You never really know what a job is actually like unless you do it. The media and movies often sell romanticized versions of professions and leave out the bad and ugly processes involved. They might focus on these jobs that have excellent pay, have amazing slow-paced work environments, let you travel the world, or achieve your childhood goal. Whatever it is, the good side is not always the accurate and complete version of the job, as one internet post revealed.  

A member of a popular online community asked what job is highly romanticized when in reality, it stinks.  Here are some of the responses from the post and what they had to say about these jobs.

1. Lawyers

One of the commenters in the profession brought up how tough and draining it was to deal with the workload and demanding clients. 

They said, “The number of historic, life-changing, precedent-setting cases participated in: 0. The number of angry, self-entitled, abusive clients wanting to screw each other: 842. The number of pages of paperwork that’s taken up free time and social life: 84,836. The movies and shows rarely show the soul-draining task of doc review.” 

Media will portray the profession as sleek suits and lawyers as the guys that help the good people get justice. They would never show the amount of work put in to achieve any success. 

2. Ballerinas 

Cute tutus, smooth dance moves, and getting to perform for huge audiences, who would not like that? 

One commenter brought out the dark side of being a Ballerina that we do not get to see every day, “To have a shot at dancing ballet professionally, you have to train your entire life. Once you make it, you’ll be paid so little and you’ll share lodging with a half dozen other dancers since you make less than a server at a casual dining restaurant.” 

Another commenter added that low pay and lots of work may not even be the worst bit of being a ballerina. They said, “I am married to a former ballerina. You left out the mental health and eating disorders. And you destroy your feet in the process.”

3. Anything That Involves a Lot of Travel

Getting a chance to travel the world for free? That would be a dream come true to anyone. This is what many people imagine the cabin crew profession is like. Apparently, this is nothing close to reality. 

One commenter who shed some light on what a lot of work travel looks like said, “Anything that requires a lot of travel sounds glamorous, but in reality, all you see is usually an airport, conference room, boring hotel room, and maybe a restaurant if you are lucky. It’s exhausting, and it just stinks.”

4. Working in Film Production

Working in film production is typically perceived as an excellent way to express your creativity and interact with movie stars. Some people can only dream of it. Unfortunately, it is not always a bed of roses for people in it. 

One person who let us in on what goes on said, “If you’re crew, it stinks. Long long hours for what seems like very, very slow progress on the picture, lots of standing around waiting, etc. You arrive well before everyone else and leave after everyone else. If this is an indie production, you may have to beg/chase down your pay at the end of each week. Oh, and when the film wraps, you’re now unemployed.”

When the film is out, nobody will know the long and thankless hours the production crew went through. One commenter said, “The expectation is that you should be available 24/7. Otherwise, there is a long lineup of replacements waiting for the chance. You might get lucky and work your way to the top, maybe enjoy fame and fortune…but even there, it’s a dog-eat-dog world. Most people have to sell a bit of their soul to get and stay there.”

It is one job that needs you to give up your life to succeed. 

5. Therapist 

Movies typically portray therapists as people sitting in a cool office doing their seemingly affluent job – helping make the world a better place one person at a time. 

However, in reality, only a few therapists get to experience this side of the profession as one user offered, “The glamorous side of being a therapist is only if you get to private practice, which they don’t tell you is also like running your own small business. The reality is you get out of grad school and get your first job working at a community mental health facility because they are the only ones who will hire you with a limited license and no experience, getting paid less than $40k/yr if you’re lucky, and then get put in a walk-in closet of an office, where they dump 100 client caseload on you the first day.”

6. Most Professions in the Environment Sector

Working to “save the planet” can seem like the ultimate goal for people who may not know what the job entails. 

One user said, “You tend to work in gruesome places (landfills, contaminated sites). You are expected to complete jobs in half the time you need with as few resources as possible. And if you are consulting for other companies, nobody wants to work with you to “save the environment” – they are generally just trying to barely meet some regulations.”

Another commenter highlighted the rot in the industry and how everyone is just trying to meet some regulations but not make the planet a better place. They said, “I quit my job in the mining sector because it was more “how do we hide this so we don’t get fined” rather than “let’s be proactive.” It is not what people expect from it. 

7. Architects 

The ultimate dream of any architecture student is to design lovely fancy buildings and get recognition for that. Unfortunately, that remains a pipe dream for many who get into the profession; as one commenter said, “You think you’ll be designing big fancy iconic buildings. Warehouses, Walmarts, small malls, and cookie-cutter apartments all need architects, and that’s probably what you’ll do.”

Besides, it is one of the professions that romanticizes people working their lives away. If you are not willing to work long hours, then architecture is not the profession for you; as one commenter said, “Also, the industry is obsessed with working themselves to death. Sure, you’re on salary, but if you don’t work over 40 hours, are you an architect?

8. Veterinary Medicine 

One vet said that many people imagine the profession is all about working with cute and lovely kittens and puppies when the reality is far from this. 

The reality can be incredibly heartbreaking to see and handle, “I’ve seen so much gore and blood and neglect; I’ve sent animals home with invasive cancers because families can’t afford treatment. It is a specific and exhausting pain that isn’t talked about enough.”

Another vet said it is challenging to deal with the emotional blackmail they often get from clients who tell them, “If you loved animals, you’d treat Fluffy for his multicentric cancer and heart failure for $5.”

9. Teacher 

The fantasy of becoming a teacher is imagining the chance of being the kindest teacher your students ever had and helping them achieve their goals. 

While they may get to succeed in this, the reality of the profession is not encouraging as one user said, “Teacher’s fantasy: Imma change the world one student at a time. Reality: poor paying zoo.”

10. Youtuber 

Getting to set your work hours, the flexibility of how much you want to put in, and doing what you like, Youtubers seem to have the most laid-back and fun profession. 

If you like fashion, you can choose to focus on that. If you love cooking, you can choose to share recipes. Such is a dream come true because many people don’t get to do what they like. 

Unfortunately, it is not always this glamorous as one commenter said, “Most who try to, fail, some put out multiple videos a day with hours of work for each one to never be recognized, and the ones who do now have to maintain relevance and (depending on who they are) have bigger workloads. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be worth it, but it’s not as simple as press record and publish.” 

You may be putting the best content there is, but you’re still at the mercy of the algorithms. On the other hand, if you do get the recognition you need, releasing videos consistently can get you burnt out.

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Growing up, a lot of people hear the message that the only way to get ahead in life is to get a college degree. While it’s true that people with college degrees do earn more on average than people without them, it’s simply not true that you can’t be financially successful if you haven’t graduated from college. In fact, many Americans without college degrees are doing quite well financially.

Here are 12 jobs that pay well without requiring a college degree.

12 Jobs That Pay More Than $100K but Don’t Require a College Degree

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Uncover the sobering truth behind the top 10 most hazardous jobs, where courageous individuals face danger every day in order to keep the very fabric of American society from unraveling. The fatality rates presented in this article are based on the number of deaths per year per 100,000 full-time employees, assuming a standard work schedule of 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year.

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What’s Your Job and What Can I (A Regular Person) Do to Make It Easier?

What can people do to make your job easier? For example, many servers appreciate it when you stack the plates after your meal. It makes their work much easier and faster. Is there one thing people can do to give you an easier time at work? A social media user created a thread asking people what they do and how regular people can make their jobs easier. 

Here are some of the top responses from the post.  

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This article was produced by Our Woven Journey. Featured Image Credit: Oneinchpunch | Canva