Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
“What’s A Misconception About Your Profession That You’re Tired Of Hearing?” (30 Answers)
There are few things as annoying as people who don’t actually have a clue sharing all sorts of information and facts about your specialty that are completely untrue. Normally, this is a burden academics have to bear, but it can be just as true for really any job.
Someone asked “What's a misconception about your profession that you're tired of hearing?” and professionals from across the internet shared their best examples. From some folks vastly underestimating how much work something takes to just downright lies, get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and share your thoughts and examples in the comments section below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I’m a support worker for adults with complex learning and physical disabilities have been for 7 years now - no u don’t just “wipe bums for a living”.
I keep them alive and happy, giving them a quality of life filled with as much independence and choice as they can have. I treat them with dignity and respect while yes at times supporting them with personal care because guess what? They can’t do it! So someone has to, it’s such a tiny part of my job and the least bit interesting.
Hardly anyone hears about the love and patience, acceptance and humility the people I support teach me and give me every day.
ChickyChicky 1 year ago
Number one and number two posts right now are about educators and caretakers. The lack of respect shown to these professions (through low pay and outright rude comments) shows how little our society cares about kids, the elderly, and people with special needs. Picking up garbage pays more than caring for and educating others.
RELATED:
#2
“Teachers are brainwashing and indoctrinating our kids!”
Bruh I can barely get these adorable little b@stards to bring a damn pencil to class 🤣 I’m flattered you think I have that much power but I can assure you I do not.
#3
I'm a long time caregiver to mother who lives with dementia. For some reason, people don't consider it "work". That includes doctors. I'm on call 24/7. I can't leave for long periods of time. My own health went to s**t. Geriatric care costs are astronomical. Yet, all people hear is "You're not working." .
lenka 1 year ago
My MIL has dementia. At first we were trying to provide in home care for her. It took the whole family (6 people) on a roster to maintain 24/7 care for her including 24/7 supervision, all meals, shopping, personal care, medical appointments, home cleaning etc etc. It's really hard. We managed to do this for three years until her needs escalated and we eventually had to put her in special dementia care home.
#4
Janitor/custodian. Any service job, really.
No, not everybody who works those jobs is dumb with no prospects/ambitions. Things happen in life, be it health issues, personal/family issues. I never understood how someone seeing another person working a job like that can look down on them and treat them like dirt.
A separate pet peeve is "i dont feel like putting this item back where it belongs" or "ill just make this mess and not clean it up" because it's "somebody else's job" or "im just letting them *earn* their paycheck!". No, you're an a*****e.
To end this on a positive note though, as someone who's had a lot of these types of jobs, being polite, saying "thank you" and being respectful to any service/retail/restaurant worker(or, anyone really) are simple things that don't take much effort and can brighten up someone's day.
Dorothy Reiser 1 year ago
I was taught when becoming a teacher that the custodian is your best friend. Respect and recognition of this very important person makes your work way easier.
#5
Unemployed disabled. We want to work, but nobody will let us. Then they turn around and call us lazy parasites.
Toujin C'Thlu 1 year ago
As someone on disability, this is very true. I spent years looking for a job, only to be rejected or get no response. These were entry-level retail jobs, too
#6
Tech support. We didn't start out angry..
1. Turn it off, then turn it on again. No, we're not lazy that really does solve a majority of problems. And no, shutting off your monitor is not shutting down your computer.
2. When we ask you if it's plugged in, follow the cord all the way from your computer to the wall.
3. If the computer gives you a message with an error code, WRITE IT DOWN OR TAKE A SCREENSHOT.
4. Describe the problem, but only what is necessary. I don't care why you were emailing your aunt. I do care about the message that popped up when you clicked Send.
5. If I come to look at your computer, get out of the way. No, I cannot fix anything if you are sitting in your chair in front of your computer.
6. Printer problem? Take it out back and shoot it. I would rather work on anything else before printer problems.
Jay Scales 1 year ago
'I don't care why you were emailing your aunt' - LOL, I know people who would find it necessary to tell Tech this :D :D
#7
Vegetable farmer. We get so many applicants wanting to "connect to the soil", yet have never touched a shovel before. So many people don't seem to understand that farming is manual labor with long hours and hardship every day. And It's all just to limp by. We aren't making much money.
#8
I'm a handyman. None of those things that happen in those human mating ritual documentaries that you watch on the internet have ever happened to me.
Stardust she/her 1 year ago
“Human mating ritual documentaries“ is the best English phrase I’ve ever come across
#9
As an electrician, the misconception that it’s not a skilled profession is frustrating. It requires rigorous training and adherence to safety standards.
devotedtodreams 1 year ago
I have mad respect for electricians; even if I know the safety measures necessary to try something on my own, I'm always afraid I'll either electrocute myself or f**k up in some other way.
