As you enter the workforce, it becomes pretty clear that most jobs actually involve a lot of busy work that might not be visible to the naked eye. A chef might spend all day prepping ingredients without “cooking” a single dish, while a teacher may spend more time grading papers than standing in front of a classroom.
Nevertheless, between mass media and just plain ol’ stereotypes, there are all sorts of misconceptions many of us believe about different careers. So what better way to educate yourself than through the magic of the internet?
A curious Reddit user asked “What's a myth about your profession that you want to debunk?” and professionals from across the internet gave their best examples. So get comfortable as you scroll through, and be sure to upvote the replies that taught you something new!
#1
Nurse: oftentimes we can't control death, only how we greet it, so for the love of God, do not refuse the comfort medication for your loved one. It's not going to [end] them, their disease is!! The comfort medication just help to ensure they have no pain or anxiety when they die. Let us help them so they don't die crying or trashing in bed, confused and scared out of their minds.
The hospice nurses loaded my dad the f**k up when he was dying and I'll forever be grateful for that.
The hospice nurses loaded my dad the f**k up when he was dying and I'll forever be grateful for that.
327points
#2
Former dog walker. Cesar Milán is full of s**t. Dominance training does NOT work for most dogs. It creates more aggression and fear. Positive reinforcement with gentle corrections is *so much better*.
Those alpha wolf studies? Total BS as well. Most wolf packs are family units. Your derp wolf/dog needs a dad, not an alpha douche.
Those alpha wolf studies? Total BS as well. Most wolf packs are family units. Your derp wolf/dog needs a dad, not an alpha douche.
296points
#3
School Custodian here and we are NOT overpaid cleaners. What would you pay someone that can paint, Sheetrock, tape/mud, patch concrete/asphalt, operate/repair commercial landscaping/snow removal equipment, operate/repair commercial custodial equipment, restore various types of floors including vct/hardwood/carpet/tile, replace toilets/faucets, air filters, belts, trim/fell trees, shovel roofs, etc? Not all of us are cleaners/janitors, which are vital and underpaid as well. Some of us are Jack/Jill of all trades and you want to pay us peanuts? All employees of a school are important and administrators shouldn't try to balance their budgets on the backs of workers when I've seen an exponential amount of administrative salary and stupid purchasing decisions, not to mention unfunded mandates from the state.
264points
#4
IT. Rebooting is NOT a waste of time and solves a remarkable number of problems.
263points
#5
People in minimum wage retail and restaurant jobs are not all high school dropouts or losers who wish they had gotten better educations.
251points
#6
Veterinary medicine is not a happy-go-lucky career choice where you get to deal with cute animals rather than people. Most of your patients are sick and/or scared, and every case involves a fraught negotiation with their stressed-out human.
235points
#7
Ambulance Drivers, no such a thing.
There’s highly trained Paramedics that just happen to also drive ambulances. As well as dispense over 47 medications, IVs, cardioversion, defibrillation, cardiac pacing, 12-lead EKG monitoring, advanced airways, are able to perform dozens of medical procedures, etc.
There’s highly trained Paramedics that just happen to also drive ambulances. As well as dispense over 47 medications, IVs, cardioversion, defibrillation, cardiac pacing, 12-lead EKG monitoring, advanced airways, are able to perform dozens of medical procedures, etc.
224points
#8
Anesthesiologist: you're not asleep you are anesthetized. When you're asleep and someone stabs you, you wake up.
Report
207points
#9
Teachers are NOT indoctrinating your children to be gay.
Report
203points
#10
Speaking as an unemployed disabled, most of us *want* to work, but society won't give us a chance.
Report
194points
#11
Politics here. Presidents do NOT control the economy!!!
They might be able to have some minor influence, but you are NOT experiencing inflation, a recession, or an economic boom because of a president.
Congress has more influence, but honestly economies are just complicated.
They might be able to have some minor influence, but you are NOT experiencing inflation, a recession, or an economic boom because of a president.
Congress has more influence, but honestly economies are just complicated.
188points
#12
Teachers have very little say in anything. We advocate the best we can but most of the time it’s out of our hands including holding children back who desperately need help.
