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?

I still work within the probation service but managed to get a secondment away from case management as it took his toll for all the reasons you mention.

Always interested to know what jobs people leave the service for? Hoping for ideas when then end my secondment 😂

This. I worry about so many of the kids I teach for a variety of reasons. So many sleepless nights, but I regularly see posts that make me feel shit. Like my job is worthless.

I agree but also think this about radio interviewers

@Nowanextraone @Redlorryyellowlorryblue @BettyCake My son had to have occupational therapy a number of years ago. What you do is incredible and made a real difference for our family, I know so many people don't really get what occupational therapy is but I do and I will always appreciate the time and work our occupational therapist put in for our child.
Thank you, you will be making that difference for another person and their family out there with what you do.

That Governance Professional is not a fancy title for 'the woman who types up the minutes for a couple of hours a month'.

And that, as such, their job is to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

Nursery worker I don't just run around and play with the children all day unfortunately it's not as easy as that, assessments observations planning activities parents evening stay and plays filling out paper work care plans allergie forms new/updated training regularly doing the job off 2 almost everyday as we end up with agency staff who are there just for the rato numbers min wage even tho parents pay a fortune.You really have to enjoy it to do it but my is it hard, probably the reason their is a shortage of nursery staff.

Operations Manager - Luxury Personal Care/Fashion Industry - I spend most of my day managing people, business development directives, stock control/ordering and accountable for p&l, plus all other areas of management. I do this while also performing services for a demanding clientèle base, that expect the best service and bespoke care.

I am more than just a pretty face that's good with colours, brushes and styling. I have a brain, I am highly educated, well read and travelled.

If I do my job properly, no one need know. If I do it badly, me/my boss/our organisation are slated on the news. Locally, nationally, internationally.

I work in flood risk management. I'd like people to understand 1- we don't make flooding worse in one location by building new defences upstream. 2- we can only work within Defra policy and funding mechanisms.

@Rockbird i volunteer at my daughters school so am often there and see how hard the ladies on reception work and it seems intense & very varied but they are always so cheerful. I think people totally underestimate how much you guys do. I also think the same about the site managers job.

Nanny here. People don’t seem to understand that it doesn’t equate to just being a babysitter!!

Absolutely fed up of all the childcare bashing and lack of understanding over what we do.

Doesn’t help that so many people call themselves a nanny because they have siblings, have done some babysitting, on holiday from Uni so have spare time etc

It’s so, so much more than that. And no I don’t get paid well considering the responsibility I have.

Fascinating read. I don't care one hoot about if my jobs is understood or not. Surprised that so many others do.

@Wildro im a pharmacist too and like you say it’s just exhausting, nobody realizes the work we do because it’s mainly all behind the scenes. I’ve got a new job as a medical writer, so I’m leaving in about 3 weeks, I feel so guilty as I work in a pharmacy in a remote area where it’s hard to get a locum for just one day. I know when I leave it probably won’t be long until it shuts and then for some people there won’t be another pharmacy for another 15 miles. But it’s just so thankless. I think with this new prescribing scheme coming in December, pharmacists will leave very quickly. There is literally only one pharmacist per pharmacy, how can we fit that in as well as the work what we do now!

Ugh, you did well to get a secondment! I honestly think retention would be better if there was a 6 month break every two years where you could go into another civil service role for respite.

I went to CFCD for a bit as an intelligence team leader, now I’m managing a similar team in a police role that gathers intelligence around modern slavery/human trafficking/serious organised crime. Highly recommend it, CFCD is a fairly easy internal transfer if you can get a role and has all the interesting bits of probation with minimal to no interaction with the public if you find the right position. I have a colleague who’s recently gone into counter fraud investigation in a front line role and she seems to be really enjoying it. A colleague has gone to work for an independent DA service who run interventions (I think it’s the Hampton trust without googling) and again seems to be enjoying it and is visibly less stressed. There’s loads out there - don’t let being snowed with cases and nonsense meetings around the prioritisation framework, how women offenders can be rehabilitated by eating chocolate and making collages or whatever shite it is these days under stop you from escaping.

