on what is essentially a zero hours contract. Getting a salaried position, especially as a female with (hopefully!) some child bearing years left, is like gold dust and there is next to no job security.

I take all sorts of odd jobs to make ends meet. It’s more like being a jobbing actor or musician outside of teaching time! Taking on whatever jobs you can to subsidise the work you love and living in hope that you will one day get your “dream” job. Just my experience though, others may have lucked out!

Yes, and people think we must be the exception/the 'proper' teachers must be permanent professors. As if!

I'm a travel agent. If I had a fiver for every time someone says "ooh you must get loads of free holidays" then I'd happily retire.

That as a dental nurse all you do is suction.
Not the fact you study years to gain your qualification which is very hard to pass and you have so many hours, rules and regulations (quite rightly so might I add) to remain on the GDC.
Or the fact you study every nerve in the head /neck and know about all different kind of diseases, micro organisms, bacteria etc.
Study every surface of the tooth, type of treatment, preventative, first aid, radiography etc.

Really winds me up when people think all nurses do is the suction.