#10
Construction. No, I’m not looking to build your deck for a cheeseburger and a six pack of beer.
#11
I’m a librarian, and people think we just read books all day. In reality, we manage databases, assist with research, and conduct community programs.
devotedtodreams 1 year ago
I am a librarian, and people think we literally just at our desk checking our/returning books for people. Hell, when I worked at a public library, I even got (separately) asked if we get paid, and if we get vacation. Bruh.
#12
I'm an attorney.
A lot of people - maybe most people - have this bizarre idea that a court case turns on who has the better attorney.
As if we're wizards, hurling eldritch beams of light at one another until one of our minds snap and the empty husk slumps to the floor. The judge whispers a fey enchantment, his fingers curling in an unknown, arcane sign, and the victor is bathed in emerald light.
A bad attorney can absolutely sink your case, but once you reach a level of basic competence, the facts of the case are almost exclusively what drive victory or defeat.
I can make clever arguments all day, but if you beat the s**t out of an orphan to steal his Pokemon cards, my twisted magicks will not avail you.
#13
Men working in kindergarten are p***philes. Good luck getting a male role model for your spawn before 5th grade. At least in Germany.
#14
Software engineer here. No, we can't just "hack into anything" and no, we can't fix your printer. We're not tech support. We live in a world of code, not hardware.
#15
As a veterinarian, I’m most certainly *not* in this for the money…
I also don’t magically know what is wrong with your dog/cat just by waving my magic stethoscope.
Dorothy Reiser 1 year ago
My brother, a pediatrician, often says it's a lot like veterinary medicine. The parents are anxious and scared and the patient often doesn't speak.
#16
Hair stylist, if "anyone" could cut hair why did you all have terrible haircuts during Covid? You have to take into account the head shape, hair texture, cowlicks, deviation in hair color.
It's not easy and it's really hard on your body.
#17
Musician: "you're lucky to be born with talent". I worked my whole life practicing every single day, invested so much money in great teachers and great gear to be able to do what I do for a living.
Papa 1 year ago
I remember reading about an interview with a famous golfer. He said people would often tell him they would do anything to be able to play as well as he did. He would say "No, you wouldn't. You wouldn't practice until your hands bleed, hour after hour, day after day, in all kinds of weather."
#18
"Why do you need a dictionary? I thought you were a translator.".
#19
Call center customer service agent (telecom). For the last 12 years I've had to hold the hand of thousands of customers through the phone. It's not an easy job. I have to remember the specs of all the new cellular devices, all the codes for our ancient DOS base AS400 system and above all that, I have to deal with people who have issues breathing and speaking at the same time. It's exhausting, at the end of the day my body is awake and ready but my mind is mush, oh and I do it in 2 languages.
#20
Fire Sprinkler Designer here: Fire Sprinkler water IS NOT clean and clear like the movies depict...That water more than likely has been in those pipes for decades and is filled with corrosion and cutting oil. As soon as a sprinkler goes off, you are getting doused with black tar water...
#21
I work in retail, and the misconception that it’s easy or a ‘fallback’ job is frustrating. It requires serious multitasking and customer service skills.
Elvira394 1 year ago
I don't think there is any job outside of healthcare in the world that comes closer to being a mental health worker than working retail. You guys have to deal with all of the same crazy that we do, you have to deal with it with a smile and not even addressing the primary issue which is the crazy. And you have to do it every day if you're good at your job, and pretend it's just normal. Kudos to all of you in retail.
#22
Writer,
Their eyes are green because that’s the color I thought of when I built the character. It’s not that deep most of the time.
Also, no, I don’t want to read the first draft of the book you started when you were 12 that’s “such a great idea!”
Believe me, none of us write well at 12 and no I won’t read it for free.
#23
Massage therapist - 'how much for a happy ending hurr hurr '. It gets old guys, seriously.
#24
That graphic design is fun, cool, exciting and we'll do it for peanuts just because we enjoy it.
Sorry to break it to you but I got bills to pay and most of the time I'm trying to protect the client from making really bad decisions because they feel they could "do it themselves if they could just draw a little better".
#25
Stay at home dad - that because I’m not the breadwinner I must be emasculated and/or not masculine.
WonderWoman 1 year ago
SAHP are the most underappreciated roles. People assume you sit around all day eating bon-bons, watching soap operas, and playing games. It is a rigorous job when done well.
#26
People think being a chef is glamorous thanks to cooking shows, but the reality is long hours in a high-stress environment.
karen snyder 1 year ago
As a 20 year veteran of the event catering world, I'd like to add; Every day is a fresh nightmare. Addiction to d***s and alcohol is more common than not. There is only an gram of creativity for every metric ton of labor. Holidays are the most miserable times. Everybody cries in the walk-in sometimes. We eat absolute garbage when we actually cook for ourselves. Most of us are working through some kind of self hatred from past trauma, (seriously, this is true.) I could go on. Culinary work has such a broken reward system, we are all a bit insane.
