People work in order to provide for their families the essentials of living. That is why choosing the job that best suits one's credentials is crucial, as it would determine whether an individual excels on the job, stays for years, or packs the bags and looks for other opportunities. Through work, an individual realizes a part of himself that is capable of achieving and reaching his full potential, which helps bring happiness and satisfaction on the job. It helps him form new goals, add to his knowledge, and increase his skills.
However, not everyone is blessed with jobs that bring satisfaction to oneself or provides for the needs of the family. Due to lesser available job alternatives, most people are just forced to take whatever occupation is vacant (Smith, 2012). In a report released by CareerCast, about 200 occupations in various fields and industries were included in the study to come up with a list of the best and worst jobs for the year 2012. Factors such as "pay, outlook, work environment, stress, and physical demands" (Smith, 2012) were used as gauge to assess each profession included in the study. For more accurate data, other information was gathered from government data centers such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, among others (Smith, 2012). Following is a list of the worst jobs of 2012.
Occupying the top spot is the lumberjack profession, also called loggers. Their job includes harvesting and cutting timber into raw materials such paper and lumber. This job is an outdoor job and a very physical and strenuous occupation as most of the logging workers such as fallers, log sorters, buckers, and log graders, among others work manually using power chain saws and other hand-held manual devices to perform their jobs regardless of weather conditions. Typically, a logger earns around $33,000 per year (BLS, n.d.).
Next on the list are the dairy farmers, who also spend most their day outdoors and in the presence of large farm animals such as cows, goats, and horses. Most dairy farmers are self-employed and thus, work is all-year round considering that animals need daily maintenance and care. Some of their tasks include assistance during animal birthing, milking of cows, feeding, grazing, and monitoring of animal health. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website, dairy farmers may average $60,000 per year (BLS, n.d.), but due to competition with other companies in the same industry, earnings are lower than expected (Smith, 2012).
Butchers also made the list of the worst jobs for 2012 (The Vancouver Sun, 2012). This occupation includes all food-processing cutters of meat, poultry, and fish. Typically, they cut and trim meat and fish products for retail distribution. If one works in the market or grocery stores, butchers have first-hand interface with customers unlike those who work in major supermarkets and restaurants. Some butchers also work in animal slaughterhouses and processing plants. Butcher jobs are also exposed to hazardous working conditions considering that they use knives, saws, scissors, and similar cutting tools for work, thus, instances of injuries and accidents are higher than other occupations. Despite the working conditions, butchers earn only around $24,000 a year.
Fourth on the list are enlisted military soldiers (Brienza, n.d.). Although military personnel are paid well, what makes their job one of the worst kinds of occupation is the nature of their work, which keeps them away from family most of the time. In addition to this, they serve the country by participating in battle operations. This makes their work dangerous and emotionally stressful. Even though a lot of men and women in military are seriously pursuing the job, most of them have to give up the work because of family pressure to look for a more stable and safe job (Smith, 2012).
Oilrig workers often work away from their families and put in long hours of work outdoors, usually 12-hours every day. They may work either on land or at sea, depending on the business of the company. This is another job that poses threats to an individual's safety considering that workers are mostly hauled in wells and due to noise coming from the machinery, communication among workers may be difficult (BLS, n.d.). In addition, it could also lead to future hearing problems. Oilrig workers typically receive a median salary of about $37,600 annually.
Once considered a glamorous job, becoming a newspaper reporter made the list of worst jobs because of the stress that comes with the job. Because news happens every day, reporters must always be on their feet to get scoops about current events and happenings in the community as well as nationally. Usually, reporters spend long days and nights at work in order to meet tight deadlines. Sometimes, they also put their lives in line of work when they are assigned to dangerous news assignments. Despite the dangers and stresses of the job, reporters earn an average of $36,000 per year, while those with lesser experience earn less than $20,000 per year. Topnotch reporters receive more than $60,000 annually (BLS, n.d.). Requirement for news reporters are on the decline because of the availability of the news anywhere such as social networking sites, blogs, and online newspapers, thus, this occupation has not seen any significant growth in employment in the last couple of years (Brienza, n.d.).
Next on the list are the waiters and servers who earn less than $20,000 per annum. Becoming a waiter or server does not require any educational credentials, although they may receive trainings on the job. They can work either on full-time basis or part-time, depending on the arrangement with the restaurant. Most of the time, they are on their feet getting orders and serving customers. For establishments that serve alcoholic beverages, some states require that servers are at least 18 years of age or older.
Rounding up the list is the dishwashers. Similar with the waiters and servers, this job does not earn above the $20,000 mark and typically, benefits depend on the restaurant that one is employed in (The Vancouver Sun, 2012). It requires that dishwashers work on evenings, weekends, and holidays, although some restaurants allow split shifts for working students. Apart from washing dishes, utensils, and pans by hand, dishwashers are expected to maintain their work areas and equipment in good condition as well as sweep or mop the floors.
While it is true that many people are happy where they are and with the little amount of money that they have, people do not have to be stuck in their jobs especially if it does not answer their daily needs or provide some sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. By expanding their skill set and aiming for higher education, those who feel trapped working in jobs considered as the worst kind of occupation can significantly change the course of their careers.
References
Brienza, V. (n.d.). The 10 worst jobs of 2012. Retrieved from http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/10-worst-jobs-2012
Smith, J. (2012). "The best and worst jobs for 2012". Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/04/10/the-best-and-worst-jobs-for-2012/
MyPlan.com. (n.d.). "Dishwasher job description." Retrieved from http://www.myplan.com/careers/dishwashers/description-35-9021.00.html
The Vancouver Sun. (2012). "Top 10 worst jobs in the world". Retrieved from http://www.vancouversun.com/business/economy/worst+jobs+world/6447610/story.html
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]. (n.d.). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from http://bls.gov/ooh/a-z-index.htm#L
