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?

Oh and we can't just plug a car in and tell you what's wrong. For free. Today

That doing tax returns is easy. It is if you have straightforward affairs. Tax Consultant here -fed up of people telling me "it's easy - I can just do it online - not sure why people pay you to do them"- fine but don't tell me that and then contact me to help you after you've messed up a two entry return.

Not so much my profession but everyone thinking that working from home is a cop off and we don't do any actual work. I work non stop 8 till 5 or 6 most nights and yes I benefit from working from home but its bloody hard work!!

Quality Manager here. Yes, it’s important. Yes, you have to follow procedures. Yes, I will be checking that you do, but that doesn’t make me an uptight pedant, hell-bent on catching people out and making their jobs harder. If anything it’s about making life easier when a job is done right first time! 😂

@Peanutbutteryday absolutely! A good receptionist will do everything In their power to help. Most the times we can't go against the practice manager but luckily we have quite relaxed GP's so we are more flexible with most things. We definitely get told with feedback, chocolates, cards, flowers and I've even had a patient buy me a colin the caterpillar cake as a thank you.

That retail management is a valid career. It doesnt mean we have no brains, no education or cant get anything "better". We choose to do it. And it is more than just prancing around the shop or standing pretty behind the tills. There is stock management, audit and legal and safe stuff to follow, plus all the regular people management and kpis to meet, just like any other management role.

And no, your preteen cant buy nails with glue that contains solvents, no matter how much you are saying you "let" them. Its illegal. And then trying to get angry at us and stating they are for you and not your child means it is a proxy sale an illegal, just like alcohol would be. I'm not being difficult, I am following the law! If you really want them to have it, dont let them carry it to the till, cos I WILL ask for I'd off them, same if one of my staff overhears them selecting them and then YOU take them to the till. We arent daft, we still know its for them! Stop being prissy and rude because we are doing our job to protect your child. I'm sure if they glued their hands together or got high iff the glue youd be the first to come in and blame us!

Oh, and our store is not a playground so keep your kids under control! And stop opening things thay are not marked as a tester!!

(Needed that rant! Thank god half term is nearly over!)

I work in retail. There is so much more to it than stacking shelves.

3x deliveries a day and rolling stock from the warehouse means that 99% of the time we don’t have what you’re looking for out the back, if a shelf is empty it’s for a reason.

Sometimes there are shortages of certain products, usually fruit and veg, I have zero control over this and can’t give you a date that they’ll be back in.

Self service tills are NOT taking away jobs,
they are freeing people up to do other jobs but despite what some people seem to think, there is always the option to go through a manned checkout.

Telling me the self service tills are useless, the majority of the time as long as you follow the instructions they will correct themselves, unless you’re putting something in the weighing area without scanning it.

So much goes on behind the scenes that people don’t see, a lot of it is legal requirements.

We close at 4 on Sundays, no you can’t come in after that for “Just one thing” you’ve had all day to shop!

Oh yes! I'm with you there. I am often amazed at how people can screw up something that is so simple in most cases. (I'm not talking about complex/obscure tax affairs but the simple basics that apply to 80% of taxpayers).

My heart sinks when a prospective client says they've done their own return and think they can get away with me looking it over for free or a nominal charge. No, you've almost certainly screwed something up and it'll probably take me as much time, if not more, to work out what you've done than if I did it myself in the first place!

I'm a health visitor. I don't particularly feel the need to defend it because perception of HVs is one of those things that's completely different in real life to how it is in mumsnet land. All the evidence I need to know that my support is wanted comes from the number of times a day my phone rings. Clients on my caseload who have already had advice and support from me, who know my style of working, coming back for more! All my team have the same experience. We're knackered but we do feel valued.

I'm a car saleswoman.
If i approach you or offer help, I'm NOT doing it 'for the sale' or 'for the commission'. Times have changed, we're on a really good basic now and honestly, I'm on the clock until 20:00 every day.
I want to help, I want to chat....about anything! Your holidays, your pets, your terrible experiences with former cars. It's a long day, let's have a coffee, make me laugh. If you want to buy a car, you'll buy one. If not, you've brightened up my day anyway.
The sole reason I do what I do is that golden moment where IF you happen to buy a car, I get to watch you drive off up the road with a huge, lovely smile on your face- completely in love with it.
That's why I do it. It's not about the commission. 🥰

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 last worked in banking in the 90s for a European bank, and we recorded every conversation, to avoid the he said/she said over transactions worth millions. It was amazing how someone ringing up to complain was resolved on the spot by 'OK, I'll just listen to the recording of that.' On one occasion someone was trying to blame me for a transaction going wrong and I wasn't even in the country, let alone at work.

I hear you with the preteen nails. Same for eye lashes. Same if you 19 and look 14 and try to buy a can of Monster. Imma need your ID

@nobody190
I spent many years as a practice manager and GP receptionists have a very difficult job. I get so cross the way they are vilified. I for one have the most respect for you!

Also your student railcard on your phone isn’t enough ID for me to sell you a monster

Teaching Assistant here. I very rarely wash paint pots or listen to children read. I support children in their learning; this means being familiar with the curriculum and the teaching methods required, being able to manage behaviour at individual or group level, learning all the different strategies in use for the many and varied SEN children and covering classes in the absence of a teacher (often at short notice), all whilst adhering to a minefield of health & safety/safeguarding rules and in the face of apathy, rudeness and flat out defiance from both children and their parents. It is not an unskilled role, it is a physically, mentally and (most of all) emotionally draining job and sometimes I've no idea why I do it for the insulting money I bring home at the end of the month.

That working in the administrative/organisational/technical side of the arts can actually be a career, and not necessarily one done by people who've failed to make it as artists. I've sustained a 40 year career (and a reasonable living) in various aspects of arts management, including running several organisations with turnovers into the millions and 50+ paid staff. I'm not creative at all, but I like to use my organisational skills to help creative activities happen, and there are lots of people like me out there..

According to this site I'm just like a second hand car salesman and no to be trusted. Where in fact I'm a 100% not, I get fucked around my client and candidates on a daily basis.

Childminder. I wish people realised that I'm a Professional who has to follow exactly the same Early Years Foundation Stage as nurseries, preschools and reception classes. I have qualifications, 25 years experience and a great relationship with parents, probably more than a lot of nursery practitioners. However many people still see me as a glorified babysitter, earning a little bit of pocket money to keep me going, not as a professional childcare who rubs her own business.

Absolutely 100% for all NHS staff. We work our arses off. Yes there are mistakes made and problems endemic throughout the whole system but the individuals are most of the time doing their best, wading through the day to day. The shit hit the fan during the pandemic and is getting worse every passing minute, no let up.

Please think twice before you complain!

Oh lovely! Glad people tell you. It honestly makes a huge difference!

Thank you. I wish people could spend a day with us to see how hard and sometimes emotional it can be.

@FrogsWormsandCaterpillars - nor can I accept your passport that expired 4 years ago containing your baby photo even if the name does match your bank card eye twitch

@Jaberwockky please tell me your caseload was a typo?

University lecturer- and no, I do not have three months of holiday every summer 😡. I barely manage to take the holiday I am entitled to…

In house management accountant for a group of companies. I spend all my time cashflow modelling to advise on potential investments on top of the general ledger work. I'm a whiz at excel but my mental arithmetic is average at best and no, I can't advise on what how you can reduce your tax. Speak with a tax accountant who has all the latest thresholds to hand.