“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers)

We currently have jobs that didn't exist 30, 20, or even 10 years ago. In fact, by one popular estimate, around 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in a career that's not even on our radar yet.

Interested in the changes of the labor market, Redditor u/jaysmith007 asked other platform users last week, "What profession was once highly respected, but is now a complete joke?"

And people gave plenty of examples. From flight attendants to nurses, continue scrolling to check out those that have received the most upvotes.

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“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) US President

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“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Teaching. They get completely s**t on by the kids and the parents.

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“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Nursing. Long hours, hard work, front line workers for dealing with annoying ass and insane people, the definition of “I don’t get paid enough for this s**t!” Edit: thank you for the awards! My first ones :)

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“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Farmers. Agriculture used to be something everyone had to do. Now people don't give a second thought about where there food comes from.

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410points

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“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) In these current times, apparently a scientist.

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“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Journalist. It used to be a respected and necessary career, now, for more than one reason, it's lost almost all the respect it had.

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284points

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“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Philosopher. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. Now if someone tells you they are a philosopher you probably assume they don’t have a job and do a lot of drugs.

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266points

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“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Police, you would have to be crazy to join the force right now.

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“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Priest for obvious reasons

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#10

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) My aunt crushed it as a travel agent in the '80s/'90s. The internet totally blindsided her

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#11

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Lawyer.

I’m one and I’ve already heard all the jokes, thanks.

In the 19th century it really was a position of prestige. In the mid-20th century it meant Atticus Finch.

Now it’s just the equivalent of ambulance chaser in the minds of most people. And it’s too bad, because when you actually need one, you see what they genuinely do.

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Final score:

204points

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#12

News media, regardless of their "slant." We've gone from Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite to talking heads and sound bites. Kids today won't believe that back in the day somebody came on TV or the radio and told you the who, what, where, when, why and how- and you were expected to make your own mind about it. Yes, there were editorial/opinion sections, but they were separate from the news reporting. And "journalistic integrity" is filed away somewhere with buggy whips and vacuum tubes.

Nachtjaeger68 Report

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195points

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#13

Human Resources.

I get it, the protect the company and not the employee, but over the last 20 years that scale has tipped so far that modern HR practices are barely legal and usually unethical.

Firebolt164 Report

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185points

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#14

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Critic, for the most part. It used to be that to be taken seriously as a critic, you had to have some accomplishments in the field you were critiquing, to show that your opinion on the subject was worth some value. Somewhere along the way, the position devolved to "any as***le with an opinion is a critic". It has fallen even further in the internet age, with "critics" giving obviously stupid "hot takes" just so their name can be spread out among the media.

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177points

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#15

No professions seem to be respected these days. Respect went away roughly 10-15 years ago.

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#16

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) School principal. Teachers who fail in the classroom flee to administration because they're too heavily invested to quit and start a new career. Of those, the ones with high ambition, low self-awareness, and weak personal character tend to fail upwards by parroting trendy buzzwords and supporting failed pedagogy. You'll meet the odd unicorn, but most principals are incompetent at everything except camouflaging their incompetence behind buzzwords and task-offloading.

AssistantT0TheSensei Report

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152points

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#17

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Chef. My dad was a chef and in his day you could have your pick of jobs. Literally walk out of a restaurant and into another by the end of the day. People respected them and allowed creative and financial freedom. Now I work as a chef and I constantly have to answer to people ( managers, waitresses etc ) who have absolutely 0 culinary experience. The pay is sh**ty, the hours are ridiculous it's about 3 decades behind in terms of workers rights. This goes double for smaller places like non-chain bars and restaurants. They know that theirs always another chef looking for a new gig and often have no problems treating chefs like absolute dogs**t.

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147points

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#18

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Air hostess- Once the symbol of glamor now its like a joke

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143points

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#19

Spinster. In the middle ages, it was a respected career which could keep a woman financially independent and secure. She worked damn hard and had to be physically strong and good with money. And a spinster could choose to be in a relationship, but it wasn't imperative for her survival. Nowadays it's just become a term for middle aged or older single women and the fact it used to be a respected job title has been all but forgotten.

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#20

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Milkman, now they are just everyones secret father.

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134points

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#21

I wanted to say politician but they have always been hated the more I think about it

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#22

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) President of russia

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#23

For me personally, doctor. I used to hold them in high regard until I started working with them. Most are lazy, greedy and do not know a single thing outside of medicine. Some don't even know medicine!

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#24

Musicians that played dynamite saxophone solos in rock and roll songs.

