What do you wish people understood about your job?

[CostOfSieving]

I regularly see my profession being ripped to shreds on Mumsnet.

I find the comments are often rather ignorant, but I wonder what I don’t appreciate about other job roles.

What is something you wish people “got” about your job/industry?

Translator. There's a lot more to it than just having knowledge of another language. And you get what you pay for.

For dentistry- that much of the fee paid by the patient is to cover the cost of running a practice; keeping the lights on; receptionist and nurse wages; professional indeminity; maintaining expensive equipment; materials; insurance. It's not going on a Porsche!

Just took my elderly brother through that list. He was complaining bitterly about being ripped off by a dentist. £100 for an extraction. I pointed out all the people and functionalities that were there, as you've listed, and that it was warm and furnished and he didn't have to wait. His response was that I'm always on 'their' side.

Childminder- so many things 😫

Previous job - probation officer. I just wish people understood how impossible it is to supervise the volume of cases we have (97 medium-very high risk cases on my last day…) effectively. How many hours myself and many others put in for free to try to keep the public safe, do our best for those we supervise who are generally chaotic with an emergency every hour hour so, yet all you ever see in the media is when it goes wrong. No one sees the 7 times you spoke to management about your workload, concerns about a specific case, any of it. None of it matters. All people are is an SFO and probation failings.

I like my job now 😁

Tube station supervisor. I don't know how to fix the signal, nor the train, nor stop people being human. But I can help you find an alternative route.

Same. See also “can we ask marketing to make it look pretty?”

Many years ago I was a journalist on a regional newspaper and wish people would understand not all reporters are scum who would sell their own granny for a story.

God this!

I specialise in court reporting. I wish those that are guilty would realise that just because they disagree with the version of events given in court doesn't mean I'm making it up. I have to go with what's said in court.

Retail - I don't want to ask you all those questions - bag? Loyalty card? Want one? Special offers?
But I have too.
I also don't want to know why you're buying such and such item or where you left your purse?
When I personally go to a shop - I'll ask if I need help and I pay then leave.

Not exactly my job, but when I was temping I wish people would understand that no, I don't get paid what the agency has invoiced you. There's my hours, then tax, NI, and agency fee on top (and the bloke who told me I was overpaid for what I did and shoved the invoice at me as evidence was the payroll manager).

I remember reading about the social workers involved with Peter Connelly. They'd applied to the courts more than once to get him removed but has been declined by the judge. Yet they got the full force of public hate. So incredibly incredibly unfair

Teacher.
The hours worked from home.
Teachers' contracts stipulates no cap on hours, but rather that post-holders must work the hours required to fulfil the requirements of the role; these can literally be whatever is arbitrarily deemed necessary by school leadership. If you are conscientious and rigorous, this quickly becomes an insane number of hours. With funding for schools being at an all-time low, and schools operating with skeleton staff, fewer teachers are left to shoulder the necessary tasks.
I fall asleep at my laptop the wrong side of midnight most nights and pick it up off the floor when I wake up and do another hour before the DC wake up.
This week, DP has taken DC on holiday as I've got to crack on with paperwork, planning and monitoring. Gutted.
We laugh about it in the staffroom. Otherwise we'd cry.

Writer - so many things, I could write a book on them all!

A classic, when it comes to success: ‘I tell you what you should do, you should try and get a film deal!’

Yeah, it really is that simple!!!!!!!!!!

I work in early year! I’ve heard it all.

oh it must be great playing all day. Ur day is so much more than that eg educating , comforting, working with primary schools, planning activities, doing observations and the rest.

most rewarding job ever but oh so challenging at times.

I wish that people understood why nursing needs to be a graduate profession. I have seen comments in articles etc (not necessarily on here) about bringing back enrolled nurses, returning to more basic training , how nursing is a ‘calling’, it’s not a profession. All kinds of nonsense. Healthcare has grown in complexity and demand. Nursing of the 1980s just wouldn’t cut it today.

University academic. I wish people didn't assume that we are on holiday the moment we stop teaching. Very little of my time is spent teaching (and I actually have to fight to keep that because I enjoy it). Most of my work involves meetings, never ending emails and (usually desperately slotted in in tiny corners somewhere) research.

@LoobyDop Mostly the latter as 8 hours in the office never equals a full day's work.

Self employed, I own my own business with an online retail store. I would like people to know that it is a lot harder work than it seems, I work + am available to customers most hours of the day, and it isn’t just as simple as posting the items and they sell. It’s thinking of them in the first place, creating them, designing the products and website, social media, marketing.. I absolutely love it but most people I know think I work a couple hours a day and it’s easy work.

Fostering is about more than having a spare room (and no, fostered children really can't share with your birth children) and that caring for a child who is fostered is nothing like looking after your birth child.

@KateyCuckoo me too! I never anticipated the emotional support that we give families this year has been divorces, serious illnesses, bereavements. I'm on hols at the moment & get messages "I know you're away but....." also the amount of times I have to say the same things.....don't jump on the furniture, don't lick the car, don't pull the cats tail 🙈🤷‍♀️. I have to say though it can also be the most fantastic, fun & rewarding job.

I'm a conveyancing paralegal.
What people don't realise is paralegals probably do AT LEAST 80% of the work. I have my own files and will do the conveyancing from start to finish. Most solicitors firms run on the work of paralegals. Often, clients will call and only want to speak to a solicitor without realising it is the paralegal that will be most familiar with their file.

Also, I will often stay late, miss lunch and go above and beyond for clients. Often without thanks, as the client is frustrated with the process. We do realise it is people's lives and homes and work so hard to make it happen as quickly as possible!

I don't read books all day. I'm usually dealing with spreadsheets or deep in Adobe.

Librarianship is a varied place.

I get weary of comments like "Oh, I could never do your job; I'm too soft-hearted."

Working with children with life-limiting conditions, and behaving in a positive, encouraging and enthusiastic way, does not make me a hard-hearted horrible person

I get you OP, I’m a pharmacist too. Sometimes I want to scream, I’m not a failed doctor, if I wanted to become one I would’ve done, I wanted to work in healthcare but no way could I do the hands on things nurses, doctors, dentists etc do. I just found the science behind drugs and science fascinating. Yes it is ridiculous after 5 years training that I have to have an argument with a woman just turned 60 that I can’t sell her canestan but I’m just not risking my career. It’s not my fault the vets charge you 200 for piriton for your darling dog, I’m just not allowed to sell it! I agree it’s ridiculous but unfortunately I have to follow the rules like everybody else in their jobs do.

This. Frazzled nursery worker here 😩