#27
I drove a taxi. We don’t meet a lot of famous people. Not all passengers are unhinged lunatics. .
#28
Lawyer here. Just because you fail to understand a nuance doesn’t mean it’s a “loophole”.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
A loophole is a fundamental legal right being exercised by someone who doesn't look like you.
#29
Yes, the plane can fly itself for the most part. The "flying" part is the easy part and we offload some of it to automation so we can focus on other tasks.
It's like showing cruise control in a car to someone who has never driven a car or seen a road before, and them saying "oh Id be a great driver, it does everything itself!".
#30
Working in a call center, people think it’s just talking on the phone. It requires strong communication skills and emotional resilience.
#31
Accounting. No, you don't have to be good at math. No, I will not do your taxes.
#33
That people in healthcare don't care about you. Untrue. The vast majority of us do care and are trying to help you. My specialty is elder care and I help get people in home care, home health, hospice services or help them find the right facility for them. It is not all about the money for most of us. Relax and let us help you.
#34
That IT can fix anything. Usually we can, but most of the time it won't justify the cost or my time. As for smaller things or printers, yes we can, we just happen to be able to google things. I don't have a manual about everything in my head, i have google in my pocket and on your screen :D.
#35
Vet Tech here. - We do not play with puppies and kittens all day - We are not in it for the money. We are actually severally underpaid and under appreciated. - We do not get kick backs for recommencing certain foods or products. - We do not hate animals. We love them so much. It’s heart wrenching when people say “oh I just love animals to much to do what you do.” - Your pet isn’t themselves at the vet. I know your pet is sweet and whatever at home. But they can be very anxious and have fear aggression with us, we prescribe d***s because your pet has a right to an anxiety free visit. - No we don’t have X-ray hands. Do the diagnostics.
Jeevesssssss 1 year ago
Wtf, people think you hate animals?? No, i imagine you have to be able to compartmentalise emotion/sentimentality in order to do painful/distressing procedures and to handle seeing them scared and in pain, but ultimately it's to help them and improve their quality of life and so you do the difficult things BECAUSE you care. Some people...
#36
I work as a therapist. Lately I have been seeing a lot of posts suggesting we're all psychopaths in it for the money. I find it sad. I don't do this for the paltry relative income. I actually do give a s**t about everyone I see. I cannot solve all your problems, but I am zealous to help us try
"Massive amounts" of income. Ha! I can tell you how much i have made from personal income off clients in the past five years: 0. I am a government employee.
censorshipsucks 1 year ago
in capitalist countries, therapists make a lot. One I went to charged 2500 per hour (ZAR). That's equivalent to 350 000 ZAR/mo or USD 17 500 / mo . That's a lot.
#37
I’m a locksmith, and people often think it’s just about cutting keys. It involves complex problem solving and security expertise.
Mike F 1 year ago
They have their moments, lol. I worked on a property that was being rekeyed and had sent notices to the residents of the day/date and approx time. A woman lived in one building who was a nightmare and had a very big, very mean dog who would not answer her door so the locksmith could take care of business. This guy was an absolute pro. Every time he knocked on the door, the dog would bark so he used that to his advantage. There were 6 units in each building and this woman was not going to get in his way. He would do a door, then knock on hers, then do a door, then knock on hers. After about 25 minutes of that damned dog barking, she dragged her hungover butt to the door and yelled "alright goddammit, I'm fu¢king up!" The locksmith looked at me and winked.
#38
As a journalist, I hate hearing that we all just chase sensational stories. Many of us are committed to ethical, in-depth reporting.
#39
As a software developer, I'm tired of hearing that we're all just nerdy guys who code in dark rooms all day. It's actually highly collaborative.
#40
I’m a graphic designer, and no, I can’t just whip up a complex project in an hour. Good design takes time and thought.
#41
Kind of a niche thing, but mortgage servicing. The bank doesn’t want to foreclose if you start missing payments, because then it’s just another house they have to pay to maintain and ultimately sell for likely a loss. It’s much more viable for the bank and the homeowner to work together to see if you qualify for some form of loss mitigation to either modify your existing loan, or vacate in a mutually agreeable way. And in addition, there are a lot of stringent and consistent regulations and laws governing the process from when you miss your first payment up until the end of the default episode, whatever that ending may be.
Michael Largey 1 year ago (edited)
If you owe the bank ten thousand dollars you can't pay, you have a problem. If you owe ten million you can't pay, you have a partner.
#42
Offshore oil dudes are not gay for the pay or gay while Offshore.
If they're gay, they're gay.
#43
I’m a tax attorney, and contrary to popular belief, my job isn’t just about helping the rich get richer. It’s about navigating complex laws to provide proper advice.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
It’s about navigating complex laws to provide proper advice - to help the rich get richer.
