27 Jobs that are much less enjoyable than employees expected: 'Working in a small company that likes to think they are a big company will destroy the fiber of your being'

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Jun 23, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

The grass always seems greener on the other side. But the truth is, that's not always the case. Sometimes, we can be going through a tough time at work and find ourselves questioning if this is really the right industry for us. It's easy to become trapped in the cycle of questioning whether all the training and education were truly worth pursuing for the rest of our lives. When we're young, we're told we can be anything we want, and there are so many professions out there that sound interesting—doctors, vets, teachers, chefs, etc. But then, once you get into the field, it's not as glorious as you were hoping. Below, 27 employees share jobs they had that were much less enjoyable than they envisioned. So, if you're feeling stuck in a rut with work, the workers' insights below might help you realize that the grass isn't always greener. 

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  • 01
    r/AskReddit ⚫ 4 hr. ago youngGod928 Which job turns out to be much less enjoyable than most people expect?
    via u/youngGod928
  • 02
    Ok-Education3487 • 1d ago Being a chef. Its...awful. I did it for a long time. The hours are ridiculous and the pay is bad.
    via u/Ok-Education3487
  • 03
    Sometimesitsamonkey • • 1d ago Edited 1d ago Working with animals (zoo, rescue, vet, etc.). Do I still love it? Yes. Is it incredibly mentally taxing, frustrating, nonstop (what's a weekend?), and full of laws (not a bad thing but another red tape to look out for)? Yes. Not to mention for veterinarians the amount of education needed. Pay is often bad, especially if you're not a veterinarian.
    via u/Sometimesitsamonkey
  • 04
    Edit: I'm not saying vets shouldn't make more or have great pay currently. They should, for the education, hours, and loans they have, they should make more. But my first paid job was 12.75/hr and I was an overnight vet tech with a college degree. Fresh out of college vet making 90k went home to a simple breakfast. I went home to a piece of toast often without butter and many of my coworkers had a second full time job. When I was making 18/hr I was teaching vet residents making 70-80k how to pla
    via u/Sometimesitsamonkey
  • 05
    • HelpMeLose MyFat 1d ago • Edited 20h ago Veterinarian Thinking going into major: I love animals and rabbits. And, cute, fuzzy things. Reality so much death and sadness ⚫ think, when have you been to the vet? On your pets worst day? Or last day?
    via u/HelpMeLoseMyFat
  • 06
    ThisShizzle ⚫ 1d ago Edited 1d ago All of them will find away to eat at your soul. But working in a small company that likes to think they are a big company when it comes to everything but salary will destroy the fibre of your being. Edit: Wow this has rung a bell with a lot of people.
    via u/F***ThisShizzle
  • 07
    themodernritual • • 1d ago Edited 1d ago Travel documentary filmmaker (as in working with a full film crew not just travel vlogging) Its awesome fun, but you work 18 hour days, and you are just absolutely monstered by the end. And you never really get to experience the place you go to, its all about your shots and getting coverage.
    via u/themodernritual
  • 08
    Squarebody7987 1d ago I used to work at boat dealership and people said I was lucky. Not sure if they thought we just cruised around the lake with a cooler full of beer or what, but the reality was more like having to clean out someone's battered, moldy pontoon that was filled with garbage and old beer cans.
    via u/Squarebody7987
  • 09
    Altea73 1d ago . DJ... I did it for years, and all I wanted after some time was to read a book or watch a movie before bed.
    via u/Altea73
  • 10
    Baron VonBracht • 1d ago Probably already said, but marketing. I always thought it was some cool Mad Men stuff, sitting around brainstorming about slogans, print, etc. Turns out it's just cramming as many words into many pages/articles as you can. That or just outbidding on clicks. Basically, I'm just trying to scam. Google now, which they always circumvent in some way after a while. Do not recommend it. I also can't believe this is still a job.
    via u/BaronVonBracht
  • 11
    Remote-Direction963 • 1d ago Teaching
    via u/Remote-Direction963
  • 12
    Hamishness_xd • 1d ago Game tester Growing up it sounds like the perfect job, but running into a wall 500 times at 500 different angles to try and find a bug is Boring.
    via u/Hamishness_xd
  • 13
    Snutterbips • 1d ago Office jobs of most varities. I worked physical jobs from like 15-25 (I know people have worked them much longer, not the point, I'm 32 now though) and while I appreciate not having to sweat all day and deal with the aches and pains of that kind of work, people do not understand what sitting all day does to your body and mind. It physically makes you weak,
    via u/Snutterbips
  • 14
    makes things hurt that shouldn't hurt, causes health issues, causes mental fatigue, it's a tradeoff that most people think is worth. But if I was physically fit to go back to physical labor making the same money I would. I'd rather sweat and deal with the pains of working with my hands/body than deal with the constant tailbone pain, foggy mental after a day of work, sore hips/knees from sitting, weight gain from sitting, etc.
    via u/Snutterbips
  • 15
    Rasta_bass 1d ago • I miss my waiter days, it was dynamic, every day a little different and by the end of the shift it's done. Now in corporate life the BS just never stops!!!
    via u/Rasta_bass
  • 16
    The68Guns 1d ago . I was the Easter Bunny for years at a local function hall. May seem fun, but you also get screaming kids being forced to take a picture, you can hardly see, some adults are just weird. Like sexual weird. I've been threatened and yelled at, both in full costume.
    via u/The68Guns
  • 17
    campbelw84 1d ago Edited 1d ago • Architect. Think you get to design beautiful buildings and create amazing sketches and renderings you can hang on the wall? Think again. Most design is client driven and clients are the worst. Even if you get a pretty cool design past the client, that's just 10% of the project. The rest of the time will be drawing permit documents, dealing with the local jurisdictions
    via u/campbelw84
  • 18
    design/permit review process. If your project even resembles what it did originally you then have to bid the project only to have your client learn that all the cool bits are $$$ so then they just cut them out. Finally you'll have to deal with the contractor and actual construction (disclaimer: I do like this part but having a good contractor makes or breaks this phase). The building is finished! Yay! Congratulations! Your client can now
    via u/campbelw84
  • 19
    occupy their brand new structure. Think you're done? Nope. They'll now try and sue you for anything and everything they think is wrong. Crack in the sidewalk outside? Straight to binding arbitration. Squeaky door? Straight to binding arbitration. Contractor didn't properly flash the windows? Straight to binding arbitration. Oh yeah to top it off, long pay. hours and
    via u/campbelw84
  • 20
    TCM 407 ⚫1d ago TCM_407 Working at a dispensary...most people think "Cool, sell weed all day!" But it's just like any other job except most of the customers want to seem cool and act super knowledgeable when in fact they don't know ...hey man, I just want to sell you this eighth and get you out of here so I can go back to figuring out how I'm going to fit this huge delivery we just got into the dab fridge. You don't need to pull out a jewelers loupe and look at 15 different jars for a half hour.
    via u/TCM_407
  • 21
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    via David McEachan

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management boss antiwork jobs good advice employee employment-discussion manager job work coworkers askreddit reddit thread Reddit company employment in the workplace
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