To ask what jobs people secretly (or not so secretly) look down on and why?

[ForBreezySloth]

We’re always told “all work is valuable” and I do agree in principle, but if we’re honest, most of us have a job or two we side-eye, even if we don’t say it out loud. Is it how people behave in the role? The pay vs attitude? The ethics of the job itself?

AIBU to think it’s okay to admit we have judgements - as long as we’re willing to examine them?

I did this as a very poor student trying to gain money to fund myself / go travelling and see the world. I raised over 10000 pounds for charity, had some wonderful conversations with people and spend my summer cycling from place to place and waving down cyclists to raise funds. A lot of which went to a school cycle route to keep children safe.
I’m very proud of the good work I did, and the effort I made. I was the best member of my team and had lovely messages sent to my charity saying how lovely I was. I did amazing good in the world that summer (and I see myself as a very morally grey person!)

People who work for insurance companies and have to find ways to diddle people out of getting their deserved payouts. I look down on that job role.

Agree with footballers. Absolute insanity

I can't think of any that I look down on

They'll just keep churning out kids as each one grows and gets less cute.

Influencers and reality stars a bit maybe, but otherwise have lots of respect for anyone holding down a job and making an honest living.

When dating I honestly didn't care what someone did for a living - I did however care about if they were passionate about it. Maybe some may think thats unfair and some people have jobs rather than careers/passions, for a multitude of reasons, but for me I knew I wanted to be with someone who loved what they did. I have been with people who hate what they do, it makes them depressed and moany, and I just knew I needed someone who loved to work and had a positive outlook about it - was working towards something that excited them. As I say, didnt care what it was.

My current boyfriend is a PT, which I have zero interest, but he loves it and bangs on about it all the time, and I just love how passionate he is about growing his business.

So I wouldn't judge anyone on what they do, but I would on how much the like it.

I would judge on Onlyfans/sex work though just because I think its immoral and demeaning.

I have the greatest admiration for you.

It's lovely to see a mother who's daughter comes before her career. Hats off to you. I'm sure your DD feels very loved and cared for thanks to you.

A friend of mine was high up in healthcare and resigned to take a job as a lunch time assistant at her son's school. Her and sons are happy. Her work life balance works really well. (I'm envious!)

I gave a good job. But it's quite niche and I'm lucky that my employer is family friendly. I went part time. I'd drop it in a heartbeat if they were not accommodating to the fact I'm a mother.

Too many people on here will sacrifice their children willingly to place their career progression first. It's wrong IMHO. Unpopular opinion but there you are.

Builders are 'salt of the earth'. I find that with a lot of trade jobs. Very handy to know too. They're extremely skilled. They also earn very handsomely. Often pay far more than Mumsnet approved 'white collar ' jobs. But I suppose Verity won't want the NCT group knowing her DH is one of those dirty plumbers 😉

Oh, I so agree about MLM. There’s one hun on my local page who spams anyone with a money crisis with gubbins about Futility Warehouse. It makes me rage.

This thread is a bit weird. We hate estate agents and bankers and whoever else…it’s not them who decides is it? They need a job, they take a job, they pay their mortgage like the rest of us.

It’s not the individual; its the system that sustains it.

For example..I have a friend who’s an estate agent,
lists houses, doesn’t sell them. The guy who would come to your house to value it, basically. Lovely guy. Lives in a shithole flat since getting divorced because that’s what he can afford.

Pointless hating him or his job 🤷‍♀️

GP Receptionist - I work in a GP surgery, although not as a Receptionist (I couldn’t take the abuse they take day in day out). Despite popular belief most are actually very intelligent people with a wealth of previous experience. Our team includes an ex Practice Manager (wanted to step down to fewer responsibilities), an ex nurse, two ex HCAs etc etc. Everything the say to you, every rule they impose comes from the partners of the practice. They’re just the poor minimum wage employees passing it on to the patients

So true ^

I feel that people look down on those doing what they deem to be unskilled jobs and low paid jobs
I think people tend to look down on

• supermarket assistants
• hairdressers
• nursery workers/TAs
• refuse collectors

I used to be a former teacher and would always tell my class when leaving that no job is ever beneath you (though I wasn't thinking about some of the roles suggested on here and influencers and that sort of thing didn't exist so maybe in today's society I would need to rephrase!).

I think I get judged harshly. Im a social worker. I actually got verbally attacked about it when in the hot tub at my gym the other day. Some people gush about how amazing i must be (Im not), and some go the other way and act like Im the child snatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Influencers and their MLM predecessors, granted the latter seem to have largely disappeared.

Every other job I can think of has value.

Estate Agents. Sorry, but due to recent dealings, they really do live up to every single woeful stereotype.

People in recruitment.

My view of most tradespeople born and raised in the UK, is not so positive. An excellent one will do their job competently and charge fairly, turn up on time, and give you the required certificates. An average one will do the job when it suits them and charge what they can get away with. Dont hope for certificates: they won’t come. A bad one will charge what they can get away with or worse, try and extort money, whilst doing a terrible job, slowly or incompetely.

Generalising here but for me it’s estate agents and HR professionals. Both of these career paths seem to attract a disproportionately huge amount of overly confident arses who love themselves for no apparent reason.

Why are we odd?

More fool them !

They live in a middle class bubble where only uni and white collar jobs are 'worthy'. Who's the mug though ?

I know a builder and a hairdresser (married) who owned a beautiful 4 bedroom detached house in a very nice area aged 22. Married with two kids by age 24. They live amongst more muddle class people. But they grew to love the couple as the husband fixed their odd jobs and wife cuts all their hair !!!

My friend is married to a builder. Their home is worth triple ours and we've both got 'professional ' jobs.

What the "uni" type don't realise is: builders, plumbers, electricians and the like have loads of mates in allied trades: and together they don't need to pay anyone to do either simple work or really big projects. The cost saving is thousands upon thousands. They're usually more down to earth and less pretentious too.

Most employees have to 'suck up' in one way or another to someone, an employer, client, customer etc.

I mean honestly I don’t give a 2 hoot what someone’s job is. We never know where we will find ourselves in 10 years time. Aslong as they pay tax and NI 🤷🏻‍♀️

Funnily enough my partner is a fundraiser or a “chugger” as you so kindly put, more specifically for PCUK. The amount of men/women that have come back to him and thanked him for raising awareness and encouraging them to get themselves/their partner to get checked is immense and I’m so proud of him doing a job which is informing and saving peoples lives, all whilst people like yourself look down on him.
Just to add if you’re an experienced “chugger” you earn extremely well too, so no need to look down.

Tobacco industry
Porn industry

And some estate agents