157points
#13
There is sooooo much more to the speech-language pathologist scope of practice than working with kids who stutter or can't say their "r"s. An entire half of the field is in the adult medical setting working with people who have dementia, swallowing disorders, oral cancer, strokes, Parkinson's disease, and voice disorders, plus some other niche areas like transgender voice or accent modification. The pediatric half of the field also works with AAC devices, social skills, literacy development, syntax, executive functioning, writing, feeding, and more.
149points
#14
Bartender here. No I am not hitting on you, I just want a good tip and maybe a nice review with my name so boss knows I'm working hard
147points
#15
Maintenance is worth doing and definitely worth paying for.
"I don't know why we pay those maintenance guys, nothing ever breaks around here."!!
The reason Germany and Japan (and South Korea) became and remain such manufacturing powerhouses is because they know the value of maintenence. If you keep everything in clean good working order, you end up with minimum down time. Working maintenance into manufacturing schedules keeps output level, because you have no unexpected downtime.
It's the same for your car or your home. Setting aside time and resources for maintenance means you won't lose unexpected time and resources when things break. Good maintenance will spot things before they break and switch them out. That's worth paying for.
"I don't know why we pay those maintenance guys, nothing ever breaks around here."!!
The reason Germany and Japan (and South Korea) became and remain such manufacturing powerhouses is because they know the value of maintenence. If you keep everything in clean good working order, you end up with minimum down time. Working maintenance into manufacturing schedules keeps output level, because you have no unexpected downtime.
It's the same for your car or your home. Setting aside time and resources for maintenance means you won't lose unexpected time and resources when things break. Good maintenance will spot things before they break and switch them out. That's worth paying for.
145points
#16
Nursing is a profession, not a devotion, calling, whatever other b******t they tell you.
Yes, it’s an honor to care for people at their most vulnerable, but stop telling people they’ll be a terrible nurse if they say they became a nurse because of the job security or semi-decent wage.
Yes, it’s an honor to care for people at their most vulnerable, but stop telling people they’ll be a terrible nurse if they say they became a nurse because of the job security or semi-decent wage.
144points
#17
I am a public librarian. While curating books is still a portion of the job, much of it these days is taken up by database assistance and training, program development and teaching, and public education. It’s much closer to school teaching, but for adults and without grading homework, than it was in the past.
127points
#18
Forester.
I am not the one who actually cuts and hauls the trees, that's a LOGGER. If you have a problem tree you need removed from your yard or trimmed, you need an ARBORIST.
My job is to create and implement management plans, cruise timber for volume and defect, and mark trees for the logger, among other preparatory and managerial tasks.
Furthermore, my presence does not mean that a forest is being clear-cut (hardly ever). "Clear-cut" does not necessarily mean the complete removal of every tree in an area. Most importantly, the cutting and removal of trees is not automatically a bad thing; more often than not a forested area needs to be thinned to encourage growth/production, increase carbon sequestration efficiency, and reduce fire risk.
I am not the one who actually cuts and hauls the trees, that's a LOGGER. If you have a problem tree you need removed from your yard or trimmed, you need an ARBORIST.
My job is to create and implement management plans, cruise timber for volume and defect, and mark trees for the logger, among other preparatory and managerial tasks.
Furthermore, my presence does not mean that a forest is being clear-cut (hardly ever). "Clear-cut" does not necessarily mean the complete removal of every tree in an area. Most importantly, the cutting and removal of trees is not automatically a bad thing; more often than not a forested area needs to be thinned to encourage growth/production, increase carbon sequestration efficiency, and reduce fire risk.
Report
127points
#19
I'm an accountant. Whenever people jokingly talk about the good looking people in the office, it's always "Lisa from accounts".
As an accountant, I wish to point out that most of us look like a bulldog chewing a wasp.
As an accountant, I wish to point out that most of us look like a bulldog chewing a wasp.
126points
#20
I am a stay at home dad and former NICU nurse.
No, I do not sleep all day as a stay at home dad. No, I did not get to play with cute babies all day as a NICU nurse.
No, I do not sleep all day as a stay at home dad. No, I did not get to play with cute babies all day as a NICU nurse.
Report
121points