I feel like there was a good post on probation matters about what people moved on to 😁

(sorry to derail a bit!)

Great thread! Professional photographer - I love it but it is me, not my sodding camera, that produces the final images. If I handed you my camera, regardless of how fancy it is, you would not produce the same photos I do!

Similarly, the editing is part of the process, so it suits the person/business I've shot for, and matches their branding.

A friend asked me recently if I could just come along, bring my kit and "press a button and leave it running" to video her wedding and I had to take 24 hours and a lot of deep breaths before I replied to say no 😂 not least because I'm a photographer not a videographer and I'm not leaving the tools of my trade unattended.

And like PPs, my actual take home wage is about a quarter of my day rate, if that - because it's about three days' work behind the few hours/day you see me actually taking the photos.

But i worked really hard to get to being able to do this full time and I wouldn't change it 💙

I work with autistic adults - it's not rewarding! In fact it can be far from rewarding! When you say 'That must be so rewarding' I only reply saying it is so I don't sound like a total d*.
Don't get me wrong - I love my job, I wouldn't do it otherwise. But the very nature of autism means that many of the adults I work with don't or can't show their appreciation/gratitude or even manage a simple 'thank you'. It can be very unrewarding.

Self employed Beauty Therapist.

I wish people understood that I chose my career because I love it and not because I'm incapable of doing anything else.

People are shocked when they find out I also have a degree

Yes. The amount of energy, emotion and worry expended on kids that aren't your own just can't be measured by Ofsted, the Daily Mail or nasty gits online. I bloody love the kids I teach.

Applauds @NeverDropYourMooncup !

I knew from your opening post you were a pharmacy worker/pharmacist! Pharmacy tech here and I feel the same. I drive myself insane trying to defend why we can and can’t do certain things.
And it’s only going to get a lot worse 🙁

Yes @Fluffypeach I work in care but feel the same way. I chose my job because I wanted it, not because I can't do anything else!

Medical secretary- similar to GP receptionists. We’re not just typing letters and booking appointments, we’re managing work at all levels with senior hospital management, patients, consultants (who can be absolute pita divas at times). I can’t magic an appointment out of nowhere, I’m not cancelling clinics for fun and I’m not asking your personal details for shits and giggles. I also can not go against what the doctors say and just do everything the patient wants.

Oh I love a good GP receptionist! I recently moved doctors as my old surgery had awful receptionists. My new surgery - wow - the receptionists are amazing and I really do feel like they go above and beyond. I’ve told them in person and left feedback electronically. I really hope people tell you too!!! I always think that a good GP receptionist can make the world of difference between someone getting help and not getting help. Sorry I know this isn’t strictly what this thread is about!

Director in a Big 4 consultancy but not client facing thank god.

No, I don't just 'direct' or boss people about all day dad, I actually have to do work myself and deliver on a ridiculous number of objectives that are monitored every 3 months. Yes, I do get paid well but it takes over my life, including my brain even when I'm on holiday.

Accountant - very little of the job is mathematics, the first thing a lot of people say about my job is 'I couldn't do that, I'm bad with numbers!). I worked with a woman who had dyscalculia but was brilliant at her job.

Banking:

I do feel sorry for you, but for various regulatory reasons I can't always convince a lender to write off your debt or remove defaults from your credit record. Sometimes it's actually for the best that you can't take on even more debt.

Also, you don't deserve hundreds or thousands in compensation for some minor admin error / thinking someone was slightly rude to you in the branch or on the phone. If you abuse an agent on a recording, I'm not backing you up.

I also work very long hours. Sometimes seven days a week in phases. I know your problem is a big deal to you, but my entire caseload believes the same thing.

I often feel like a therapist - mental illnesses, suicide, bereavement, divorce, accidents, domestic abuse etc - hear it all.