#44
That bookkeeping is mind numbingly dull...wait a minute...
Dianellian 1 year ago
It is. I gave it up about 6 years ago because it was so boring. Unfortunately we’ve found out the bookkeeper who took over has embezzled at least $200,000 AUD. It was a small business and my ex very hard working boss kept wondering why he wasn’t getting ahead anymore. Now we both have guilt over this happening.
#45
I write or edit manuals and educational booklets. So nothing really. It's both specific enough and vague enough that people just go "Oh, okay!" and move on.
Natasha Arruda 1 year ago
Technical writer, I'm guessing? My WoW guild master and super close friend was a technical writer, now I think he might be a team lead for tech writers.
#46
I work in logistics, and the idea that it’s just about driving trucks around is so wrong. It’s about critical problem solving and global coordination.
Sand Ers 1 year ago
The forecast is wrong. You know it, your suppliers know it, your customers know it, and your boss knows it. It's just there to get things moving, and then you fine tune everything while it's moving. Supply chain logistics is simultaneously trivially simple, and mind-shatteringly complex.
#47
I’m a barista, and no, it’s not just pushing a button on a coffee machine. There’s a lot of skill in making great coffee.
Charles McChristy 1 year ago
Not at Starbucks or Dunkin'. There is literally just push buttons. This is coming from someone who used to be a real barista, and not one of these button jockeys.
#48
Doctors are in bed with “big pharma” and get kickbacks for literally anything.
#49
I work in digital marketing and too many people do not understand the difference between marketers and web developers. I do not know how to code. I cannot troubleshoot your website from a technical standpoint. I cannot build you a website from scratch unless I use a service like Wordpress or Wix, which you could probably do yourself. My job is to market your services to bring in customers and work on your SEO and/or manage your social media. I can create content for your website and upload it, but if your website is erroring out and is totally broken? That’s not my job and I can’t help you. Too many companies throw websites together and don’t employ a web developer and get shocked when eventually their website just doesn’t function
Also, not every marketer is a graphic designer. I’m relatively good at graphic design but graphic design is often a job in itself. It’s in the same vain that people who are graphic designers aren’t always good at marketing. It’s one thing to design and generate the content, and another thing to promote it well and bring in customers using it.
#50
Working in SEO, people often think it’s just about cramming keywords into webpages. It’s actually about improving user experience and valuable content.
Apatheist Account2 1 year ago
SEO isn't about user experience, it's about trying to wring more money out of consumers by getting them to buy something they didn't want. If I've already bought something, I don't need to see hundreds of adverts for the same thing for the next 6 months. To borrow a phrase...SEO people suck :)
What do you think ?
Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 1 year ago
Be kind to your fast food worker. Some may be "lazy" or not care or on drúgs, maybe. But most are just trying to get by. Some are in the process of going to school to get that better job. Some are retired and just need a supplemental income. Please remember they don't control the prices or what's offered on the menu (call corporate for that). Finally, don't complain about how they're short handed, unless you want to fill out an application yourself! Thanks😘
Noproblem 1 year ago
I learned that the best way to shut down customers who complain about short staffing is just to agree with them. Take a look at the line of customers queuing behind them, little sigh, “Yeah, I would LOVE a couple more cashiers.” Makes them feel like we’re in it together. Which we are, most of the time.
Load More Replies...
Kevin J. Henning 1 year ago
Ministers. Not all of them are money driven, mega church promoting egotistical windbags. There are a few left who genuinely understand their faith and want to help people.
Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 1 year ago
Be kind to your fast food worker. Some may be "lazy" or not care or on drúgs, maybe. But most are just trying to get by. Some are in the process of going to school to get that better job. Some are retired and just need a supplemental income. Please remember they don't control the prices or what's offered on the menu (call corporate for that). Finally, don't complain about how they're short handed, unless you want to fill out an application yourself! Thanks😘
Noproblem 1 year ago
I learned that the best way to shut down customers who complain about short staffing is just to agree with them. Take a look at the line of customers queuing behind them, little sigh, “Yeah, I would LOVE a couple more cashiers.” Makes them feel like we’re in it together. Which we are, most of the time.
Load More Replies... Kevin J. Henning 1 year ago
Ministers. Not all of them are money driven, mega church promoting egotistical windbags. There are a few left who genuinely understand their faith and want to help people.
You May Like 50 World’s Weirdest Jobs That Pay Out Quite Well We Rounded Up Some Absurdly Funny Job Titles For Your Entertainment Pleasure 43 Insider Secrets From Various Jobs That You're Not Supposed To Know, But Are Industry Standards
Aivaras Kaziukonis
Saimonas Lukošius
Rūta Zumbrickaitė
Related on Bored Panda
