
26 Professions That Everyone Hates and Roasts Until They Actually Need Their Help
Interview With ExpertGenerally speaking, there are quite a few professions that are not really liked by people. Am pretty sure we have all grumbled, “Ugh, cops!” or been intimidated by them when we see them. The truth is, no matter what, we still need them.
That’s not the only profession with which people have a ‘hate but need’ kinda relationship. When Reddit user Spektakles882 asked, “Everyone hates me until they need me.” What jobs are the best examples of this?” folks had numerous answers ready. You might relate to a few of these careers, so just scroll down to check them out!
More info: Reddit
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I was a janitor for 7 years. “Ewww you have to clean all the puke and s**t, that’s so gross!” Yeah well I’m trying to get through school and make a couple bucks on the side so I can have a beer and a meal every now and then so thanks.
Our school custodians were vital and amazing! As a teacher, I relied on them so much. Not just to clean, but our kids loved them!
Housekeeping. People were such a******s to the housekeepers at the hotel I worked at. To them they were a bunch of foreigner skum, personal servants, and thiefs. In reality those girls were the hardest workers I’ve met, and for little pay in return. They had a lot of integrity. They could find a diamond ring and every single time when they could pocket it they are turning it in to me so I can call its owner. If you accuse a housekeeper of stealing with no proof otherwise, you’re an a*****e. Years in the hotel industry and I’ve only ever seen one person steal. A manager.
In my gap year I worked at a very hoity toity/famous hotel in Banff, Alberta. I slaved as a housekeeper for exactly one day (moved to front desk after they found out I was multilingual). Things discovered in that day: rich people have no qualms about sh*tting in the bathtub and leaving it there. Massive amounts of d***s just left lying around. People treat hotel rooms like their personal garbage. People trying to trick housekeeping into taking money by leaving some on the bed in plain view WITH a note that says: "TIP" - confirmed with other staff members that this happens frequently & if they DO take it the "guest" will call management and tell them the money was stolen just to get comped rooms and services. That was ONE day! From there on out I've treated hotel rooms better than my own. Housekeeping is RIDICULOUSLY underpaid!!
IT.
When everything is working? "***Why*** do we even have IT?!"
When something is broken? "Why do we even ***have*** IT?!".
Yep. My husband is in IT and it is exactly like this. He only gets praise and thanks from people in his field.
As you scroll through the list, some of you might be working in these fields and might even be nodding your heads in approval. Despite your dislike for these career fields, you need them and not the other way around. To be honest, it's a little ironic when you think about it, isn't it?
To get a deeper insight into why particular fields draw more hate from the public, Bored Panda reached out to Apoorva Kale, an industrial and organizational psychology practitioner. She explained that the negative perception of certain jobs often stems from social psychology and equity issues.
Teachers. Apparently, currently teachers are grooming children and letting kids use litter boxes, but then I remember once the pandemic hit everyone was calling teachers essential because people were forced to deal with their evil spawn they spewed onto the world….
Ha ha, teaching, alongside nursing, must be one of the most rewarding, and thankless jobs.
This is a bit niche, but since I work in the field: road maintenance. People get so inexplicably furious when they’re mildly inconvenienced due to us fixing stuff, but God forbid there’s a pothole, or a tree goes down, or it snows. Then we’re all buddy-buddy again.
The amount of times I’ve almost been hit by cars who don’t want to stop/slow down, or given the finger and screamed at for holding them up is insane.
Don’t know what country you’re in, hope it’s not Australia. I’ve always found you helpful and polite.
Cops.
I don't hate cops, I hate crooked cops and those who abuse their power in law enforcement.
Apoorva further stressed her point by elaborating that while people rely on laborers, housekeeping, or domestic workers for essential tasks, they frequently view these professions as lacking respectability due to the stigma associated with their perceived value.
"In contrast, high-status careers like doctors and engineers are seen as more desirable because of the education, skills, and economic contributions they represent. This disparity can significantly impact an individual’s self-esteem and how they are regarded in the workplace, affecting their job satisfaction and productivity," she added.
Retail workers. We were “essential workers” during the pandemic but before and after were unskilled workers. Also daily, if we can help a customer find something, we’re good but if it’s not available, the amount of verbal berating we take is absurd.
Truck drivers. People will always complain about them when driving near them but they’re the reason why stores can always be running stocked with items.
Abortion providers.
Our expert also emphasized that the factors that contribute to the public’s negative perception of essential but unpopular jobs are based on societal status hierarchy, stereotypes, or historical devaluation. She claimed that blue-collar jobs are usually associated with undervalued skills, less recognition, and lower status; these are shaped by social, economic, and cultural influence.
Speaking about this unfair disparity, she mentioned, "I/O Psychologists or HR professionals can work towards creating a systematic solution, creating and implementing policies that discard societal norms, and encourage employees to practice professionalism and respect their peers/colleagues despite their hierarchical position."
I work in security, so me. We're the ones who have to tell people no and make their task more difficult/time consuming because of policies and whatnot.
Like I'm sorry, man, but I can't just let you in because you tell me what company you're with if you're not on the list. It means someone didn't submit the request properly so that's not on me, if I start letting people in I WILL lose my job.
Security Officers are like a step-parent for a society of adult children.