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#25

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Elevator attendants. Once revered engineers capable of lifting humans hundreds of feet in the air. Now a comedic relic of a by gone era.

Charming-Station Report

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122points

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#26

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Human Computers' to do mathematical calculations.

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106points

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#27

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Optician. Back in the day, if you were an old-school Optician you knew absolutely everything about complicated prescription issues, making glasses, grinding lenses, manufacturing a complete set of glasses yourself from your own lab in the back of the store. Nowadays it’s mostly 20 yr old idiots who take a cr**py little express program to certify themselves as ‘Opticians’ , but all orders are sent to an outside lab to be made. If you have a problem with your glasses, 90% of these ‘opticians’ have no idea how to solve your problem. It’s also now essentially just a glorified salesperson job.

Source: Im an ex-optician who’s biggest mistake in life so far was wasting years on that sh**ty low-paying “career”

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Final score:

105points

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#28

Translators used to be members of royal courts, but are now full-on taken advantage of by agencies who know nothing about the industry, but hold all the clients. They often expect people with B.A.s, M.A.s, multiple certifications, and decades of experience to work for very low pay

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94points

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#29

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) My friends Dad was a pretty successful ad salesman for yellowpages. After no one needed phone books anymore and he cheated on his wife and had 2 divorces, and bought a purple harley with a dragon on it, he then became a seller of funeral packages...

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#30

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Alchemist

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#31

Models - seems like anyone with a camera and a social media account can call themselves one now.

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22points

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#32

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Clowns were seen as funny back then, but now everyone is terrified of them

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21points

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#33

Journalists and News Anchors (at least in America)

While there are still a great deal of respectable news outlets, a lot of respect for the industry has been lost because of those who are simply mouthpieces to the corporate propaganda machine.

Most major news networks and publishers have put profits over journalism, turned the news cycle into 24-hour theater, and caused untold damage to our collective mindset. They hire charismatic anchors and manipulative writers to try and make the readers and watchers believe whatever will bring the most profits and help those in power the most.

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Final score:

21points

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#34

Singer. They just use autotune with no real skil

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20points

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#35

Lawyers are both loved and hated. Notice how parents are proud to say their child grew up to be a lawyer. How prestigious! But then when, as a society, we talk about "slimy money grubbers" lawyers get lumped in to that group not uncommonly.

mordjs Report

Final score:

18points

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#36

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Witches. Or Magicians.

banditk77 Report

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17points

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#37

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Radio DJ. Even in small cities, the dj’s were well known. Today, there is still some level of fame in large cities (the morning drive time team), but radio is dying….

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Final score:

17points

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#38

Royalty

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#39

Congressman

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#40

Astrologer

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15points

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#41

Anything in the corporate media

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/t0ybmh/comment/hyf83ci/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 Report

Final score:

14points

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#42

Commercial Pilot.

Back in the day, a pilot was a man's man with great pay. Today the regional carriers pay less than a minimum wage job at 40 hours a week. Just to get to that point a person must spend years of time building or fast track by spending a fortune.

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#43

Probably pilot Once second only to astronauts, now just glorified bus driver.

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#44

IT support

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#45

Journalist.

I still remember wanting to study journalism in college back in the early 90. I wanted to be the next Hunter S. Thompson (I definitely did enough hallucinogens) and in high school I had several short stories and articles published in a very niche tabletop gaming magazine that was distributed internationally. My life took a different turn and I'm glad it did. Nowadays there's no such thing as a respected journalist. They're all basically shills who seem like they need to hustle for every dime they make because thanks to the internet anyone can be a "journalist".

PunchBeard Report

Final score:

12points

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#46

Chief Information Officer; in the 1990s that was a very prestigious position in a company. It showed the street that the company took technology seriously.

Now, if you work in a business where tech isn't the product, your CIO or SVP of Tech reports to the Chief Financial Officer. Most times it isn't a strategic C-level job. You watch the budget and look to outsource as much as possible. Try to be aligned with the business, who really doesn't want anything to do with you other than what you can give them for less money. Rough gig.

Shroom4Yoshi Report

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11points

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#47

Anything in retail (mostly food shops) I often hear people saying to their children if they don't do well in school then they will work at "tesco" for the rest of their lives.

But in reality people in retail usually do it as a waiting ground or to fund other projects. For instance I do it to fund my films whilst I learn how to drive.

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#48

Umbrella repairman. We had one in our town years ago

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#49

The town crier

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10points

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#50

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers) Jester. In the olden times they used to be entertainers, housekeepers, comedians and yardsmen to kings and nobles. They had to empty the toilets and entertain the king while he took a dump.

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#51

I feel like the Air Force soldiers are made fun of because 'their work isn't holding a gun on the ground,' and feel like they only ever do work when there's a war and they need to fly planes. This is absolute bulls***t. More air force soldiers work with the space division, control satellites, do mapping, fly planes (yes) but not just during a war. They safely transport important politicians to necessary meetings. Their lives are high risk out there too. They are not to be demonetized just because they aren't out on the fields holding a gun. In fact, they do that kind of training too in case their plane gets shot on and they survive.

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#52

Policeman in Germany... Used to be highly respected and popular among people. No the situation is different. Police forces had and still have problems with too many old officers retiring and not enough young people starting to work that profession. So they decided to lower "job entry requirements" which leads to complete idiots joining police academy

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#53

Bard

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#54

Pharmacist.

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7points

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#55

Mail man.

To clarify I was a mail man for a bit and liked the job sometimes but all the old timers used to tell me the job isn’t what it used to be. Used to have to take a standardized test to get in for one. Also the increase in e-commerce made delivering all the mail in a reasonable time in our office an impossible task.

anoncmehelp Report

Final score:

7points

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#56

Newspaper Journalists

With the death of print media, Journalism has died as well. Ultimately it has also killed the attention span as well.

ckretmsage Report

Final score:

7points

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#57

Elected official

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#58

Door to door salesman — just not a thing anymore for safety and practical reasons

CanYouBelieveJordyn Report

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7points

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#59

Soldier, police officer. I became a soldier but I can remember when I was a kid how all I wanted was to be a bike cop. That changed ricky f**kin tick quick.

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3points

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What do you think ?

elSti 2 years ago

sounds like "working" is not respected any more.

J P 2 years ago

So what’s left? Prostitution?

Fred L. 2 years ago

Has always been disrespected by some.

Load More Replies...

Emmie Jensen 2 years ago

Yeah

2points

Bobby 2 years ago

The most paid, cherished, admired, focused but not respected job.

0points

Paola Martz 2 years ago

I'm a painter (went to school, study hard the old masters, learnt the antique methods of making paints and varnishes from scratch), and every time I tell anyone I'm a painter they ask me "yeah, but I mean, what's your job? Painting it's just a hobby" 🙃

Alan Vannes 2 years ago

As a fiction writer I definitely empathize.

John L 2 years ago

Some of these are ridiculous...come on, bard...jester, town crier? I think they are missing the point of the post.

Tee Witt 2 years ago

Far too many of these are only tellling how things are in the USA, not toher countries.

Gary 2 years ago

These sorts of posts on BP are asinine, it's just young adults trying to out smart each other, without frankly, a clue.

Jo Choto 2 years ago

I'm trying really hard to think of a job that was really respected, and that is really considered a joke now. Closest I can think of is a phrenologist!

1point

grongo bar 2 years ago

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ZAPanda 2 years ago

They forgot to say: stockbrokers (aka gamblers), and bankers (aka robbers).

Chuck daniels 2 years ago

I've seen alot of posts where you s**t on anyone who made smart life choices.

PADNA 2 years ago

Librarians. Their salary make me sad..

Mindy Smith 2 years ago

In reference to the optician...you don't even see him/her anymore! At my last eye doctor appointment, she was on a TV screen asking me questions. Had to have the glasses remade 3 times!

Ray Heap 2 years ago

I‘m a Typesetter, ask me.

Péter Rózsahegyi 2 years ago

Watchmakers? Once every house had at least one wall beautiful hung or floor standing clock and people weared mechanical wrist or pocket watchea that required regular tune ups and repairing services. Then came the Swatch-era when these watches became a plastic piese of sheet. Now everyone look at their mobile phones if they want to know the time. Watches became a part of fashion outfit and they go out of style before they would need any maintenance. Source: I learnt to be a watchmaker but left my profession long time ago for coding.

Big Blue Cat 2 years ago

Many professions left out. I'll just add a doctor, because everybody seems to be a self-taught internet doctor nowadays.

Avtar Chauhan 2 years ago

Avtar Chauhan:- The TV Newscaster of any international channel! I strongly recommend the status & qualitative public standing.

-2points

Pezor Zass 2 years ago

Journalism was often a crappy profession. There was really only a very short period of time when ethics were a big deal and journalism was seen as noble. the rest of its history was like it is now: mainly pandering in order to get the biggest market share to make profits for the people who owned the media outlets. Check out early newspapers if you don't believe me.

“What Profession Was Once Highly Respected, But Is Now A Complete Joke?” (30 Answers)

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