Food service workers. People seem to hate them *while* they need them.
I don't like businesses (restaurants) that don't pay servers a living wage. Or politicians who back laws allowing sub minimum wage for food workers. Also, servers who are FOR the tip system because they rake it in. Other than that, I don't have a problem with food service workers.
Administrative assistants. We do a lot of things that people just think magically happen.
"Workers in undervalued jobs prominently face psychological challenges: low self-esteem, low job satisfaction, disassociation, and working conditions, causing negative effects on their physical well-being and social perceptions; discrimination, and embarrassment," Apoorva noted.
She also believes that these workers don’t receive recognition or appreciation for their work and are often taken for granted, resulting in demotivation and less job satisfaction. According to our expert, the societal conception that these jobs don’t need real skills and that they aren’t really important will affect their self-esteem, while they view themselves as lesser in society.
Every blue collar job.
The opposite is insurance. Everyone is fine with it til they need it and realize how much they s***w you in every possible way.
I’ve paid into my medical insurance for YEARS, but now I’m older it doesn’t cover me for any old age problems.
Children services. Everyone hates us and has an opinion.
Of course - if there's a child being locked in a basement then we get called.
What a thankless, depressing job. An overload of cases. Judges that still think the child is better off with biological parents. Some years ago, in my town, a CPS worker was shot and killed in the parking lot of the CPS office by a mother with mental problems that wanted her teenage daughter back.
Lastly, she also expressed that there is a lack of awareness and empathy in society that could lead to isolation and disconnect, resulting in depression. "Organizations can support these workers by implementing cultural recognition, career growth opportunities, fair compensation, and mental health resources," Apoorva concluded.
That does sound reasonable, doesn't it? After all, these are simple individuals, just like you and I, who are trying to survive by doing their jobs. What are your thoughts about it? Also, if you can think of any other fields like these, let us know in the comments!
Hate them until you need them? A tow truck.
Roadside assistant is the best. If I had to hire a tow truck locally it would be around $50-100USD to get my car home but if I pay for insurance with it included it costs like $20 and I have three free uses per year.
Veterinarians and vet techs are a fun example of people hate us when they don’t need us, and they hate us even more when they do need us. Spoiler alert, we aren’t getting any of your money. Dunno where it goes, but not to my pockets.
Who on earth hates vets? Only when they misdiagnose or mistreat a pet.
Quality management.
CPAs but accountants in general. No one wants to talk to us or hear about our work until it’s imperative. And then at least some of them are astonished by standard market rates and feel they’re being fleeced.
Lawyers.
“The first thing we do, let’s (unlive) all the lawyers.” Henry VI Part 2
Surgeons. I read a lot here about how they’re a******s.
Depends. The surgeon who sorted out my fibroids was an absolute twatbasket in his manner, but he did a fine job.
Doctors.
Funeral Directors.
Not sure there's any hatred towards them. It seems a creepy and weird job to do, but not someone I'd hate - they don't cause inconvenience to anyone apart from driving slowly.
Welcome to Human Resources.
I think this is because everyone hates corporations these days and loves the underdog.
Corporations have become more and more hate-worthy every year.
Load More Replies...The name probably doesn't help. It implies a herd of humans that needs to be wrangled.
Employees used to be people. Now they have been dehumanized into a "resource" like the equipment or the building or the vehicles.
HR protects the company not the workers just like Patient Advocate they protect the hospital not the patients. I think they deserve the hate they get.
HR gets a lot of hate but their job is to protect the company, same with the legal team. I mean, I get that they can be quite annoying but that's just how the system is made to work.
Yeah, too bad they don't protect the workers, but try to s***w the employees so that the company keeps making money for the bosses.
Poll Question
Which profession do you think is most commonly criticized but highly needed?
Lawyers
Plumbers
IT Support
Insurance Agents
We all know that the original victim of this is s*x workers. The very people that belittle, hate and attempt to legislate away s*x workers are their most frequent customers. So it has been since the dawn of patriarchy, so it shall be until the fall of patriarchy.
Only one I could think of that I didn’t see mentioned is bail bondsman…who wants to sit in jail after all?
People love to bad-mouth farmers and ranchers, but those people are responsible for putting food on the table.
They are getting a pretty bad rap here, they were the biggest supporters of the orange. He could do no wrong until he canceled their subsidies. Now they are the biggest whiners in the area and the push back they are getting is "well, you put him there and he's doing what he said he was gonna do". Soy and corn are the main crops in my immediate area, the corn stays here, but the soy beans were (largely) exported and we all know where that's headed.
We all know that the original victim of this is s*x workers. The very people that belittle, hate and attempt to legislate away s*x workers are their most frequent customers. So it has been since the dawn of patriarchy, so it shall be until the fall of patriarchy.
Only one I could think of that I didn’t see mentioned is bail bondsman…who wants to sit in jail after all?
People love to bad-mouth farmers and ranchers, but those people are responsible for putting food on the table.
They are getting a pretty bad rap here, they were the biggest supporters of the orange. He could do no wrong until he canceled their subsidies. Now they are the biggest whiners in the area and the push back they are getting is "well, you put him there and he's doing what he said he was gonna do". Soy and corn are the main crops in my immediate area, the corn stays here, but the soy beans were (largely) exported and we all know where that's headed.